Under the Willow Tree | Draco Malfoy

chapter 35: i didn't tell you to let go

Draco Malfoy | 5th Year

Draco woke up that morning with one person on his mind and a determination to spend his last Saturday before the holiday break with her. His stomach was pinching and flipping at the thought of going home for the break, but he didn't have the Yule Ball as an excuse this year.

He was stuck.

On that wintry Saturday morning, Draco didn't know where Lorelei was, but he had his suspicions. He knew her spot under the willow tree wouldn't be a viable option that day given the fresh coating of snow that had appeared overnight. So, he thought he would check her other favorite place on the school grounds.

Draco's eyes scanned the area around him as he moved, searching both for signs of danger and for Lorelei, so it was entirely his fault when a first year slipped and fell in their attempt to avoid crashing into him.

The first year was as pale as a sheet when they stared up at Draco from their sprawled place on the ground. Draco would later realize the boy was probably running through numerous scenarios of how the Slytherin bully would harm or humiliate him, but Draco did neither of these things.

He stopped and bent down to yank the small boy to his feet by his armpits. He gave the boy a cold smile before he turned and carried on towards the side corridor that Lorelei loved to study in. He didn't glance back at the first year, so he didn't see the gaping expression on the boy who had been certain he was about to die only minutes ago.

In a manner completely uncharacteristic of Draco, onlookers would say that he had almost a pep in his confident march through the corridors. The only thing that could possibly bring down Draco's excellent mood was if he couldn't find Lorelei soon. He wanted to see her brilliant, toothy grin and the way her eyes glossed over whenever her emotions became too intense. It was always peculiar to Draco when he saw Lorelei talking to Luna about those strange Muggle movies she liked. Whenever she started getting overly excited about it, her eyes glossed over as if she was about to cry, but Draco didn't understand this. Why would one cry if they weren't sad?

Luckily, Draco had another chance to discover the answer to this question since he had found Lorelei snuggled onto her window sill with a book in hand, a long skirt covering her legs, and her bottom lip gently pulled between her teeth.

"Come with me," Draco said after he approached her.

A smile lit up her entire face when he spoke. She hopped down from her window seat, carefully keeping the skirt of her dress pressed against her legs as she moved. Draco found this adorable for some reason. He smugly smiled at Lorelei and tilted his head to the side. She blushed as she packed up her things.

That's how most of their interactions were lately. They didn't speak much throughout the day, but their various smiles and glances spoke volumes. Each time they communicated in this way, Lorelei's stomach fluttered. It always made her feel electrified, as if she had been zapped by lightning or channeling her magic for a difficult spell.

"Where are we going?" Lorelei asked and followed after Draco with shuffled steps and one of her textbooks held close to her chest.

Draco tried not to stare at her too much as they walked. She looked stunningly beautiful today with her blonde hair pinned back in a few random places but falling in delicate waves everywhere else. Her dress was a pale pink, and the color of it matched her cheeks whenever she felt flustered by him. There were glinting earrings hiding beneath her hair, and she wore an odd necklace that appeared to be a cork hanging off a silver chain.

"The others have gone off to Hogsmeade for the day, so I'd like to show you the common room," Draco admitted once he collected himself and stopped staring at Lorelei.