Some Like It Mild

By Kukaburry

Chapter 9- Implosion

A rising sun awoke Laurie a few hours later in the hospital wing. She looked at her side and saw not a trace of where the wolf had slashed her.

Both she and Draco had to lie about how she obtained such a wound. They were sneaking into the forest on a dare when an animal suddenly attacked them.

Madam Pomfrey 'pip-pipped' them for such behavior, but in the end she did what she did best and healed Laurie's wound. Draco was required to stay until the morning as well to ensure he didn't have any wounds. "It might've been a werewolf for all you two know, and then what would I do? I cannot heal a Lupine." Laurie shot Draco a nervous look. Madam Pomfrey finally stopped asking questions and left them to fall asleep.

Neither Laurie nor Draco spoke a word as they drifted off to sleep in beds across from each other.

"Merlin's beard. I feel like I just fell asleep." Laure rolled out of bed and groaned. She forgot she was only wearing a shirt and shorts from the hospital wing. Her newly mended clothes were lying on the bedside table. The itchy fabric bothered Laurie's skin so she shed her clothes and began dressing.

A non-subtle cough caused her to shriek and turn around, covering herself. Draco was staring at her, bemused, from his bed. "You're always taking your clothes off around me Rye."

Laurie forced herself to roll her eyes. "Yes, I just can't seem to withstand your animal magnetism Draco." She turned cheekily towards Draco, barely half-dressed, to give him a better view of her body. Draco found himself thinking very dirty thoughts.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were flirting with me, which would mean you like me." Draco stared at her steadily. "That is the only explanation for what happened last night."

"I see you're back to your pleasant self Malfoy." Laurie grumbled. Draco frowned slightly when she called him 'Malfoy'. "Nothing happened last night." She lied. "I was trying to get a rise out of you." She cocked her eyebrow at him knowingly. "And from what I saw, I succeeded." She shoved her last piece of clothing on and sat down on the bed, avoiding Draco's stare.

Madam Pomfrey bustled out of her office and took a quick look at Draco and Laurie before declaring them safe to leave.

They exited the hospital wing together, walking slowly. Thoughts of the previous night's events were running through both of their minds. Laurie threw a side-glance at Draco and felt her stomach tingle.

Without thinking, she grabbed Draco by his shirt collar and brought his lips to hers. They stumbled back against a wall, Draco's body pinning Laurie. "Mmph." He groaned, pulling her body up with his hands. Laurie enjoyed the feeling of his hands under her thighs. Every nerve in Laurie's body was screaming in ecstasy. This was how it felt to really be kissed.

Draco trailed his hands up Laurie's thighs and sides, enjoying the feel of her every curve. He kissed her roughly, yet carefully. She felt amazing against him, just as he remembered from the night before.

Laurie was having trouble thinking clearly. Every move Draco made drew her deeper into the kiss. 'Warning. Warning. This is Draco Malfoy. The one person whom you swore not to fall for again.' That thought brought Laurie back to Earth. 'Stop it! He will never be a real 'boyfriend' to you. He's a Malfoy. Malfoy's are disappointments.' Every bad memory of Draco came rushing back. Laurie broke the kiss suddenly, much to Draco's displeasure. "There is something I want to tell you." She looked deeply into his eyes.

"What is that?" Draco asked huskily, catching his breath. He wanted her to say 'I like you'. There was no denying it, he liked her. He liked her far more than any girl he'd liked before. That kiss was exactly what he needed and he wanted more; hell maybe he'd even make her more than a one-night stand.

"I hate you." A slow smile spread across her face as she stepped out of his embrace.

"You what?" Draco continued to stare, confused. "Are you joking?"

"What? Did you expect me to say something else?" Laurie suddenly turned cold. "Did you expect me to say something like, 'Draco, I love you'?" His expression answered her question. "That is never going to happen. You lost your chance four years ago and you've been a torture to me ever since I started at Hogwarts." Laurie held back angry tears. "You've proven over and over again that you're not capable of caring about anyone. Why would a girl like me fall in love with someone like you?"

Draco continued to stare at her, dumbfounded. Everything she was saying sounded like they'd known each other for years; but he only just met her this year. "What are you talking about Rye? I've known you a week."

That was the final straw; she hadn't wanted to let Draco know how much he had affected her over the years. Everything tumbled out of Laurie's mouth at once. "My name isn't Rye Carter. My name is Laurie Reynolds. I switched to my mum's maiden name when my parents split up at the beginning of my second year." Recognition flashed through Draco's eyes. He knew the Reynolds and he remembered Laurie Reynolds. He hadn't seen her in a year, so he had figured she switched schools.

"Do you remember that banquet your parents held that year? My mum dragged me to it to spite my dad. I was the girl in the corner with pig-tails reading a novel. You asked me to dance with you and we had a great conversation. Then your stupid friends came over and started making fun of me for being a Ravenclaw and you joined in and tortured me the rest of the night?"

Draco couldn't believe his ears. Were Laurie and that impossibly nerdy girl from second year the same person? "That was so long ago. I was immature." He tried to defend himself.

"You haven't changed at all, Malfoy. You were the reason both of my boyfriends from third and fourth year took off after some floozy. Do you not remember? Both times you found us sitting together and you looked at me like I was some slug and said to him 'You're really dating that? I heard so-and-so is free. She's a much better match for you mate.' And you would just walk off like you were some kind of damn prince of the school!" Laurie's face was beet red now. "You thought you were just kidding, but they actually listened to you and went after the girl you said; leaving me sitting there like a complete loser."

Only Laurie Reynolds would know how he sabotaged her relationships. Draco couldn't even describe how guilty he was feeling. "I didn't mean it. I was only having a bit of fun. How was I supposed to know that your loser boyfriends were complete idiots?" He didn't like being backed into a corner like this.

"They weren't idiots. You are the idiot. You don't know how much power you have over people and you always use it for your own evil purposes. You are proud, stuck up, incompetent, conceded and the last person in the world I would ever consider dating." She took a deep breath and looked at him straight-on. "How does it feel being rejected Draco?"

Before Draco could say another word, she spun on her heel and marched off to the Great Hall alone, leaving Draco in a state of complete helplessness. "But I did like you, Laurie," he mumbled, deciding to skip breakfast. "I'm going to prove it."

**********

Sorry that this chapter is a bit shorter than usual. I am in the middle of exam week, so there's not too much time to write. But mostly I'm saving the good stuff for next chapter. It would be weird to split it up.

Happy Holidays everyone! ~Kukaburry