after dusk - draco malfoy

ix. | nine

WHILE I HAD BEEN IN THE library, Sirius Black had apparently tried to get into the Gryffindor Common Room. So for a few nights, we all had to sleep in the Great Hall, which wasn't at all warm or comfortable in the slightest. The only calming thing about sleeping in the Great Hall was the ceiling. I was able to look up at the stars as I slowly drifted off into a deep sleep.

For the next Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson, a couple of weeks later, I had agreed to sit next to Draco, to help him with his work if he needed. Although Professor Lupin wouldn't have minded helping him out that little bit extra if he needed, Draco said he would prefer it if I helped him because he understood my ways of explaining better.

We both participated in small talk when we had arrived at the lesson. He still had his arm bandaged up but by then, it should've healed. Another way of getting the attention he wants I simply told myself, multiple times, trying my hardest not to draw any attention to it.

While I had expected Professor Lupin to arrive in the lesson I enjoyed so much, it had actually been Professor Snape as Lupin had fallen ill. He decided to get us to work on Werewolves, something much later on in the syllabus and something we shouldn't be working on yet. He set us all a 5 side of parchment essay on Werewolves and a lot of the class had refused to do it, considering he isn't actually our teacher and we hadn't been learning Werewolves.

That weekend, Slytherin was meant to be playing Gryffindor but with Draco being a seeker and still having his 'injury', Flint was 'forced' to pull out of the match. It seemed rather convenient that were to happen as there was a very bad storm that day.

I had decided to stay in the Common Room, as I had been feeling a bit under the weather, myself. I had thought perhaps there had been a bug going around the school, considering Lupin had fallen ill earlier in the week.

I decided to stay curled up on the scarlet leather couch in front of the fire, keeping myself cosy and warm. I had almost drifted off to sleep when the portrait door had opened to the Common Room, with a look of defeat on their faces. It was obvious we had lost the match.

Seamus and Dean made their way over to me, worry plastered on their faces. "Fred and George told us to come and get you," Seamus began, grabbing me by the arm and pulling me up. "It's Harry, he had a nasty run-in with another dementor and he fell off his broom."

We arrived at the hospital wing and the bed was already surrounded by friends and teammates. Ron was carrying what looked like a broken broom and I worked out for myself that Harry's broomstick had broken.

I walked up to the bed and stood in the middle of Fred and George, almost watching over Harry. The two boys updated me on what had happened and none of it sounded very pleasant. Ron placed the broken broom on the bed beside Harry and turned to his brothers. "He looks a bit peaky, doesn't he?" he pointed out, as though none of us had noticed.

"Peaky?" George repeated, quite shocked he would've mentioned that. George turned to Fred, shaking his head before saying, "What do you expect? He fell over a hundred feet." George was still shaking his head before hitting the back of Ron's.

Fred turned to me and a smile played on his lips. "Come on Tasmin, let's walk Ron up to the astronomy tower and we'll see what he looks like," Fred added on, trying to clear the stressed tension in the room.

"Probably a damn sight better than he normally does," Harry managed to croak out, finally waking up. Everyone around us smiled, happy he was okay. Ron picked up the broken broom again, getting ready to break the news.

Harry shifted on the bed, trying to sit up. I poured him a glass of water, imagining he was pretty dehydrated. Without hesitation, he took the glass and began drinking it until the glass was empty. I poured another glass before turning to him. "How are you feeling?" I asked him, everyone around me silent.

Harry took the glass of water, shifting the pillows behind him. "I'm brilliant," he replied to me. I couldn't tell whether he was being sarcastic to lighten the mood or because he was getting a little annoyed.

George made his way to the side of Harry, practically towering over him. "You gave us a right scare there, mate," he admitted, sitting in the chair beside the bed.

Harry scratched his head, reaching for the jug of water but I took the glass from his hand to do it myself. "What happened?" He questioned everyone as I filled the glass.

Ron took a slight step forward, a little concerned. He sat on the end of the hospital bed. "Well, you fell off your broom," he began, warily.

Harry raised his brows and Ron and shook his head. "Really?" He asked him, sarcastically. "I meant the match," he added on, turning to Fred and George. "Who won?"

The two twins shifted their weight under their feet and Hermione decided to step in. She stood up from the bed, moving her hair from her face. "Uh, no one blames you, Harry," she started, Harry immediately knowing they had lost. I had been told by George that Gryffindor hadn't lost a match since Harry became seeker so I could understand it would be hard to hear they lost. "The dementors aren't supposed to come inside the grounds. Dumbledore was furious. As soon as he saved you, he sent them straight off."

Ron stood up again, moving a few steps closer to Harry. "There's - uh -," he faltered, knowing Harry would be upset about his broomstick. "Something else you should know, too, Harry. When you fell, your broom, it sort of blew into the Whomping Willow and..." he trailed off, unwrapping the cloth around the broken broom.

As we all started to leave the hospital wing, I saw Draco across the hallway, almost lurking. I told everyone else I would meet them back in the Common Room and headed in the opposite direction to them, over towards Draco. I stopped only a mere footstep away from him and a smirk played on his face, his bandage now nowhere to be seen. "Yes?" I questioned, raising a brow at him.

He shifted his weight from one leg to another, crossing his arms over his chest. "I know you said no to doing work in Hogsmede," Draco began, confidence lacing his words as he spoke. "So I was wondering if you wanted to grab a Butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks, anyway?"

I paused for a moment in thought, wondering whether it was a good idea or not. He must've read the uncertainty in my facial expression. "Next Sunday?" He proposed, organising it himself, as though I had agreed. "Meet you at Honeydukes at 1?"

I raised a brow at him before sighing in defeat. "One Butterbeer," I finally gave in, holding up my forefinger. "And if you decide to ask me for another favour when we get there, then you can pay for my Butterbeer," I compromised with him, to which he nodded his head.

He began to turn on his heel before stopping to ruffle my hair, which I did not appreciate in the slightest. He could obviously tell my disapproval as he started to laugh to himself. This time, it was different. It wasn't his cocky laugh or his mean laugh. It was a peal of soft yet sincere laughter.

No one would ever know this, but I had hoped I would get to hear that laugh many more times in the future. Little did I know, I would see that side of Draco Malfoy again. Little did I know, I would fall in love with that side of Draco Malfoy - and it would happen when I would least expect it.