✓ | BETWEEN THE LINES | Draco Malfoy

➝ xxiv.

"Calm down, Karen — the boy's in love," the man chastised his wife lightly with a warm chuckle.

"I understand," she replied back, "but he's disturbing the whole street shouting for his girlfriend's name." Karen clicked her tongue frustratedly. "This Beckham girl better show up and stop his incessant screaming."

Evangeline stilled — her heart had stopped beating as she stared wide-eyed at Dottie whose mouth had hung open. Suddenly, her body moved on its own — her feet lurching forward to stumble toward the couple.

"Pardon me," she stammered as the man smiled kindly at her. "But what did you say was the name the boy outside was shouting?"

"Beckham," he replied as he glanced from her to Dottie. "Is one of you two ladies his girlfriend?"

"What did he look like?" Evangeline asked instead.

"He was blond," Karen recalled while browsing at the poinsettias. "And he wasn't wearing a coat or anything, so the boy must be freezing."

"Vangie, it's Draco," Dottie said, waving her phone at her. "I just turned on my phone and texted Theo. He said Draco Apparated here."

Evangeline hurriedly pushed the snow globe into Dottie's hands. "I'll be right back," she said breathlessly before sprinting out of the shop with the little bell chiming by the door. She shivered at the blast of cold wind that greeted her as she fled down the small steps, entering the long sidewalk filled with people.

"Beckham!" there was a voice shouting from afar. "Evangeline Beckham, are you here?"

"Bloody mental," Evangeline muttered under her breath as she moved through the crowd in front of her. "He's gone mad — what is he even thinking?" She continued to run as swiftly as she could — and then came to an abrupt halt.

There stood Draco Malfoy — on the other side of the narrow street looking through the window of a boba tea shop in nothing but a pair of blue jeans and a black T-shirt. Every breath he exhaled let out a puff of air that fogged before him.

Evangeline softened, her insides melting at the sight of him. "Draco," she called out as she watched him spin around at once to meet her gaze.

"Vangie," he said with a loud sigh of relief, his shoulders sagging visibly from afar. "Oh, thank, Merlin," he added, earning himself several bemused glances from the Muggles around him.

Before she could even move, Draco was already looking both sides of the street and striding towards her. She barely even registered the fact that he truly was there in Canada until he was standing directly before her. His lips were starting to get blue, his body was trembling, and his teeth were chattering — yet he had the nerve to say, "Where's your beanie? Your earmuffs? You're going to be cold — OW!"

She'd slapped his arm, eyebrows knitting together as she gritted her teeth to keep from crying. "You're unbelievable, Draco Malfoy!"

"Ow!" he yelped again, gray eyes widening incredulously. "Why are you hitting me?"

"You came all the way to Canada in a shirt and jeans, and it's bloody snowing outside — and here you are asking me who's all layered up if I brought earmuffs?"

Evangeline didn't even realize she'd let slip a tear until Draco's eyes softened at her. He reached up to grip her wrist and keep her from slapping his arm as he said quietly, "Okay, I'm sorry. I'll bring a jacket next time, just stop hitting me."

She sniffed, blinking rapidly as she hastily wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Here, take this," she said, unraveling her scarf from her neck.