𝐴𝑅𝑅𝐴𝑁𝐺𝐸𝐷 | 𝐷𝑀

~ F O R T Y ~

Flowers. Dozens and dozens of flowers scattered around the Tower's floor. Lilies, daisies, poppies, tulips, orchids. And in the center of it all, a single red rose.

There was a path for her to walk along so that she didn't step on the flowers. She began to walk down the path, which would eventually lead her to the silhouette of a person. "So you took a nap?"

"If you tell me not to do something, it makes me want to do it even more, so it's really your fault, Malfoy. Anyways, what's all this?" She asked.

"Flowers," he replied, keeping his back facing her so that she could not see the nervous wreck he was, and his hands gripping on the railing that faced the outskirts of Hogwarts.

"I thought you weren't fond of them," Lilith walked closer to Draco, looking down at the flowers and slightly lowering her arms to graze them with her fingers.

"Yes, well, someone made me see them differently."

"I wonder who that was." When Lilith reached the middle of the path, she bent down and grabbed the rose. "What's the occasion?"

"The occasion is," he finally turned to face her, "I'm going to answer every single one of the questions you have."

"About?" She stood up and caressed the petals of the rose.

"Jones," Draco made his way over to her, the platinum strands of his hair falling over his forehead as he continued to run his hand through his hair. He placed his finger under her chin and tilted her head upwards to face him, "I know you have—maybe not a lot, but some questions you want to ask me. About my journal, about how I feel, about... us."

As Lilith looked into Draco's grey hues, she finally took the opportunity to take in his appearance. He was wearing black dress pants with a white collared shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. She noticed that were small drops of sweat falling down his face as the first two buttons of his shirt were undone and his suit jacket was not on his body. She recognized the familiar scent of cologne and mint emitting from him as he took one step closer. The shade of his lips had become a darker shade of pink, and Lilith guessed he must have been biting them before she arrived.

"And you want to tell me?"

"I feel like I'm ready. So," he grabbed one of the hands that wasn't holding the rose and walked her over to the side of the Tower he was just facing. He whispered a spell and soon a black satin couch appeared behind them, "Ask away."

Draco made his way around the couch with her hand still in his. He took a seat and gestured for her to do the same. As she took a seat and placed the rose beside her, Draco moved his body so that they were touching. "I don't know where to start."

"Wherever you want to. I'm an open book right now."

"Your journal. I want to start there." Draco looked at Lilith and nodded, "Fourth year. That was your journal from fourth year. So, for four years you've liked me, let's say, and you never said anything. Why?"

"I didn't have a reason to tell you at all. If I would've had the smallest clue that you felt the same, trust me, I would've done something," he wrapped his arm over Lilith's shoulder.

"And you didn't think I felt the same."

"Well, did you?" He turned to look at her, shifting his body to give her his attention.

Lilith didn't look at him, instead avoiding his stare to not make things uncomfortable, "No." She felt Draco's fingers flinch on her shoulder as he cleared his throat. She saw, from the corner of her eyes, his brows furrow in embarrassment and then look away, "Not until sixth year."