[Chapter Fourteen] Catch Me If You Can

Perhaps she was just being reckless because Draco hadn't looked at her since the Masquerade Ball. Either way, as Lena's vision faded and the ground zoomed toward her, her memory induced her.

Lena was sitting in the Great Hall, at the far end, away from the "popular" Slytherins. She didn't want to be anywhere near Parkinson, Daphne, Draco, or even Louis, especially with his longing glances that Lena always immediately shot down with a cold shoulder.

As she reached down to her plate and picked up her piece of toast, a large slimy spit-wad shot at her and landed smack on her toast. Resisting the urge to vomit, she heard the eruption of laughter, and a rush of blood came to her cheeks. The toast dropped to the plate, and her eyes loomed toward the center of the laughter. Another spit-wad flew at her and she barely dodged it. But with her sudden weave, another slimy wad landing in her hair and Lena felt tears coming to her eyes and she reached for her wand in her pocket.

A sudden movement caught her eyes. Draco stood up from his spot and walked a length down the table and grabbed to boys by their collars, he whispered something in their ears with a threatening expression. He then grabbed a straw from the jar on the table, made a point to get an extra disgusting spitball and shot it at one of the boys. It landed on his face and as he jumped up, as though to fight Draco, he immediately sat down as he realized his inferiority in both stature and build.

Lena's eyes immediately met Draco's as he turned to look at her. Her heart melted and she waved her wand at her hair, but still rushed from the Great Hall quickly, the impending blush only worsening.

The blackness turned to light as Lena's eyes winced open slightly. They immediately shot closed once more at the bright light.

Her mind was painting vivid images now. What she thought she had seen was impossible. He couldn't be here. He wouldn't be here.

What had happened? Images of a broom and the night sky, lights rushing at her.

Lena forced her eyes open once more and he still sat there.

Draco.

"Hey." He said calmly, as if nothing had happened.

Lena couldn't bring words to her lips, past the shaky lump in her throat. Draco saved me. He still loves me. A worried expression came over Draco's face.

"Are you okay? I guess you hit your head a bit harder than I thought. I barely got to you in time."

"You...saved me." Her voice was shaky and her eyes didn't move from Draco's.

He shrugged carelessly and stood up.

"You're leaving?" Lena moaned. She didn't want him to go, not yet. How could he save her life, and then just leave her again?

"I, unlike you, don't have any excuses for getting out of class. I'll come by later," He promised. Lena nodded as his back turned and he walked away from her. She wanted to jump up and hug him, she wanted to kiss him all over and thank him for saving her from her own intentional stupidity.

Why did I even get on that broom anyway?

She groaned and quickly forced herself back into a nightmarish sleep, praying that when she awoke, Draco would be there again.

He wasn't.

Her eyes searched the dark room, and her ears ignored the endless moaning coming from several students. She pushed herself up in bed. She still felt weak, but felt it must be from the lack of food. How hurt could she be? Draco had saved her life. Why am I still in the Hospital Wing? Pulling her cloak off of a chair next to the bed, she stood up and worked her way slowly toward the foot of her bed, where several blatant hate notes had been left. Ignoring them, she worked her way toward the Slytherin common room.

The stark quiet of the hallways, and the lack of teachers and prefects patrolling said that it was late in the night and that Lena could move around freely without worry. The bricks loudly clacked against each other as the door to the Slytherin common room opened.

Her eyes instantly darted to the couch. It was the last thing she had expected to see, Draco, asleep in the large armchair. Lena crept toward him and for some reason sat on his lap. He opened his eyes sleepily, and, as expected, gave her that sleepy smirk that she loved.

Knowing she was taking advantage of him, Lena pushed her guiltiness away. He would never wrap his arms around her waist if he were awake.

Finally the guilt overwhelmed her and she carefully peeled herself away from him, her heart fluttering with regret as the warmth and tingling faded.

The girl sat on the couch and waited for him to awake. A long few hours later, as Lena nearly drifted off into sleep herself, his eyes flickered and looked over to her. She looked at him lazily and he gazed back at her, suddenly looking awake.

Giving a weak smile as he stood up, she waited for him to leave without word, but he stood in front of the fireplace for a moment, and Lena took the opportunity to approach him. He turned as he heard her move and let her stop silently in front of him.

Their eyes met for several minutes that passed in what felt like seconds.

"Thank you," Lena whispered finally, and her face quickly moved toward his, preventing any rejection from him as she stood on her tiptoes. Her lips met his cheek and she kissed gently.

Her heart began racing and she didn't let herself look out of breath as she pulled away and looked at him once again. His eyes looked at her ardently and his mouth gaped open slightly with faltering breath.

Suddenly, he reached forward and wrapped his fingers gently around her neck, pulling her close to him and drawing her lips to his with urgency. Their tongues intertwined and Lena's entire body exploded. The thoughts in her mind pushed past her own physical needs and she pulled away from him, racing up the girl's dormitory, thankful that Draco would be unable to follow.

Did that really just happen? Lena's thoughts buzzed as the potions from the Hospital wing made her woozy, her mind clouded.