joelle | d.m

40 | never hugged

February, 1995.

Draco wished more than anything he could be with Joey right now.

He understood that it was a little pathetic for him to feel so empty without her and feel like he couldn't live in the moment without her, but it was the truth.

He'd grown so attached to her that his body ached for her every time she even left his sight. He supposed it was a comfort thing.

He was still unsure if this was a normal feeling because it felt surreal to him. He'd never been like this with a girl before. They didn't even have sex and he would still kiss the ground she walked on.

It scared him at first, but instead of letting that fear control him, he simply let it go. What he had with her was too good to let it get ruined by fear. Better to embrace it and enjoy it in the moment.

He was acting as though she were on another planet, but she really was just at work. It was a Saturday and she'd taken a double-shift, so she'd be working until nine. He had seen her before work, but that felt ages ago even though it was only thirty minutes ago.

Draco found that whenever Joey wasn't physically with him, some ladies thought it was an invitation to flirt with him. It wasn't anything he wasn't used to, but he found that girl code did not exist in this world.

Everyone knew he was dating Joey, but girls flirted with him and asked him out anyway. He rejected them, obviously. He paid them no mind because his mind was always occupied with Joey.

He was also making notes for her on the lessons she was missing, so it would be easier for her to catch up. He'd help her of course. He'd do anything with and for her.

So now, wallowing alone, he was finishing up the notes on the last lesson in Potions for her in his dorm. He had no plans for the day because everything bored him.

Joey didn't bore him. He wanted to be with her every second of the day. He never thought he'd fall this hard for her. Actually, he never thought he'd fall for her in general.

But something about her just struck the core of his heart, sunk its hooks into it, and reeled him in. It felt like he was permanently marked by her and would forever be besotted with her. He didn't mind that.

When Draco completed the notes, he stared at the wall his desk was pushed up against. He was unsure of what to do with himself now. Now, he could go find his mates and kill some time with them, but never really knew what to say to them—Theodore and Blaise to be specific.

The both of them only ever really focused on the challenge, though Draco didn't like talking about the challenge because he didn't like the talk of the situation. This caused a little rift in their friendship.

They'd been his friends since he could remember, so he didn't want to cut them off. Sure, Theodore and Blaise were assholes sometimes. But still. They were his friends.

At last, Draco planned on asking his two friends if they wanted to go for a butterbeer. He wanted to try to reconnect with them and mingle, talking about things other than the challenge.

He got up from his desk and grabbed his wand before leaving his dorm. He'd thought he would have to search for them, but he was surprised to see them lounging on the couches in the common room.

"Do you guys wanna grab a butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks?" Draco asked casually once he approached him.

"Sure," Theodore answered as he dragged his fingers through his messy curls, lying on the couch sluggishly. "We were actually going to ask you that too."

"Yeah, it's been a bit since we all just hung out," Blaise added, hauling himself up into a sitting position.

"Sorry. I've just been caught up with Honrada." Draco really didn't want to talk about her with them, but he needed to give some sort of explanation.