Muffliato (Draco Malfoy)

10 - PROTECTIVE

Alora Lin

A few days had passed, and Christmas break was creeping up on us. Of course, most of the school was planning on staying at Hogwarts in order to attend the Yule Ball.

I was currently sitting at the Ravenclaw table alongside my friends for dinner. Cho was jabbering away to Padma and Marietta about how she was desperately hoping for Cedric to ask her to be his date for the ball. Anthony and I sat across from them, listening in on the conversation.

"So," Anthony started, slightly shifting in his seat so that he was facing me. "Has anyone asked you to the ball yet?"

"Nope," I stated, using my fork to play around with the salad on my plate.

"Yeah, me neither..."

The two of us sat in silence for a few minutes longer, the most prominent sounds from the table being Cho, Padma, and Marietta's giggles as they watched Cedric enter the Great Hall.

For the past few days, I struggled to remain present when I was with my friends. I often found myself drifting off, picturing Draco pinning me up against a wall as his veiny hands roamed my body. His ring-clad fingers would grip around my neck, choking me as he pounded–

"Alora?"

I snapped out of my thoughts, turning towards Anthony who seemed to have been trying to get my attention for the past few seconds.

"Sorry," I said, placing a strand of hair behind my ear. "I just got a little uh... distracted. You were saying?"

"No worries," he blushed. "I was um... I was just wondering if you wanted to be my date to the Yule Ball? A-As friends, of course."

Deep down, I knew I wanted to go to the Yule Ball with a certain Slytherin boy, but firstly, I knew he'd never ask, and secondly, I would be the laughing stock of my house if people found out I wanted to attend a ball with Draco Malfoy.

Despite being ridiculously handsome, Draco was still a bully, and surely none of my friends would be happy if they found out about my recent interactions with him.

"Yeah, of course," I smiled at Anthony. "I'd love to go with you."

"Brilliant!" he beamed, turning back to his plate of food so as to hide the deep blush that was rising to his cheeks.

Not long after, I heard Padma whisper to Cho that Cedric was making his way towards our table. I glanced over my shoulder to seem him walking over, waving his hand as he called out, "Hey! Alora, I've been meaning to ask you–"

"Is there anything you'd like to ask me, Cedric?" Cho interrupted, batting her eyelashes at him. Although she is one of my best friends, this girl can be a real flirt when she tries to.

"Um... not that I know of?" Cedric stated, his eyebrows furrowing. "Anyway," he continued, turning back to me. "It's about the Yule Ball. I was wondering if you–"

"Have a date?" Anthony interrupted this time. "Yeah, she's going with me."

Cedric looked taken aback as he watched Anthony put his arm around me.

"Oh," Cedric blushed. "Are you two, like–"

"No, we're not together," I promptly responded as I spotted a streak of platinum blonde hair across the Great Hall.

My eyes immediately found Draco's. He stared daggers at me before clenching his fists, causing the veins on the back of his hand to protrude. I soon realized that he wasn't staring at me; he was staring at the part of my waist Anthony had his hand around.

Although we have shared a few intimate moments, we weren't dating.

Draco didn't own me.

I remained in my seat, allowing Anthony to maintain his grip on my waist. In all honesty, I was basking in the glory of Draco's jealousy.

This game of ours is getting pretty fun.

Cho cleared her throat, causing all of us to turn our attention towards her. "Well, I don't have a date yet, Cedric.

Cedric originally had his eyes glued on me before Cho's sudden interjection broke him out of his thoughts. "Oh, right... Do you want to be my date to the Yule Ball then?"

Cho nodded giddily, turning back to Padma and Marietta as the three of them giggled like seven year olds at a sleepover.

Cedric awkwardly nodded at Anthony and I before making his way to the Hufflepuff table. We watched as he sat down beside his friends, nervously glancing back at us every now and then.

"You know, you can take your hand of my waist now," I suggested, teasing Anthony.

"What? Oh right, sorry," he chuckled, removing his hand as his cheeks turned a light pink yet again.

"I appreciate you being so protective of me," I started, turning back to my plate of food as did Anthony. "But it's just Cedric; he's not gonna hurt me."

"I know he's not."

"Then what is it?"

"It's nothing," he shrugged his shoulders as he stuffed a piece of chicken into his mouth.

~

Draco watched as Alora and her friends left the Great Hall upon finishing dinner. He sat there, playing with the food on his plate while dozing off. Crabbe and Goyle were hungrily shoving food down their throats, but Draco spared them no attention because only one thing was on his mind.

Alora.

He was a complete stranger to this feeling that was burning in his chest. Clenching his fists around the fork in his hand, he bit the inside of his cheek out of frustration.

He's hooked up with some girls before, but it's always been just that. He'd fuck a girl for a one night stand, and then move on to the next one. He loved using them to get what he needed, and he loved the feeling of destroying their innocence even more.

He felt powerful and dominant.

But with Alora, one hookup was not enough.

He wanted more. Craved more, in fact.

He'd often find himself standing in the shower or sprawled out over his silk bedsheets, jacking off at the thought of her. He'd close his eyes, picturing her standing before him–naked–in all her beauty.

He'd imagine himself tracing his fingers along her prominent collarbones before stopping to massage her breasts. He'd then picture himself positioning his hard erection at her entrance, ready to pound into her until she was screaming for him to go harder, faster.

But after his daily bouts of masturbation, he'd find himself laying in bed, thinking about what it would be like to hold Alora in his arms.

He'd imagine her smiling as he snuck up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and leaving light kisses in the crook of her neck.

Draco absolutely loved her smile. He always saw her laughing when she was with her friends, but he wanted to be the reason she smiled–the reason the edges of her plump lips would curl up–creating small wrinkles around her beautiful brown eyes.

He wanted to be the reason she laughed until her eyes watered. He wanted to be the reason she couldn't fall asleep at night.

He would always pretend to not see Alora when she walked into a room, but little did she know, he would look at her every chance he got. Every time she passed him in the corridors, he would continue laughing with his friends and wait until her back was facing him to sneak a glance. He loved the way her long black hair bounced against the small of her back with every step she took.

She had no idea, but she drove him wild.

And then tonight, seeing her wrapped up in Anthony's arms sent a new type of anger coursing through his body. He felt oddly protective and, although he would never verbally admit it, possessive of her.

Alora was his and no one else's. He would make sure of that.