slither - dm

Lost & Found.

Laurel

It has been a very long week since the conversation between Draco and I happened in the bathroom. He hadn't brought it up again, though I know he was dying to know the truth. I'll tell him, but I don't know when.

Before I tell him, I needed to make sure he was calm. That he wouldn't act out of anger or frustration over something that didn't concern him, that I didn't care about anymore.

Throughout the week, the pair of us have been rather distant to one another in a verbal way. Sure, he's walked me to class, kissed me goodbye, sat by my side during meals, but we haven't had sex.

Hell, we don't even speak except the occasional good morning or goodnight.

There's not much tension between us, just silence. If only I could read his mind, then I'd know what he really thought about everything. I often contemplated breaking the silence between us, but I can't seem to come up with the words.

"Oi, Laurel. What's on your mind?" Blaise Zabini asked, snapping me out of my long train of thoughts. I looked up to see the curious boy, along with a few others nearby gawking at me, listening to see if I'd spill any details.

"Oh, nothing. Just this assignment I have for Charms." I lied. I wasn't worried about ay assignment, though it was a good cover I suppose. "Speaking of, I need to head to the library," I continued with my lie. It was a desperate attempt to escape the current interrogation.

"Not even a goodbye?" Draco asked, frustration in his tone. I forced a half-smile before I leaned in and kissed him on the cheek and left.

Once I reached the library, I began searching for a book to read to occupy my mind. It didn't even have to deal with Charms, I just needed an escape from my current reality. From Draco, from Grant. From everything.

I think it was only so confusing to me because my feelings for Draco have progressed a lot further than I had intended them to, and because my feelings for Grant haven't completely disintegrated.

I was over Grant, I truly was, but I still had a soft spot for him. I wanted to hear him out and let him explain why he's following me across the world but I can't. Draco is too important to me.

As I began to reach for a book, someone grabbed my arm and pulled me into a corner while covering my mouth with their other hand.

I spun around to see that my abductor was none other than Grant. I opened my mouth to speak once he removed his hand from it, but then placed his finger against his lips to silence me.

"What?" I whispered angrily.

"We need to talk." He said.

"No, we don't. You told Draco the reason you were here was to win me back. I don't want you. I'm with him."

"Yeah, yeah. I heard all about it." He rolled his eyes. "Clayton told me you were dating some egotistical jerk but I didn't believe him." He scoffed. "He also said that you and him fucked. I didn't believe that even more."

"We aren't dating." I corrected him ignoring the part where Clayton disclosed information about our private life with him. I don't care to defend the truth about that.

"He called you his girlfriend, El." He groaned. He seemed hurt. "I just don't understand what you see in him. I'm much better looking than him."

They both were very attractive boys, but I can't find it in my power to say that Draco was superior in looks. He was in my eyes, but I couldn't tell Grant that. I couldn't hurt him even if I wanted to. "Looks don't always matter. What matters is how well he performs in the bedroom." I smirked. "You weren't supposed to hear that."

"All I heard was I'm better looking than him." He laughed.

"I never said that." I huffed. "Draco is...very attractive. Perhaps the best looking guy in the entire school. All the girls want him."

"Was. The title shifted to me the moment I arrived, El. Haven't you noticed all of the female attention I've been getting?"

"I'm not surprised. You weren't able to pry those skanks off of you in the past. But here's the thing, I don't care if they bother you or not. That just means they're not bothering Draco for the time being. Don't worry though sug, they'll change their minds once they discover who you really are."

Grant scowled at me while I smirked at him. I turned my heel to exit when he grabbed me again. "What!"

"It's Archie."

"What about him?" I was suddenly interested in what he needed to say.

"He's alive."

Chills ran down my spine hearing those words. Archie. Grants brother, my best friend who went missing just weeks before my mothers death was alive.

On that note I nodded slowly unable to form words and exited the library.

Draco

"Not even a goodbye?" I spat when she abruptly decided to up and leave. She'd been oddly peculiar since the day I punched her precious Oliver.

I'd I'm being honest, I'm getting pretty annoyed with her. It's been a week and she's hardly spoken to me. I wanted to give her the space she needed and let her come to me whenever she was ready, but it was so damn hard. There's no way whatever happened between the two of them could be that bad.

She leaned in and kissed my cheek then turned to leave. I rolled my eyes at her pathetic excuse of a goodbye kiss. I had been planning to ask her to officially be my girlfriend, but I'm not going to until she tells fucking talks to me.

Something must have happened between her and Oliver. Why else would she be acting this way? I'm eager to know that I can trust her again, though I'm not so innocent myself, keeping a dark secret from her that could change the way she looks at me eternally.

Once she was gone, everyone turned to me to see if I was going to react to her, but I didn't. "Trouble in paradise, Draco?" Pansy asked, snickering with Daphne. "You and I never seemed to have this many problems."

"Piss off." I spat at her. I bet she's enjoying every second of this. She thinks that this could potentially put her back into the running to become the next Mrs. Malfoy, but she's never been so wrong. No matter what my father tries to force, I'll never be with her.

"Seriously, mate. What's going on between you two?" Theo asked.

"I'm just surprised she hasn't said anything to you." I sharply replied.

I wanted to rant, to vent about her and why I'm so angry, but I know if I tell one person, I'm pretty much telling everyone. No one can keep a secret in this bloody school.

"Come on, Draco. Just tell us what's wrong. We're your friends. We want to help y—"Daphne began to say but was interrupted by my fists slamming onto the table. Suddenly, all eyes in the Great Hall were on me.

"If you all could mind your own fucking business for once in your lives, that would be spectacular." I stormed off in the direction of Laurel. I needed to tell her that she didn't need to tell me what happened. I just wanted her to talk to me. I missed her.

I arrived in the library and began searching for her. We needed to figure this out. I was tired of the silence. It was beginning to eat me alive.

I found her, but she wasn't alone. I hid in the aisle away from the conversation she was having with someone.

Fucking Oliver.

This is just fucking lovely, she's lying to sneak around with him. I knew there was something going on.

"Archie's alive." He said, but she didn't respond. She just continued rapidly walking away from him, out of the library. I rushed after her and grabbed her hand to turn her around.

"Grant, I don't...Draco? What? Are you following me?"

This is the most she's talked to me in a week. My lips tugged into a smile when she spoke. I missed her sweet American voice. I grabbed her face with both of my hands, and pulled her to me, and locked my lips onto hers.

"We need to talk," I told her.

"I—I know. We do." She replied.