NEMESIS || Draco Malfoy

57

The common room was relatively busy— in its normal state on a Saturday evening with typical British weather. There wasn't much else to do other than waste away in my usual spot on the sofa next to Pansy.

My head rested on her shoulder, enjoying the way she played with my hair and hummed to herself quietly.

My eyes slowly darted through the common room simultaneously, not looking at anything in particular as they roamed the different groups of people with little to no interest.

"Do you think Draco is alright?"

My head lifted off of Pansy's shoulder in a heartbeat, taking her in with furrowed brows. Her question seemed odd, so out of nowhere, and my pulse spiked at the sheer mention of his name.

Though, the raven-haired girl kept her eyes in front of her, absentmindedly laying on Theo and Blaise on the opposite sofa. She sighed, leaning further into the cushions, arms crossing in front of her chest as she continued to observe them casually.

"Why wouldn't he be?" A shrug accompanied my words, and to keep myself busy, my fingers played with the hem of my blouse, feet lifting onto the sofa to sit cross-legged.

As far as I knew, Draco Malfoy was doing splendid; busying himself with sending me cursed item after cursed item; rings, books, crystals.

And in return, I had poisoned his food, hexed his wand, and gifted him things just as deadly.

So, while we haven't spoken a word to each other for a while now, there was definitely some form of communication—a deadly one, but, still, one.

The question had her throw a glance my way, eyes narrowing as she tried to read me. It was mere moments after that she turned her attention back onto the pair sat opposite us, and my gaze followed hers this time.

"He's been more reserved recently—" She sighed, then. "Gone for longer." Her voice trailed off as the words left her mouth, and a huff followed them.

My head tilted slightly, her words still ringing in my ears as I scrutinised the empty spot between Theo and Blaise.

"I know."

And I did, because even though we had our fair share of communication, Pansy was right.

That empty spot would be the one he'd usually sit at — way before either of us were tasked with murder; before we made a game out of the other's life, and before we had almost died by the hand of the other one too many times.

The thought almost made me huff in amusement, thinking back to how things used to be, how simple they were.

And how they had definitely complicated since.

"You do?" Pansy's question snapped me out of my thoughts, her voice carrying a tone of confusion with it that made me realise the meaning of my uttered words.

My eyes widened without ever looking at her, body suddenly stiff. I scrunched up my nose as I thought, lips forming a straight line as they pressed together tightly.

"Well," I began, trailing off immediately after to further think about my following words. "You keep bringing it up, don't you?" They almost burst out of me, relieved to have found a way to spin the situation.

As her facial expressions turned into a knowing one, lips quirked as she nodded in agreement, I cursed myself, anyway.

Insult after insult lingered in my mind, and they were all directed at me.

The last thing I needed was for anyone to think I noticed what he was up to; that he barely spent time with his friends anymore, missed meals, missed games, missed drunk get-togethers.

I could barely admit it to myself.

"I guess I just assumed whenever his name falls; you automatically stop listening," Pansy shrugged in amusement, a singular huff following her words. "You said it yourself before." Pointing out the obvious, I sighed at her observation.

"Well—" I began, hesitant when I shouldn't be— resulting in her cutting me off right after.

"Don't tell me you're warming up to having him around, Adreanna." A playful gasp escaped her lips, tutting as she shook her head in a similar manner. "Never thought I'd see the day—"

"I'm not." My head shook vigorously, accusatory finger pointed right at her. "And you're not—" I interrupted myself with an annoyed groan. "— not going to see the day."

Though Pansy just snickered, a laugh slipping past her lips as she diverted her attention onto the sofa opposite us.

"Theo—!" She exclaimed loudly as a few laughs accompanied the shout. "Anna listens when I talk about Draco."

It was as if he hadn't heard a stranger thing in a while, head immediately cocking in our direction, gaze diverting off of Blaise even though he was mid-sentence. His eyes on us now, they darted back and forth between Pansy and me, brows furrowing in confusion at her words.

"No," He said in disbelief, mockery in his voice as he waved the raven-haired girl off. "Bullshit—"

"—No bullshit," Pansy laughed. "She said she noticed that—" She moved to get up, corners of her mouth quirked upwards in excitement as she tried to get over to the two boys. My grip around her wrist quickly stopped her, twirling her back around to face me.

"Pansy," I warned, my tone sharp as her head turned towards me. At the sight, another laugh escaped her lips. "I swear to Salazar himself—" I cut myself off as both her hands shot up in playful surrender.

Eyes flickering back and forth between her and the boys on the other sofa, I nodded in contentment at her stepping down.

Though, as she sat next to me again, she threw Theo and Blaise a knowing grin, gesturing back and forth between them and me with only her eyes as if my reaction said enough about the matter.

Maybe it did, maybe it didn't.

But either way, I wasn't sure what any of it meant; not her knowing grin, not her gesturing back and forth, and not their wide smiles.