Delicate

just like heaven

Delia woke the next day in a much better mood than she usually had; and unfortunately for her, her friends noticed. Blaise was the first to say something at breakfast.
"Deely, dear, you're in a good mood. What have you done to someone?"
"I haven't done anything to anyone, Blaisey. I'm allowed to be in a good mood." She rolled her eyes trying to seem aloof to avoid questions. He shook his head at her.
"See, I don't believe you. You're never in a good mood. I happen to believe somebody's kissed a certain slytherin boy."
Delia lost her composure and smacked Pansy's arm.
"You told him!"
Pansy laughed.
"If I didn't tell him, he'd never know."
"That's the point. I don't like for people to know my business, Pans."
"Oh come off it, it's only Blaise. Your best friend?"
Delia huffed.
"Fine, but I would have told him. Eventually."
Draco wished he hadn't been passing by his former group of friends at that time; he couldn't believe what he'd overheard. His Delia had kissed Nott. He knew he had no claim to her and not right to be angry about it considering his own time with Daphne, but he couldn't help it. She was his best friend once upon a time and now he didn't even know what was happening in her life. He ran a hand through his perfectly gelled hair and sighed as he made his way to class. His sigh almost got deeper as he approached the door, but he forced a smile at Daphne when he saw her waiting for him.
"Hey, Draco. I missed you at breakfast." She pouted her lips at him; he almost scoffed at the gesture. How immature.
"Yeah sorry, Daph, I slept in a little later than I meant to." He wasn't lying he had slept in later, but only because he'd been awake all night after Delia had yelled at him.
"Are you feeling ill, dear?" Draco hated when she called him that, but he couldn't tell her why so he endured it.
"No, no," he assured her, "just didn't sleep well."
She smiled at him and grabbed his hand so they could walk in together.
Delia usually noticed their hand holding display, but she didn't today. She was, for once, too happy to care much what Malfoy was doing. Pansy had gladly elected to sit with Blaise behind Delia in Theodore's usual seat; Delia had started to put up a fight but didn't really have the heart to; she was glad to be able to speak to him again.
"I guess I get the privilege to sit with you today, miss Lightwood."
"It would seem so, mister Nott."
"Would this happen to be your idea or your very smiley friends'?" Delia snorted.
"What do you think?" He smiled at her and shook his head.
"Your friends then?"
"Obviously." She grinned at him. "Wanna see something good?"
"I'm not sure I'd like to know your idea of good, Delia."
"Oh very funny, but watch you'll get a right laugh."
She saw Granger about to take her seat and promptly sent her a note. It contained a rather detailed drawing of the gryffindor girl with one very noticeable difference. Delia had drawn her teeth much, much bigger than they were and named her artwork Gremlin Granger. She'd shown her work to Theodore and he had a good chuckle, but it didn't compare to his laugh when Granger opened it. Delia giggled too; her face was priceless and her "glare" was rather funny as well.
"Alright, Lightwood, I'll give you that one. It was rather good."
"Told you it would be." She stuck her chin up in the air as she said this with a haughty expression on her face. He chuckled at her and grabbed her hand as class started.
Draco left Daphne behind when class ended. He'd seen the way she was with Nott at the beginning of class; she used to be that way with him. Sending gifts to the people below them and laughing with Blaise and Pansy was their thing, and she had the nerve to share it with him. He had to get out of there fast and he almost did it fast enough to miss the hurt look on his girlfriend's face. He couldn't explain why it made him so angry to see her with him; he was supposed to be letting her go, but he couldn't just forget about her and he hated himself for it. He tried to avoid everyone for the rest of the day, but Daphne caught up to him later that evening in the library.
"Draco," her dark brown hair was braided for bed already and her face was stern," I need to speak with you." He only nodded at her and waited for her to continue.
"You don't want to be with me, and, truthfully, I'm not sure why you are. It's obvious you'd rather be with her." She curled her lip as she emphasized the last word.
"Daph, what are you talking about? There's no one else I'd rather be with."
She beckoned for him to follow her and he did. They were making their way back to the common room.
"Don't lie to me. I can see that you love her; honestly, everyone can."
"I don't even know who you're talking about!"
"Merlin's sake, Draco, Delia! You're in love with her and I knew it to begin with and I was stupid to think you'd stop!"
"You're insane! I am not in love with Delia. She was my friend and now she's not. Nothing more."
"Then you haven't realized it yet. All you ever do is stare at her and forget I exist when she enters a room. Do you know how that makes me feel?" She had started crying now and Draco wasn't sure if he should try to comfort her. "It's getting ridiculous, Draco, really. But I feel sorry for you because she doesn't look at you anymore. She used to, and I wanted to kill her for it, but not anymore. She's made her peace with you leaving her, don't think I didn't notice that by the way, but you can't and it's your own fault. She probably would've loved you back."
They had made it back to the common room now, and he was hoping Delia wasn't downstairs to hear all this when he opened the door.
"I don't love her like you're saying. Of course I care for her; we were friends for ages. I really don't know why you're yelling at me about her."
Daphne huffed and pushed the door open, and to Draco's dismay, Delia was on her sofa with Nott. He was about to ask Daphne to continue this somewhere else but he saw her grin and tried to grab her instead. He was too late. Her braids moved on her head as he watched her march over to the red head.
"I'm not moving Greengrass; you know very well this is my seat." Delia was frowning.
"No that's not what this is. I just thought you'd like to know Draco here is in love with you."
Delia spared him a glance and then she laughed in Daphne's face.
"Doll, as flattering as your jealousy is, your boyfriend is not in love with me. He's not even my friend anymore."
"He's not my boyfriend anymore."
"Good for you, Greengrass, put him in his place. Now if you don't mind, I do have a boyfriend, and we're having a conversation here." The brunette simply nodded at her and turned on her heel to leave. Draco was frozen to his spot. His girlfriend had just broken up with him and made him think about how he'd treated his friend. She made him think about how he may have felt about her, and he realized she may have been right and he was too late. She had a boyfriend. He was snapped out of his stupid by a throat clearing; he looked up at the green eyes piercing him.
"You did a number on her then, huh Draco? Shame really. Your father would've loved her."
"Think your mother's going to love him?" He snapped at her. He saw her eyes go dark; he knew that was a soft spot.
"You know what, Malfoy," she spit his name out. "I was trying to be nice to you on account of our years of friendship, that you ended might I add, but you don't know how to quit when you're ahead. You'd think after all the things you've done to me, that you'd be a bit nicer speaking to me. Now get out." The blond boy didn't move for a second and decided since he had no chance anyway, he may as well go all in.
"This is everyone's space,Lightwood. Maybe you should get out."
"I don't care if it is. We're using it so leave." He was making her angry, and as much as he didn't like it, he was glad to have her attention so he didn't have to see her with Nott.
"No thanks. I think I'll stay." He sat down across from them to really get under her skin. She almost leapt out of her seat to throttle him, but Theodore touched her hand. Draco watched her visibly calm down when he touched her, and he had to start again.
"Really, darling," he drawled sarcastically, "what do you think Vivian will think of you with a boy now? Especially one that will make you weak." The fire lit inside her again, he was too focused on the light in her eyes that he missed when she whipped her wand from her pocket. He felt the electric shock though.
"Damn it, Delia! Grow up."
"You first, Malfoy! Don't speak on things you know nothing about. I am not weak."
"One touch from him and you are."
Delia was fuming and was doing her best not to murder him right there; he was right though. Theodore only had to touch her and she was calmer; she worried her mother might see that as weakness, but she didn't feel weak around him. She felt calmer, more stable; that wasn't weakness she decided. Theodore grabbed her hand and leaned over to her.
"He's not worth it, my darling." She put her head on his shoulder and placed a small kiss on it.
"I know he's not; I'm sorry our evening was interrupted, dear."
"It's alright; you go on to bed. I'm sure Pansy's upstairs waiting for you." He kissed her hair and she smiled at him before departing. She didn't look Draco's way again. Theodore sighed.
"Draco, is there a reason you wouldn't just leave when she asked? If you really loved her, wouldn't you want her to be happy?"
Draco glared at him; he knew Nott was right and he should want her to be happy, but he missed when he was in on her happiness.
"I'm not in love with her. I don't know why everyone keeps saying that."
"It's obvious to everyone but the two of you. Truthfully, Draco, I didn't think she'd give me the time of day because of you. She's much more guarded with her feelings, but she was always lighter when she was with you. She loves you too, and I'm sure she always will."
"If you're so sure that your girlfriend is in love with me why is she your girlfriend?"
"I'm sure you know this already, but Delia Lightwood is otherworldly." Draco scoffed; of course, all Nott would care about was her looks.
"I didn't get to finish. She's beautiful, obviously I'm not blind, but it's not just that. She's bright and warm and so inviting and she could burn me alive if she wanted and I'd enjoy it. Any amount of time I could spend with her would be enough; I'm sure she'll realize one day she loves you and I'll take it gracefully, but between us, I hope she doesn't." Draco wasn't sure what to say to all that, but he came up with something.
"Well, she's not in love with me and even if she was, I'm not in love with her. I think you're in the clear." Theodore just gave him a small smile.
"Whatever you say, Malfoy."