Chapter 21

"Someone to tease, someone to please, a reason to stay up all night."

A Reason To Stay Up All Night - Emma

Draco fidgeted excitedly on the sofa in the Slytherin common room. A cool breeze entered with Morgan and she shut the door behind her. She smiled at Draco sat on the other end of the sofa, curling her legs underneath her and reaching into her bag.

"Shall we go?" he said, after clearing his throat.

"I thought we weren't going until 9." she said, ceasing unpacking some charms homework that urgently needed doing. Draco looked away from her and twisted his face in preparation.

"I thought that we could, maybe, go for a walk around the lake first…?" he looked back to her and smiled nervously. Morgan had never seen him like this. She put her books back in her bag and smiled at him, a twinkle in her eye.

"Draco Malfoy," she said, "What are you so nervous for?" she turned herself around on the long sofa and crawled to him. Draco smiled at the playful look on her face. He couldn't speak. She kissed his muted mouth quickly and stood up.

"Let's go then." she said, "Give me two seconds." She sprinted up the stairs into her dormitory. A few girls were working in their beds. Quills scratched away as Morgan checked herself in her mirror and swiftly left the room, as quickly as she had come. A few puzzled girls returned to their work, murmuring possibilities to one another. Morgan re entered the common room to find that Draco, unexpectedly, had not moved.

"Where's the stuff?" she asked.

"I put it all up there already." he smiled, "I couldn't be bothered to carry it around all night."

"And what if someone goes in there and finds it?" she asked bluntly.

"It's pretty well hidden, now stop nit-picking." He took her hand and they walked secretly out into the grounds.

Moonlight lit the lake as it rippled in the gentle night breeze. The giant squid was nowhere to be seen, leaving the surface of the water smooth and glittering with the reflections of stars. The trees that surrounded it waved their branches slowly, a greeting to the two teenagers. Though it was dark, they walked around it quietly, talking of trivial matters. Morgan wrapped an arm around Draco and he did the same to her, she walked close to him, feeling his warmth through their cloaks. She let her mind wander, and avoided Severus Snape subconsciously. Draco cleared his throat next to her, and his arm loosened from around her waist. He took her hand again.

Emmeline was sat, spy-like, in a tree on the other side of the lake. She wanted to know if Draco would go through with this. She didn't listen to a word that was passed, she was too far away. But she watched her brother and Morgan curiously. Nothing seemed to be happening.

"Maybe not tonight then." she said to herself, not doubting that Draco's plans would eventually be carried out, no matter how simple they were. She smiled to herself, comforted by the fact that the thought had even entered Draco's mind. She had never thought him quite capable. As she jumped down from the tree stealthily she looked back over to the two of them. Draco had moved his arm from around Morgan and had taken her hand. His pace had become even slower, as if he was gradually coming to a halt. Emmeline stood in the shadow of the tree and watched again. The couple stopped beneath the tree that they had shared their first kiss in the shade of. Emmeline grinned Just like you to over-romanticize.

"We've stopped walking." Morgan pondered.

"Morgan…" Draco got her attention on himself instead of their pace. She looked at him, puzzled by his quiet tone. He still held her hand in his as she turned to face him properly, a questioning look on her face.

"Morgan, I-" he gulped, "I want to tell you something… important." Just like the last time that she had been under this tree she thought she knew what was coming next. She waited patiently, starry-eyed, as Draco continued.

"I just think this is sort of, the right time, you know? I'm not sure why, but…" he brushed a lock of hair away from her face and stroked her cheek. He was blushing, aware that he seemed soft and pitiable as he told her this "I love you Morgan." he said softly. Morgan smiled at him sweetly. Draco couldn't see the pity in her eyes that he had expected, only the stars mirrored in them. She squeezed his hand and stood on her tip toes to reach his ear.

"I love you too." she whispered. She looked at him for a moment, just for the sake of looking at him. She didn't try to say anything, and he was the same. A short second of 'just looking' passed for an age and then she kissed him. Gently and loving and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly. On the other side, Emmeline smiled with approval and acceptance and excused herself from the scene.

Morgan and Draco broke apart, the clock at the front of Hogwarts chimed through the perfect silence.

"9." Morgan smiled. Gripping Draco's hand tightly, she started walking back towards the school. The two left the lake in its perfect condition, just as they had found it before it bore witness to such an important event. Even if it was just important in their own lives, this place was a landmark now.

Back inside the marginally warmer castle walls, Morgan giggled as she raced Draco to the top of the school. Shushing him despite the fact it was her delighted, excited snickers that were ringing in the imposing silence. Finally, out of breath with exhaustion and anticipation they reached the top of the astronomy tower. Morgan fidgeted with the bottom of her shirt as Draco searched for the basket he had hidden somewhere in the dark. As Morgan studied the sky through the dome on the top of the tower she missed him lay out blankets, two pillows and she looked down to find him laying out two cups, a bottle of pumpkin juice and as many chocolate frogs, chocolate bars, chocolate anything as he could possibly have fitted into the basket that now lay empty and discarded by the door. He certainly knew that it was one of Morgan's favourite things. Draco knelt proudly by his set up, now with a single candle to light it and Morgan joined him on the two blankets. She indicated the cups.

"Pumpkin juice. Aren't we the rebel?" she teased as he poured it out, pulling a sarcastic, 'whatever' sort of face. She took a sip and looked out at the stars. Draco watched fondly as they were reflected in her bright eyes again. In silence, they drank their juice, both thinking about what had happened under the tree and what was going to happen and smiling inwardly. Morgan set her empty cup down first and looked at Draco as he took a final swig of his, tilting his head far back as he did so. Morgan stared hungrily at his neck and rid herself of the expression as he set his cup down next to hers and looked at her. She crawled to him as she had done in the common room. With a hand on the floor on either side of him, holding her up, she kissed him passionately. She couldn't hide the hunger that she had suppressed before. Draco, propped up on his elbows, was shocked and humbled by the power with which his girlfriend kissed him. Trapped beneath her he kissed her back, matching her desire and pulling her down so that he was lying on the blanket. Staying on top of him, she took off her cloak and pulled his shirt off him, accidentally ripping off a button in her haste. She laughed nervously and he stopped her for a moment to throw the redundant clothes over to the basket. Her index finger drew circles uncertainly around the top button of her school shirt. Draco sat up and with Morgan still sitting on him gently brushed her hand away and undid the first few buttons himself. He pushed her collar back and the loosened part of the shirt fell off her shoulders. With his hands on her arms he sucked along her collar bone. Morgan tilted her head to one side and bit her bottom lip. When he reached the end of her collarbone she moved back slightly to undo the rest of the buttons on her shirt. If it was coming off a little way it may as well come off all the way. She shrugged it off and twisted her arms out of it and stayed perfectly still for a moment while Draco looked at her. He took only a moment and then he had pulled her back down to the floor again. After a moment he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her so that he was on top.

"Ow!" Morgan said as her other side hit the floor, still very hard despite the two blankets they were lying on, she laughed.

"Sorry," Draco smiled, "but it's my turn." He kissed her arm where it had hit the floor and then her neck, nudging her head upwards to kiss along her jaw. Morgan gripped the blankets beneath them and curled her hands into fists as Draco's hands rested on them.

The clock chimed somewhere, noticeable for the first time. By Morgan's calculation, they had been at it for the best part of two hours. She was out of breath as when she had raced Draco up here and she breathed heavily on his neck.

"I think-" she took a much needed breath in, "We should eat some of that chocolate." She knelt up and reached over Draco for a box of dark chocolates. Shaking her hair back and opening the box with repressed enthusiasm, she pulled out a single one and held it in front of Draco's lips. He propped himself up on his elbows and made to bite it but Morgan swiped it away and put it in her own mouth, grinning childishly. Draco took the box from her in a pretend fit of annoyance and ate one himself as Morgan removed herself from on top of him. He put an arm out for her so that she could rest her head on his shoulder as they looked up through the dome. He wrapped his arm around her and she reached over him for another chocolate. He moved the box away from her hand and offered her a cheeky wink instead as she glared at him. Pouring the chocolates onto the blanket, he picked one up and put it in Morgan's mouth. She let it melt in her mouth while she listened to Draco's heartbeat. It slowed gradually as they lay on the floor. Morgan shivered and curled closer to Draco, becoming suddenly aware that she was in only her underwear and stealing his heat. He hugged her close and reached for another blanket that he lay over both of them. She felt underneath the blanket along his arm until she reached his hand and held it for a moment. After a moment of the silence that had been apparent all night she rolled over onto her front and reached for a chocolate frog. Draco turned onto his side to look at her reaching out and smiled.

"Nothing to end a night like this one like a chocolate frog and a children's toy." he teased.

"Shut up. You only wish you were as cool as me." she said, her comeback as quick as a whip as she studied the card in the back of the box, "Damn. I've already got that one." She tossed the pentagonal card carelessly over to the basket and munched on the chocolate frog. The creepy enchantment that made it move had stopped and she watched the card frisbee over to the basket, landing right in it.

"Hey, you got it in." Draco said, impressed by her accuracy across the distance that he had watched as his finger drew figures of 8 at the base of Morgan's back.

"Score." Morgan said indifferently, finishing the frog and turning so that she was facing Draco. He smiled at her and didn't move.

"I love you." he said.

"I love you too."