The Horse was Lost

the Horse was Lost

Buffy could not stop sneezing. She was buried deep in her covers, surrounded by tissue in every direction.

Her head hurt and she wanted to sleep. The redheaded woman, whom she learned was Mrs. Weasley, was clucking around her, tucking her in and disposing of the tissues.
___

Draco watched as Mrs. Weasley fluttered around Buffy. Professor Dumbledore had asked that he keep an eye on Buffy and make sure she didn’t run away again. Since the day before, she had gotten…a cold. The whole thing amused Draco. She looked so funny. Her hair was messed up and her nose was red and she had gone through numerous boxes of tissues. Draco had finally enchanted a tissue box for her so that it would never run out.

Surprisingly, he didn’t hate her anymore. She intrigued him. One minute, she’d be yelling and joking with him and then she’d take a good look at him and she’d stop. She’d turn away from him. It didn’t happen with anyone else, just him.

If she weren’t who she was, Draco would have assumed that she was afraid of him. But he knew that she wasn’t.

Today she was just sitting there, sniffling and looking up at the ceiling.

“How long have I been here?”

Draco calculated. “About four days.”

Buffy cursed. Draco looked at her.

“I need to get back home. All my friends will be worried about me.”

“Well, we’ll see what we can do.”

Draco felt a pang in his stomach. There was no way. And yet there was. He didn’t want her to leave. “Bloody hell.” He breathed.

Buffy looked at him. He left the room and bumped into Harry.

“Watch where you’re going.”

“Well where are you going?”

“Out. Watch the girl. I don’t feel like doing it anymore.”

Draco collected himself and left.

Harry stared at his retreating back and sighed. He walked into Buffy’s room.

“What did you do to Draco?” He joked.

Buffy shrugged.

“Do you not like Draco or something?”

“Why would you ask that?”

“Because whenever you’re talking to him or something you sort of look at him as if you’re remembering something and then you just stop.”

Buffy leaned back. “He reminds me of someone, that’s all.”

“Who?” Harry asked.

“Someone.”

“I see.” It was obvious that Buffy didn’t want to share.

He rose and chose a book from one of the shelves.

“I loved him.” She said softly. Harry didn’t turn around.

“He died to save the world.” This time Harry shut the book.

“We were fighting the Turok-Han* to stop the Hellmouth from opening. And he was there with that amulet around his neck. And I told him I loved him. And then Faith pulled me out and everything was bright. And then it collapsed. There was only a handful of us. We made it out. But you have no idea. There was a giant hole in the ground. So many potential Slayers died that day. So many girls.”

She leaned back and closed her eyes.

“I learned to accept it you know. It’s been a while. But then I got here. And I saw him and everything just came back to me. Every once in a while I forget, you know, but then I remember. And I just can’t look at him.”

Harry turned around. “You’re wrong. I do understand.”

He sank back into the chair.

And Buffy could tell it was hard for him.

“I know.”

He looked at her.

And for a moment, they were love.

Not IN love, but love itself.

It was bright, and wonderful.

Then it ended. They were just people who knew each other. *

They understood each other. They had been through the same things and experienced the same things, and they just understood each other.

And Buffy sneezed.

~


* And for a moment, they were love.
Not IN love, but love itself.
It was bright, and wonderful.
Then it ended. They were just people who knew each other.

Book: What Child is This
Author: Caroline B. Cooney