NEMESIS || Draco Malfoy

44

In a swift motion, he swirled his wand upwards, a bright light shooting upwards — without a word muttered — now illuminating the area. I was still sat on the floor, hating the way he looked down on me, and I looked up.

I wasn't able to do anything about it, though. Especially now that there was light, and he saw me — his eyes currently dragging down my seated position with a casual smirk on his lips — there was no way I could hide that box while I got up.

My hand stayed behind my back, anxiously tracing the carvings on the outside of it as I tried my best not to portray the same emotion on my face; my lips were turned into a scowl, brows knitted together tightly as I took him in.

He huffed, scratching the back of his neck as his head tilted. "Back to Malfoy, are we?" He taunted, a teasing tone in his voice that made my head cock to the side.

Since the evening of Slughorns Christmas party, we hadn't exchanged so much as glances with each other. It was awful enough to find out he was staying over the holidays just like I was.

If there were anyone I would've expected to stay in Hogwarts less than myself, it was the irritating blond boy.

Yet, here we both were.

I sighed, eyes connecting with his again— a wicked smile gracing his features.

"What?" I asked in amusement. "You preferred Draco?" My tongue flicked over my lips, emphasising his name with an innocent smile on my lips. My head tilted as I watched him scrunch up his nose before he turned his head to the side only for a second.

He held back a smile as he thought, I could tell. Though, as quick as the moment came, it went again, and our eyes connected once more; Malfoy's brows raised.

"Well," He began. "There are certainly other things you could call me that have a better ring to them," He shrugged, stepping closer as he cocked an inquiring brow, studying my face like a page in a book.

Before I could reply, he raised his voice once more. "What's that behind your back?"

A victorious smile spread across his features, and my brows furrowed as soon as the words left his mouth.

"Nothing," I breathed out, facial expression not revealing the way my heart skipped a beat at the mention.

"Nonsense." His head shook lightly in disapproval at my lie, though my stern stare remained unfazed. "I'm no idiot, Hayes. It's that music box, isn't it?" He quickly waved me off. "Of course it is."

"It's none of your concern, is what it is," I corrected, looking up at him and hating the way it felt. If he technically already knew I was hiding something behind my back, the least I could do was get up to even out the playing field.

And so, as I rose to my feet, clutching the box behind my back tightly, he nodded with a smirk on his lips, eyes falling down my figure only for a moment.

"There you go," He muttered, eyes batting open again. "What are you doing with it?" He continued asking, stepping another step closer now that I stood before him.

I rolled my eyes with a huff. "It is none of your concern," I repeated my previous answer and emphasising every single word of it.

He snorted dryly, shaking his head in joking disappointment. "Wrong answer," He shrugged. "You don't think I recognise a cursing when I see one?" He wondered, brows raised as another half-hearted, amused huff escaped him. "You lit up the whole room with that bright light of yours; surely you must have noticed that."

A cocky grin played on his lips, and my nose twitched in annoyance and irritation alike.

"You're walking on very thin ice, Malfoy," I hissed, taking a step closer to him as my brows furrowed deeper. My voice was strained, holding back and sounding composed when all I wanted to do was try to murder him all over again— successfully, this time. "What are you doing here?"

"Well," He hummed. "I knew I'd find you here, of course. You see—" He paused for a moment, pretending to think as his gaze fell on something to his left. — "The thing about knowing how to curse an object, is knowing you can only do so on full and new moons. It wasn't hard to figure you'd do it here; after all, this isn't the first time I was in the room while you did so, and, well— here you are." With a shrug, he turned back towards me, a victorious smirk on his lips as he studied my reaction carefully.

I swallowed thickly, though all I said was, "That doesn't answer my question."

He licked his lips, realising how bothered I was by his presence and almost thriving off of it. "I thought this is as good time as any to remind you that it was you who promised not to try and kill me—" He began, cutting himself off to add an "Again."

My brows raised, head shaking as I tried to figure out where his words were leading. When he continued, it all made sense. "I, however, never made such a statement."

I couldn't help the singular laugh escaping my lips, the smile taking him off guard as his own face fell slightly.

"Are you...—" I cut myself off with another amused huff. — "Threatening me?" I wondered sarcastically. "Oh, you totally are."

His expression remained cold, lips in a straight line and eyes narrowed.

"Be careful is all I'm saying."

I smiled.

"Oh, well, promises are meant to be broken, aren't they?"

A/N: currently listening to sour by Olivia Rodrigo on REPEAT i love that girl so much it hurts and idek WHy kljhvgcfxd

Anyway, this was kinda a filler, but I hope you liked it!!

See you. <3