A/N: Again, my updates are sporadic. BIG WORD! ^^ I'm crazy, but homework is really getting to me. Here's chapter 3!
Chapter 3
As the month progressed, my relationship with Draco hardly improved. Yes, we were on a first name basis now and we could have a civil conversation without dying to just rip each others heads off, but besides that, nothing really happened. We were cordial and I suppose it was for the best. I guess the tiniest part in me yearned for more. After Harry left I had enough with heroes, I guess. During detentions we had a sort of system: he translated and I did the "dirty work", as he put it. Once, we had finally gotten through the extensive potions list and finished the Transfiguration list (surprisingly enough, McGonagall needed MANY ingredients [which just happened to be crucial components of a headache solution]) we were allowed a three-day break. Draco and I had studiously avoided Sprout's list the whole month, instead tackling Trelawney's list (very… interesting plants; neither Draco nor I were quite enthusiastic to touch a little sprig of sparking leaves). But finally, finally, we were stuck with the dreaded HERBOLOGY list. That piece of parchment alone stretched eight feet, and by the end of the first week, we had not even gotten past the second foot before I had admitted defeat to the paper and slumped, begging for mercy. Well not as dramatically, I still had my dignity after all, but even Draco had gotten sick of the cursed plants.
"Never, ever again, will I ever touch a plant," I murmured, staring aghast at the list that kept on giving. Draco just shook his head in defeat, staring unfixed at the forest,
"I promise I'll be a good little Death Eater. I promise, as long as I never have to touch another damn plant again!" The last part he shouted to the heavens in misery while I completely disregarded the fact that he said the horrible word, "Death Eater". I was too busy wallowing in our shared misery to dwell on the statement.
"Je déteste les plantes. Je déteste les plantes," I hissed, shaking my poor head as I watched Draco hover over to the stack and pull out a new book. I jumped in surprise as Draco turned around quickly and stared at me with an expression I've never, ever seen on him: surprise. Naturally, I whirled around, casting my eyes over every corner of the forest, yet I didn't see anything in the least bit exciting.
"What?" I asked in confusion, turning my face around to study Draco's; the light bounced off perfectly from his white hair. He was glowing, like a forbidden angel. He recovered himself, I suppose, schooling his face into a blank mask, yet his eyes were a little slow on the uptake, glowing for a second more.
"You speak French?" he asked slowly, laying the Grecian book down to rest and sat on the grass, looking up expectantly like a petulant child, bottom lip slightly stuck out in a pout, as if I didn't tell a secret that he was dying to know. I nodded slowly, it never did occur to me to tell anyone that I was quite fluent in the language of romance; it just never came up.
He sneered, "Well I suppose Weasleys just had to try to find a way to fit in with the right crowd didn't they?"
I just rolled my eyes in mock exasperation, completely fed up with his attitude as I sat down next to him and leaned back on an old tree trunk.
"I'm not sure. Mum simply decided that she wanted me to be bilingual, I guess," I trailed off, staring out into the darkening sky. "My brothers don't exactly know how to speak French except Bill —"
I sighed at his cocked eyebrow. "He works at Gringotts," I explained, not really sure why I even bothered. He just nodded in acceptance, leaning on the trunk as well, closing his eyes in abject boredom. That didn't stop him from speaking out loud though.
"Well I suppose ONE Weasley would try to have a redeeming quality besides, of course, being pureblood…" He stopped, pausing in thought. "Even if you are a blood-traitor."
I froze, turning towards his limp form, eyes wide. Then, I laughed, really laughed. I hadn't actually laughed so spontaneously since the beginning of this year, maybe longer, and the motion felt foreign, like it was the first time I truly used my lungs to breathe and I felt ridiculously giddy. I was floating, light and happy as I looked at his obviously incredulous expression.
"Excuse me? Did I say something that amuses you?" He cocked one pale eyebrow in question.
I chortled, rolling over as tears flowed down my face; once I started, I couldn't stop.
"No, no, it's just…" I paused shaking my head to clear everything up. My eyebrows drew in, bottom lip stuck out just a little as I chewed on it. "You know, I really don't know."
"What can I say? All Weasleys are barmy."
"Yes I suppose so, but then again, the same can be said about the Malfoys."
"Oh no, I assure you we are quite normal, or beyond that."
"You people interbreed. I highly doubt that's good for your brain, or maybe you were just dropped once… or twice… or a hundred."
He chuckled. "Oh very funny, but I am quite sure that we only have a crazy one every other generation. Like Aunt Bella."
I shivered, that horrid trollop was the reason I still had scars on my back that refused to heal.
"Oh, of course. How cruel of me to never guess."
"So, does that mean you'll actually bow now?"
"In your dreams, Malfoy."
"Want to make your dreams reality?"
"Back to work!"
"Bollocks."
…
I slumped and Draco followed, watching the stars twinkle as we threw down the list. Draco raised his wand and whispered,
Incendio, lighting the parchment aflame.
"Oh thank Merlin," I whispered, staring at the burning flames in something akin to fascination.
"I thought we would never finish!" I moaned, running a dirty hand through my hair in exhaustion.
He could only nod in agreement, chuckling slightly as I pushed myself up and tried to brush the mud off my hopelessly tattered robes. The last item on the list had both of us tramping through the forest in search of a swamp to find a natural Mandrake. Ha, natural my arse.Chuckling again, Draco got up as well, stretching. I was coming to terms with the fact that he was attractive, even if I didn't actually like his temperament. Right… I admired how the robes stretched off his lean form, hinting at a muscular yet lithe frame. Yum. Shaking his head in amusement, Draco picked up the two heaviest bags filled with plants while I dragged mine through the worn path we used every day for the past thirty days to bring the plants to Professor Sprout. We both came back with a sizeable grudge against the Herbology teacher now as well.
As we exited the greenhouses, I yawned, turning towards the Great Hall. Draco followed, watching the stars, deep in thought. I slightly smiled, lifting a worn hand to trace the invisible pattern, letting my hand limply fall back down. Slanting his head slightly, Draco's lip turned up in what could have been as much as a smirk as a smile, probably a smirk.
"Pretty isn't it?" he asked softly, careful not to disturb the darkness, and I felt…elated, like the war never existed and the heavy burden I had no idea I carried was lifted. I nodded to what I think was him, or his shadow.
"Beautiful." But of course, he decided to ruin the mood with one of his sarcastic comments.
"Of course it's nothing like me but still; it IS a dragon!"
"Oh, shut up you conceited prat!"
"So you admit it!"
"I… you… it…. AH!" My cheeks flooded with red-hot heat as I struggled to push it back down. It did not work.
"You're blushing!" he sang, grinning for real this time as he danced out of my slap.
Instead of hitting his face, I hit his arm. I did not notice how firm it was. Not. One. Bit. Smiling, he turned to me, watching my broken, shadowed face. For the past month, the deep black bags under my eyes slowly disappeared, even as I stayed up late to pick up plants.
Cass smiled slightly the last time I saw her and commented, "You look happy…"
I gaped, I didn't feel any different. Immediately, grief and confusion fled in, but she mistook my expression for guilt since she put a comforting arm around my neck and whispered, "It's good for you. At least one of us in the world is happy, right?"
…
Shaking my head of the memories, I turned and studied his high cheekbones, mercury eyes and slightly thin lips. Lost in thought, I never noticed as he took a step closer, so that I had to tilt my head up a fair amount to be able to see his face clearly in the overcast of shadows. Tilting my head slightly to the right, I chewed my bottom lip in hesitation as I finally noticed really how close he was to me, his head millimeters away. It was a fairytale story, really; a poor princess and a charming prince (I didn't just call him charming) lean in, our breaths mingling and everything. He smelled like pine — woodsy and spicy — a thrilling, intoxicating smell that had my head spinning before I even leaned in to taste what he had to offer. I never did actually get to, since all fairytale's must come to an end; just not always by the book, or happily ever after. Of course it decided to start sprinkling as we stood there in the open, and then — it rained. Pouring rain, drops of water drummed the ground in beat with our footsteps as we dashed through the field, head down as we dove for the doors. I couldn't help laughing, devastated tears mingling with the rain on my cheeks, turning them apple red as my hair grew damp and heavy, sticking to the sides of my face. Draco's hair hung limply, pasted to his head, and his pale skin shone unnaturally as he tried to dry himself off in the foyer. I took a short steadying breath as my chest heaved; whether it was from tension or cramps, I will never know.
Staring at Draco's face, I couldn't help but grin in amusement. With his cheeks bright red and eyes glowing, he looked surreal. I probably looked like a mess, but I didn't very well care at the moment.
"So?" he asked, definitely smirking this time, head tilted.
I shuffled my footsteps like a meek cat, not at all like the persona I had tried to build. I kept my head down, curly hair pulled in front of my face to hide my sparkling eyes and upturned lip. His whole demeanor changed; eyes drifted down, eyebrows drawn in. His whole stance changed into something that I would never have thought a Malfoy could exude: hesitance. His steps were slow and uneven, eyes shifting from the wall and back as he ran a weary hand through fine blond hair. So captivated was I by his movements that I failed to notice how close he had gotten once again until an uneven, ragged breath whispered across my cheek, sending a shiver down my spine as I averted my eyes from Draco's face.
Suddenly his lips drifted towards mine, abruptly covering my soft, cold lips with his as he shifted for a better position. I didn't fight — couldn't — or maybe wouldn't. I felt no power as he gently moved his lips over mine, his tongue dancing. I sighed, my hands slowly, hesitantly drifting around his neck to find purchase in the white hair at the nape. My eyes drifted shut as I opened my mouth to let him taste me. He tasted like he smelled, and not in a bad way. Spicy and sweet, in a wonderful way that left me dying, or maybe just begging, for more. It ended as quickly as it had started as he drew back quickly and stumbled, a look of utter horror on his features as he stared at my flushed face.
"Merlin," he breathed, shaking his head. "What've I done?"
"Wait what?" I demanded, gathering my bearings as I turned in indignation towards that bastard. He took two more steps back, pulling at his black robes; he looked insane.
"I shouldn't have done that," he hissed condescendingly.
"Why? Because I'm a bloody Weasley?" I asked, enraged. My eyes had narrowed to slits. How dare he take advantage of me! How bloody dare —
"What the fu — no! You, I, we — AH!" Stuttering like a "commoner" he stormed through the hall, back to what I expected was the Slytherin Dungeons, leaving me standing in the middle of the Great Hall with no idea what had just happened.
…
Thankfully, my detention had finally been served thoroughly and I was back in class with a normal schedule. With one exception. My thoughts wholly revolved around the elusive Draco. I couldn't figure out what really happened. He had just… left. I mean, I understood I was a blood-traitor, a Weasley at that, but… I'mbeingtoohypocritical, I thought. OurfamilieshavehatedeachotherforcenturiesHisreactionwasnatural… right?ThenwhyamIstillthinkingaboutit?
