Snitch | Draco Malfoy

twenty-four

and i had been smelling green apples and parchment. just as i partially did right now. it couldn't be a stupid mere coincidence. the potion didn't lie.

"say, delany, are you dreaming of me right now?", dracos voice recalls me back into the current reality and i roll my shoulders back whilst sitting up straight.

he's rubbing his eye when i sit up and his hair is ruffled, a smirk plastered on his face as usual. i roll my eyes, but i can't suppress the smile creeping onto my visage.

his hand finds mine and he raises my palm to his lips, pressing a firm kiss upon my skin. i breathe in deeply at this gesture and bite my tongue.

how could he be so raw and loving with me in one moment and then so rude and obnoxious the next? i couldn't tell wether he was trying to play cat and mouse with me or wether he was just trying to keep up his reputation.

"stop with all this confusion, malfoy.", i mutter and his face falls, his head tilting. my hand drops onto his chest accidentally as he lets it go and i pull it back, slightly embarrassed.

"care to elaborate?", he asks and i sigh, shutting my eyes and shaking my head. "oh, please don't act so innocent, draco.", i begin and he chuckles, rolling his eyes when i look back at him.

the way he does it just drove that little part of me insane. i wanted to smack him right in the gob for being such an uptight sod.

"really, where do you think we are going with this? it's not like we could ever walk down the halls together. oh, just imagine what people would think of you!", i exclaim and he frowns at me.

his mouth is set in a hard line and i know i'm in for a bag load of trouble. "watch your mouth, aster. you know damn right that we can never be seen together. not just i but you too would be the laughing stock of this school!", he retorts.

i laugh haughtily and cross my arms in front of my chest. "and you should know me well enough by now that i do not give a flying fuck about what people think about me!", i remind him harshly.

his eyes leave mine and he gets up suddenly, the rift of the air hitting me right in the face. i mimic him and see his clenched fists by his sides, knuckles stretched with skin whiter than i could ever imagine his skin being.

"i know that. i know that.", he begins. he turns and looks down at me, one of his hands raised to jab a finger towards me. "but i also know you would be shitting your pants if that diggory friend of yours ever caught wind of us.".

i take a step back, leaning towards him. "well, guess what, malfoy, he already knows!", i shout. it echoes through the room and his hand sinks.

the look on his face is unexpected, blank. i shiver slightly as i watch his forehead creases disappear, as does his scowl. his lips are parted and i want to kiss him again.

"he does?", is all he squeaks before turning away from me. i stretch out my hand to touch him, but stop myself. i didn't want to push my luck.

i nod and press my lips together, inhaling deeply through my nose. i couldn't exactly read what sort of aura he was projecting around him and that seemed to make me slightly nervous.

"he said that it was by choice.", i continue. "he said that as long as i am happy, he is willing to accept it. but he did say that if you ever were to make me cry he'd make sure that you wouldn't forget about it that quickly.".

a small chuckle emits from both our mouths as i say it, making him look at me over his shoulder with a sly smile. i shyly look back at him and fold my hands together.

"you are so lucky.", he whispers and i raise an eyebrow at him, licking my lips. he turns to me finally and his outstretched arms pull me into his torso, hooked together behind my back.

"you have such great friends who accept whatever you do. you have an amazing, good looking rich boyfriend on the side.", he pauses to smirk at me dirtily and i blush, rolling my eyes.

"so you are supposedly my boyfriend now? when was this decided?", i question. he raises his hand to his chin, rubbing it in faux thoughtfulness. "just now. seemed like the right noun to use.", he simply says.

my heart flutters and i can hear myself screaming inside my head for even hugging him back and allowing him to hold me the way he did. i disgusted myself.

he kisses the top of my head and the screaming drones out. "come on, del, we should get some clothes on you. can't have everyone staring at your ass, can we?", he jokes.

i shove him away from me, partially playfully, partially because of i didn't i would probably have him on the floor, either punching him in the face or kissing him hard. i couldn't ever decide and i feared that someday i might have to.

"we should go separately.", i tell him. his face falls again and i rub my thumb against my knuckles, fighting the urge to give in and just walk out with him, hands intertwined.

he nods and steps aside, raising an arm as if gesturing for me to leave. his eyes are shut, he's slightly bowing. as i pass him, i can hear him breathe.

i stop, step back a few steps and kiss him on the cheek, just to insure him that i was still coming back to him sooner or later. i don't wait to see his reaction and instead stumble down the stairs of the astronomy tower.

the hall is already buzzing with students, eager and excited for the new day. i pinch my robes at the front with my hands to keep them from fluttering open and revealing what i was wearing, or rather not wearing.

i pick my pace as i try to hurry to my dorm, stepping carefully past people in luminous chatter and spiteful gossip. but i slow down as i see a far too familiar tall figure, a mop of messy, unruly spruce colored hair utop his head, a yellow and black striped scarf trailing along behind him.

"ced!", i cry out and begin running to him, holding my robes against my bare skin for dear life. "cedric delicious!", i scream, smiling broadly as he stop and turns. i knew that would catch his attention.

"delany dearest, hullo.", he chirps with a big smile plastered on his face and i fall right into his chest, hugging him tightly. he's already wearing his woolen quidditch sweater, which scratches a bit against my cheek.

"wow, what a greeting.", he chuckles under his breath and i look up at him, grinning like a mad man. "what can i say, you are my favorite person after all.", i kid and he ruffles my hair.

i pull away from him, holding my robes again. "say, you weren't sneaking around again, we're you?", he asks me and i shrug, looking away from him.

"if you didn't see me do that then i probably did not.", i smile and he sighs, patting my shoulder. "one day, one day.", he chants to himself and we half in front of the steps that lead to mcgonagalls classroom.

"just be careful, del.", cedric asks me. "i've been hearing around the banter for awhile and i've picked up that draco is not necessarily a good...idea?".

"cedric.", i say through gritted teeth. he raises his hands in self-surrender and leans down to me, kissing my cheek and whispering: "just take of my delany for me, alright?".

"of course i will, ced.", i assure him and he nods, parting from me and hushing up the stairs in an elegant manner. i trudge my way past bubbles of students and clamber into ravenclaw tower.

i enter my dorm and lean against the door, my heart pounding in my chest and my breathing heavier than ever. a smile creeps onto my face.

i wasn't quite certain how draco and i were going to keep up our little charade of hating each other in the hallways but i was assured of one thing entirely:

i was starting to fall in love.

-

yuh yuh as she should
xx,cece