Author's Note: Hello again! Wow, I know what you are thinking, two
chapters in two days! Ok....so it isn't all that great. Eh, get over it.
Life sucks, OD on Advil and die. On that note....
Chapter Twenty Five
However, everything was not clearer in the morning. And out of everyone involved in the whole drama, the two who were most mystified were none other than the two no one could find all night, Draco and Andrea.
When Andrea woke up she was surprised to discover she was not alone in her bed. It wasn't even her bed, she realized a moment later. Then she remembered last night's undertakings and sighed, relieved that she hadn't woken up in the arms of her past lover. Andrea often dreamt that she woke up beside Ephraim again, ignorant of his true evil. The nightmare always ended with her having to view her mother's death, then her herself meeting the same fate.
Andrea turned in Draco's arms to watch his face as he slept. He looked so innocent and peaceful when he slept, contrary to popular assumption. A strand of hair fell into his face as he inhaled deeply in his sleep and Andrea lifted her hand to gently push it behind his ear. Andrea smiled at him and began to wonder how her feelings of dislike and contempt towards him had turned into adoration and affection with just one kiss. She had so many mixed feelings towards Draco. Everything at the moment seemed so right. She didn't have a care in the world. Then she remembered that she had left her friends waiting in the Great Hall.
What will Harry say? Andrea thought, Oh my god! Harry! And Ron and Hermione! They don't know where I am! I never showed up last night. They must be panicked. I have to get back.
Andrea turned towards the edge of the bed and gently pulled herself from Draco's embrace. She climbed off the bed and straightened her clothes, pulling them into the right position. She walked over to the full-length mirror across from the bed and began to play with her hair, trying in vain to get it looking civil. When she had given up on her hair, her eyes flicked over to the bed. She gasped in surprise when instead of a sleeping Draco, her eyes met a wide-awake Draco sitting up in bed, shirt buttons undone (AN. Oh dear, those must have come undone during the night. Oopsy! ::insert sarcasm here:: ) exposing his toned chest (AN. Ok, so I am going a little overboard here with the sexiness factor. Haven't we gathered by now that this little romantic bed scene is my fantasy? I mean, he's perfect. He just wanted to cuddle with her all night. No sex involved. No pressure, just comfortable cuddling. Isn't that what we all want?). Andrea turned to face him.
"Were you leaving me?" Draco asked, the hurt evident in his voice.
"No! Well...yes, but no. I mean, I was going because I remembered that I never told Harry, Ron and Hermione where I was. They must be really worried by now. I was just going to explain to them..." Andrea said, letting the last part hang.
"What were you going to explain to them?" Draco asked calmly after Andrea didn't finish her statement.
"Well, I haven't quite figured that part out yet," Andrea said meekly.
Draco snorted, rolling his eyes, "That much was obvious." Then seeing the hurt expression on her face he added, "Come here." He motioned her to come closer.
She hesitated, but walked over slowly and sat on the bed only to be dragged into a warm embrace by Draco.
He kissed the top of her head before resting his chin on her hair and said, "Well, let's think about this. What's the best way to tell them about us?"
"I... I mean......I just think that maybe..." Andrea stuttered.
"Yes?" Draco asked expectantly.
"Well, maybe we should keep this quiet for a little bit. It's just that I don't even know quite what this is. How can I explain it to anyone else?" Andrea asked flustered. She had no intention of hurting him, but she really did not feel that she should tell her friends--yet.
Draco thought she would say something like this, but surprisingly enough it didn't make him terribly angry; at least not at Andrea. He was somewhat pissed at their situation, but not at anyone in particular. Her response just made him hold her tighter. "I understand Andie."
Then after a moment's pause he added, "I love you."
Andrea froze, completely taken aback when he said it. She had to make sure she wasn't imagining it at first.
"You do?" she squeaked after deciding she was not in fact hallucinating.
"Yes, I do," he answered, without a hint of doubt in his voice. He sounded so cool and confident now - all sarcasm lost.
Andrea was overwhelmed and did not know what to say. She knew she liked him...But did she love him?
"You don't have to say it back. Not yet, at any rate," he assured, disappointment apparent in his voice. He wanted to make sure he wasn't pressuring her or pushing her away. That was the last thing he wanted at the moment.
"I'm sorry. I can't. The last time I did I.." Andrea choked back a sob, remembering Ephraim. The outcome of their relationship wasn't exactly what she had initially expected.
"Shhh, shh. It's all right. I understand," Draco comforted. He stroked her head quietly, and began to rock her softly in his arms.
After a few minutes of just rocking back and forth in Draco's arms Andrea said quietly, "We have to get to class, breakfast will end soon."
Draco nodded and the both reluctantly got out of bed. Draco buttoned his shirt and they both tried to straighten their ruffled appearances. Andrea and Draco exited the portrait hole and walked down the hall towards the staircases. When they got to the point when their paths split, Draco turned to walk down a staircase to the left but Andrea pulled him back around and kissed him passionately before letting him go again and bounding up another staircase and out of sight. Draco smiled to himself and started off again towards the Slytherin common room. He doubted anyone would even notice his disappearance the previous night, and had even less faith that anyone cared.
No one cares about me Draco thought bitterly, and then smiled as he remembered his night with Andrea. Well, no one except Andrea that is. My Andrea.
Author's Note: Cheerio. I think I need more advil..
Chapter Twenty Five
However, everything was not clearer in the morning. And out of everyone involved in the whole drama, the two who were most mystified were none other than the two no one could find all night, Draco and Andrea.
When Andrea woke up she was surprised to discover she was not alone in her bed. It wasn't even her bed, she realized a moment later. Then she remembered last night's undertakings and sighed, relieved that she hadn't woken up in the arms of her past lover. Andrea often dreamt that she woke up beside Ephraim again, ignorant of his true evil. The nightmare always ended with her having to view her mother's death, then her herself meeting the same fate.
Andrea turned in Draco's arms to watch his face as he slept. He looked so innocent and peaceful when he slept, contrary to popular assumption. A strand of hair fell into his face as he inhaled deeply in his sleep and Andrea lifted her hand to gently push it behind his ear. Andrea smiled at him and began to wonder how her feelings of dislike and contempt towards him had turned into adoration and affection with just one kiss. She had so many mixed feelings towards Draco. Everything at the moment seemed so right. She didn't have a care in the world. Then she remembered that she had left her friends waiting in the Great Hall.
What will Harry say? Andrea thought, Oh my god! Harry! And Ron and Hermione! They don't know where I am! I never showed up last night. They must be panicked. I have to get back.
Andrea turned towards the edge of the bed and gently pulled herself from Draco's embrace. She climbed off the bed and straightened her clothes, pulling them into the right position. She walked over to the full-length mirror across from the bed and began to play with her hair, trying in vain to get it looking civil. When she had given up on her hair, her eyes flicked over to the bed. She gasped in surprise when instead of a sleeping Draco, her eyes met a wide-awake Draco sitting up in bed, shirt buttons undone (AN. Oh dear, those must have come undone during the night. Oopsy! ::insert sarcasm here:: ) exposing his toned chest (AN. Ok, so I am going a little overboard here with the sexiness factor. Haven't we gathered by now that this little romantic bed scene is my fantasy? I mean, he's perfect. He just wanted to cuddle with her all night. No sex involved. No pressure, just comfortable cuddling. Isn't that what we all want?). Andrea turned to face him.
"Were you leaving me?" Draco asked, the hurt evident in his voice.
"No! Well...yes, but no. I mean, I was going because I remembered that I never told Harry, Ron and Hermione where I was. They must be really worried by now. I was just going to explain to them..." Andrea said, letting the last part hang.
"What were you going to explain to them?" Draco asked calmly after Andrea didn't finish her statement.
"Well, I haven't quite figured that part out yet," Andrea said meekly.
Draco snorted, rolling his eyes, "That much was obvious." Then seeing the hurt expression on her face he added, "Come here." He motioned her to come closer.
She hesitated, but walked over slowly and sat on the bed only to be dragged into a warm embrace by Draco.
He kissed the top of her head before resting his chin on her hair and said, "Well, let's think about this. What's the best way to tell them about us?"
"I... I mean......I just think that maybe..." Andrea stuttered.
"Yes?" Draco asked expectantly.
"Well, maybe we should keep this quiet for a little bit. It's just that I don't even know quite what this is. How can I explain it to anyone else?" Andrea asked flustered. She had no intention of hurting him, but she really did not feel that she should tell her friends--yet.
Draco thought she would say something like this, but surprisingly enough it didn't make him terribly angry; at least not at Andrea. He was somewhat pissed at their situation, but not at anyone in particular. Her response just made him hold her tighter. "I understand Andie."
Then after a moment's pause he added, "I love you."
Andrea froze, completely taken aback when he said it. She had to make sure she wasn't imagining it at first.
"You do?" she squeaked after deciding she was not in fact hallucinating.
"Yes, I do," he answered, without a hint of doubt in his voice. He sounded so cool and confident now - all sarcasm lost.
Andrea was overwhelmed and did not know what to say. She knew she liked him...But did she love him?
"You don't have to say it back. Not yet, at any rate," he assured, disappointment apparent in his voice. He wanted to make sure he wasn't pressuring her or pushing her away. That was the last thing he wanted at the moment.
"I'm sorry. I can't. The last time I did I.." Andrea choked back a sob, remembering Ephraim. The outcome of their relationship wasn't exactly what she had initially expected.
"Shhh, shh. It's all right. I understand," Draco comforted. He stroked her head quietly, and began to rock her softly in his arms.
After a few minutes of just rocking back and forth in Draco's arms Andrea said quietly, "We have to get to class, breakfast will end soon."
Draco nodded and the both reluctantly got out of bed. Draco buttoned his shirt and they both tried to straighten their ruffled appearances. Andrea and Draco exited the portrait hole and walked down the hall towards the staircases. When they got to the point when their paths split, Draco turned to walk down a staircase to the left but Andrea pulled him back around and kissed him passionately before letting him go again and bounding up another staircase and out of sight. Draco smiled to himself and started off again towards the Slytherin common room. He doubted anyone would even notice his disappearance the previous night, and had even less faith that anyone cared.
No one cares about me Draco thought bitterly, and then smiled as he remembered his night with Andrea. Well, no one except Andrea that is. My Andrea.
Author's Note: Cheerio. I think I need more advil..