𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 |𝐃.𝐌

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄 | 𝐛 𝐫 𝐨 𝐰 𝐧 𝐬 𝐭 𝐚 𝐢 𝐧 𝐬

"𝐇𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝟏𝟔𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐞."
- 'I think he knows' by Taylor Swift

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HEMERA

The seconds of peace I promised myself turned into a thirty-three-minute nap, out of which I am now pulled by the sound of the compartment door opening. Slowly squinting my eyes and allowing them to adjust to the brightness of the still-moving train, I shake my head softly and lift it from Draco's shoulder. Looking up at him through the eyelashes of my still-heavy lids, I meet his blue gaze almost instantly.

"I want seven Toffees and a Milk Chocolate Honeycomb, please," Pansy says to the middle-aged lady standing outside of the compartment, her hands holding onto the treat-loaded trolley. The smile on her pale face is everlasting as she nods her head in confirmation and hands Pansy her sweets.

Theo eyes the packages flooding her lap and lifts a brow. His gaze flickers between Pansy's face and the playfully colorful wrappers, as though he's trying to solve an equation with no result. "There's no fucking way that stomach of yours can fit all these things."

"Try me." Is all she says, before unwrapping one of her Toffees and taking a slow bite. Seemingly unable to suppress her satisfaction, she hums dreamily, her dark eyelashes fluttering as her eyes fall shut.

"Anything else from the trolley, dears?"

I cast a quick glance around to see if anyone is interested in buying something. I'm ready to shake my head and kindly dismiss her when Draco shifts beside me. "I want hot chocolate." His tone is clipped, almost sharp yet I refrain from acknowledging it as rude.

"Of course." The woman pours the brown beverage from the jug into a white paper cup, hot steam curling in the air as she hands it to Draco.

My best friend turns to me, "Want one?"

The shake of my head is short-lived. "No, I'm good," I mutter, yet as the lady carefully closes the door and rolls the trolley away, the cocoa-like smell of Draco's drink sparks a flame of regret deep inside.

I try not to show how much I want to break this door and chase after the woman as the next minute rolls by— solemnly in the hopes of getting a cup for myself. Watching the torturously slow sips he takes makes it harder for me to pull my focus away.

His eyes meet mine, and I don't even notice that his head has turned to face me until he blinks, a half-smile tipping the corners of his mouth. Perhaps, I was too busy eyeing the hot chocolate, which is definitely not a crime and something I won't blame myself for. And given how that smug look on his face keeps taking form, I can only guess he considers himself lucky for still holding onto it. Once my I-need-sugar-in-my-system instinct kicks in, he and his ridiculously tempting beverage won't stand a chance against my urge to chug it all down in one throat-slitting, lung-emptying, stomach-filling gulp.

I don't even know why I said no in the first place.

I can already feel the sweet taste of it coating my tongue, satisfying those inner cravings that have nothing to do with me being hungry.

"I can see you eyeing my cup." Draco teases, taking a long sip and blowing out a sigh of pure fulfillment after swallowing. My hand itches to collide with his cheek in the hopes of slapping that look off his face, but I start fumbling with the hem of my skirt to stop myself from acting this scenario out. "I thought you didn't want one for yourself, though I know you wish you could taste it right now. Just to put an end to your misery, it's exceedingly sweet."