you're all i want | t.n, d.m

29

CELESTE - November 2004

Midnight.

The clock will strike midnight in three hours.

Head spinning, ears buzzing, I feel like my throat keeps tightening as I try to swallow the lump in it. My heart keeps thumping as though it doesn't know how to slow its pace anymore.

"Celeste?"

Draco's muffled voice is followed by faint knocks on the door of my room.

I don't respond and keep my gaze settled on the starry sky. I try to count the constellations, thinking it might help me calm my beating heart.

"I know you're in here," He says before twisting the doorknob.

When a hot tear rolls down on my cheek, I finally understand that I have been crying all alone. My chest tightens around my lungs, around my heart each time I try to take a deep breath.

"Oh, Cel." His voice is soft, delicate. Just like his touch when he places his hand upon my arm to let me know he's by my side. "What's going on?"

My blurry vision meets his eyes filled with confusion and sorrow.

"What did he say to you?" He asks again, referring to Theo.

I inhale sharply, a shaky breath evaporating from my mouth as I let Draco sit across from me on the windowsill.

He furrows his brows, making a crease appear in between them. Gently, he brings his hand up to my face to wipe a tear away with the help of his thumb.

"Talk to me." He whispers, "Or I can go and get Dean. Maybe Atlas? But please, talk to someone."

"He—" I sigh heavily, trying to gather my thoughts together, "Theo is leaving again."

Draco's blue eyes flicker between mine as he tries to process my statement. "What?"

I shake my head, "He wants me to leave Cassius. He's giving me until midnight to make up my mind." I drop my head against the window, my lower lip quivering as I try to maintain eye-contact with Draco, "If I choose Cass, Theo's leaving."

Silence fills the room.

"You're considering joining Theo."

Not a question, just a simple statement. An affirmation.

"I'm not," I quickly say. My heart starts palpitating inside my chest.

"Cel," Draco emits a small scoff, leaning his head against the wall behind him, "What do you want?"

I shrug. I sigh. I let my thoughts invade my clouded mind.

"Listen," Draco rubs my knee with his hand, "I don't know why Theo left the first time, but he's determined to have you back. I don't want to let him, because I hate him for hurting you."

Even during all this time when Draco was there to comfort me, when he let me use his shoulder to cry on, I never had the guts to tell him about the curse that hit me.

But now, I know he's looking for answers. He wants to know why Theo left. He wants to know why I hid in my room for days, refusing to let him come in whilst I was drained of all my energy.

So I grab his hand. Cold but familiar and comforting.

His gaze is filled with worrisome when the pad of my thumb brushes over the delicate skin of his hand.

"There's something you should know."

***
OCTOBER 1999