How Long Has This Been Going On
Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Harry Potter universe. I own the OC Elena Mason.
The sky was grey and tumultuous, a distant thunder rumbling quietly amongst the clouds. The Quidditch Pitch was bursting with students proudly displaying their House colors as the game drew to a close. The colors quickly divided into distinct factions as silver and green pervaded one end, and gold and red resolutely on the other as if even the colors refused to mingle.
But not for long.
One lone figure walked slowly over to the Slytherin side lines; her gold and red hooded cloak hiding her downcast eyes. The closer she got the quieter the Quidditch Pitch seemed to get. She felt hundreds of eyes burning into her; questioning and disbelieving. She clutched her arms around her midsection as if to hold herself together.
Without hesitation she walked forward until her lowered eyes were staring at a familiar set of shoes edged in silver and green. The murmurs around her got louder. Surely, she had to have been going in the wrong direction, she felt them asking; there is no way she actually intended to stop in front of him. No Gryffindor in their right mind, let alone with her blood lines, would seek him out.
But she did.
Despite the rain lightly misting around them, Elena drew back her hood. Sad blue eyes met questioning grey.
She took a steadying breathe and spoke, just above a whisper, "I'm tired."
A pregnant pause was broken my snickers and sneers, as she noticed the boy in front of her lips turn slightly downward at the corners.
This isn't going how I planned it. She tried to beseech him with her eyes, but the question still remained.
She heard one of his teammates make a vulgar comment about taking her to bed.
No, not going well at all.
She took a step forward.
"Draco Malfoy," her voice quieted the comments and seemed to echo throughout the Pitch as onlookers leaned closer to get a better look at the apparent debacle occurring between the Slytherin and the shy, mousy Gryffindor.
His eyes widened slightly.
"Elena Mason." His voice didn't carry any of its usual smugness. It was simply full of questions.
She smiled; much to the astonishment of the growing crowd.
"I'm tired."
His trademark sneer ghosted across his face, "Then maybe you should go."
Elena gave a small breathy laugh, "That's the exact opposite of what I want."
She slowly approached and reached out and brushed her fingers over his hand which still clasped his broomstick. She felt his hand tighten and clench the broomstick tightly. Was he worried? Annoyed?
Too late now, she thought.
Bringing her other hand up to his chest, she tilted her head to the side and gave him a cheeky smile. His eyes widened and she noticed in relief that the corners of his lips were beginning to tilt upwards. Taking that as all the encouragement she needed, Elena ran her hand up his chest, around his neck and into his blonde hair. She tugged gently to bring his face nearer her own. She glimpsed his lopsided smile for a brief second as he dropped his lips to cover hers.
Gasps resounded all around them, but Elena couldn't care less.
Draco smiled into their kiss, and wrapped his arms tightly around her waist. Hoisting her up against his chest as his lips slanted over hers, parting them to lightly caress his tongue against hers before pulling back.
Lowering her feet back to grass, Draco watched as all of her emotions played across her face: happiness, shyness, and adoration causing a slight pinkness to flush her usually pale visage. Her blue eyes were shimmering, and he saw her wrinkle her nose as if determined not to let the happy tears fall. Draco rubbed light circles across her lower back, and placed a light kiss to her forehead. His grey eyes rose above the tangle of her brunette curls and caught the scrutinizing glares and tense silence filling the area around them.
A particularly seething bunch quickly approaching garnered his full attention. Sighing he thrust his broomstick brusquely into the hands of Blaise Zabini who fumbled in open mouth disbelief at the couple in front of him.
"Careful, Zabini. If you don't shut your mouth, I'll shut it for you," Draco drawled as he brought his hand up into Elena mess of curls to tuck her head into his chest; wishing he could shield her from the nasty altercation that was sure to follow.
As if on cue, the red and gold clad group stomped to a halt in front of him and Elena.
"Get your dirty ferret hands off of her, Malfoy." One of the red-headed twins spat at him (Draco never could tell the two prats apart.) The group surrounding the twins tersely nodded in apparent agreement.
Draco felt Elena flinch. This isn't going to end well.
"Mind your own business, Weaslebee." Draco tried to keep the malice out of his voice as best he could, but his nature couldn't be tamed at a time such as this. But he did try. For her. "This is none of your concern. Run off to your hovel and knit yourself another one of those ugly sweaters if you're so bored that you feel the need to shove into business that doesn't pertain to you."
Elena's shoulders slumped. Oh dear, this is going just swimmingly. Not one to let others fight her battles for her, she squirmed in Draco's arms. With a muttered, "Stop it, dork," Draco tightened his arms about her even more. After a few minutes of increasingly heated comments being thrown about with more and more people joining in, Elena resigned herself to a hard prod to his stomach with her elbow that give her enough wiggle room to turn in his arms and face the onlookers.
"ENOUGH!" Her shout startled the mob. The meek little bookish Gryffindor hardly spoke, let alone yelled. She looked at her fellow Gryffindor's with beseeching eyes. "Can't you just stop it. For once. Stop fighting. Stop being so damn ridiculous!"
"But he attacked you! That stupid ferret is-"
"The only person showing any stupidity right now is you, Potter." Draco's arms tightened about Elena's midriff.
"That's really not helping, Draco," Elena snapped. "And please. I can barely breathe," She wiggled around. "Let up a bit, will ya!"
Draco snorted, but begrudgingly released her a tad; but just barely.
"Bloody hell! She called him Draco!" Ron made a vomiting noise in the back of his throat.
"Because that is his name, Ronald!" Elena was barely able to contain her fury.
"Oh please, Elena, you can't be serious." Hermione stepped forward into the seemingly "no-man's land" between the two arguing parties.
"They look pretty serious to me." Elena's head swiveled to her left to stare surprised at Blaise Zabini who sheepishly gave her a small smile. He looked over her head and gave a slight nod to Draco. At least he's open to this and seemingly on our side. Surprises never cease. Elena thought as gave him a shy smile back.
"Well obviously he has her under some sort of Love Potion." Hermione sniffed, nodding to herself as if she had it all figured out. "This is just some ploy to get back at Gryffindor for -"
Elena had had enough. She pushed her way about of Draco's arms and marched herself right up to Hermione. Each step punctuated by her words "How dare you! How dare you presume to know what is or is not going on between Draco and I. How dare you think that someone couldn't actually care about me! Maybe I'm not the prettiest or most outgoing. But I am a person! I deserve happiness, don't I?"
Hermione backed up, "Well yes, but…"
"So, why…why the fucking hell would you consider that it has to be a Love Potion?! Couldn't it maybe be that we care for each other? Genuinely?"
"No, I mean," Hermione had backed into the Twins and found Elena, hands clenched at her sides, bearing down on her. Hermione looked around fervently looking for support. "I mean…He's a Slytherin!"
"And he's Malfoy!" Ron quipped from beside her.
"Well! Congratulations! Aren't you two observant! 10 points for Gryffindor!" Elena heard chuckles behind her and whipped her head around to see Draco standing with his arms crossed smugly; admiration and pride shining in his eyes as he winked at her. She gave a wan smile and turned back towards the Gryffindors all of whom looked discomfited and slightly abashed.
"Elena," Her gaze moved toward Oliver Wood, "Try to see things our way. This sort of thing isn't exactly normal."
"A girl caring for a boy who cares for her as well?"
"You know what I mean, Elena" Oliver crossed his arms, irritation showing in his stance.
"No, please enlighten me," she mimicked his stance.
He sighed heavily, "A Sytherin and a Gryffindor."
Elena sighed in turn, "And are we not people? Are we not a boy and a girl? Do I really need to prove that to you?"
Draco stepped forward quickly and put him hands upon her shoulders, "I don't think that will be necessary." He placed a kiss to her temple. He looked up at her Housemates. "We don't need to prove anything to anyone."
Elena turned to face Draco, his hands rotating on her shoulders. "I'm tired," she smiled.
He brought his hands up to cup her face, "Let's go."
Heading toward the exit of the Quidditch Pitch, they walked through a crowd of harsh glares and angry confusion. Draco draped his arm around Elena's slightly slumped shoulders as she twiddled with some loose curls fluttering near her throat. He tucked her closer against his side, "What can I do?"
Elena looked up surprised, her eyes softened when she saw the concern wrinkling his otherwise handsome brow. "It can only get better now, right?"
They had neared the lake and he let them over to a large weeping willow whose branches were sweeping into the dark water. Draco pushed aside the foliage and drew her into the cocoon of the branches and foliage, shielding them from the outside world if only for a few moments. Sitting down near the base of the tree, he drew her down into his lap holding her against him. She nuzzled into his neck and gave the slight depression of his collar bone a light kiss. The sky had cleared during all of the revelations that had developed at the Quidditch Pitch, and the couple sat there in the quiet as the light danced across the leaves and time seemed to stop. Draco brought his hand up to tilt Elena's face upwards so he could look into her eyes.
"What?" She laughed softly as he continued to stare with the oddest of looks upon his face. "Come on, Draco. Is there something weird on my face?"
"No," His gaze softened, "No. Your face is perfect." He placed butterfly kisses along her jaw line. "You're perfect." And with that his lips claimed hers gently, but growing in fervor as he showed her just how perfect he truly found her.
A/N: This is my first fanfiction in YEARS, so I would love to hear what you all have to say! Please review with thoughts, complaints, praise! You name it, I wanna hear all about it!
This is currently a OneShot, but if I find inspiration I may write more. No promises though.
Thanks for reading! R&R! :)
Cour8ge
