Hidden | Draco Malfoy, 18+

30

Her eyes fell across him, traveling abroad every detail his face carried, every detail she'd memorized as they walked towards each other.

All the way from his sterling eyes, the dark penetrating irises, to the tick layers of inky lashes trapping it all in.

His skin was still as ashen as it always had been. His nose was straight, pointy. His jaws were sharp, gritted. Two strands of stray hair fell from his hairline. The rest was tied up in a sloppy bun.

He never cut his hair.

She told him not to, and he didn't.

His chest was firmly hugged by the black suit he was wearing, his shoulders tensed, strained.

He didn't even blink. He couldn't spare a second where he didn't look at her. He didn't breathe. He didn't know how to anymore. It looked to her as if he was holding his breath.

Someone was calling for him from the stage. He didn't care. He shut it out. He couldn't hear it. Didn't want to hear it.

Draco kept walking towards her. People moved out of his way. Navy stopped. She didn't move. Didn't know how to.

Because there he was, marching towards her.

All eyes in that ballroom slaved after him, staring as he made his way to her.

Draco stopped too, inches away from her. People backed up, holding in half a circle around them, quiet. It was so quiet. Even the orchestra had hushed. Not a sound mirrored in that mansion. His mansion.

He was there.

She couldn't think.

Draco swallowed hard, his lips parting to speak, but he didn't know how to.

Two and a half years.

It had been exactly two and a half years since he last saw her.

After Draco left her, his family fled overseas, and they didn't look back. He couldn't look back. He'd run directly to her if he did. He couldn't afford it. He couldn't risk her. He didn't want to risk her. He had made a promise to protect her.

That she'd be safe.

Navy blinked. Her lashes battled the threatening tears. She wanted to cry, but not a drop fell from her broad eyes.

Towering her, he stared down at the girl he'd lost. The girl he once loved. The girl he promised the world to. The girl he left behind.

A silent gasp fled her numb lips as she saw how Draco was slowly, unconsciously reaching a hand towards her. It felt like he needed to touch her, to make sure she was real, that this wasn't a wicked joke, a nightmare.

''There you are—''

He withdrew, quicker than lightning. Draco stepped back, his eyes snapping to the hand slithering around her waist.

Asher.

''I was looking all over for you,'' Asher mumbled close to her ear, two glasses of champagne in his other hand, ''And I couldn't— Malfoy?''

Asher looked up at the blond that had his eyes glued on the fingers gripping Navy by the waist, ''You good there, mate?''

Draco swallowed, so hard that it pained his throat, still with his sight bored at his touch on her waist, ''Dalton,'' He greeted, so coldly that it shook Navy before his eyes finally found Asher's, ''This is the girl?''

Navy stared down at the floor, wishing for it to swallow her whole. Her skin drained of all its color. Her knees weakening.

''Yeah,'' Asher said proudly. His hand tightened around her waist, digging into the silky material, ''I was going to introduce you, later on, didn't want to ruin the big day.''