𝐏𝐎𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐍 ! [ draco malfoy ]

seven

     THE MORNING LIGHT FILTERED through the curtains, casting a soft glow on Jade's dormitory. Despite the necessity of attending classes, the allure of lingering in the warmth of her bed was tempting. She meticulously spent extra time getting ready, a deliberate effort to postpone the inevitable interrogation at breakfast. The memory of her abrupt departure from yesterday's meal still lingered, a knot of unease tightening in her stomach.

     Her plan did not seem to work when Hermione did not show any signs of leaving without her. There was nothing else Jade could do to stall, so she accepted the fact she was going to have to somewhat address it.

     "Finally, you took ages. Did you sleep well?" Hermione said to Jade as they walked down the stairs to the Gryffindor common room.

     "Alright. You?" Jade asked in return.

     "Good. Did you get caught out of bed?" Hermione asked.

     Jade looked at her strangely. "What?"

     "I woke up when you left last night, and it was past curfew," Hermione told her.

     "Oh. No, I didn't," Jade lied, thinking back to her strange interaction with Draco Malfoy.

     "That's good. I don't mean to sound snide, I'm just worried about you. How are you feeling?" Hermione asked as they made their way through the castle.

     "I'm fine," Jade lied once more. "Just needed the day to myself."

     Hermione nodded, "Okay, well, I'm always here for you."

     "Thank you. I really don't want to talk about it though so I'd appreciate it if you told the others." Jade requested as they walked into the Great Hall.

     "Yeah, of course," Hermione assured her.

     The two girls sat down at the Gryffindor table, greeting their friends. Just as Harry began to broach the topic of Jade's well-being, Hermione swiftly intervened, discreetly kicking his leg under the table.

     "Erm—right well, the Quidditch practice schedule is posted in the common room. First practice is this Wednesday," Harry told Jade.

     "Great, thanks Harry," Jade said while she buttered her toast.

     Conversation around her ensued, but she couldn't help but notice Draco Malfoy's entrance into the Great Hall. Dark circles clung to his stormy grey eyes, evidence of a restless night.

     As though he had felt her eyes on him, he turned toward the direction and locked eyes with her. A silent exchange passed between them, and Jade, caught in the intensity of his stare, felt an involuntary shiver race down her spine. Shit. She immediately looked away, but it was too late.

    The memory of the previous night invaded her thoughts. It was the first time he wasn't cruel to her and her to him. And it was so fucking strange.

     Casting the memory aside, Jade finished her breakfast along with her friends. The day unfolded sluggishly, every passing hour dragging like a reluctant step towards evening. When her last class finally ended, a sense of relief washed over her.

     Jade walked out of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom with Dean as they complained about Snape. As they were walking back to the Gryffindor common room, Daphne stopped in front of Jade, who was in the middle of her Snape rant.

     "Hey Jade, Dean. You don't mind if I steal her away do you?" Daphne asked Dean, a playful glint in her eye.

     "I'm sure I can get back to the common room in one piece. I'll see you later, Jade. Daphne," Dean replied, waving goodbye as he continued on his way.