MEMENTO MORI | DRACO MALFOY

THIRTY-EIGHT

"End things with Warrington." Draco murmured beside her as a group of Hufflepuffs rushed by, headed to their astronomy lesson. It wasn't so much a demand, but a plea.

Ophelia smirked, still feeling the tingling on her lips, assuring her they were still red and swollen. "That would mean that there was something to end. He knows he's still free to see whomever he pleases."

"Does he, though?"

"I've told him many times. If he chooses to ignore it, that's not my fault." She argued.

Draco brushed his hand against hers purposely, sending a shock up her arm. "We don't have to be exclusive, Eff, that's not what I'm asking. I'm just asking that I'm the only one you're snogging."

"Is that what this is, then?" She laughed, turning to face him now that the corridor was sparse again.

Draco shrugged, burying his hands in his pockets. "I'll take whatever I can get, as long as I have some of you."

     Ophelia couldn't fight the heat that rose to her cheeks at his words. He was so timid, shrugging his shoulders forward, eyes directed at the floor. Draco was never like this around girls. Especially not Pansy. "You have no idea how dangerous this could be."

     "I'll take the risk."

     Ophelia twisted her neck to look behind her at the deserted seventh floor corridor before turning back to Draco with a sly smirk. He stared back curiously with narrowed eyes. "Do you really care what Potter's up to?" She asked, grinning.

     Draco's brow quirked. "Not if it means I get to snog you some more."

     Ophelia laughed and gripped his hand tightly, pulling him towards the staircase. Draco remained silent as he followed Ophelia down all seven staircases and then finally down the last steps into the dungeons. He didn't bother asking her where she was taking him, he already knew. She pulled back the familiar tapestry, pulling Draco behind it with her.

      "Is this where you take all your love interests?" He grinned as the tapestry fell neatly back into place, blocking them from view.

     "Shut up." She smirked, gripping the collar of his robes and pulling his lips back down onto hers.

* * *

      Three days. Three days of pure bliss passed before the whispers returned. They were louder, more menacing, and just downright cruel. Ophelia should have been used to it by now, but instead of evil whispers of harming others, they'd turned on her.

     You're worthless. Pathetic. No one could ever love you.

Ophelia shot up in her bed. She glanced around the room, not initially believing that the source of those harsh words had come from inside of her head. All of the other beds' curtains were still pulled shut. It was still too early for any of the other girls to be up, let alone be whispering horrible things to her. Even Pansy wouldn't waste her time getting out of bed at such an hour to taunt her.

Ophelia placed a hand to her chest, feeling the erratic thumping of her heart against her sternum. It must have been just a dream, she told herself as she lowered her head back down onto her pillow and allowed her eyes to flutter shut once more. A horrible dream.

How could someone like you succeed? You're better off dead. No one would miss you, not your friends, not your family, not even Draco.

Her eyes shot open again. She hadn't had the chance to fall back to sleep yet, so there was no mistaking the voice this time. It was barely a whisper, more so a hiss. Ophelia sat up again, running a hand through her tangled hair. There was no point trying to sleep now, so she threw open her curtain and padded lightly to the bathroom. Closing the door ever so quietly behind her, Ophelia stepped towards the mirror. She almost gasped at the sight looking back at her. Dark, bagged eyes, a mass of tangled hair, sickly pale skin... was this what she really looked like? Had she been ignoring how sickly she looked all this time? Why hadn't anyone else noticed? Why hadn't anyone else said anything?