»»———— MEET ME HALFWAY ————««
"Val, wake up!" Draco exclaimed, shaking her quickly. She rubbed her eyes, looking over at him with an odd expression as she wondered why he was freaking out. "We've overslept for class! We have to go!"
"Fuck..." She muttered, getting out of bed quickly. She rushed out of the room without a word and to her dorm. There wasn't a soul around, as they were all in their first class of the day. She quickly got ready, putting her uniform on. It completely slipped her mind that her robe was in Draco's dorm and she hadn't put it on. She hurried to class, with no regard for Draco. He'd already went before her, anyways. Neither of them had time to wait. She rushed into the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, everyone going silent and looking up at her. Draco had snuck in easily, not drawing any attention to himself. It was safe to say she was quite a mess, and sleeping in had thrown her off. It was a good thing she had magic, too, or she would look awful right now.
"Miss Snape. Can I ask why you're," Professor Umbridge paused, looking down at her watch. "Twenty-five minutes and fourteen seconds late to my class?"
"I'm sorry, Professor. I overslept. It won't happen again." She shook her head quickly, rushing over to take a seat next to Draco.
"Your robes, love." He muttered out, tugging at her sleeve. Her eyes widened.
"May I ask where your robes are?" She inquired. Val looked up at her quickly, swallowing hard. She didn't even think as she spoke, her mind was completely disoriented and in a frenzy.
"I left my robes in Draco's dor—" She stopped talking once she realized who she was talking to and how trouble she was about to get herself into. Draco smirked, stifling a laugh at her as he covered his mouth. Her face instantly turned red, as everyone knew what they'd been doing.
"10 points from Slytherin. Miss Snape, see me in my office for detention later." She demanded, then giggled as she went back to her lesson. Val shook her head quickly. She'd never gotten detention before. And at this point, everyone knew about the methods in which Umbridge partook in to punish her students. Val was absolutely dreading this.
They all walked out of the classroom, Val staring down at the floor. Draco rushed up to her, grabbing her hand. "You don't have to go."
"Of course I do!" She exclaimed. "God, I can't believe this... I have to go get my robe from your dorm before the next class."
"I'll come with you." He nodded, hurrying after her. The others just chuckled at them, finding it amusing to watch them go around. Val just felt off all day having gotten a bad start that morning. She went to Umbridge's office after classes were over. She knocked on the door, to which the professor told her to come in.
"Miss Snape, I hope you came ready to write." She smiled at her from ear to ear. Val just silently sat down at the desk, looking at the quill provided. There was no ink. She knew what was going to happen now.
"What would you like for me to write?" She asked quietly, staring down at the parchment in front of her.
"I will successfully take part in fulfilling my purpose when the time comes." She said, and Val looked up at her quickly, a slightly terrified look on her face. "Is something the matter, dear?"
"No." She shook her head. She went to writing, wondering what it meant. All the wrong people were mentioning this purpose of hers. Umbridge, Lucius, her father... She just wrote and wrote, feeling the sharp burning in her hand as the words were carved into her skin. After a while, blood began to drip down the side of her hand. She ignored the pain as best as she could, not wanting to give Umbridge the satisfaction. She just kept writing, for what seemed like hours. She assumed Umbridge was trying to burn the sentence into her mind, making her more prone to do whatever it was when the time came. The parchment kept renewing every time she finished a page. Just when she was about to crack, Umbridge finally let her go. It was just a bit before curfew. She rushed to the Prefect's bathroom, going to wash her hand off before the others saw it. It had already begun to scar over terribly. She ridded herself of the dried blood and hurried to get back to her dormitory before it got later. Prefects were allowed to be out a bit later than others, but still. Today was just a really off day.
"Val?" Draco asked as he saw her walking down the hall. She looked over at him quickly. "Hey! I was looking all over for you. Where have you been?"
"Detention." She answered simply as he began walking next to her. He grabbed her hand instantly, taking a look at it. He couldn't really make out what it said, leading him to believe she'd been writing for a very long time.
"My father's going to hear about this—" He muttered angrily, but she stopped him.
"No. There's nothing your father can do when it comes to Umbridge. Just leave it alone." She shook her head.
"Sometimes I think it's as if you feel you deserve punishment." He gave her a look. "Come on, let's go back to my dorm. I have something to help with the pain."
She followed him as he led them into his dormitory. She sat down on his bed and he dug through a drawer until he found a vial filled with some sort of cream. He took her hand and began applying it gently. It instantly took away the stinging in her hand, and the cream smelt nice. "Draco, I have to tell you something."
"What is it?" He glanced up at her worried expression before getting up and placing the vial back in the drawer.
"Do you remember when we first met, that dinner with your parents?" She asked, and he nodded. "Your father spoke of some purpose I have."
"I don't know what he was speaking of." He shrugged.
"No, I don't either, but... Umbridge made me write: I will successfully take part in fulfilling my purpose when the time comes. Whatever it is, I don't understand why she would know about it." She shook her head, looking down at her hands.
"It doesn't matter." He assured her quickly. "It doesn't matter what they've planned for you. You can make decisions for yourself."
"But what if this is something I have no choice in?" She whispered.
"Then, we'll get through it together." He decided. She just leaned into his chest, hoping that the future didn't have such terrible things in store for them. She knew better than to hope for that, though.
For the next few weeks, Val and Draco couldn't stay away from each other. They would find themselves going to breakfast, lunch, and dinner together. They began to sit next to one another in every class. They studied together, walked together, did everything together. They were practically inseparable. Val was allowing herself to give into him completely. She trusted him with her life, and would do anything for him. He felt the exact same way. Everyone was overjoyed to see them together. They were always smiling and laughing, always so happy. That was the way they wanted to see their friends. No one had ever seen them look like that before, so in love. Everyone wished they could have what they have.
They found themselves in broom closets in between classes, messing around with each other. They were having the time of their lives, trying to ignore all the weight on their shoulders of what was inevitably going to happen in the near future. Hermione and Ron had asked Val and Harry to teach a secret Defense Against the Dark Arts class, to which Val obliged. Lolita and Theodore would be joining them in the class, but they had to find a place to practice where Umbridge wouldn't find them.
As Val was walking to Charms class, she felt a pair of strong hands grab her and pull her into a nearby closet. She didn't even have to question it when she tasted the familiarity of his lips upon hers. He grabbed both of her hands, pinning them against the wall.
"Draco," She breathed out, and he hummed against her. "We have class in a few minutes."
"We'll have to make it quick, then." He pulled away slightly to smirk at her. He got down on his knees, lifting one of her legs onto his shoulder quickly.
"W-what are you doing?" She asked hesitantly, and he laced their fingers together.
"I thought you trusted me, little dove?" He looked up at her. She just nodded quickly. He moved her skirt up her thighs, allowing him access as he began using his mouth to work wonders on her. She moaned out, and he reached up and placed his hand over her mouth. She'd never felt anything like this before. This was so different from any other thing they've done. He kept going and going, and her legs began to quiver. She gripped his wrist tightly. Just as he knew she was about to succumb to the pleasure, he pulled away. She exhaled sharply, looking down at him. He wiped his mouth as he smirked at her, standing up to face her. She eyed him closely, wondering what he could possibly be doing. "We better get going to class, darling."
"Are you kidding me?" She asked, and he chuckled at her angry expression. Her legs were still quivering, and she was afraid to even take a step. He closed the space between them, placing his lips to hers. She kissed him back as he pulled her skirt back down.
"Better not be late again." He mumbled before walking out of the door. She couldn't even think as she stood there. She regathered herself after a moment and rushed to class. She sat next to Draco, like usual. "Surprised you made it on time, sweetheart."
She gave him a look and went to writing her notes.
"Oooh, silent treatment, huh?" He reached over and rubbed her shoulder. She hit his hand off of her, clearly irritated. She wasn't entirely mad at him, but she liked acting this way. "Come on, baby. You know I'll make it worth your while later."
"Stop, Draco, we're in class." She dismissed him. He knew she wasn't really upset with him, so he kept on.
He slid his hand up her thigh, making her purse her lips and hold her breath. "I know you're not really mad. You like it, just admit it."
"Can we please just—"
"Miss Snape, if you cannot refrain from speaking with Mr. Malfoy, I'll have to separate the two of you." Professor Flitwick raised his voice at her. Her face turned red as she looked up at him.
"I'm terribly sorry, Professor Flitwick. It won't happen again." She apologized flusteredly. He eyed her for a moment, and Draco squeezed her thigh with his hand, making her jump.
"I would hope so. If you can tell me what I was just explaining to the rest of the class, maybe you can save yourself some house points." He narrowed his eyes at her. She nodded quickly, clearing her throat. Draco kept his hand tightly against her inner thigh, and all she could think about was the broom closet, the way his mouth felt on her... She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head as she cleared her thoughts. This was a fun game for him, and she wouldn't admit that she kind of liked it, too. But, she was going to have her own fun by making him think he wasn't getting to her.
"You were explaining the stance and incantation for the banishing charm." She said, a confidence and equanimity overcoming her as she regathered herself.
"Very good. Seems you're quite the multitasker. Don't let me catch you talking while I'm talking again." He pointed at her, then turned back to the chalkboard that he used his wand to write on. She let out a breath as she sat back in her seat. Draco drew his hand away from her leg, and she glanced over at him. He went to write in his notes, but she'd soon come to find that he was writing anything but notes.
Half way through the class, Draco slid a folded up piece of parchment over to her. Passing notes was so silly to her, but it was him. So, she kind of liked it, too. She opened it when Professor Flitwick wasn't looking, then began to read the contents of it. Her eyes widened when she did.
Tonight, after we've had our fun at the party, we'll have our own fun in my dorm. Just imagine me, leaving kisses from your lips to those sweet spots on your collarbones, to your breasts, down to your inner thighs. Think about what it'll feel like when my tongue touches you. Then, after I fill you with waves of pleasure over and over again, how it'll feel when I hold you down and do whatever I please to you.
He watched her as she read it, smirking. She held the parchment in her hands so tight her knuckles turned white. She bit down on her lip, which made her appear irresistible in his eyes. She crossed her leg over the other tightly as she sat up straight, trying to ignore the feeling in her middle that just wouldn't go away because of him. And he could tell the way her mind was wandering, imagining all the pleasurable feelings and the way his hands would feel touching the sensitive parts of her body. The things this girl did to him... It was like no other. He was in love with her.
Later, Val was in her dormitory getting ready with Lolita for the party. "Expecting a fun night with Malfoy?"
"Which one?" Val asked, holding up the two different pieces of lingerie. She'd never worn lingerie before. Sure, she always wore a nice underwear and bra, but it wasn't like this. These were lacy, strappy pieces.
"The black." Lolita nodded. Val took it and changed into it, placing a short, tight, black, long-sleeve dress over top. It was really her only option considering she didn't want any part of her undergarments to show. She walked back out and looked in the mirror of Lolita's vanity as she finished putting on the last layer of her mascara.
"What if I did my hair straight for once?" She asked, toying with the silky brown locks between her fingers.
"I've never seen you with straight hair." Lolita replied, trying to picture it in the mirror also. Val pulled out her wand and waved it as she spoke an incantation. It fell straight down her shoulders. "Wow. You look hot! Here, sit down." Lolita did her eyes dark, smudging out her eyeliner for a smokey look. She also gave her a cat eye and fanned her eyelashes out beautifully. She put on red lipstick and contoured her face. She looked great. The two of them drank some before heading out to the party. With a look Val had never done before, she felt different. She felt this wave of unfamiliar confidence overcome her. It was a change from her usual confidence. She did feel hot.
"Boy I think about it every night and day, I'm addicted wanna jump inside your love. I wouldn't wanna have it any other way. I'm addicted and I just can't get enough."
"I haven't heard this song in forever." Val remarked to Lolita as they walked down the hallway, the flashing neon green lights coming into their view.
"It's throwback night and karaoke night." Lolita glanced over at her. A smile developed on her face quickly.
"Oh, this is going to be fun." She clapped her hands excitedly as she walked out of the corridor and to the others. "Alright, who wants to get drunk enough to sing a song with me?"
"Me!" Most of them exclaimed, minus Harry, Ron, Blaise, and Theodore. Of course they wouldn't want to, but by the end of the night, Val was sure they would. Draco came up behind her.
"I almost didn't recognize you with your hair like this, darling." He brushed it to the side as he leaned over and kissed her passionately. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she gladly returned it. "Not still mad about earlier, I presume?"
"No, it's karaoke night." She grinned at him.
"Oh, don't tell me you're going to get up there and sing in front of a bunch of people." He shook his head at her with an amused smile.
"Of course I am!"
"You're going to embarrass yourself."
"I don't get embarrassed." She shook her head, causing him to laugh. "Besides, you don't have to be good. Who's gonna duet the first song with me, I've got a good song in mind. Anyone? Draco?"
"Fuck no." He shook his head quickly.
"Your loss." She shrugged, and he gave her a look as he crossed his arms over his chest. He was still amused by her, though. "So, who will it be? Blaise, come on. I think you'd be perfect for this one."
"What song is it?" He sighed reluctantly. She smirked at him, knowing she was winning him over that easily. Hearing her ask him, it made Draco want to change his mind. But, he definitely wasn't doing it, so he just let it happen. Besides, Blaise no longer wanted to try and get in the middle of them.
"Just trust me. Come on." She gestured for him to follow her.
"What if I don't know it?!" He exclaimed.
"I'm sure you do." She pulled him off. She walked up to Archer and they all watched from the crowd, wondering what song she was going to do and how hilarious this was going to be. Blaise grinned suddenly upon hearing the song choice, and both of them took a microphone. They stood on top of the small stage in the front of the Common Room, waiting for the song to begin. The lights dimmed, as they now had Seamus working them for atmospheric effect. Their jaws dropped to the floor when they heard Val's voice. They'd never heard her sing before, and she sounded incredible. Besides, the song choice was immaculate. It was safe to say the song she heard when walking out of her dorm had inspired her.
"Ooh, I can't go any further than this. Ooh, I want you so badly, it's my biggest wish."
"Cool, I spend my time just thinking, thinking, thinking 'bout you. Every single day, yes, I'm really missing, missing you. And all those things we used to, used to, used to, used to do. Hey girl, what's up, it used to, used to be just me and you. I spend my time just thinking, thinking, thinking 'bout you. Every single day, yes, I'm really missing, missing you. And all those things we used to, used to, used to, used to do. Hey girl, what's up yo, what's up, what's up." Blaise did his best, but the real star of the show was Val.
She began to dance, the music flowing through her. Draco shook his head, because she was continuously just incredible and stunning. Her voice was angelic, and hot. Not to mention the way she moved her body. At this point, everyone was clapping to the beat, dancing, and just going crazy for their performance. "Can you meet me halfway? Right at the borderline is where I'm gonna wait for you. I'll be looking out, night and day. Took my heart to the limit, and this is where I'll stay. I can't go any further than this." She made eye contact with Draco and pointed at him as she sang. "I want you so bad, it's my only wish."
He couldn't help but grin at her. He couldn't believe he was blushing at this. He really was in love with her. Blaise took over, then. "Let's cross the bridge to the other side. Just you and I, just you and I. I will fly, fly the skies. For you and I, for you and I. I will try until I die. For you and I, for you and I. For, for, for you and I. For, for, for, for you and I. For, for you and I, for you and I."
The music slowed, and the lights stopped for a moment, as they shined only on her. She showed off her voice amazingly. Everyone began clapping again when the beat picked up. They did the backing vocals, just dancing and having a good time. It was an amazing feeling, a way better party than last time. "Can you meet me halfway? Can you meet me halfway? Can you meet me halfway? Can you meet me halfway? Meet me halfway. Right at the borderline, that's where I'm gonna wait for you. I'll be looking out, night and day. Took my heart to the limit, and this is where I'll stay. I can't go any further than this. I want you so bad, it's my only wish. I can't go any further than this. I want you so bad, it's my only wish."
As the music faded out, everyone clapped and cheered for them. Val laughed at their reactions, basking in the good feeling. She pulled Blaise in for a side hug as they both raised their arms and urged everyone to continue cheering. "That was Valencia Snape and Blaise Zabini singing Meet Me Halfway, everyone! I think they deserve a big round of applause!"
Everyone continued whistling and yelling for them. Draco just stood there, his arms still crossed over his chest as he continued to smile. "Come on, Ron! Let's do one now!"
"Oh, absolutely not." He shook his head quickly.
"Please?" She begged, tugging on his arm. He sighed out and followed her up to where Archer was. The two of them began singing Umbrella together, which Ron hated at first, but after seeing Hermione having a good time, he got into it for her. Val walked over to Draco after downing a drink with Blaise first. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him.
"I didn't know you could sing like that." He commented, his face inches away from hers.
"I still have some surprises up my sleeve." She shrugged. "Keeps things interesting, doesn't it? Learning new things about each other everyday?"
"Everyday is always interesting when I have you." He replied, placing a passionate kiss to her lips. They danced around as they listened to Hermione and Ron, which they did amazingly, too. But, no performance that night would top Val's just then. After that, Blaise went back up and sang Kiss Me Thru The Phone. All the girls went crazy over that one, but Val happened to love that song. She and Draco danced around, and he sang it back to her, and she sang along. Everyone was laughing and smiling, having a good time. Any thoughts about Voldemort, Umbridge, or the Ministry escaped their minds. Seamus and Dean were able to get along with Harry, so tonight was really fun. Karaoke and throwback night was a good idea, and she wondered who'd came up with it. Whoever it was, they were ingenious.
After that, Archer played Just Dance.
"I've had a little bit too much, much. All of the people start to rush, start to rush by. A dizzy twister dance, can't find my drink or man. Where are my keys? I lost my phone, phone."
Draco was standing there dancing with her, watching the way the flashing lights reflected on her and the way she danced with her heart, the music breathing through her, as she had no care in the world. He was so incredibly lucky, that was all he could think about. She was amazing. She was everything. He never thought he'd feel this way about someone. He never truly cared about anyone before. He was so cold and harsh, but she melted his icy heart and now here he was. He was so thankful for her. He loved her more than anything.
She flirtatiously sang the lyrics back to him and he grinned at her, biting his lip. He brought his hand up to her mouth and ran his thumb across her bottom lip as he pulled her harshly against him. She leaned forward and connected their lips, and they made out like that for a while on the dance floor, tasting the liquor on each other's hot breath.
Val and Ginny went up to sing a song. The lights dimmed and the music began. Everyone cheered when they heard what song it was. "Hello, hello baby you called I can't hear a thing. I have got no service in the club, you say, say. W-what did you say? Oh, you're breaking up on me. Sorry I cannot hear you, I'm kind of busy."
"Just a second, it's my favorite song they're gonna play. And I cannot text you with a drink in my hand, eh. You should've made some plans with me, you knew that I was free. Now you won't stop calling me, I'm kind of busy."
They traded off, Val singing, then Ginny. At the chorus, they both sang. The performance they put on, the way they hyped the crowd up, everyone was going crazy. "Stop callin', stop callin', I don't wanna think anymore! I left my head and my heart on the dance floor! Stop callin', stop callin', I don't wanna talk anymore! I left my head and my heart on the dance floor!"
Ginny took over then, taking Beyonce's part. The lights slowed and shined on her. Everyone cheered, it being one of those ultimate girl power moments. Harry was simply stunned at his girlfriend right now. "Boy, the way you blowin' up my phone won't make me leave no faster, put my coat on faster, leave my girls no faster. I should've left my phone at home 'cause this is a disaster! Callin' like a collector, sorry I cannot answer!"
After everyone cheered for them and they got off stage, a dark-haired girl approached Archer. Pansy hadn't been around any of them much. She'd created her own entourage, it being Daphne Greengrass and Millicent Bulstrode. They followed her around like puppy dogs, but that was the way a lot of the Slytherin groups were. They were beginning to become the Mean Girls of Hogwarts, at least they thought they were. Everyone was pretty much silent as she stood before them. The music began, and while she wasn't a terrible singer, she wasn't the greatest.
"So, oh oh oh, so oh oh oh, so oh oh oh, so oh oh oh. All up on the block, saying we met at the bar, when I don't even know who you are. Sayin' we up at your house, sayin' I'm up in your car. But you in LA, and I'm at Jermaine's. I'm up in the A, you so, so lame. And no one here even mentions your name. It must be the weed, it must be the E. 'Cause you be poppin', heard you get it poppin', oh." She didn't take her eyes off Draco as she sang, putting on a show and trying to act like she was hard. Everyone was dancing, but she wasn't getting as good of a crowd reaction as Val did. She and Draco just stood there, their eyes narrowed at the girl. "Boy, why you so obsessed with me? Boy, I wanna know. Lyin' that you're sexin' me, when everybody knows. It's clear that you're upset with me, oh. Finally found a girl that you couldn't impress. Last man on earth, and you still couldn't get this. You're delusional, you're delusional. Boy, you're losin' your mind. It's confusing, yo, you're confused, you know. Why you wastin' your time? Got you all fired up with your Napoleon complex. Seein' right through you like you're bathin' in Windex."
"That little bitch." Val shook her head at her.
"As if it's not the other way around. Don't worry about her. Come on, baby." Draco rolled his eyes. They tried to ignore her singing as they held each other in their arms, kissing each other. Fred and George sang Hey Ya!, which was a good time. Everyone loved their performance. Luna sang I Kissed A Girl, which got all the girls fired up. Hermione and Ron sang No Air, Val and Lolita sang Friday I'll Be Over U. Everyone was loving all their performances. Archer played more songs, like Don't Stop The Music, Cheers, Day N Nite, Suga Suga, Cooler Than Me, Womanizer, Rude Boy, OMG, among many other amazing songs. Everyone could agree that this was the best party of the year, maybe the best party any of them had ever experienced during their time at Hogwarts, besides the ones with the other schools in attendance.
All of them were so drunk. Val and Draco hadn't stopped dancing. How could they when they were playing such good songs? Music just wasn't what it used to be, although Val liked the music they played before this, too. The music from this era just made her feel some type of way. It made everyone feel that way. The song changed, and Feel So Close came on. That song was just something else. Draco grabbed Val and they danced against each other. They never took their eyes off each other as they did. There truly was no stopping them right now. There was no stopping them ever. He grabbed her and pulled her against him, kissing her hungrily.
"I'm in love with you."
"I'm in love with you." She returned, gazing at him as their faces were inches apart. He continued to kiss her, the whole world stopping around them as if they were the only ones on the dance floor. It was the most euphoric feeling, just being with each other like that. Draco led her back to his dorm, and they had an amazing night together.