Chapter 5
Love Realized
Alanna ran noiselessly through the dark streets. Finally, she reached her house. She glanced in the window as she passed, and didn’t see her mother behind the bar. The customers were being very rowdy, though.
Probably too much ale, Alanna thought wryly.
She eased the back door open. She didn’t dare go through the kitchen, as her mother was probably there. Alanna slipped out of her shoes, and carried them in her hand. She ran on tiptoes to the foot of the stairs, and almost fell down them again when she heard a voice out of the darkness.
“We have to stop meeting like this,” Madame Rosmerta said sarcastically as she struck a match and lit a candle. Alanna winced.
“Alanna-“ her mother started, but Alanna just stood there with bowed head. Madame sighed, and shook her head.
“I can’t do this anymore,” she said tiredly. “Get out of my sight. You’re not to leave your room until further notice.”
Alanna raised her face in surprise. She’s never acted like this before, never so… well, defeated, Alanna thought wonderingly. As she trudged to her room, her head bowed again, she suddenly thought, And it’s all my fault. I’ll have to send Draco an owl to tell him I can’t see him for a while.
Alanna climbed into her bed without bothering to change her dress. It would be terribly wrinkled, but she didn’t care. She laid there for at least an hour, then finally fell asleep.
Alanna woke from a very strange dream. She shook her head, and tried to go back to sleep, but she couldn’t. She opened the curtains and found it was still dark. She looked at her clock, and saw it was only six o’clock.
Well, I guess I’m up now, she thought, and walked over to the marble washstand in the corner. She looked in the mirror and smiled ruefully. Her face was tearstained and her dress was crumpled on her.
That’s what I get for sleeping in my clothes, Alanna thought as she took off the dress and changed into jeans and a t-shirt, Muggle clothes she had found quite comfortable in. She washed her face and cleaned her teeth.
Just as she finished, someone knocked at the door. Alanna went over to open it.
One of the servants was standing there, holding a tray of eggs and toast, as well as a cup of tea.
“Your mother wishes you to have breakfast, lady,” said the servant. “She says you aren’t to starve while you are imprisoned.”
Good choice of words, mother, thought Alanna as she smiled her thanks and took the tray from the servant’s hands. That is exactly how I feel.
Now, I have to find a way to get an owl to Draco, Alanna mused as she ate. Suddenly, she snapped her fingers.
“I’ve got it!” she said aloud. “I’ll bribe one of the servants to take a letter down to the post-office for me, and not tell Mother. Perfect!” She took out writing paper and pen and set her letter down.
Finally, she was pleased. Well, as pleased as she could be, considering she was telling Draco she couldn’t see him until she was ungrounded. She read it to herself.
Dear Draco,
I’m afraid I won’t be able to make it to our date tonight. My mother has grounded me until further notice, and I don’t want to rile her anymore than I already have. If I tried to get out, it would be too risky.
This will probably last a while. I will send you another owl when I am ungrounded, whenever that will be. In that letter, I will tell you what time to meet me, where and what date.
I will miss you terribly, and hope you will do the same. I hope you understand.
Love,
Alanna
Alanna folded the letter and sealed it. She stuck her head out the door and waited until she saw a servant carrying something up the stairs. She waited until the maid was coming back down the stairs to call out to her.
“Excuse me!” Alanna trilled. The maid jumped, and looked around. She saw Alanna and walked toward her.
“Yes?” asked the maid. Alanna smiled at her in a friendly way.
“I was wondering, would you mind taking this letter to the post-office for me right now?” Alanna asked sweetly. “It’s ever so urgent.”
The maid was instantly taken in by Alanna’s sweetness, never having met her before. She smiled at the 16 year old, and held out her hand for the letter. But Alanna held back, and turned serious.
“But you mustn’t tell my mother who you’re carrying the letter for,” said Alanna, looking into the maid’s eyes. The maid hesitated, and Alanna knew what to do instantly.
“Hang on a minute,” she said, and disappeared into her room. Rummaging through her jewelry box, she found a pearl necklace a former boyfriend had given her. I never liked it, anyway, she thought, and shrugged.
She handed it to the maid. “Here. Will this keep your silence?”
“Oh, yes. I’ll tell Madame that it’s for my mother,” said the girl, putting the necklace into her apron pocket. “Thank you, lady.”
Alanna smiled, then made a shooing motion. “Now go. I need that taken care of as soon as possible.” The maid scurried off.
Now, what will I do? Alanna wondered as she set the tray outside her door. Maybe I’ll read, there’s nothing else to do. Oh, I wish I had a television right now!
Draco Malfoy sat eating breakfast, and trying to tune Pansy Parkinson out as she prattled on about something that he didn’t care about.
Finally, the mail came. Draco automatically looked up, even though he wasn’t expecting anything. To his surprise, a normal brown owl swooped down and landed in front of him.
He untied the letter and shooed the owl away. It hooted at him scornfully and flew off “ it had probably been expecting breakfast.
He broke the seal and was just about to open the letter when he noticed Pansy looking over his shoulder. He closed it completely and got up.
“I, uh, forgot something in my dormitory,” he said in a sort of explanation to Crabbe and Goyle, who just stared stupidly at him. “I’ll be right back.”
He walked casually through the hall, then broken into a run the minute he reached the entrance to the dungeons.
Finally he reached his common room. He rushed up to his dormitory, and sat down on his green covers. He eagerly opened the letter. He thought he knew whom it was from.
As he read it, his eagerness faded, and confusion replaced it. When he finished, he slowly folded it and put it in his bedside table drawer.
Why would she be grounded? He wondered. Maybe she got caught last night. That must be it. She wouldn’t lie. All the same, I should go down there after classes and see what’s going on, just to be sure.
He looked at his clock and realized he was late for Charms. He grabbed his bag and went to his class, musing all the way. He decided he would go down right after supper, and ask a servant for her.
I should probably avoid her mother, he thought. She probably knows, and she won’t be too happy to see me.
Alanna lay on her bed, reading a book she’d found and hadn’t read in years. Suddenly, there was a pounding on her door.
“Go away!” she shouted, thinking it was her mother. She didn’t really feel like talking right now.
“Alanna, open the door,” said a voice that was definitely not her mother’s. She leapt off the bed, and threw open the door. Draco Malfoy stood outside.
“What are you doing here?” she hissed, and pulled him inside. Suddenly, she heard footsteps. She froze.
“My mum!” she whispered. “Get in the wardrobe, and don’t make a sound.”
He vanished inside, and she threw herself on the bed and picked up the book.
“Alanna?” her mother’s voice called.
“Go away,” called Alanna. “I don’t really feel like talking right now.”
“Alanna, open this door,” her mother said in a deadly way. Alanna sighed, and opened the door.
“What?” she asked sulkily. Her mother shook her head at her as a warning sign.
“We need to talk,” Madame said, sitting on the bed and patting the covers beside her. Alanna sat.
“Are you going to tell me where you were at two o’clock in the morning last night?” asked Madame. “I won’t force you, but I would like to know.”
“I couldn’t sleep, so I went for a walk,” said Alanna in a blank voice. I’m not lying, I’m just not telling the whole truth, she thought to console herself.
However, her mother knew that carefully controlled voice. But she didn’t say anything.
“Well, I just get worried about you. I don’t want you wandering the streets at night alone. Just, don’t do that anymore. How about this? I’ll give you a curfew of eleven thirty p.m. By that time, you have to be in the building. Before that, whatever. Is that alright?”
Alanna smiled and hugged her mother tightly. “It’s perfect. Thank you!” she squealed. Her mother smiled, and hugged her daughter tightly. It had been so long since they’d hugged.
Finally, Madame kissed Alanna on the head, and left the room. Alanna waited until she was sure her mum was gone, then hurried to the wardrobe. Draco stood hunched there, as he was too tall to fit comfortably. She smiled at him.
“The coast’s clear,” she said, and kissed him. He smiled against her lips and stepped out of the wardrobe.
“I just wanted to check you were okay,” he said, his grey eyes looking into her blue ones, looking worried. She hugged him and he hugged her tightly.
“Of course I’m okay,” she said softly. Then she tensed. “You’d best go now,” she whispered. They kissed long and hard, and then he left, silently. She looked after him, grinning broadly.
Draco hurried through the grounds and up the castle steps. He looked around for teachers, then ran to the dungeons.
Again, Harry Potter watched him as he rushed up the castle steps. Harry was frowning again. Where could he be going? He wondered. Harry decided to follow him the next time he left, with the Invisibility Cloak. He can only be up to no good, Harry thought wryly.
What he didn’t know was that the cold, unsmiling Draco Malfoy was at that moment lying on his bed with his hand on his lips, grinning and thinking about this girl. I love her, he suddenly realized, and grinned even more broadly. I really love her. I have to tell her.
In the room above the village pub, Alanna Rosmerta also lay on her bed, with her hand on her lips and grinning broadly, in an unconscious imitation of her boyfriend.
I love him, she thought, and rolled over, grinning even more broadly. I really love him. I have to tell him.