THE VISION THIEF - D. MALFOY

44. caught off gaurd

I shake my head. "Why have you convinced yourself that you're going to hurt everyone apart of your life?" I ask.

"Because that's what I do best," he says in a low voice.

"That's not true!" I exclaim. He just rolls his eyes before briefly letting go of my waist. He spins me out, and a thrilling laugh escapes me.

He pulls me right back into him in one swift motion. We are chest to chest. I can feel the steady rise and fall of each of his breaths as he dips me down towards the ground. I latch my arms around his neck, scared that if I let go, I'll drop to the group.

We grow as still as stone and everything around us seems to pause for the moment. The only thing that continues is the beautiful music of the orchestra playing in the distance as we remain frozen, gazing widely into each other's eyes.

He breaks the silence finally. "I've hurt you, Ashwood," he says, blatant sincerity in his stare. He pulls me back to a standing position and we continue dancing. It's hard to catch my breath. Hard to process the things he is making me feel right now. I simply inhale sharply.

"Maybe you have. But you make up for it by always getting me out of trouble," I say, offering a small smirk.

"Just make up your mind about me," he exclaims. "You go from hating me one day, to wanting to be best of friends the next," he snaps.

"Ok best friends is a stretch but - that's just the way you and I work. We go back and forth constantly," I pause and look down.

"Besides I think we both know I don't actually hate you," I mutter.

"Oh fuck," he curses. I snap my head up, wondering if what I've said is wrong. "What?" I breathe out, but I notice he's no longer looking at me.

Instead he's looking a little bit to my left, I try to turn my head to see who he has spotted but he instantly stops me.

Draco Malfoy once told me to always expect the unexpected, but believe me when I tell you, I never in a million years expected his next move.

Time comes to a complete and perfect stop. Frozen down to the very second as he swiftly cups my cheek, turning my face right back towards him. His other arm grows stronger around my waist as he pulls me impossibly close.

And suddenly, his lips are crashing onto mine like the most dangerous wave. His hand tangles them self into my hair, and I remain utterly still. Completely shocked. Entirely caught off guard in every single way. Draco Malfoy. Draco fucking Malfoy is kissing me.

And right when I think that's as crazy it will get, my body finally gives into what it wants the very most, and I kiss him back. I tighten my hold around his neck, pulling him closer as his soft lips meet mine. His kiss is gentle, warm, everything I wouldn't expect coming from him. But then again I never saw this one coming at all.

I feel like my insides have been lit on fire. Flood gates full of a blazing inferno has opened in the depths of my chest, and lava is pouring out of me. My heart beats at the most impossible speed. I fear that I might be sent into cardiac arrest at any given moment. His whole body radiates an intense heat as he continues to kiss me. As his soft, and full lips move perfectly against my own.

There's a small voice in the back of my head screaming at me. Telling me to wake up, to pull away, but I just can't. I don't want to. I've been captured by a single kiss.

But something about this feels so wrong and it slowly begins to process with me what is truly going on. I freeze. I force myself, with all my strength to stop and I abruptly pull away.In fact, I push myself away. I break the connection, placing both hands on his chest as I push him off. He looks at me with wide eyes, but I know my stare is even wider. I struggle to catch my breath as I now stand quite a few feet away from him.

"What did you - why did you do that?" I breathe out, my brain suddenly reeling with thoughts, replaying everything that just happened.

"Emma..." He says in a low voice, taking a step forward.

"No- No. Why did you do that?!" I repeat again, raising my voice this time suddenly feeling very confused, and do I daresay, mad. Who does he think he is just kissing me like that?

"Rookwood," He says in one breathe. "I - I looked up and he was right there. I did that so we would look - er - busy and he wouldn't realize it was us," he explains, a deep crease between his brows.

I just shake my head once more. Something hurts. It stings, pinching and pulling at my heart. Maybe it's the fact that I feel like an idiot for kissing him back, when he only did it in the first place so we wouldn't blow our cover. I mean, I guess it makes sense. He did it so abruptly, so out of the blue, like he wasn't thinking at all. Which obviously he wasn't because - holy shit.

Holy shit.

Draco Malfoy just kissed me.

I stumble back. "I - I can't -" I mutter, immediately turning on my heel to escape him. What is wrong with me?

There's a known death eater in this building, probably several feet away in the crowd, and all I can think about is a stupid kiss??

Pathetic.

I hear Malfoy call out my name several times, but I ignore him as I quickly slip through a group of people. I'm grateful I'm so much smaller compared to him, allowing me to quickly weave in and out of groups of people while I attempt to lose him.

I work my way through the dense crowd, full of more people than I remember. I turn around, looking over my shoulder for his distinct blonde hair. I don't see him anywhere.

I slow my pace, taking a deep breathe as I look around. What the hell just happened?I stop immediately and gasp loudly. He just stole my first kiss!!! Draco Malfoy has robbed me of the moment nearly every girl dreams of from a young age. And he didn't even mean it. I feel like I could strangle him, but that would actually require looking him in the face once more.

I run a hand through my tangled hair. Oh my god. I need to get it together. I have one job and one job only, find my father before the Death Eaters do.

A server walking by with a tray of champagne glasses, offers me one. I take a deep breathe, already regretting this. I reach out without a second thought, grabbing a glass, and downing the contents in just a few seconds. I pull away, screwing my face up into a look of disgust. I forgot how gross champagne is. The server shoots me an unimpressed look at how quickly I finish it, and honestly I don't disagree with him, but right now I need a little what they call, liquid courage.

I place the glass on a nearby table and I take a deep breath. Find my father now, worry about Malfoy later. All while trying to avoid Rookwood and whoever else is in the building.I narrow my eyes, turning and setting out to find him. I walk through more crowds of people, thoroughly scanning each face the best that I can.

Something catches my eye above though. I notice a little bit above, and across the room, a second floor to the building. A walkway goes around the entire room, closed off by a railing and occasional support column. A few groups of people stand above. Most of them just couples, sipping on their drinks while they get some alone time.

But can you imagine my perfect luck when my eyes fall right on the man I had only spent my whole life looking at pictures of. Standing on the second floor, leaning against the balcony, is my Father.

And he looks like he is in a heated discussion with Leo Montgomery.