Just Friends

Chapter 8

Draco reluctantly cracked his eyes open, greeted by the hazy light filtering through the curtains and let out a groan as he felt an unexpected weight pressing down on his back. Lying on his stomach, he blinked away the remnants of sleep and realised that Theo was fast asleep, using him as a makeshift pillow as he lay sprawled horizontally across the bed, his legs hanging off the edge. With a resigned sigh, Draco shifted slightly, trying not to disturb his slumbering friend.

Draco took a moment to collect his thoughts, his cheek sinking back into the comfort of the pillow beneath him. However, as the fog of sleep began to lift, his eyes widened in sudden realisation.

"Bloody hell, Nott, get up! We're late!" Draco's urgent voice sliced through the morning air, as he swiftly sat up on the bed, unintentionally causing Theo to tumble onto his backside on the floor.

"Oww..." Theo groaned at the abrupt awakening, struggling to open his eyes and regain his composure.

Draco, realising the unintended consequence, swiftly pivoted toward Theo, leaning forward from his seated position. "Oh, Merlin, I'm terribly sorry, Nott. Are you alright?" Genuine concern painted his features.

"You did that on purpose..." Theo whined, his gaze locking onto Draco's. The fog of sleep slowly lifted from Theo's mind as he registered how close Draco's face was to his. Startled, he tensed and blinked a few times, maintaining eye contact with Draco.

Draco suddenly became aware of the proximity between himself and Theo. Caught in a moment where he found Theo oddly appealing in the morning light, he found himself contemplating a closer connection, tempted to lean in and kiss Theo. The familiar flutter of his heart around Theo surged once more in the nearness.

As Draco observed Theo's expression morphing into a smirk, he abruptly snapped out of his daze, swiftly rising from the bed.

"Get up, Nott, we're lagging behind on our schedule," he cleared his throat, swiftly composing himself. His eyes darted around the room as he tried to recollect his thoughts and remember what he had intended to do.

Theo groaned and slumped into a seated position on the bed, palms cradling his throbbing temples. The unforgiving aftermath of last night's revelry hit him like a runaway Bludger, each throb a vivid reminder of their spirited indulgence in alcohol the previous evening.

Draco dashed around the room, hurriedly gathering essentials for their upcoming camping trip that they were already running late for. Amidst his frantic packing, he paused by Theo's side, a hint of impatience lacing his words. "Come on, Nott, chop-chop!" With a gentle nudge, he encouraged Theo to rouse himself from the comfort of the bed.

Theo released a tired groan in response, as he sluggishly complied with Draco's urging, his movements betraying the lingering grasp of sleep.

Draco found himself nearly two hours behind their agreed-upon meeting time, leaving all of his friends to venture to the camping spot ahead of him. As the clock ticked past a quarter past ten, Draco and Theo, finally ready, began their journey towards the camping site.

"I'm sorry Draco we couldn't find you yesterday at the party when the girls decided to join us for the trip today," said Vincent Crabbe, one of Draco's oldest friends at the school. He had an apologetic look on his face.

Draco stood rooted to the spot, scanning the campsite with a mix of surprise and consternation as he observed that his friends had opted to include their girlfriends in the trip. Beside him, Theo stood a little behind, his eyes glued to the ground with his hands in his pockets. The situation clearly made him uncomfortable, given that the number of people had now doubled from the original count Draco had mentioned during the invitation.