A Summer in the Life of Draco

"Draco, when Ella was in her third year, we became fast friends after she showed the coach her Quidditch talent and made the team. It is true what they say. We were inseparable, even though I was two years older. The thing is, we never had any romantic relationship. What we had was purely a friendship.

"About halfway through her first year there, she became involved with a boy named Demetrius Theophilus. Ella was the "new girl" and it was a shock to everyone when they started dating. However, he had a history that she was not aware of.

"They had been dating for a good four months and things seemed to be going well... until Demetrius' old self kicked it. One night after an extended Quidditch practice, Ella came into the dorm lounge a little late to find Demetrius curled up on the couch, snogging a girl who was supposedly Ella's best friend," said Viktor, pausing for a moment to catch his breath.

"So that's it? She's a strong woman because she was cheated on?" Draco asked, confused.

"You never let me finish my story," said Viktor.

"I'm sorry. Please continue."

"Anyway, after Ella discovered Demetrius with her best friend, she dumped him on the spot. Any self-confidence that she had was gone. Most of her days after that were spent crying or up in her dorm room. I couldn't even get her to come out. She was sick to her stomach, wouldn't eat, and depressed. This began to affect her health.

"For nearly four months after that, Ella wouldn't eat anything. Whatever she did eat was soon thrown up. She called herself fat, ugly, and a disgrace, which we all knew wasn't true. Demetrius and his friends mocked her and none of the girls would talk or even look at her.

"One day after practice, I knew for sure that something was very wrong. She was staggering off the pitch like she was drunk or something. I followed after her and I'm glad I did. She passed out right outside the locker rooms. I was scared out of my mind.

"I ran as fast as I could to find the coach, but everyone had long gone. I didn't know what was wrong with her, so I didn't know how long I had. I picked her up and carried her to the school hospital. There was blood soaking through her uniform and I thought for sure that she had been stabbed. But I was terribly, terribly wrong."

"What was wrong with her?" asked Draco. Krum held up his hand.

"I was getting to that! Ok, where was I... oh yes! I got her to the hospital as quickly as I could. To be honest with you, the rest of that visit was all a blur. The only thing I remember was waking up in the morning and getting the news.

"Ella had been transferred to a hospital in New Zealand. After an examination, they discovered that she was having heart problems because of the lack of nutrition her body was getting. The cuts on her stomach were self-inflicted. She cut herself out of disgust. She was diagnosed with a severe case of anorexia. I went to the hospital immediately to see her and was shocked to hear that they had already started her treatment. The Stone family had met with a dietitian to get her back on an eating schedule. All was going well.

"Ella was a fighter, and got through this very well. I helped in any way I could. I wrote her letters of encouragement every day and visited her every weekend. We were all lucky because she took the psychiatric therapy extremely well and the family was able to get her weight back in a matter of about a year. I was so proud of her. When she came back to school, she had the most self confidence of anyone I knew. Instead of hanging out with girls, she became one of us guys. She didn't feel the pressure to be perfect anymore after she got away from guys like Demetrius.

"So you see Draco, Ella went through a very difficult thing. The disorder affected her Quidditch skills, but she bounced back. It threw off her social life, but she made new friends. It even affected her health, but she's better now. That's what she's been through, and that's what you need to appreciate," said Viktor, standing up from his seat. Draco just sat there, thinking about what he had just heard.

Perfect Ella... had been anorexic? She was everything any girl wanted to be, and yet she had thought of herself as rubbish. He just couldn't believe it. And Krum! He had been there through it all and he had no right to say the things that he had said about him. He felt the guilt become imprinted on his face.

"Krum, I'm sorry... I didn't know," he said. Viktor just smiled.

"I know you didn't, but jumping to conclusions like that is a habit you need to get out of," he said. Draco understood. He stood up from the bench and followed Krum back into the ballroom.

~*~*~*~*~

"What's wrong with her?" asked Narcissa as Melanie stepped out of Ella's room. Melanie sighed.

"It's seems like she's got one of the twenty-four-hour stomach flu's that she often gets. I better stay home with her. You guys go out without me," she said. Tonight was the last night in Paris and the bachelor and bachelorette parties had been planned for this evening.

"Oh Mel, it wouldn't be a party without you! Draco will stay home with her," said Narcissa. Draco looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"I will?" he asked. Narcissa grabbed him by the elbow and dragged him a little ways away from the group.

"Draco, this would mean so much to me! This is a night that most women wait their whole life for, and it would be no fun without Melanie. I know you and Ella have had your differences over the past few days, but I don't give a damn! You two will have to get over it for this one night," she scolded. Draco couldn't say no to his enraged mother, so he walked back over to the group.

"You go have a good time, Melanie. I'll stay home with Ella," he said. Even though both Ella and Draco had had plans for the evening, he would have to stay home so that his mother could have a little fun.

"Oh Draco! Thank you oh so much! Are you sure you'll be able to handle her?" she asked. Draco nodded.

"Ok then! Ladies, let's get this show on the road!" said Dominique with an excited voice.

"Draco, she's currently sleeping, so just peek in on her every now and then. I'm going to warn you now that she might throw up, so just be prepared," said Melanie as the ladies parted down the stairs and out the door.

"Oh great, I'm going to get puked on," he said to himself. He walked downstairs to find his latest Quidditch magazine. He collapsed on the couch and began to leaf through it to find the interesting articles. Just as he had begun to read one about the latest gear, he heard a faint little voice yelling down the stairs.

"Mum? Where are you?" It was Ella, who was obviously out of bed. Draco rolled his eyes and stood up from the couch. He followed her voice upstairs, where he saw her sitting on the top step, folded over. Her blonde hair was covering her face and her breathing was out of order.

"Ella? Are you all right?" he asked, sitting next to her. Her head snapped up when she heard his voice.

"What are you doing here?" she moaned. He hadn't talked to her since his outburst three days ago at the banquet. Draco felt saddened by the pain and anger that was in her voice. He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into him.

"Your mum went out for the evening. I'm staying here with you. Is that ok?" he asked, tilting her chin up to look at him. She had pain written all over her face.

"I... uggg..." was all she could get out before throwing up all over Draco's lap. She blushed a deep, deep shade of crimson and began to apologize profusely. He just laughed.

"Ella, it's all right! Calm down, I just have to go change, that's all," he said. She sniffed and nodded. "I'll be right back," he said, leaving her and going into his bedroom to change out of his clothes and into something more comfortable. He put on some athletic shorts and a t-shirt. Using his wand, he put the puked-on clothes down into the laundry room. He returned outside to Ella, who was clutching her stomach and leaning against the banister with her eyes closed. He walked over to her quietly and touched her shoulder.

"Ella? Do you want to go back into your room?" he asked. She shook her head. "Ok, then where do you want to go?" She shifted herself and looked up at him.

"Can you put me on the couch in the family room?" she asked him. Draco smiled.

"Do you need me to carry you?" he asked. Ella nodded. "Well, you know the drill," he said with a laugh. Ella smiled up at him and pulled out of her sitting position so that he could pick her up easier. He leaned down and put his arms under her knees and put the other around her waist. He lifted her into his arms like a child.

"Doesn't this bring back memories!" said Ella with a giggle as she remembered him carrying her home after their flight on Ares. They walked downstairs and into the living room. Draco set her carefully on the couch.

"Do you need anything else?" he asked. Ella thought about it for a moment.

"Can you please get me a blanket and a pillow?" she asked with those puppy dog eyes. Without another word, Draco left to get some of the spare linens out of the closet. He returned to see her lying in the fetal position.

"Ella, what's the matter?" he asked, dropping the pillow and quilt that he was carrying. She looked up at him and winced.

"I don't know! I'm fine for about two minutes at a time and then my stomach starts to hurt," she said. Draco grabbed the pillow and blanket. He began to wrap her up.

"You need to get some fluids in you, or else you're going to get dehydrated," he said, tucking her tightly into the blanket. "What can I make you?"

"Umm... I really have no desire to eat or drink anything right now," she said. Draco cocked an eyebrow at her.

"I don't care. You're going to at least drink something. What about a strawberry milkshake?" he asked. Ella looked up at him and smiled.

"Make it chocolate and you've got a deal." Draco laughed and walked into the kitchen to find a cookbook. He found the one he needed and flipped through it until he found the right spell. He looked through the cupboards and found a milkshake glass. With a few simple words, the glass filled with a thick, chocolate mixture.

"Well, sweet little Ella, would you like whipped cream?" he asked, pulling the can out of the refrigerator and shaking it.

"Of course!" she said excitedly. He piled on the fluffy cream and took a straw out of a box. He took the finished milkshake over to Ella, who was now sitting up. She took it and sipped happily on the delicious drink. Draco smiled and sat down in the love seat.

"How are you feeling?" he asked her. She looked better than she had before. She was beginning to get some color back in her face. Still, he was wary about going near her right now. He knew that these twenty-four-hour flu's could go away, but make another appearance very quickly.

"Oh, I'm feeling loads better! This milkshake hits the spot!" she said, taking another long sip. She smiled over at him. Ella was grateful that they were now talking again. These last three days had been like going through hell. It wasn't that they were mad at each other; it was just that there seemed to be this awkwardness between them.

"Do you mind if I run upstairs really quick and take a shower? If you've got the stomach flu, I don't want it," he said jokingly. Ella told him that she would be all right and he left for the upstairs bathroom.

Draco turned on the shower and stripped down. Right now, he could have been out clubbing with his friend Rob, but instead he was taking care of Ella. For some odd reason, taking care of a sick Ella had more appeal to him than dancing with numerous girls he didn't know. When the water had warmed up to the right temperature he stepped into the shower and closed the curtains.

He let the water rush over his muscles and felt himself relax. Over these past two weeks, he had been worked to the max preparing for this wedding. The group had picked out flowers, gowns, robes, a photographer, a DJ, a caterer... everything! It was more work than he had originally thought it would be.

He lathered up the shampoo and scrubbed his head thoroughly. He didn't want what Ella had, that was for sure. He hated throwing up more than anything. Sickness was something that he didn't need right now. He rinsed the shampoo out of his hair and looked through the shower for the anti-bacterial soap. When he didn't see it, he jumped out of the shower. Draco looked through the cabinets but he heard something that made him listen carefully.

He heard coughing and crying coming from downstairs. The only person in the house besides him was Ella, so he assumed it must be her. He threw a towel around his waist as quickly as he could and ran downstairs. He ran into the family room, but she was nowhere to be seen. The quilt he had so carefully tucked her into was now on the ground. He listened carefully and heard the coughing and gagging noises again. They were coming from the downstairs bathroom.

Ella sat crouched over the toilet bowl, clutching her stomach. She had obviously eaten something that didn't agree with her. Tears filled her eyes as another bit of bile came up and into the water. She began to shake uncontrollably. She was cold, very cold. She looked up when she felt her sweat-dampened hair be pulled from her eyes and out of the way. A soothing voice met her ears.

"It's going to be ok, Ella. Calm down," she heard Draco whisper. She clutched his knee with her spare hand, thankful he was there. Ella felt his hand begin to move in slow circles around her back, helping her relax. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and leaned into him. He was still warm and damp from the shower than she had interrupted. She closed her eyes.

"Draco, I'm so cold," she whimpered as she shook violently. Draco felt her forehead, but pulled his hand away instantly. She wasn't the least bit cold. If anything, she could be on fire. The cheeks that were normally so pale were flushed and damp with sweat and tears.

"Ella, you're so hot!"

"Thank you, so are you," she said with a weak smile. Draco's voice turned serious again.

"Ella, do you want to get back to the couch?" he asked her. Not wanting to risk throwing up, she just nodded her reply. He picked her up and took her into the family room for the second time. Setting her gently on the couch, he noticed that she was still shaking.

"Draco, I need some blankets. I'm freezing," she pleaded. Draco knew otherwise. He picked the quilt off of the floor and covered her with it.

"I'm only going to give you this because I don't want you to get overheated. Whether you know it or not, you've got a massive fever. I need to go brew you up something, so give me a second," he said, walking over to the small cauldron that was in the kitchen. He flipped through the leather-bound book that was at its side until he found the fever reducer that he was looking for.

Slowly but surely he began to add the ingredients needed. Occasionally he would hear Ella whimper from the couch. He tried his best to speed up the process but the solution had to simmer for ten minutes. He waited impatiently until it was done. When it was, he scooped it into a glass and brought it over to Ella.

Draco sat on the edge of the couch and helped her drink the concoction down. She wasn't too pleased with its taste, but she didn't care. Right now, she would do anything to feel better. Stomach pains were the worst for her.

"Do you want to lay down here for a little while?" asked Draco, still wrapped in the towel. She looked up at him with that look of hers.

"Not if you don't stay with me," she said faintly. Draco softened a bit.

"Can I put some pants on first?"

"Well, that's not required," she said jokingly. She gave him a cheeky grin.

"Oh really?" he said with a raised eyebrow. He stood up from his spot on the couch, walked a little ways away from her, and tugged playfully on his towel. Ella laughed and pulled the quilt over her head. Draco acted slightly hurt by this gesture.

"I'll be back in a minute. You just stay on the couch and if you need me, I can be back in a flash," he said. Ella nodded and leaned back on her pillow. The pain in her stomach was still there and it was a big annoyance. She cringed a little bit as the pain escalated.

Draco looked into his dresser and put on some boxers and shorts. It was rather warm inside and he didn't feel the need to wear a t-shirt. Before heading back downstairs, he deposited his towel in the laundry basket.

When Draco walked back into the family room, he discovered that Ella's eyes were peacefully closed. He leaned against the doorway and stood there watching her. Too his surprise, her eyes opened and she smiled.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer," she said in a croaky voice. Draco was surprised that she hadn't been sleeping. Nevertheless, he smiled at her again. She was still beautiful to him, even when she was sweaty and delusional.

"Well, you seem to be doing fine on your own. I guess I'll just go upstairs and--"

"NO! Don't leave me down here by myself!" Ella pleaded. Draco laughed. She was all talk. As tough as she talked, Ella was the biggest sissy he had ever been around.

"Well, if you insist. Scoot over," said Draco as he pushed her aside. He curled up behind her on the couch and she snuggled into him. He threw his arm over her waist and laid there for some time until the silence hurt his ears.

"So Ella, what's it like at Durmstrang?" he asked her. She shifted a little bit and sighed.

"To be honest, I liked Beauxbatons better. Sure, the Quidditch is great and the schooling is first class, but there's more of a mixture at Beauxbatons. At Durmstrang, there are only three hundred students and two-hundred-fifty are boys and fifty are girls," she said with some disgust. Draco thought of another question.

"So is that why there weren't any girl contestants from Durmstrang for the Tri-Wizard Tournament?"

"Exactly that. Durmstrang is very sexist. There are no girl teachers or anything! Back in the day, Durmstrang was an all boys institute and only in recent years have they allowed girls back in. I don't hang out with them much. Since Viktor left, I found a new best friend. Jack is one of my fellow Chasers. Do you want to see a picture of him?" she asked.

"Sure," he answered. Ella crawled off of the couch and walked over to the back door where her purse sat on a hanger. She dug through it until she found a strip of paper. It was one of those things that you get at the booths in any muggle mall. Draco now was lying flat on his back as Ella came over to him. She pulled the quilt off of him and stretched out on his stomach. She propped herself up on her elbows and handed him the picture sequence.

Jack had short blonde hair, hazel eyes, and a strong chin. He was slightly browned and seemed like a cocky person. One of those "I'm-good-looking-and-I-know-it" types. Jack and Ella looked like your typical best friends: just two people who had fun together.

"Wow, he sure looks like a Chaser," said Draco, noticing his bulging biceps, the necessity for anyone who played that position.

"Yeah, he's an awesome guy," said Ella fondly as she placed the pictures on the coffee table. She put her head against Draco's chest and could feel the beating of his heart against her cheek. She closed her eyes.

"So what's it like at Hogwarts?" she asked sleepily.

"It's the most beautiful place in the world. The castle is magnificent with all of its towers and marble staircases. My dorm room isn't anything special, though. It's a little boring... the classes are at least. But they'll let anybody in... Mudbloods and everything! I don't get it. But people are always respectful to me. Oh, and then there's Potter and his little group! If I had the chance I would curse-" Draco looked down in the middle of his sentence to see Ella asleep on his chest, not listening to his rambles. She breathed softly from her mouth and he could feel it on his neck. It looked like he was stuck here for a while. Not that he minded, of course.

A few minutes later, Draco found that his own eyelids were getting heavy. He closed his eyes and rested his arm on her back. Slowly he drifted off to sleep. But before he did, he felt his forearm fall asleep. He wanted to move it, but she looked so innocent that he didn't want to wake her. He fell into a deep sleep as he waited for the sun to rise.

~*~*~*~*~

At roughly four AM, the group of ladies arrived back from their little adventure. They thought that they could sneak in through the back door, but they had no luck. When they came through the door, they noticed Draco and Ella, who were still sleeping on the couch. They all let out a little "aww".

"Watch out, Narcissa. I think you may be looking at your future daughter-in-law," said Dominique to her older sister who just smiled sweetly. To be honest with herself, she had never seen her son as happy as he had been this summer. The way he acted, the way he smiled, and the way his eyes lit up when she walked into a room... it was an interesting thing to watch. Whether Draco wanted to admit it or not, she knew he was in love.

"Come on ladies, let's not wake them up," whispered Melanie. They tiptoed out of the room and turned off the light.