Chapter 21

The first weeks of school speed by, more freshmen appeared on campus for orientation, then the rest of the dorm filled up. Older students loudly moving in, and engaging in impromptu parties that spiraled out to involve the whole hall. Draco and Bubba met their suite-mates, Dewayne and Sean, a pair of juniors that had opted to continue living in the dorms, for the lower carbon footprint that walking everywhere and communal space provided. Aside from the pervasive smell of patchouli wafting in from their side, the pair appeared to be pleasant, and Draco and Bubba decided they lucked out.

Cynthia and Jane had become fast friends with the boys. They had discovered upon comparing schedules that the four were in the same honors section and had most of their classes together. Jane was in a far more advanced math section than the other three, having left something as elementary as calculus behind years ago. Draco had been surprised though, that despite appearances, Jane and Cynthia often tried to convince them to sit in the back of the room, but laid-back, gregarious Bubba wanted to be front and center. His roommate's hand was almost always first in the air when the professor broke from lecturing and opened the class up to discussion. In an odd way, the boy reminded him of a certain curly haired girl, who he had started thinking of as Books.

Draco had also found odd, that thinking of people from school, and his conflicted relationship with them, was easier with the silly text nicknames. There was just too much negative history in names like Malfoy and Potter for him to be able to properly process it. He learned from Gingersnaps that she shared the story of his new nickname Duck with Seeker, and from there that all of them had changed him to Duck on their phones. Also, while Pip Pip was becoming better with his use of the technology, the group was continuing to do mass text message conversations, that he was not only included on, but included in. Capella also participating in the conversations, having already made the trip over to work with the group, particularly Books and Seeker, on experiments in integrating muggle technology, in ways that flouted, but did not outright violate wizarding law. It was a bizarre comradery that he had never expected. Pansy had finally stopped writing him, and he had heard through the grapevine that she had recently become engaged to Cormac McLaggen. Crabbe was continued to do well in his new role as an apprentice dragon trainer, and Hilde had written recently to share news of an early spring at the ranch, including some pressed flowers with her letter.

Thus, Draco found himself relaxing into the new rhythm of school life, one much less stressful then he ever could have imagined. One day after classes, Draco was lounging on the sun deck, a book on the Peloponnesian War forgotten on his lap, as he closed his eyes and enjoyed the late afternoon sun, and inhaled his cigarette. He started when a throaty, feminine voice asked, "Got a light?"

Opening his eyes, he found himself caught in a dark midnight gaze belonging to the resident instructor who had evoked more than one lustful thought after the first night. Draco stared openly, taking in the intelligent eyes, the wicked smirk, the large amount of smooth latte colored skin exposed by her shorts and tank. Her smirk deepened. "Like what you see, sport?"

A flush rushed over Draco's cheeks, and he shook his head. "Uhm, no. Actually, yes, quite a bit." He fumbled in his pockets and pulled out the lighter, he had taken to carrying one, when he realized that he couldn't easily hide the fact that he could make a small flame appear from his fingertips with a whispered word and modicum of concentration. Draco flicked it to life, leaving it close enough to himself, that the girl had to lean forward to light her fag. She did so, grinning as she took a long drag, and gave him the obvious opportunity to look down her tank. She was braless, and Draco was suddenly glad for the history book on his lap.

"Thanks," she breathed on the exhale, blue smoke curling towards him. "You're one of the new fish, aren't you? Not my floor though." She let her gaze travel his length, noting the lean but tone muscles in his arms and calves. When she noticed the awkward angle, his book was resting at, she winked. "Pity."

Her voice was like sin, and Draco wanted no absolution at that moment. He stuck out his hand, "Drake Foy, and it is truly my pleasure to be of assistance."

After an awkward moment, when she made no move to accept his hand, he dropped it back to his side. Taking a drag on his own cigarette, Draco wondered how to extract himself from this. The girl unexpected laughed, "White hair, slightly haughty demeanor, English accent. I am pretty sure your name is Duck."

He brought his eyes back to her again, intrigued that she had heard of him. "My name is Delphine." She leaned in close to him, lips almost to his ears, "Wanna know a secret, Duck? I am part of a bet about who you are going to fuck."

Draco was sure he hadn't heard her correctly, but the words had taken away the ability for rational thought. His other senses were overwhelmed, a sweet smell of orange spice, the warmth of the sun magnified by 1,000 from the not-quite touch of her skin, the tickle against his ear where her breath was still teasing him. He blinked, "So, what do I get if I help you win?"

Delphine laughed again, "I like you." Grounding out her cigarette on the deck's cobblestones, she stood, taking his hand, "Come on, let's go have some fun."