Silent Treatment
It was a restless night. Tossing and turning, too many thoughts raced through Persephone’s mind as she tried to find peace in sleep. It wasn’t until the sun began to shine through her window that sleep wasn’t an option.
“Guess it’s an early start today.”
Tossing her blankets off with a huff it was time to face the day. She took her time plucking through her closet, killing time and hoping no one else was awake. Once she was satisfied she hurriedly made her way to the washroom, quietly closing the door behind her. She snorted as she looked at herself in the mirror. Her puffy red face made her laugh, and feel ridiculous about the whole situation.
She had somehow found herself between a rock and a hard place. Well, somehow stuck between Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy. If only her younger self could see her now, in all her humiliating glory.
“She would think I was mental,” she laughed mirthlessly as she turned her attention away from the mirror.
Feeling much more refreshed and safely back in her room, she began to pack her bag to continue her lesson planning. The letter she had left unopened sat staring at her, taunting her. She hadn’t heard from her pen pal for a few years now. Now he had the gall to send her a letter, at her lowest moment. She grabbed the letter and stuffed it in her bag telling herself it’s a problem for later.
As she opened her door she looked to see Harry standing there, hand hovering as if he was going to knock.
“Pers. Look I-I want to apologize about last night,” he began to scramble. Whatever planned speech he had now lost upon seeing her.
She just stared at him before pushing past him and out of the living quarters. She hurried down the halls and into her classroom. She sat her bag down at her desk and leaned back in her chair. The blank ceiling stared back at her, then it hit her.
“Stars.” She whispered. With the flick of her wand a beautiful night sky shone on her.
“It’s pretty,” Malfoy said as he entered her classroom.
“I’m not speaking to you,” she said bitterly.
“Ah. But you just did.” He smirked at her as he sat on the desk.
“What do you want, Malfoy,” she whispered defeatedly.
“I just,” he paused as he turned his attention to her, “I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
She scoffed at him, “Draco Malfoy wants to know if I’m ‘okay’?”
“Yes. Persephone. I do.”
She stared at him like he had just sprouted a second head, “I’m sorry what have you done with Malfoy? I would like my ice prince back.”
“Your ice prince?”
“That’s not what I meant, Malfoy.” She pinched the bridge of her nose feeling like not much work was going to get done.
“Why do you even care? You didn’t do anything.” Her heart began to ache again.
“Because I know you were hurt, and I can’t stand to see you hurt,” he whispered, his voice rumbled like thunder in her ears.
“Careful now Malfoy, people might think you’re actually human,” she quipped back.
“Why can’t you just let me in Ms. Ellesmere?”
“That’s gold coming from you Mr. Malfoy. Get out.” She placed her hands in her head defeated.
He nodded and began walking towards the door, “Let me know if you need me, I’ll be here for you.”
Silence swiftly greeted her once more as the sounds of his footsteps began to disappear with each step. Pressing her palms to her eyes and sighed heavily. Whenever it came to Malfoy she just couldn’t leave it alone. He made her feel a swirling of emotions that always threw her for a loop. For her Malfoy was a rollercoaster, never-ending highs and lows and a drop in the pit of your stomach that either brought fear or excitement.
She grabbed a piece of parchment and pulled out her wand and began to write to her mother. She began to tell her that she was fine for the most part, and that she was getting on well in her position. She began to ask her for advice on what to do. How does she juggle the whirlwind of living with both Harry and Malfoy? Why did Harry’s noncommitence that she was so familiar with leave a hole in her heart? Why did Malfoy’s hot and cold nature leave her drawn in more than ever before?
“I miss you mum, and I could really use your help.” She finished before sealing the letter and letting an owl take it.
After a few hours of continuous prepping and more making of lists Persephone was ready to have a glass of wine and take a bath. When she entered the living quarters Harry was sitting in the kitchen with a small pile of papers and a few open books. He stood immediately looking at her with an apologetic expression, she stared at him with indifference.
“Pers, please talk to me. Please, I was stupid and said something I didn’t even mean. I panicked.”
They stared at each other for a long pause, she said nothing. His green eyes looked for any sign from her, anything that she would forgive him. Or at least break her silence.
“Persephone, just say something. Anything!”
She began to walk past him as if he were a ghost. How many times had they fought like this before? How many more times did they make up and fall into their usual routine?
He gently tugs at the end of her sweater causing her to stop and face him once more. She scoffs, shaking her head, “I have nothing to say to you.” Without another word she locks herself into the bathroom. She slides her back against the door as she listens for Harry’s movement.
“I did mean what I said in the tavern, you’ll always have me Pers.”
She listened as the front door closed, signaling that he had left. She took her time to fill up the tub, placing some herbs and oils in it as she cautiously ran to her bedroom to grab her bottle of wine. A gift from her Mum, who always knew what Persephone needed before she did. She slipped herself in as the warm water enveloped her body. The soft drip from the tap provided a background noise against the silence. After a gulp of her wine she rummaged through her bag next to the tub and grabbed the letter. With the soft tear of the wax seal she began to read.
Ms. Ellesmere,
I want to apologize for my lack of letters over these past few years. Life had become hectic for me. Dealing with my father had become unbearable for a time. I want you to know how much I had missed hearing from you and of your adventures. I have heard through the grapevine that you are one of the new professors at Hogwarts!
A heartfelt congratulations is most definitely in order. It must bring back so many memories of our times there, or well of our letters. We were so young then and had so many dreams and ideas. I’m glad to see that for you they are coming true.
I have missed you so deeply Persie. I know my yearning to hear from you was a problem of my own creation as I stopped responding. I hope you know I am now in a better place and will respond the moment I receive a letter from you. That is if you’ll still give me the honor to hear from you.
With all my love,
D.L.M
She folded the letter, setting it neatly back in her bag as she leaned her head against the tub.
“So now another one comes back,” she whispered.
New changes and old faces have been hurled into her life this past month. She was starting to struggle with adjusting to it all, had she really made the right choice? Closing her eyes she let her mind be still, slowly pushing away all the issues and tasks that had begun to pile up. Maybe a trip to see her mother was due, she needed the warmth of her mother’s embrace. She needed the peace her mother brought, and a moment to breathe.
Persephone returned to her room a while later. The letter from D. played in the back of her mind. His words swirled and she hated to admit it, but she missed him too. As the moon began to rise on the horizon casting shadows across her room. Persephone sat at her desk with her oil lamp flickering away, dancing as she began to write.
D.
It is so good to hear from you. I am glad you are doing well, for a bit there you had me scared something had happened to you. I hope your father hasn’t been much trouble for you recently. Mine has been quite MIA for some time now, but I am sure with my new promotion I will be seeing his face quite soon.
You need not apologize… too heavily. You will always be forgiven for moments when life seems to be too much. I fear I feel quite the same at this moment. I wonder if sometimes me returning here was a mistake, or a twisted joke from the heavens. I live with two people whom I have practically known my whole life! Yet they both feel so different and the same, if that even makes sense?
Ah, I guess you’ve managed to get me to ramble once more! I will always write back as long as you do the same. I could really use a familiar comfort in this moment. You’ve always been there when I needed you most, and for that I am thankful.
With all my heart,
P.A.M.E.
She sealed the envelope with her signature pink wax and a lily of the valley. She leaned out her window as an owl wasn’t too far behind to collect. With a better sense of comfort she began to head to her bed when a small knock startled her. Changing course her hand hesitantly gripped the handle, was it Harry again. Or for some small chance was it Malfoy.
“Who is it,” she called out.
“It’s just me Ms. Ellesmere,” Malfoy replied.
She opened the door slightly, just enough to see him, “what can I do you for Mr. Malfoy? It is very late, and quite impolite to call upon a lady at this hour.”
He chuckled softly, “will you take a stroll with me? I can’t quite sleep.”
She sighed, “only for a bit.” She turned and grabbed her sweater following Malfoy.
“So, where are you taking me so late?” She asked.
“Our spot.” He smirked down at her.
Persephone’s face began to burst in a pink hue as she remembered ‘their spot’.
Malfoy began to burst out laughing, “you still look the same when you get embarrassed.”
“Aren’t you a cheeky one,” she griped.
It wasn’t much longer till they reached the Astronomy Tower. Malfoy took the lead sitting on the ledge looking out of the courtyard. Persephone took the spot next to him. The soft chirping of the bugs created a symphony around them.
“When did we get so old,” she joked.
“At least we made it through everything,” he whispered.
She looked at him, worried. “We fought Malfoy, you helped Harry save us. You didn’t run. We went against everything that we were taught by our fathers and those who wanted to follow Voldemort. We survived by sheer will.”
“Or maybe crazy luck.”
“Or maybe crazy luck,” she agreed.
Silence passed between them. It had never occurred to Persephone that Malfoy too struggles with the haunted past of it all. She never thought that he wrestled with the same guilt that they had survived, but others who fought alongside them, didn’t. She wracked her brain for a way to bring the conversation to a lighter topic.
“Do you remember the Yule Ball?” She asked quietly.
He smiled at her. It was a gentler expression that came across his face, “like it was yesterday.”