NEMESIS || Draco Malfoy

49

Corridors were bustling with students again— Laughter as well as chatter echoing through the crowded hallways. For a moment, it made me appreciate the quiet solitude I had for the past two weeks.

Though, as I rushed down the stairs into the dungeons, I realised it also meant I wouldn't have to share the common room with no one but Draco Malfoy ever again, and my heart felt a lot lighter already.

So, when I stormed through the common room, I almost appreciated the full sofa's, the incoherent conversations that filled up the room, and Daphne Greengrass' dirty look as she spotted me.

I didn't spare her so much as a glance; instead steered right for the dorms and disappeared behind the door only seconds later. After all, why would I bother with her when I knew Pansy was already back there, probably waiting for me.

As I burst through our door, an amused sigh accompanied my words as I began with "You won't believe—" Though, I quickly cut my own sentence off at the sight before me.

A wide smile on her lips, Pansy's head shot in my direction, gaze diverting from the huge flower bouquet stood on the dresser against the wall.

Peach roses and Gerbera daisies, orange lilies, carnations and white roses accented with fresh greenery presented in a beautiful, circular arrangement. The colours and types complimenting each other perfectly— a little too perfect for someone who wasn't me.

The thought crossed my mind only for a second, though it was enough to piece the pieces together, to lunge forward just as Pansy leaned in to smell them still with an amused expression on her face.

I knew if she got a close whiff of them, it would fade as soon as she did.

"Don't," I blurted out, holding her by her shoulder mere moments later as her face fell in confusion. She furrowed her brows though took a step back with me.

My gaze diverted onto the flowers, lingering on the few daisies that had given it all away.

"What's gotten into you?" She wondered, taken aback by my sudden initiative as her eyes darted back and forth between me and the bouquet. "You don't seem very delighted by your gift—" She mocked, unaware of the consequence her action could've had.

Without a word, I pulled my wand out of my pocket, and in one swift motion, twirling it in the air before pointing it at the arrangement stood a few feet before us, I had it levitating out of the bunch.

A Black Ivy— petals as dark as night itself, core a fiery orange — the colour close to resembling my hair — and the scent so deathly you'd beg for mercy before it actually killed you.

In all its glory, it levitated in the air, both mine and Pansy's eyes not wavering from it before it went up in flames not a moment later; a courtesy of mine as I lowered my wand, eyes flickering over to the raven-haired girl only for a moment.

Still unsure what had just transpired, her lips parted to speak, brows still furrowed, and a confused expression on her face as she watched me grab the entire bouquet without a single word spared.

I'd explain to her later, though now, anger bubbling up inside of me, I'd only let it out on the wrong person if I spoke to Pansy first. That, or it would go to waste completely.

So, instead, hearing the wooden door fall shut forcefully behind me, my steps forceful on the floors, I rushed out and over into the boy's corridor. The bouquet in my arms, partially restricting my view, I pushed their door open with my back.

I stood in Malfoy's dorm a mere minute later.

My barging through the door drew his, as well as Montague's attention, on me, the seventh year sporting a puzzled expression as his eyes flickered over my figure, lingered on the flowers and then shot up to my anger riddled expression.

Malfoy took me in with a smirk on his face, letting me know I assumed correctly as I threw the — at this point loosely tied arrangement — in front of me.

My nostrils flared up in annoyance and anger, though my next words weren't directed at him.

"Get lost, Montague," I spat, eyes still locked with Malfoy rather than the older boy sprawled across Theo's bed. Perplexed, he didn't move; rather had his eyes flicker back and forth between Malfoy and me and dart down to the mess of flowers on the flower.

"I said—" My voice raised; I went to repeat my words, eyes darting over to Montague for the first time, making him almost jumps off the bed as he hurried past me with his hands raised in surrender.

My back straight, eyes forward, I waited to hear the door fall into its hinges behind me, noticing Malfoy's gaze not wavering from me even after it did so.

His eyes slowly dragged up my figure, brows raised in a notion that almost seemed impressed, the hint of a smirk playing on his lips simultaneously.

It was quiet for a second, and I took a deep breath— the sound the only one in the room.

"How dare you?" I spat, then, eyes narrowing in on him as my foot found itself on top of the flowers before it kicked them across the room. I huffed in faked amusement, my head shaking at the nerve he had.

"You didn't like my gift?" He pouted, actual amusement lingering in his voice that only made the situation. "If I remember correctly, those were your top five, yeah?"

I groaned loudly, head falling back in frustration at how right he was. "Minus that one in the middle, of course."

I drew a sharp breath; head cocked to the side in disbelieve of his smug attitude.

"Oh, don't tell me it's changed in the past three years? Can't blame me for that—" He continued to mock, knowing full well he was only driving me closer and closer to unhinged frustration and anger.

I chose to ignore his words. For my sake as well as his, I continued to drive the point that had me as angered as I was in the first place.

"You know you could've killed Pansy with that, don't you?" I shot, nose twitching in anger as my lips pressed together to form a thin line.

"I believed you were smart enough to stop her from smelling the damn thing, Hayes," He shrugged, careless as to how much danger he had put our best friend in by simply putting that deadly flower in between my favourites.

"And—" He continued. "Judging by your choice of words, I was right." A victorious smile spread across his features as he got up from his spot on his bed: previously having leisurely leaned against the backrest of it, he was now taking dangerously slow steps towards me,

His blond hair fell into his face messily, seemingly having ruffled through it earlier. His head tilted, corners of his mouth arching upwards at the same time.

At his words, I groaned. Loudly, every bit of annoyance, frustration and anger escaping my body through the sound as I tipped my head back once more.

If there was one thing infuriating enough, it was Draco Malfoy.

"Why send them in the first place, then?"

My question lingered in the otherwise silent room as he came to a halt before me; forcing me to tilt my head upwards slightly in order to level our eyes; his revelling in the moment, twinkling with mischief and his superior attitude as he looked down at me.

He swallowed thickly, tilted my own head to the side gently with his hand before resting his mouth by my ear for a moment. His breath tickled my skin, had goosebumps form down my spine.

"A taste of what's to come, maybe?"