Feeling giddy from the Fire Whiskey I was in a good mood, happily dancing away. I had forgotten about Draco keeping an eye on me. Montague was surprisingly a gentleman throughout the time he spent with me. I smiled at him as he handed me another drink after yet another dance. The music had changed from the classic partnered dances to something more upbeat.
"Pansy! Come on!" I said and grabbed her hand, she laughed and put her drink back down, "Blaise, Graham! You're coming too!" Both boys rolled their eyes but still followed us to the dance floor once again. Graham grabbed my hand and spun me around quickly, I let my head fall back with a laugh and I easily got into the more upbeat music.
"We're throwing more parties in the common room!" Pansy said to me with a smile, grabbing my hand and dancing with me. I was surprised she had rhythm and managed to keep up with me, "If it gets you this relaxed then why not?" I laughed and jumped slightly when I felt hands on my hips.
"I need to talk to you," Draco said into my ear, his breath fanning across my face and I shivered, I looked at Pansy and she grinned before going to dance with Blaise.
"Maybe later, Draco," I said quickly, Draco's hands tightened on my hips and pulled me back towards him. My back was pressed against his chest and my heart was pounding.
"And let you hide in your room?" Draco asked, his lips brushed my ear and I had to suppress another shiver, "Not happening" I turned slowly and Draco's hands didn't leave my side, my breath caught when his hand ran over my stomach before settling on my hip.
"Okay, so talk" I tried to keep my voice steady but a slight waver in my voice made Draco smirk.
"Not here" Draco grabbed my hand and led me out of the room full of people and into an empty room, I leaned against the wall and raised my eyebrows slightly. Draco paced in front of me for a few minutes.
"Are you going to talk or burn a hole in the floor?" I asked and Draco bit back a smile before turning to me, my throat locked when he met my eyes. There was a fire burning in his grey eyes and I felt a shiver run down my spine.
"You know what?" Draco started with a hint of anger in his voice, "You're so bloody frustrating! You're callous, a little complex and just plain arrogant! Do you even think about how I might feel?"
My eyebrows rose again "You've just listed traits that landed me in Slytherin! Don't act so surprised when I act according to what you said to me!"
"That was over a month ago!" Draco snapped and I pushed myself off the wall.
"It still fucking hurts, Draco!" I said angrily and Draco's face flushed, "Do you know how many times I had told myself that I was no good for you? That I would ruin you? I thought the same thing but I would have let you decide that for yourself, Draco"
"I'm the son of a Death Eater, Adria. Nothing good can come from it!" Draco snapped back but his eyes quickly widened.
"I'm the daughter of two of them! Or did you forget that? I've already seen The Dark Lord and I know exactly where I'm heading. I was practically born a Death Eater, Draco! I don't have a choice!" I paused and leaned against the wall again, completely drained. "Neither of us does," I added.
"Then let me ask you something," Draco said, taking the few steps between us. I had to tilt my head to look at him, "What are you doing with Montague?" My throat went dry at our proximity, my eyes involuntarily flickered down to his lips before looking back up to meet his eyes.
"He's nice," I said simply and Draco's eyes narrowed slightly.
"So, you like him?"
"I didn't say that" I answered quickly and Draco smirked a little bit before he ran his fingers down the side of my face and I instantly felt my face flush.
"Does he make your face flush like that?" He asked softly and I didn't react, I couldn't. Draco was showing more confidence than I'd ever seen. Confident, not arrogant.
Draco ran his fingers down the side of my neck, my pulse jumped and he rested his hand on my chest, above my heart, "Does he make your heart race like that?" he wasn't wrong, my heart was racing faster than I'd ever known it to.
Draco dropped his hand down and gently took my hand in his, he hesitated slightly before he slowly raised my hand and placed it on his chest. I gasped lightly when I felt the rapid beating of his heart through his clothes, Draco's hand covered mine and his head dipped slightly, "All fucking night, Dia, watching you with him. So, tell me, does he make you react like that?" he asked me softly, his grey eyes locked on mine.
"No," my voice barely above a whisper, the smell of his cologne mixed with mint was intoxicating to me and I found myself leaning towards Draco, "He doesn't"
"Good," he said quietly as his fingers trailed down my arm, leaving goosebumps in its wake. I realised my hand was still on Draco's chest so I pulled it away slowly, his hand came to rest softly on my cheek. The coolness of his skin helped ease the heat on my face but it did nothing to slow my racing heart, "I have nothing to worry about then"
Draco leaned in further but I ducked my head before he could go any further "Don't" I said quietly, "Don't kiss me unless you've changed your mind"
The silence that followed was deafening. I scoffed lightly and pushed Draco's hand away from my face and stepped around him, I headed straight to the door I paused with my hand on the door handle when Draco spoke "I'm sorry, Dia"
I sighed and looked at him over my shoulder, "No, Draco, I'm sorry" I opened the door and music filled the air, "Look, you know how I feel and you know what my choice is. If I had that choice, that is. But I'm not going to sit around and wait for you to get over your stubbornness"
"Dia-"
"No one likes being played, Draco" I interrupted and Draco looked at me with wide eyes.
"Isn't that exactly what you were doing with Montague?" Draco shot at me and I turned to fully face him.
"No, it's not, Draco. He knew what I was doing and he was kind enough to help"
"That's a little manipulative, you know that right?" Draco asked, raising an eyebrow at me and I rolled my eyes.
"I'm a Slytherin, Draco'' I deadpanned and his face fell slightly, "Stop thinking so highly of me. You'll only be disappointed"
I walked away from Draco, feeling his eyes on the back of my head. I was already pulling the pins out of my hair as I walked through the crowd and I quickly climbed the stairs. I knew Draco had followed me but I paid no mind to him as I stepped into my room and closed the door behind me.
I quickly shed the dress and shoes and put them away before dressing in black jeans and a white blouse. I slipped on some flat shoes and made my way back downstairs. I went straight to the hired bar and picked up a glass of Fire Whiskey.
"I've got to say" I jumped slightly and looked up as Montague took a seat next to me with a smile, "This look suits you better"
"Thanks" I muttered and down the drink before grabbing another, "The dress served its purpose and it failed"
"He didn't change his mind?" Montague asked, I shook my head and his eyes widened slightly, "Well he's an idiot" I laughed lightly and the smile quickly vanished when I spotted Draco was within earshot.
"Here we go" I muttered and downed the drink in two gulps, Montague rolled his eyes and turned to Draco.
"Problem?" He asked in a flat voice and Draco walked over, his jaw was tight and his fists were clenched.
"Yeah, a little bit" Draco shrugged and then he smirked, "You know she's not interested, right?" I rolled my eyes and sipped from another glass.
"I know that," Montague said with a shrug, "I'm not stupid, Draco but in my opinion, she's wasting her time with you but it's not up to me who she likes. A word of advice, you need to get over your stubbornness before you really do lose her"
I sat silently, sipping my drink while the boys stared at each other for a few minutes, Montague turned to me with a small smile, "Thanks for keeping me company, Adria but I'm going to head off. I'll see you around, yeah?" I nodded in response and finished the rest of my drink. I stood up and brushed myself off, Draco caught my arm quickly as I tried to get by him.
"Dance with me?" Draco asked quickly as the music settled down again, I raised an eyebrow at him, "Please?"
"Alright," I sighed, "But I'm not exactly dressed up anymore" I added, Draco smiled as he took my hand and led me towards the dancefloor. He wrapped an arm around my waist and entwined his other hand with mine, pulling me closer towards him and he led the dance around the room.
"So?" Draco said softly, "This is who you are, you're not the ballgown type of girl"
"I guess you have a point," I said quietly, I raised my head slightly to look at him properly, "You're moods are going to give me whiplash"
"I could say the same thing about you" Draco smiled softly, his hand tightened slightly on my waist almost as if he was afraid I'd bolt. I looked around a little bit and my face flushed, I quickly shook my hair out to cover my face.
"People are staring" I muttered quietly and Draco shrugged slightly.
"Let them" Draco smiled a little bit before dipping his head down slightly so his mouth was lined up near my ear, "I'm so sorry, Dia"
"You don't have to-"
"Just listen, please, before I lose my nerve" Draco cut me off quickly, the song changed but we didn't falter in our dance. We just shifted to match the music, I looked at Draco for a moment and then nodded slowly. His shoulders relaxed slightly but the grip around my waist remained.
"Did you know that I was fully prepared to go through my years at Hogwarts alone?" I shook my head slowly, "But it changed as soon as McGonagall called your name for the Sorting and I looked up. I caught you looking at me after I was Sorted, you know?"
"Really?" I asked, my cheeks already burning and Draco smiled softly.
"Yeah, I even tried to catch your eye after you sat down but the only time you looked up was when Potter was called" I made a sound in the back of my throat and Draco chuckled, "I saw the look on your face as you watched him, I knew something probably happened with his family and yours after that. I was determined to be your friend from the start, I couldn't explain it, to begin with, but I had to know who you were"
Draco came to a stop and pulled me by my hand across the room, "Draco, where are we going?"
"I haven't finished yet, not by a long shot" Draco replied and pulled me up the stairs, "I want to show you something and then I'll continue. Trust me" I nodded in response and Draco led me to his room, he let go of my hand and opened the balcony doors that my room seemed to lack. He stepped outside, turned right and disappeared.
"Draco?" I called and stepped outside, I turned my head to the right and almost laughed, Draco had pulled himself up onto the next level of the house and was sitting on the roof. He looked at me with a smile and held out a hand.
"Come on" Draco encouraged me and I shook my head slightly before taking his hand, I used the balcony's rail to lift myself along with help from Draco. I slowly sat down next to Draco and his arm slipped around my waist protectively.
"If I fall and break my neck, I'm going to kill you" I breathed after a minute, "I'm not that good at heights" Draco chuckled softly and shifted closer to me to hold onto me a bit better.
"I'm not going to let you fall," Draco said softly, his breath fanning across the side of my neck as I looked up.
"Full moon" I muttered before looking back at Draco and my breath caught. God, his eyes, it's always his goddamn eyes. His eyes were almost silver in the moonlight, which is something I have always found attractive about him.
"I didn't fall in love with you because I was lonely or lost, I fell in love with you after getting to know you-"
My heart pounded in my chest when I recognised the words, "I realised that I wanted to make you a permanent part of my world. The happiest I've ever felt-"
"Was the moment I discovered you loved me too" Draco finished and I stared at him for a moment before finding my voice.
"Did you read-"
"No, I didn't read your journal" Draco cut me off and he blushed, "You talk quietly to yourself when you're alone and writing. That was all I heard"
"Oh" My face flushed, "I didn't know I even did that"
"I think it's cute," Draco said softly taking one of my hand with his free hand, his right arm still wrapped around me, "Look, Dia, I have issues" I snorted lightly and Draco rolled his eyes, "I don't think too highly of myself on a good day, I convinced myself that I wasn't good enough for you so I pushed you away. I hurt you without even meaning to"
"You're going soft, Draco," I said softly and Draco smiled, absentmindedly playing with my fingers as he talked.
"I'm sorry I hurt you, I'll always be sorry for that," Draco paused for a second and looked back up at me, "I have some issues to work through"
"You think?"
Draco smiled and rolled his eyes, "All I want from you at the moment is to be patient, only for a little bit. Is that too much to ask?"
I looked at Draco for a few moments, I don't think I could walk away from him even if I wanted to. I told him I wouldn't sit around and wait forever but in truth, I'd wait for him for however long it took. I never believed in the 'one and only' theory. Not until I was already in love with Draco. I could never love anyone like I loved the boy sitting next to me.
"No" I finally said, "It's not too much to ask"
I was already in too deep to just walk away. I only wanted him, I may be stupid and I may be a little bit selfish but I was also loyal. I was loyal to Draco, it doesn't matter if we're together or not. I will always be loyal to him.
That was where my true loyalty lay. With him.