Chapter 13: Heated Discussions
November 3rd
Elara shivered as the cold air whipped past her face, pushing her hair to the side and blowing across Draco. He rolled his eyes and moved it out of his face.
"Would you put that mop in a bloody tie already?!" He asked, irritably.
"I like it down." She said, ignoring his tone and turning her attention back to the Quidditch Pitch.
Things had been extremely tense between the two since their argument. She had done her best to avoid him, but also realized that not being around him would raise suspicion, a point she brought up when asking him to attend the match with her.
The stands were packed with students, all eager to watch the first rivalry match between Gryffindor and Slytherin. She was excited to be there, to watch a match. The thrill of quidditch being something she desperately missed out on growing up. She rarely got to go to the professional matches that their Father took Draco to. She played occasionally, one on one games with Draco when he was home for the summer. Doubles, if their friends dropped by.
She peered through her binoculars as the players took to the field, Blaise and Harry shaking hands before mounting their brooms and pushing off.
"Surprised you didn't sit with the mudblood." Draco whispered.
"Don't call her that." She snapped. "Why would I? We haven't told anyone except you, yet."
"Your boyfriend likes to make a scene, I just- OH COME ON URQHART- Assumed he'd want to announce it in front of the entire school." He said, not taking his eyes from the match.
"You don't know anything about him." She said.
"And you do? You've been seeing each other two weeks! You've known him two months." He said, dryly. "I've known the twat six years. THERE YOU ARE PUCEY! NICE SAVE!" He cheered as Adrian Pucey intercepted the Quaffle and took off toward the other end of the pitch, dodging Ginny Weasley and weaving around a bludger.
"Have you ever held a full conversation with him?" She asked, her eyes darting around the pitch as the Quaffle moved between chasers. "One where you aren't being a total- Oh COME ON BLAISE! HOW DID THAT GET PAST YOU?! A total prat."
Draco smirked at her outburst as Blaise missed and Gryffindor scored. "I've done all the talking I need to do with him." He said.
They sat in relative silence, only commenting on the game. She sat stiff, irritated with how he'd been treating her the last few days. Cold and uncaring. Typical Malfoy manner, she thought.
"Who replaced you as seeker?" She asked, looking around the pitch.
"Some fourth year. Michael Harper." He mumbled.
"well he isn't very good, is he? I haven't even seen him circle the pitch."
"He's been hovering just there," He pointed to the far side of the pitch, behind the Gryffindor's rings. "It's a strategy less talented seekers use when playing against Gryffindor. Wait until you see Potter move, and then follow him."
She laughed. "So you're willing to admit he's a good seeker?"
"Not as good as I am." He said. "ALRIGHT!" He cheered as Slytherin scored. "Honestly, you'd probably be better than he is. He's hardly the most graceful flier."
She watched Harry circle the pitch. True, he wasn't extremely graceful, but he was technical. And fast. He weaved through the other players without issue, calling plays to them, giving encouragements. And Ron was playing fabulously! For all the trash talk the Slytherin's had done, saying he'd be an easy score, they were certainly biting their tongue as he blocked goal after goal.
"Another 10 to Gryffindor!" The announcer, Lee Jordan, called. "Spinnet dodges with a double barrel as Warrington comes her way! Neck and Neck! 60-50 to Gryffindor as…"
"Zabini is playing terribly!" Theo said. "We should be blocking more!"
Draco looked pointedly at Elara. "Yes, well I assume there's reason for that."
She glared at him, narrowing her eyes and sucking her teeth, but keeping her mouth shut. Clearly Blaise had told him that he ran into her and Harry in the hall…
She moved her eyes back to the pitch and watched Harry circle, hovering just near the Slytherin stands. He looked over his shoulder and gave her a quick grin.
"Better tell your boyfriend to pay attention or he's going to take a bludger." Draco grumbled.
"Shut up." She snapped, suppressing a smile.
Suddenly, Harry dove and began racing across the pitch. He wove around the players, arm outstretched, Harper on his tail. The Gryffindors all cheered as Ron blocked another goal and Blaise failed to.
"Slytherin Keeper not playing his best game today! Zabini lets another through and that puts it to 80-50! It looks like Potter has eyes on the snitch!"
It seemed as if everyone collectively held their breath as Harry nose dived to the ground, pulling up and turning a sharp right. He turned around and raced the opposite end and-
"POTTER CAUGHT THE SNITCH, GRYFFINDOR WINS!"
Draco and Theo both groaned. "Fucking Potter."
Elara waited patiently outside of the small changing room under the Gryffindor stands. Ron had been nearly carried back to the castle by a flight of excited students and Harry offered to stay behind and pick up before going back to the celebrations.
"I'll meet up with you later." She told Draco. "I need to talk to Harry."
He had rolled his eyes at her. "I'm sure you do."
Harry emerged from the tent, the glow of a victory on his face. "Hey!" He said, smiling brightly.
"Hi." She said, returning his smile. "You all played brilliantly! Ron was amazing!"
He laughed. "Yeah he was. You should have seen him this morning, he was a mess."
"I don't see why. He's a skilled Keeper!"
"You'll have to tell him that." Harry said, slinging an arm around her shoulders. "Would you want to come back with me? They're all celebrating I'm sure."
She shook her head. "No, I'm not sure that's a good idea. I just wanted to congratulate you on your first win as captain."
He nodded. "Walk back with me?"
She smiled. "I need to talk to Blaise. He's packing up the bludgers I think… I'll see you later though. Later tonight?"
He nodded. "Tonight then. Seventh floor?"
"Of course." She agreed.
He leaned down and placed a light kiss on her lips, lingering a few seconds before pulling away. She felt her cheeks grow hot and her stomach flutter as she watched him jog back to the castle. Right. Push that down, there's more important things to handle now. Like Blaise.
She sighed, gathered up her courage and walked back to the pitch. Blaise had just slammed shut the trunk and grabbed a handle to begin dragging it back to the supplies hut. She ran out and grabbed the opposite handle, helping him lift it.
"I got it." He grumbled.
"I can help." She insisted.
He huffed but didn't argue. They slowly walked back to the tiny storage hut and heaved the trunk into it. Blaise adjusted it beneath the leather straps to hold it in place and exited, looking expectantly at Elara.
"So?" He asked. "What do you want?"
"I promised you an explanation after the match." She stated. "It's after the match."
He closed the door and leaned against it. "Alright." He said. "Why were you snogging Potter?"
"We're a couple." She said.
"Yeah, I gathered that." He rolled his eyes. "This is stupid, El. I don't care who you go around snogging."
"You do." She said. "And you're angry with me. I'd like to know why."
"I'm not… I…" He paused a tick and then huffed an angry breath. "Why him?! Out of everyone here!? Look at you! You could have anyone! Why Potter?!" He suddenly became very animated, nearly bursting from his Quidditch robes. "I just don't understand!"
"It has to be Harry." She whispered. "I need information. The only way I can get it is from Harry."
He narrowed his eyes at her, moving his head back a few inches to look at her. "You're working for them, too?"
She sighed. "Yes."
"I knew Draco… I saw the Mark. A couple weeks ago. He was coming out of the showers and I saw it on his arm."
"I've showed you my arms. I'm not marked." She stated.
"But you're working for them." He stated.
She nodded. "It's… It's rather complicated."
He gave a low, sad sounding laugh. "Of course, it is."
"Blaise, please!" She said. "You know I can't tell you! You know I would if I could and-
"Would you though?!" He asked, suddenly irate. "Because from where I'm standing, you're just playing a victim while pumping your boyfriend for information. It's not a good look on you, Ellie."
"I don't want to do it! I have to! You don't understand-
"Then help me to understand! You and Draco… You're my friends! You're probably my best friend! And all you've done since you've been here is avoid me or lock yourself up with Draco, doing Merlin knows what! I can't understand or help if you don't let me!"
"You're my best friend too." She whispered. "I want out, Blaise. I do. I don't want to be apart of this. But I have to be- for Draco. They'll kill him!"
"You could get out safely. You both could. Go to Dumbledore! Talk to him! Hell, even my mum would help you!"
"It isn't that simple!"
"It is that simple!" He argued. "I've been able to stay out of it! Millicent and Theo… Theo's dad is even marked, and he's been able to keep out of it!"
"I can't just walk away so easily!"
"Can't or won't?" He asked, folding his arms over his chest and staring down at her.
"My parents…" She whispered. "They've already moved into the Manor. Mum is there by herself… I can't just leave her."
"Your parents made their choices." He said, his tone harsh. "They have to live with that. Not you."
She sighed, pushing her hair from her face and closing her eyes while she gathered her thoughts. She just wanted him to understand the position she was in. That she had to do some rather unsavory things to get by right now. He was blocking her out, she couldn't determine what he was feeling toward her and it was driving her insane. She reached her hand out and touched his face and he jerked away.
"Stay out of my fucking head, Ellie." He spat. "If you're going to play both sides against the middle, that's your choice. I don't have to give you my support."
He started to walk away, and she sped up to meet up with him. "I like him." She said.
He turned around and faced her again, a dark eyebrow raised. He scoffed. "Oh, really?"
She nodded. "I like him. A lot, actually. He's kind, and sweet, and honest. I don't want to get information from him. I don't want to feel like I'm a bad person every time I'm with him."
He shrugged. "Stop being a bad person, then."
"You think I'm a bad person." She mumbled, feeling her chest ache.
"I think you're trying really hard to make yourself believe you're not."
She stood, staring at him for a moment in disbelief. Blaise really thought she was terrible. She could see it all over his face now, he had lost respect for her. Had lost trust in her. She wanted to yell at him, tell him he was wrong. But she couldn't. Because he wasn't. What she was doing was wrong. Pursuing Harry in hopes of gaining information was wrong, no matter what her feelings ended up morphing into. It didn't matter that she liked him now, because she knew, in her heart of hearts, she would still use any information he offered up to help Draco get the Death Eaters in. Because regardless of her feelings, she was not willing to let her family suffer any longer. Even if they had made poor choices.
"I'm sorry I hurt you." She whispered.
He shrugged. "Don't be sorry. Just stop making excuses for your bad decisions. You're not being held in the Manor anymore, Ellie. You need to figure out what you want." With that, he turned and stalked off toward the castle, not even offering a backward glance.
Elara stared at the pages of her text, rereading the same passage several times and blinking the sleep from her eyes. One in the morning was a ridiculous time to set a class, but she understood that sometimes the field of Divination must be a little unconventional. She was desperately wishing she would have taken a nap after dinner.
"…Elara?"
She looked up and blinked, staring back at Professor Trelawney and shaking her head a bit. "Sorry?"
"I asked what the connection between heptomolgy and astrology is."
She stifled a yawn and cleared her throat. "Oh. Erm- It's considered the sacred number… The number seven holds the strongest magical and psychic vibration of any number."
"Very good. Five points to Slytherin. The number seven does indeed hold a potent magical frequency. Tonight we are here to observe under a very powerful vibration. With clear skies, we will be able to see Neptune!"
"I don't see why that matters." Padma Patil mumbled under her breath.
Elara leaned over. "Neptune is the planet connected to the number seven."
"Now, we will meditate under Neptune for seven minutes. No talking. Close your eyes and open your minds. Let's see what Neptune offers us." Trelawney said, settling into her pillow, legs folded and palms open.
Elara sighed and shut her eyes, wondering if she could get away with simply taking a quick nap. She took a deep breath and tried to be open minded. The number seven… She stifled a chuckle to herself in realizing that Harry's quidditch number was a seven. Seven days in a week, none of which had felt very lucky or sacred to her lately. She remembered learning that there were, at its most basic, seven human emotions. Anger, contempt, fear, disgust, happiness, sadness, and surprise. The emotions that people were hard wired biologically to express. She stifled another yawn and tried to focus maybe if she just- oh! Oh! The number seven was considered a complete and perfect number… and…
She had just realized that Draco was right. He would never let her live this down.
She suddenly felt very awake. Her math was off. She had been so focused on keeping within the laws of arithmancy, that she didn't think to stretch her math into heptomology and numerology. The cabinet, they suspected has some aspect of time travel involved, in order to achieve that, she would need an equation that came to… a perfect number. In her knowledge of arithmancy, that should have been nine, but… with the nature of the formula and the incantations required… it was seven. She had to reformulate the runes translations to reach a seven! Not a nine!
Finally, the meditation period ended, and Elara quickly stood. "Professor, I need to leave."
"Has the inner eye of Neptune blessed you with a-
"Yeah, yeah. Something like that." She said. "I'm sorry, but I need to go."
Trelawney looked almost overjoyed and nodded. "Of course! Go, go!"
She nodded and gathered her things, hastily depositing them in her knapsack and took off to the dungeons. She ran most of the way, tearing down the corridors as fast as her legs could carry her, ignoring the irritation of the portraits as they shouted for her to dim her wand light.
She took a moment to collect her breath when she entered the Slytherin common room. It was empty, everyone had already gone to bed by now. But she didn't allow herself a second to long for the cushioned leather sofa. She quickly took the stairs into the boy's dormitory, taking them two at a time. She hesitated for a moment at the door, not wanting to wake the entire sixth year dorm. She quietly pushed open the door and slipped in, giving her eyes a moment to adjust to the darkness.
As quietly as she could manage, she tiptoed to Draco's bed and saw him sleeping, rather restlessly. His face was twisted in pain and he looked as if her were going to be sick at any moment.
"Coco." She whispered, giving his shoulder a gentle shake. "coco, I need you to wake up."
He jolted, sitting upright and looking around the room alarmed.
"Shh! You're okay. It's just me!" She whispered in a rush. "You were having another nightmare weren't you?"
His eyes finally adjusted and looked at her, bewildered and frightened. He blinked several times, shaking off the tail end of whatever terrors had been plaguing him, he nodded. "What are you doing here? What time is it?" His voice rasped, thick with sleep.
"It's half past one." She whispered. "I had a night class with Trelawney- it doesn't matter. I think I've figured out where we went wrong, in the formula. I think I know how to get it working…"
"It couldn't wait until morning?" He yawned, scooting over to allow her room to sit.
She shook her head. "I didn't want to forget anything." She sat down, surprised with his pleasantness in his post-nightmare state. "It's seven, not nine."
He scrunched up his face and shook his head. "I have no idea what you're on about." He admitted.
"The numbers… Arithmancy teaches us that all matter consists of numbers one through nine, right? Well, numerology teaches us something similar, the exception being the inclusion of heptomology!"
"El, you woke me up from a dead sleep. I have no idea what any of that means right now. I also dropped Divination after third year, like most normal students…"
She huffed and rolled her eyes. "Heptomology is the study of the number seven. Because when Numerology is considered, seven is the most magically and psychically powerful number. It's considered magically to be the perfect number; instead of the practically considered number nine of Arithmancy!"
Draco straightened up a bit and stretched his back out, then turned to look at her. "So, you think the cabinet has psychic abilities?" He asked, his face looking doubtful.
"No." She huffed. "I don't believe that a wooden cabinet is psychic. However, in order to make something disappear and reappear in a sister cabinet only moments ahead of time-
"Time travel is involved. We discussed that, yes." He nodded, the wheels of his brain finally beginning to turn.
"Right. So, there must be some type of psychic connection, right? To see a few moments into the future to know that the person will end up where they're supposed to!"
Draco seemed to chew over the information for a moment. She leaned her back against his headboard and waited for any further questions or snide comments he might make. She bit back the overwhelming thud of exhaustion that was hanging over her and rubbed her eyes.
"It makes sense." He whispered. "But I'm sure the runes were translated correctly. If they are, it brought everything to nine, remember?"
"I know." She said. "And I thought of that. But we weren't completely sure that the Runes were Nordic, remember? If they're Celtic… It could change the outcome."
He nodded. "Right." He leaned back on the headboard and ran a hand through his hair. "So what? We try to retranslate everything as Celtic runes?"
"Yeah, I think that's what we need to at least try."
"I'll start it in the morning." He said. "I have the original runes copied in my notes. I'll see what I can find."
"Okay." She said, feeling the awkward tension that had been between them following her outburst settle it's way back in. "Right. I'll talk you about it tomorrow then." She made to get up he put his hand on her arm. She looked at him, confused.
He sighed. "I know it's not easy for you." He whispered. "I know being here is doing your head in."
"I'm fine." She said.
"You aren't." He pressed. "I may not be an empath, but I am your brother. Your twin brother, remember? You may have everyone else fooled into thinking you're standing upright without difficulty, but you aren't fooling me."
She leaned back again and closed her eyes for a moment. "I just- I don't want to do this."
The weight of her words hung heavy between them, she could feel his eyes boring into the side of her face. She flinched when he grabbed her hand. "I don't want to do this either." He murmured.
"Draco…" She started. "You've said it before, before we came. But you've spent your entire life being modeled to take Father's place one day. I find it hard to believe that you don't want the glory that will come if this is successful. I know you well enough to know that that type of power is influential."
He held up their hands, gripping hers tight and not letting go. "I'm giving you permission, just once. Look at me and tell me I want this."
She sighed and closed her eyes and felt nothing but cold fear pumping through her veins. She was almost instantly nauseated from the weight of it. All the anger and frustration he had been radiating since being marked gone- replaced by terrified feelings of rejection and inadequacy.
She dropped his hand and turned to better face him, placing her finger tips at his temples, she looked into his eyes, holding his gaze for a long moment before she closed her own and concentrated. She pushed through the fear and searched.
Getting images was more difficult from him. He had spent so long learning to guard his mind and keep intruders out, that there was a deep-rooted level of push back. She could feel his subconscious trying to shove her out, trying to keep her away from anything she may see. Admittedly, she was not well versed here. She didn't make a habit of perusing through people's minds, looking for events or images. Feeling the emotions of them were often enough for her.
And there it was. The moment he changed his mind. The moment the anger and haughty arrogance turned in on him and morphed into petrified fear and uncertainty.
There was a shrill bark of laughter, Voldemort's eyes baring into Draco as he pressed his wand to his left forearm. "You have lied to me long enough." He hissed. "Your father failed me on purpose! I will not be made a fool again."
"My Lord," Draco said, trying to keep his voice even. "My father only wishes to please you."
"Ha!" Voldemort barked. "You seem to be under the impression that I am unaware of the Malfoy's secrets."
Draco's eyes snapped up, staring at Voldemort's snake like face. "I don't… I don't understand my Lord."
"You will succeed, Draco. If you do not, I will move on to more forceful bending of wills."
"I only want to please you, My Lord." Draco agreed.
Suddenly his arm scorched, fire racing through his veins. He bit his lip, hard. Tasting the metallic wet of blood as it seeped across his tongue. He trembled, his entire body on the verge of collapse as the Dark Mark burned into him. He could feel the sweat collecting at his brow, his eyesight beginning to go spotted and blurry. Finally, he yelled out. Unable to take the pain in silence any longer. The scream that left his lips was mangled and unrecognizable. Finally, after long minutes of tortured cries, the burning stopped, and he collapsed on all fours.
Elara opened her eyes and looked into Draco's. He was staring at her, desperation clouding his silver pupils. She slowly removed her hands from his face, taking a moment to bite back the bile that had crept it's way into her throat, threatening to lurch the contents of her stomach across the bed.
She choked back a sob as the realization hit her. She held his arm, running her fingers over the mark. He winced but didn't draw away. "Father failed on purpose?"
Draco gave a weak nod. "I think so."
"Why- why would he do that?"
He shrugged. "I don't know, El. But I'm scared."
She pulled him into a tight hug, waiting a moment before feeling his arms wrap around her as well. "I'm sorry." She whispered. "I'm so sorry Coco. I haven't been fair to you at all. I just assumed you were beginning to enjoy the idea of succeeding… the glory of it…"
"I don't want to succeed. I don't want to do any of this." He admitted, so quietly she barely heard him. "But I don't know what caused father to falter. I have to restore his name."
"We will." She said. "I promise we will."
Harry was tapping the end of his quill impatiently against the wood of the table in front of him. He glanced at the clock, five till three, and sighed. He hadn't seen Elara in nearly a week. She had ended up cancelling plans to meet after last Saturday's quidditch match, said something came up with Draco, and apologized profusely. He shouldn't be irritated or suspicious, but he was both.
It hadn't even been a month that they've been seeing each other, and he was already desperate to hear her voice all the time, see her face, feel her hand in his… He had several moments in the Great Hall that Hermione had snapped him out of his daydreaming, staring at her from across the room as she ate and smiled and talked with Pansy Parkinson.
It was a total quagmire he was finding himself in. He had felt much better after she revealed her abilities to him weeks ago in the room of requirement. It helped him to understand some of the secrecy, the private, off map meetings with Draco and her need to be alone. But it had also made him face the fact that regardless of how stunning this particular Malfoy was- she was still a Malfoy. Still a Slytherin. He knew she was being honest about her abilities, there was no way she would have been able to surface the feelings she forced to bubble up that day without there being truth to that. It also explained why in the world she would have taken Divination as one of her elective courses.
But…
He just couldn't shake the feeling that there was something… off. Something underneath her witty jokes and pretty smiles. He shook his head. No. She wasn't like them. She may be a Slytherin, but she wasn't a blood purist. She had more than proved that. She was kind to everyone, almost painstakingly. He made a mental note to ask about that. How could her brother be such an enormous prick, and she be so… gentle?
"I expect a fifteen-inch parchment on my desk next class." McGonagall said, speaking over everyone's groans. "You're all dismissed."
Harry quickly shoved his parchment and quills in his bag, breaking one in half in the process, and stood up. "I'll see you later." He said to Ron.
"What's got you in such a hurry?" He asked, looking up from his stool as he packed his things away.
"I'm going to meet up with Ellie by the lake."
"The lake?" He asked. "Bit cold out for that, innit?"
"Well, you see, we're wizards. So, I'm going to cast a warming charm and-
"Alright alright." Ron said, rolling his eyes and chuckling. "Shove off then."
Harry smiled and gave a quick nod and rushed out of the classroom. He walked swiftly to the grounds, pulling his robes tighter around him. It was snowing, large, fluffy flakes and the lake looked as if it may be frozen completely over. He made his way to the boulder they always sat by, the one he had first had a real conversation with her at and saw the top of her hood.
He walked around and stopped himself from saying anything to just look at her for moment. She was leaned back against the boulder, a blanket under her that he assumed she had transfigured from the land, and her knees were drawn up, a thick Arithmancy book balanced in her lap. She was biting her bottom lip and staring at the book, paying no attention to anything around her. She turned the page and marked a few things down on the parchment next to her. Absentmindedly, she tucked a long blonde strand behind her ear and jotted down another note.
"Hey." Harry said, speaking softly so as not to startle her from her concentration.
She looked up at him, her grey eyes shifting from concentrated to warm and she gave a soft smile. "Hi." She said, patting the spot next to her.
He pulled his bag off his shoulders and tossed it on the ground next to him as he sat. He leaned over and looked at her book, noticing she was jotting down figures in some sort of complicated formula.
"What does Professor Vector have you studying?" He asked.
She smiled again. "Not this. This is for my own curiosities."
"You spend your free time writing out Arithmancy formulas?" He asked, laughing a bit.
She playfully slapped his arm and leaned into his shoulder. "Sometimes, yes."
He shook his head. "You and Hermione! I swear I'll never understand that love of academics."
"I assume that's one of the reasons you wouldn't have been sorted into Ravenclaw." She joked.
"Hey, I could point out that you weren't either."
She pursed her lips at him and laughed. "Alright. Fair enough." She slipped the piece of parchment into the pages she was studying and closed the book, setting it next to her. "How was Transfiguration this afternoon?"
He shrugged. "Same as it always is. Confusing and dull. Add a dash of McGonagall docking me points for being late and you have a normal class."
"So, stop being late." She said, a smile twitching the corner of her mouth.
He moved and put an arm around her shoulder, pulling her into him and sighed as she rested her head on his shoulder. She always smelled so pleasant. Like cinnamon and orange blossoms and a hint of that tart cranberry juice she's always drinking. He liked that he could just be with her. She didn't expect him to be "The Chosen One" or talk about any grand plans he was making. She didn't read the Prophet, so she never questioned him on the ridiculous articles they kept printing. She just simply allowed him the freedom to exist without expectations.
He turned his head and put a hand under her chin, drawing her face to his. He leaned down and took her lips in a slow and gentle kiss. He was always afraid he'd break her, if he started in too quickly. His nerves never helped matters anyway. They were a jumbled mess where kissing was concerned, and especially when it concerned kissing Elara.
Elara gave a soft sigh into his mouth and parted her lips as he flicked his tongue across them. She certainly enjoyed this. Had missed it even, in the last week that she had been locked away in the Room of Requirement, working with Draco to translate the runes on the cabinet. It had been an exhausting four days, to say the least. Draco's mood had improved with her, but he was still driving her insane with his snapping and rude comments. Blaise had almost completely ignored her since the match, and she was finding herself feeling increasingly alienated. She had no intentions of not seeing Harry in the last week, but since she had her breakthrough with the cabinet, she had successfully pushed him away as well.
But this, this was nice. Sitting here, the quiet of the start of winter. The fluffy snowfall. The frozen lake with its creatures dancing happily underneath it's icy surface. Harry's arm around her, close enough that she could breathe in his woodsy smell- which she had finally placed as broom polish… She frowned slightly as he moved away from her mouth and then gasped when he placed soft kisses against her neck. She felt her cheeks flush and her head went fuzzy.
Harry smiled into her neck as he gave another kiss to the tender spot just above where her neck meets her collar. He felt her tense, and then gasp and relax. He couldn't remember what he ever thought was questionable about her when she allowed a small, quiet moan to leave her throat. Surely someone who makes such delicious sounds when his lips were pressed against them couldn't be lying to him. He was just anxious from not seeing her all week…
Elara twisted her fingers into his hair and pulled his face back up to meet her own, her lips moving more urgently than before. She broke the connection of their mouths only to shift so that she was practically straddling Harry and resume kissing the daylights out of him. This was perfect. This was exactly the distraction she needed. No thinking, no worrying, no expectations. Just Harry and his mouth and his hands and that lovely broom polish smell and the honey and chocolate taste that always lingered in his mouth.
She trailed her lips down his jawline and heard him give a quiet groan as she lightly grazed her teeth on his neck, just beside his adams apple.
"You keep doing that and you're going to have to explain to my Quidditch team why practice was cancelled due to me becoming a puddle." He whispered in ragged breath.
She gave a soft chuckle and dragged her tongue up the side of his neck, giving his earlobe a soft suck. "Think they may send a bludger my way?"
His hands had found their way inside her robes and he was moving them along her back, desperately wishing he could untuck her shirt and… Oh. Oh no… He panicked momentarily as the thought of undressing her and the movement of her mouth against that sensitive spot on his throat- which he didn't even know existed until now- caused a twitch in his trousers. And what luck, she was on top of him. In a skirt. Straddling his lap. There was no hiding it this time, no excusing himself and rushing his brain into thinking of something- anything else to calm himself down.
Elara stopped momentarily, feeling Harry's trousers grow tight against her inner thigh. She blushed at the thought of it and couldn't stop herself from looking down.
"I- erm- I'm sorry. We can stop snogging now. I didn't mean to- I mean I didn't think about-
"Shut up." She whispered, taking his mouth with hers again to stop him from saying anything else. She gave him a long slow kiss and pulled away. "I um- I feel the same way." She admitted. "You just can't see my attraction."
Harry nearly burst from the thought of it and beamed back at her. She gave a quiet chuckle and leaned back into him, connecting their mouths again. He didn't know what he had done to deserve the attraction of the most gorgeous person he had laid his eyes on, but he was certainly happy to have it. Sod skepticism. There was no more room for that in his brain as there was room for his own anatomy in his trousers right now.
a/n: Ah! A little Harry/Elara action for you all- and I swear there will be more to come! I've got a few big things coming in the next couple of chapters, I'm just in the process of figuring out how to time it all out so that it makes sense!
So, as always I have to THANK YOU ALL for the follow/faves/reviews! Please continue to review! Tell me the good, the bad, and the ugly of your feelings toward all of this! Please remember that if you're a guest reader/reviewer: I CANT REPLY TO YOU! :( So, If you want a reply, you'll have to create an account I guess. Otherwise, I will reply to any and all messages/reviews! Any comments or questions! really I will! They all make my day!
Anway, it's a quarter after two in the morning and I'm beat. I have a loooooong fourteen hour shift ahead of me tomorrow so I hope this is enough to get you through the weekend! I'm hoping for a shorter shift on sunday, so I may be able to post then. Otherwise, the next update won't be until later next week.
Again, thank you for reading!
xo
-Mimi
Side note: I have two more stories floating around in my head. One is a Dramione and one is a Drarry (Eep! A Slash!) would anyone be interested in those?! I don't think I'll start publishing either just yet, I've just started working out some outline details. Just trying to get a feel if you would interested in it.
