NEMESIS || Draco Malfoy

31

"Morning," I mumbled, a yawn rattling through my chest as both Pansy and Theo shot me a bewildered look. I raised my brows at the girl, a questioning gesture to silently ask whether we had moved past our argument or if we needed a few more days.

She nodded, and I gave a singular courtesy nod back.

My eyes roaming the table, my nose scrunched up as I noticed the usual, rather kind fifth year not occupying the spot next to me like they usually did. Instead, finding Malfoy there, one leg on either side of the bench as he leisurely occupied it— body facing my own seat while his head was turned towards Blaise opposite him.

My eyes darted through the room in confusion, finding his usual seat next to Blaise still free. Despite it, I sat next to him without so much as a glance his way, my attention on the Sunday Roast decking the table.

"It's past twelve, Adreanna. Nothing about that is morning," Theo mentioned, amusement lacing his voice, and Pansy nodded in agreement.

Simply shrugging, my head fell into my hands with a low groan.

"Long night," I tried to explain, a knowing smile finding its way onto both of their faces, the sight making me roll my eyes in light amusement. Their gaze falling onto something behind me; I didn't have to turn around to know it was Kai. But I did anyway.

I sent him a small smile he reciprocated— adding a wink as he sat with his friends.

"Long night," Theo repeated, a teasing tone in his voice. "Of course it was."

A singular laugh escaped my mouth, wandering eyes getting stuck on the blond boy next to me, whose attention was no longer on Blaise either, but rather on something behind me as well.

My gaze followed his, though instead of finding it lingering on Kai, he looked right past the Ravenclaw table as his eyes connected with Potter's, the latter sporting a glare just as vicious as Malfoy's was.

With the shake of my head, and a humoured snort, I turned back around fully, and Malfoy's head snapped in my direction at the sound.

"Something funny, Hayes?" He asked, indifference lacing his voice as he pushed the potatoes closer to me; a brow quirked as our eyes connected. My own fell down his figure, noticing his legs still on either side of the bench, his black suit well-fitted and his pale fingers ringed.

Eyes batting open, I gave him a smile as innocent as I could fake it. "Absolutely nothing," I shrugged, watching him shake his head before resting it back in his hand with a huff.

Shovelling a heap of roast potatoes onto my plate, he let out an amused "Good," which made me drop the spoon and place the bowl back onto the table.

"What?" I asked, and a small smirk grew on his lips.

"I said—" He moved up the bench, his knee touching my thigh and his hand discreetly placing itself on top of it. "—Good." I could feel the cold metal of his rings through my thin tights, a shiver running up my body as we held eye contact. I quirked a brow, pretending my body wasn't reacting to his touch the way it did.

I knew what he was trying to do; I remembered the conversation we had mere 24 hours ago, and I knew this — constant teasing — would be the result of it. I knew all that before the words even left my mouth that day.

I chose to ignore it.

"Is it?" I questioned, voice low and glancing over to Pansy and Theo opposite us.

Their attention was no longer on Kai or me but instead on Blaise as he told them the same story he had just told Malfoy.

The blond hummed in agreement, squeezing my thigh in return as the smirk on his face deepened. His face closed in on me, and I swallowed thickly when his breath tickled my ear.

"He's watching us."

His words made me furrow my brows, an expression that urged him to explain further on my face as he brought distance between us again. "Potter," He clarified, nodding in the brunette's direction.

My eyes followed his subtle notion, and they indeed fell on Potter, eyes glued to the Slytherin table. Noticing my attention on him, he quickly diverted his gaze.

"And why would he do that?"

Leaning closer to my ear once more, the scent of mint and apples lingering in the air around him having become familiar by now, he whispered, "My guess is he noticed we both weren't in Hogsmeade yesterday. 'Probably making up his own theories as we speak— that little psychopath."

A scoff escaped his lips, and my brows raised in realisation.

"Interesting," I muttered, eyes darting over to Potter once more, watching him closely huddled together with Granger and Weasley, having an animated conversation. "Why are you telling me this?" My head snapped back towards Malfoy. "You'd be better off if I didn't know this, wouldn't you be?"

A thick silence lingered in the air between us, his hand still on my thigh as he squeezed it a little tighter before letting go of me completely. Retracting his hand to tap his fingers against the wooden table, his head cocked to the side.

"Perhaps," He admitted, a shake of his head making a few strands of white hair fall into his face. "But I'm not particularly fond of getting thrown into Azkaban by association once he figures out what you're doing."

His nose scrunched up at his own words, almost like he didn't quite believe them himself. Still, as his eyes connected with mine again, they were filled with conviction.

"Right." I dragged out the word, eying him suspiciously before diverting my attention onto my filled plate.

"I think the words you're looking for are 'Thank you," He muttered, grey eyes rolling with a scoff.

"I'm good." I flashed him a smile, waving my fork in the air to make a point out of my words before burying it in the roast dinner before me.

"Well, you're bloody ungrateful, aren't you?"

"Maybe you just haven't done enough to earn yourself my gratitude, Malfoy." 

A/N: Oop, I'm back SORRY GUYS I've been super busy but I hope my updates are going to be more frequent now <3

Love you and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. :)