49

LB

Two weeks had passed and the whole school still talked about the Tournament. Talking and guessing about who was going to enter the tournament. I just came back from McGonagall's office telling her my choice for a potion's master. I would start my apprenticeship the start of November. I saw a familiar head of hair walking in the opposite side. I ran up to him and jumped on his back. It was like he expected it, because he looped his arms around my legs without hesitating.

"Hey, handsome."

"Hi, gorgeous." Nott smiled as he looked over his shoulder to me. "Where to, milady?"

"I'm staying at the tower now, so the grand staircase is just fine." I smiled as I leaned my chin on his shoulder.

"Don't I need to carry you up to your chambers, fair maiden?"

I snorted and he chuckled. "I don't think your girlfriend will like that."

"I-" He stopped walking and looked over his shoulder to look at. "I don't-" I raised my eyebrows at him. "We're not official yet. How did you know?" He asked as he started walking again, me still on his back.

"The look in your eyes." I said as we reached the staircases. He lowered me slowly to the ground and turned to look at me. "If you really like her, which looks like you do, you should do something about it not being official."

"Yeah." He chuckled. "I'll think about it." He looked up at the staircases. "Are you meeting someone in the common room?"

"No, why?"

"Care to join me in the snake pit? We can catch up a little, and maybe you can talk to Malfoy."

"What's wrong with Draco?" I asked anxiously.

"I don't know, Theo said he's been more grumpy than normal. Didn't know it was possible, but..." He shrugged.

"Alright, I'll come with you." I locked my arm with his and we turned to the stairs leading down. "You can tell me all about your new girlfriend." I grinned.

LB

I was talking to Emmett for about an hour before Draco, Blaise and Theo walked in. The two boys with Draco had grown a lot this summer. They looked older, not that typical baby boy face anymore. They were turning into handsome young men. Not that I would ever tell them, they're already big headed enough. Draco's blank face disappeared when he saw me sitting there and smiled. He leaned down and kissed my cheek.

"Hey, cous."

"Alexandra." He smiled as he sat down on the coffee table in front of me. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, now I feel welcome." I rolled my eyes.

"I invited her." Emmett smiled and wrapped his arm around my shoulder.

"You two are back together then?" Blaise asked, his eyes flickered between me and Nott.

Theo snorted. "No, Emmett has his eyes on someone else."

"That he does." I smiled. And turned to Emmett with a grin. "And you better do something about it." I poked his chest.

"Yes, yes, I know." He sighed with a smile. Emmett turned to his younger brother, and they started to talk to each other about something that happened this summer. I leaned forward to Draco.

"Can I talk to you?" I whispered.

"Uhm, yeah sure." He glanced around the room before he nudged his head towards his chamber. Nott send me a knowing look before we walked out of the common room. "So, what's up?" Draco asked as he flopped on his bed. I sat down on the end of the bed, kicked off my shoes and looked to the blond.

"I was going to ask you that." Draco frowned at me. "I heard you've been more grumpy than normal, and that's saying a lot."

"Hey!" He protested, but his shoulder deflated. "Nothing's going on."

"Draco."

"No."

"Little dragon." I whined before I pursed my lips together trying to hold back my laugh.

"I'll tell you if you'll never call me that again."

"I can't promise you that." I said honestly with a bright smile.

Draco grumbled something incoherent before he said in a soft voice. "Lucius wrote to me."

"Oh." I gasped as I leaned against one of the posters. I didn't expect that.

"Yeah."

"What did he say?"

"He talked about the world cup, that he wished I was there with him. He says he wants to see me, he wants to educate me." He said with a sneer. "He - he wants me to stop talking to you, he thinks you're a bad influence."

I snorted, but frowned, nonetheless. "What did you do?"

Draco huffed and crossed his arms. "I burned the letter. I don't care what he wants or has to say, he doesn't control me anymore. And he won't tell me who I can or cannot hang out with." He looked at me with a small smile.

"Did you tell Cissy?"

"No, I don't want mother to panic."

"But-"

"I'll tell you if something like this happens again." He stated, and I nodded.

We fell silent and I looked to Draco with a cocked head. He was still nervous, I could tell. His foot was twitching, and his shoulders were tense. It didn't take me long after meeting Draco to see when he was hiding something or that he was nervous about something. Draco knew he could tell me anything, so I waited until he was ready. I stretched before I shuffled on the bed, until I was next to Draco. I rested my head on the pillow and looked up to him. Draco was still sitting against the headboard staring at the black lake through the window. The silent minutes stretched on, but it wasn't uncomfortable. I just waited.

"I-" Draco started his voice hoarse. He cleared his throat. "I'm not normal." His voice shook as he settled down next to me. He turned to his side but didn't look at me. He looked at the pillow as he plucked at it. "I'm not normal, Alexandra."

"Draco." I said quietly. "Why do you think you're not normal?"

"Because I -" He took in a trembling breath. And got really anxious, I'd never seen him like this. "I was always taught to marry a pureblood witch, deliver an heir and all that stuff." He finally looked up, his eyes were sad. "I don't want that."

"You don't need to, Draco. I know you don't care about purebloods or muggleborns anymore-"

"It's not that. I don't want to marry a witch."

"Oh." I said as it hit me. "Okay."

"O-okay?" He stuttered, his eyes wide. "You don't mind?"

"That's calling the kettle black, don't you think?" I raised a single eyebrow while Draco's shot behind his hair.

"You - you're...?"

"I like who I like. It doesn't matter what sex they are, I like them for them."

"You had a relationship with a girl?"

"Sort of." I chuckled as Draco's mouth dropped open. "Oh, don't be so shocked." I slapped his shoulder.

"You're right. If it comes to you nothing should shock me." He chuckled, he dropped his head back on the pillow. "I don't know what to do."

"You don't have to do anything. You don't have say anything." I squeezed his hand.

"I'm afraid how people would react. My friends, my mother."

"Your mum wouldn't mind, trust me."

"She knows about you?" He asked and I nodded. "Who else knows?"

"Everyone in Beauxbatons knew." I said, turning to lay on my back too. "It wasn't a big reveal or something. My first kiss was with a girl and when Jack and I were together, we – well, let's just say we explored a bit."

"Salazar!" Draco gasped a chuckle. "What about your friends here? Harry?"

"I-" I frowned. "I don't think so. They know about Jack, but they weren't really that interested to know about it."

"The twins didn't want to know, you mean?"

I punched his shoulder until his grin dropped. "Emmett knows."

"Really?"

"Yeah, we talked about our past relationships and stuff."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"You never asked, and it never came up, did it?"

"Yeah." He was silent for a while. "Thank you."

"Anytime."

"Can you stay?"

"Sure." I smiled before I turned into Loki. Draco has only seen me change a couple of times, so his eyes widened as I turned next to him.

"What - what are you doing?" He stuttered as I crawled against him. But unaware of his actions, he started to stroke my fur. I felt him relax, he closed his curtains around us, and not long after he was fast asleep, me curled up against his chest. Happy to be able to help him relax. I knew there was more behind him discovering he's gay, an event or a person. But again, he would tell me when he wants to, when he's ready.

LB

The next morning, Draco woke first and tugged my white furry ear. "Morning, cousin."

"Morning." I mumbled blinking open my eyes.

"Salazar, that's freaky." He said as he looked at me, a talking white wolf. I trotted to the end of the bed before turning back. I looked at him for a second before laughing. "Come on, let's get breakfast." He said tossing his pillow at me.

Because I had only just woken up, I couldn't dodge the flying pillow and it send me over the edge, toppling out of the curtains and on the floor. I looked up to see Theo and Blaise looking down at me.

"Not who I would expect to see toppling out of Draco's bed." Blaise smirked as Theo helped me up.

"Thank you." I smiled at the younger Nott. "Coming down to breakfast with us?"

"Sure." They said in unison. I put my curly, black hair in a messy bun on top as I walked out with the three Slytherins'. Blaise was playfully tugging my bun as we walked in the great hall.

I looked at the Gryffindor table to see my friends and gave them a little wave. Angelina, Lee and Alicia waved back, while the twins' eyes just followed me all the way to the Slytherin table. Harry, Hermione and Ron sat a little further away, and Harry looked at me with an inquiring look. I shot him a wink, making him blush as I sat down next to Draco.

"I can't believe he's still crushing on you." Draco smirked as he loaded his plate.

"He's not." I said resolutely. Draco looked at me questioningly, but I ignored him as I started my breakfast. Just like Draco, I would wait until Harry was ready to tell me. And if he did, I would never betray his trust by telling someone else, especially Draco.

LB

After breakfast, I headed up to the tower to change into my school robes before first class. And I knew I was going to be questioned once I joined the others in class. But when I changed and headed down with my bag over my shoulder, I saw the twins standing at the portrait hole, their arms crossed.

"Hello." I said, stopping in front of them. "We should go before we're late for class."

"We have time." Fred stated. "Where were you last night?"

"In the dungeons, with the Slytherins."

"With Nott."

"Among others, yes." I sighed at them before tossing them a bone. "Nott and I are just friends, he has a girlfriend, did you know?" They both perked up at this, and my stomach flipped. No, they can't like me, like I can't like them. Two guys, one girl... that never ends well. "I slept with Draco."

The twins scrunched up their noses and I slapped their arms laughing. "De la Barre, not like that. He's my freaking cousin."

They both gave me a lopsided smile, and I needed to look away. They were too handsome for their own good. "We were just worried." George said.

"You two worry too much. You know I'm either here, the library or with the Draco in the Slytherin common room when it's late."

"Yeah, we know." They said with a little smile.

I walked between them and looped my arms through theirs. "Let's go before McGonagall has our heads." I grinned at the two red heads as the portrait door flew open.