alluringly entwined | f.w, d.m

08

"Astoria, come on."

Oshun's eyes snapped up from her book at the sound of the familiar voice, but he sounded desperate this time.

"Sod off, Draco!" Astoria spat back.

Oshun was in her alcove doing homework, minding her own business. And from the sound of it, Draco and Astoria were outside of the alcove to the left, where Oshun was sitting on the stone bench.

"I didn't do anything with her, I swear!" Draco sounded pleading, but his voice was still low.

"Bullshit!" Astoria's raised voice shook with fury.

"The fucking git is trying to make it look like I did, so you would go with him! How can you not fucking see that?!" he shouted angrily, impatiently.

Oshun felt awkward. If she walked out, she would walk into whatever argument they were in. If she stayed, they would think she was eavesdropping.

Draco and Astoria never dated, but they did fancy each other, and everyone knew that.

Well, they either fancied each other or the pleasure.

It was only a bonus for their parents since they were both Pureblood Slytherins. Astoria was only a year younger, like Ginny and Luna.

"He said he saw you!" Astoria sounded near tears of vexation. "He said he saw you and Bulstrode at Hogsmeade!"

"He's lying, Tori!" Draco's voice was thunderous and echoed down the empty corridor. "Fuck's sake! Why would I go anywhere with Bulstrode?! When have you ever seen me even talk to her?!"

Silence.

"Exactly." He finally quieted down in exasperation. "I did not do anything, Astoria. Not with Bulstrode—not with anyone. Do you believe me?"

"I believe you," she responded in a hushed voice after a second too long. "I believe you."

At this point, Oshun wondered if Draco and Theodore told anyone that she had two options and that those two were Draco himself and Fred Weasley.

No one's spoken about that at all, so perhaps they didn't tell anyone. Hermione and Fred too—maybe they also told no one.

"Are you fucking eavesdropping, Takahashi?"

Oshun blinked out of her quick thoughts and turned her head to see Draco and Astoria standing at the front of the alcove, hand in hand. Astoria seemed in disbelief that Oshun was "eavesdropping."

Oshun shook her head, calm.

She lifted her thigh over the other, her textbook on her lap. She was feeling judged already—something she was beginning to feel a lot more than usual since this year started.

She cursed this fucking law.

Draco's pale eyes burned into hers in a way she couldn't look away. His jaw was clenched and his shoulders were squared. "Come, let's go," he said after a moment, pulling Astoria with him.

Astoria sent Oshun a nasty scowl before she trailed off with Draco.

Oshun hadn't spoken to Draco or Fred since she told them both that she had two options.

Fred didn't know who the second option was and she doubted he knew since there was no word about her choices flying around school.

Neither of them wanted Oshun though. But that was okay. It wasn't like she was actually looking to fall in love with either of them.

So it would just be a normal year, but the only difference was that by the end, she would just choose randomly between them to marry—despite the fact that they did not want her.