THE NOTE WAS SIMPLE.
AT at 8.
She'd slipped it across to him during Potions the next week, watched him freeze as she did so.
She couldn't risk talking - Slughorn was giving them a quiz and wouldn't tolerate even a whisper.
Draco unfurled the note, his eyes skimming across it. His other hand tightened over his quill before his head bent.
He scratched something out onto the note and pushed it back across the table to her.
Fifth years.
Elara cursed, internally. If the Astronomy Tower was taken by fifth years, it meant they'd probably have it for the rest of the year until the O.W.L.S. It would be increasingly difficult to meet there.
Library? she scribbled back.
He read it, impassively.
A moment later, she received the small slip of paper back.
Slytherin common room at 11.
She was going to scribble back that that was past curfew and she didn't see how he could sneak her into the Slytherin common room but Slughorn bellowed that time was up and Accio-d all the quizzes.
Draco was the first on his feet, shouldering his bag, and leaving the classroom, joined by Nott and Pansy by the door.
Elara's quill snapped in her fist when she saw Pansy reach up to brush something off Draco's cheek and take his arm to wrap it around her shoulders as they walked out.
"Yikes," Indigo was at Elara's desk, nodding at her broken quill. "Want me to repair that?"
|
The Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff started at four in the afternoon.
Elara only went because Fred and George were playing and Freya had promised they'd sit together.
"Freya," Elara said as Hufflepuff scored another goal and the crowd around them roared. "I think I'm going to quit Quidditch."
Freya had been clapping, enthusiastically, but she turned to stare at Elara now, her eyes wide. "What?"
Elara lifted her shoulder, casually. "I don't think I want to play anymore."
"Elara, you're the best Chaser -"
"There's Allison," Elara cut her off, watching as Fred dodged a Bludger. "She's just as good."
"You've been playing for years!" Freya said, raising her voice to be heard over the din around them. "Why do you want to stop?"
"It doesn't make me happy anymore," Elara said, her eyes catching Harry diving suddenly. He seemed to have caught sight of the Snitch. "It's become a chore."
Freya paused before taking her sister's hand. "You know I'll support you in anything you do."
Elara finally turned and sent her a smile, giving her hand a squeeze. "Thank you."
|
Elara had no idea how she was supposed to get into the Slytherin common room.
It wasn't like Draco had told her.
It was ten past eleven and she was risking it, being out here so late. With the rules so tight since Katie Bell's hex and Draco's attack, she hadn't snuck out once until today.
Elara waited another five minutes and then descended the stairs to the wall that shielded the Slytherin common room.
Her footsteps echoed in the stairwell as she made her way down, carefully.
Just as she came to a stop in front of the wall, it began to slide up and her heart stopped, expecting to see a Slytherin on the other side.
But there was no one there - just a dim passageway.
Elara, cautiously, moved forward, shivering. She was wearing just a huge sweater, one that swallowed her up and reached her knees, and pajama shorts.
The green lanterns threw her off as she stepped into the common room after making sure it was empty.
Low-backed emerald green sofas, dark oak furniture, a huge window looking out underwater into the lake, framed by tall bookshelves stacked with books and trinkets.
A green fire was crackling in the fireplace, the rug in front of it of dragon hide. A green glow hung in the air.
She could picture Draco fitting right in here, lazing on the sofa, with his legs propped up on the table, his arms draped over the back of the couch.
He'd have a lazy smile on his face, his hair catching the greenish glow and -
"Psst!"
Elara jumped out of her skin, whirled to face a portrait of an old woman behind her.
"His room is up the stairs - right at the end," the portrait whispered. "Be quiet. He was supposed to be down here when you arrived but he never showed up."
Despite herself, Elara's heart pounded. Had something happened?
Her mind flashed back to him dying on the bathroom floor, gasping for oxygen, crimson flowers blooming across his chest.
"Go!" hissed the portrait. "Before someone finds you!"
Elara nearly tripped over her own two feet as she climbed the spiral stone staircase, emerging into another dingy corridor.
She followed the portrait's directions, found Draco's room set apart from everyone else's.
Steadying herself and taking a deep breath, she raised her hand and knocked, quickly. If Zabini caught her out here -
The door opened and there stood Draco, narrowing his eyes at her, blinking against the light.
"You said eleven," she scolded, folding her arms over her chest.
He blinked again and then realisation dawned on his face. "Shit." He pushed a hand through his already tousled hair. "I forgot."
She tried not to take offense but failed. While she'd been thinking and obsessing over how this would go down the whole day, he'd forgotten.
He stepped aside to let her in and she slipped past him, careful not to touch him or come close.
"I didn't know you had your own room," she commented as she looked around. She suppressed a small gasp.
His room was large - larger than even the dorm she shared with Tracy, Indigo, Cho and Luna.
It had a high ceiling, draped with emerald green and dark grey, and a large, spacious bed sat in the middle, framed with green curtains.
The floor was carpeted in dark green
velvet but the main attraction of the room was the opposite wall from the door.
The entire wall was taken up by a glass window, looking straight out into the lake, the water casting a glow through the room, dancing off the walls.
"It comes with being a Malfoy," Draco replied, dryly, but there was something in his tone that was different.
She eyed him, warily, taking him in from head to toe for the first time. He was wearing a loose white dress shirt, unbuttoned till halfway down his chest, and trousers.
His white-blond hair was tousled and wavy, falling over his forehead.
But his eyes were different. Instead of being calculating and sharp, they were glazed over and glittering.
Elara frowned, moving her eyes to rest on the small trolley by the door. She smelled the Firewhiskey before she saw the bottle and the small glass.
"Are you...drunk?" she demanded, incredulously.
Draco rolled his eyes. "What about it?"
"I told you I needed to talk to you," Elara huffed, annoyed. "And you go and get drunk?"
"I forgot -"
She strode over to the little table, snatched up the tall bottle of Firewhiskey. "Where did you even get this from? Alcohol is banned in school -"
"I'm quite resourceful," Draco said, almost offended. "And I didn't drink much."
Elara rolled her eyes. "It's half empty."
"Half empty or half full? It's all in how you look at it," he said, very unhelpfully.
Elara groaned and placed the bottle back onto the trolley. "I can't fucking talk to you when you're wasted."
She stopped to think. She could postpone this meeting. It would give her another excuse to talk to him later and it had been almost two months. She desperately missed him -
But she couldn't. She couldn't want him anymore.
She moved over to the oak desk and grabbed a quill.
Harmonia Nectere Passus.
"This is the spell," she said, tossing the quill away a minute later. "It'll repair the Vanishing Cabinet. I've written the wand movement and how many times you should do it per week before it's repaired."
Some of the focus returned to Draco's face. "You - You found it?"
"Yes," she replied, sharply. "I had to go through about two hundred books and eight from the Restricted section. I don't even know if it will work."
She turned to leave but Draco spoke. "Why?"
Elara froze, reaching for the doorknob. She knew what he was curious about, had hoped he wouldn't ask. "You asked me to repair something. That's all I did."
"No." His voice was darker now and she shivered at the tone. "We agreed to fix it so we could leave together."
Elara's heart twisted. Drunk Draco was dangerous; he'd be half as controlled and twice as bold.
"I'm a Ravenclaw," she replied, her back still to him. "I can't stop working on a problem until I solve it."
Her hand closed around the knob.
"And what about me?" he asked and his voice had dropped to a murmur. He was right behind her now; she felt the ghost of his breath on the back of her neck. "You left before you solved me."
This wasn't a good idea - she should end this conversation, leave the room.
But Draco's familiar scent of green apples and parchment - this time mixed with Firewhiskey - invaded her senses and it'd been so long since she'd been in his presence -
She felt his lips drop to her neck and gasped, her pulse thrumming against his lips. She should leave. Her hand was on the knob; all she had to do was turn it and walk out.
But she hesitated too long. As soon as Draco's teeth closed around her skin and his hands slid around to her front, she let out a gasp at the feeling.
He hummed against her, his hands sliding dangerously low. "Why did you leave me, Elara?"
His voice - oh, Merlin, his voice - was low and raspy, sending tingles straight to her core. She'd never been so turned on by a voice before.
"Hmm?" One hand came to rest low on her stomach, the other grasping the hem of her sweater. "I asked you a question, Jacobs."
His use of her last name jolted her into speaking. "I - you weren't a -" She gasped as he sucked on the skin underneath her jaw, his lips deliciously talented. "You weren't a - a problem - to solve."
Draco's hand was pulling the hem of her oversized sweater up now, running his tongue over the sensitive skin on her neck.
She should stop him. This wasn't right. No matter how starved she was for him.
"Draco -"
"Don't lie to me," he hissed against her skin, his soft hair brushing her jaw. His fingers let go of the hem of her sweater and dipped under it before it fell. "Tell me why you left."
The feeling of his fingers rubbing in between her legs was enough to make her jerk, her knees weakening.
"Draco - we can't -" But she whimpered when he applied more pressure.
"Tell me, Elara." His voice was hard as he grazed his lips up the shell of her ear. "Tell me and I'll reward you."
She mewled against her will as he pressed down between her legs. Pleasure fanned out through her body, leaving her breathless. She needed more.
"Please," she gasped out, pressing back against him, one of her hands dropping to cup his as his long fingers teased her. Her self control flew out the window.
He kissed her jaw. "Tell me why you left me."
She moaned, loudly, throwing her head back against his shoulder as he dove his fingers under her shorts, skimming over her clit. "I couldn't -" She bit down hard on her lip as he slid a finger into her. "Fuck, Draco."
Her free hand moved behind her to palm him over his trousers. He was hard.
He let out a low hiss into her ear and it took all her restraint not to turn around and drop to her knees for him. "You couldn't what?"
Elara nearly forgot what she'd been about to say, her body in bliss as he pumped his finger in and out of her in such a delicious rhythm she was sure she would pass out. "I... I - shit - I couldn't solve - solve you."
Draco added another finger and her back arched.
"And why not?" he whispered, his other hand wrapped around her bare stomach to hold her in place.
Elara's toes curled as he reached a spot in her that made her see stars. "You - You made me leave. You forced me to. Didn't...Didn't want me."
Draco made a sound in the back of his throat, a noise of arousal mixed with anger, and she moaned at just the sound. "Do you have -" He bit down on the spot beneath her jaw, "- any fucking idea -" His tongue ran over the bruised skin, soothing it, "- how much -" His free hand slid upwards to rest, lightly, on her throat, "- I wanted you -" He forced her head to the side, giving himself more access, "- to stay?"
He punctuated each of his phrases with a thrust and curl of his fingers and the increased pace had Elara melting, her core tightening.
"More," she begged as his lips pressed against her jaw. "Draco, please - more."
He let out an exhale against her skin and then was pulling away, removing his hand from between her legs and whirling her around to face him.
She gasped at the sudden change in position, her body crying out for a release. "No - prick -"
His eyes were dark, swirling with ravenous hunger, as he picked her up, easily, her legs instinctively wrapping around his waist.
Her breath hitched in her throat as she looked down at him, her hands cupping the back of his neck.
He moved them to the bed and dropped her onto it.
The breath left her in a whoosh as her back hit the pillows below her but he was on top of her in a flash, nestling himself between her thighs.
His shirt hung down, giving her a very nice view of his chest and hard stomach.
Blond hair fell forward, brushing the top of her head, as he looked down at her, hungrily.
Elara was suddenly jolted back into reality. No, no, she shouldn't be doing this.
It was wrong. He'd been such a prat, called her names, hurt her feelings so badly that she'd cried silently in her bed at night, her chest aching.
Elara's hand reached up to push him away but he caught it, easily, in his hand, his eyes still on hers.
Her breath hitched in her throat, the simple contact enough to flip her stomach.
He seemed to notice her hesitation, brought her hand slowly to rest on his bare chest.
Draco knew what he was doing. The feeling of his warm, smooth skin under her fingertips sent tendrils of electricity up her arm and into the rest of her body.
She hesitated again, a battle behind her eyes, but didn't stop him when he covered her hand with his before sliding it to the back of his neck, making it easier for him to lean closer.
"Do you have any idea how many times I've pictured you like this?" he murmured, his voice rough. "Underneath me, on my fucking bed."
He pressed her body to his and she felt all of him. Her lips parted.
He groaned low in his throat when Elara looked up at him. "Don't fucking look at me like that, Elara."
Elara's nerves tingled, her heart thundering against her ribcage.
"Fuck, you have no idea what you do to me," he growled, dipping his head and nipping at the skin on her neck. "You have no fucking idea how many times I've laid in this bed and thought of you."
Heat gathered in Elara's stomach. Draco's expert lips dragged down her neck to where her sweater had fallen off her shoulder.
He left a trail of hot kisses down the curve of her shoulder then back to her collarbone. "You're supposed to be a fucking Ravenclaw," he breathed, continuing his delightful assault of her neck and jaw. "Yet you're so fucking dim when it comes to how much I want you."
Elara could hear her heartbeat in her ears. "You - called me a whore."
"My whore."
Elara's eyes snapped open from where they'd been fluttering shut in bliss as his mouth continued to send her to heaven with just love bites and kisses. She was mortified to find the knot in her stomach tightening - she'd liked it.
"You - I - what?" she panted.
"Mine," he hissed, his nose brushing against the curve of her jaw as he pulled away enough to look at her. "You're mine."
Her words died in her throat.
"No one else can fucking have you," he went on, one hand leaving the bed next to her head and gripping her throat, his thumb under her jaw to keep her head up, as he slid down her body, kissing down the column of her throat. "No one else can fucking touch you."
Elara was sure she was going to catch fire and burn.
Her head spun.
Draco didn't seem bothered by her silence. He shifted to slide his hand away from her throat and wedge it between their bodies to reach her thighs.
But as he did so, his hips pressed against hers and Elara cried out in pleasure at the feeling.
Draco pulled back from her neck, his eyes fixing on her face. "You like that?" He did it again, pressing himself right where she needed him.
"Yes - yes," she gasped out and he brought his hand away from where he'd been taking it, resting it back next to her head.
He grinded against her again and Elara's back arched. Draco dropped his head to kiss her throat before she fell back onto the bed, breathing heavily.
The pleasure was white hot in her core. Draco watched her face, intently, obviously enjoying the look of pure pleasure on her face. "Fuck. I could do this forever."
Elara lifted her hips to try and create some friction, not very concerned about forever and more worried about now.
Draco's heavy pants filled her ears as he pushed himself against her again, one large hand sliding to grip her bare thigh and pull it over his hip, only intensifying the feeling.
He was getting lost in the pleasure now too as he found a rhythm, his mouth finding the spot beneath her ear and sucking, harshly.
Elara's nails dug into his back, wishing she'd had the insight to take his shirt off before. Her thoughts were soon drawn away by the vibration of Draco murmuring against her skin.
"All - I - have," he panted against her, his fingers clutching the sheets beside her head, his rings glinting in the light that the water threw off the walls. "You're - all - I - fucking - have."
His hips ground against hers, the friction blinding Elara, momentarily, but his words were a match, setting her alight.
She summoned all her strength and flipped them over, him landing on his back, his hands gripping her waist to keep their hips joined.
Elara planted her hands beside his head, leaning over him, her long curly hair brushing his face as she moved her hips on top of him, biting down on her lip to keep the cries at bay.
"Fucking hell," Draco hissed between his teeth, his head falling back against the pillows for a moment before he propped himself up on one elbow, his other hand moving to tangle in her hair at the back of her head, tugging enough to get her to tilt her head back. "Fuck, you're such a good girl."
Elara moaned at the praise, loving how vocal he was being. She made a mental note to get him drunk more in the future.
His mouth began its assault of her neck again, getting harsher the faster Elara moved her hips. She shifted her hands to rest on his chest, whimpering at the perfect way he fit in between her legs.
"Mine." Draco's voice was laced with possessiveness. He jerked his hips to match her pace and Elara gasped out, making him smirk.
She was awash with euphoria - every inch of her was burning, aching for a release each time their hips met.
She made the mistake of looking down at him.
For a second, a different image flashed in front of her eyes.
Draco, lying sprawled out on the watery floor of the bathroom, blood pooling around him, his eyes lifeless, his chest heaving -
Elara gasped and shoved off him, landing unceremoniously beside him on the bed, before she scrambled to her feet, her eyes wide, her heart pounding.
What in Merlin was she doing? Was she out of her goddamn mind?
Draco propped himself up on his elbows, his hair a mess from her fingers, a very prominent tent in his trousers. "What -"
"I'm sorry -" Elara tried to catch her breath. "I'm sorry - you're drunk - I shouldn't have - I have to go."
She headed straight for the door, not risking a glance over her shoulder.
If she saw Draco sprawled out on the bed, messy hair, his lips red from tracing her skin, his shirt half unbuttoned, exposing smooth, delicious skin, his eyes alight with desire and hunger, she knew she'd never be able to leave.
And staying wasn't an option.
[i expect yall to be as talkative in the comments as draco was in this chapter ;)]