Poison Ivy || Draco Malfoy

22 - Merry-Go-Round

I started to find I was living for the classes; and although Draco grumbled about the poses I got him to make for the students, I could tell he didn't mind; not really.

"Guess what?" I said, skipping into the studio one evening before classes. Draco was already there and waiting.

"What?" he grumbled. Despite the grumpiness to his voice, his silver eyes appeared to dance as he watched me approach him across the room.

"I thought we could take the class to the fairground down the road tonight," I said, excitedly thrusting the leaflet I'd just procured in front of his disgruntled face.

"And why would we do that, exactly?" He drawled, eyeing the leaflet disdainfully. "Parkinson, if you wanted an excuse to go ride on the Big Dipper, then you know I'd happily accompany you without those idiots tagging along."

"I'm not looking for a ride," I said, ignoring Draco's instant snort. "I thought we could paint you: The Lonely Boy on the Ferris Wheel. Catchy, don't you think?"

Draco opened his mouth to speak, but before he could respond, the door banged open.

"Did someone say something about a fairground?"

Both Draco and I looked up to see a familiar face enter the studio.

"Blaise!" I cried, racing across the room to fling my arms around him. "You're back - again!"

"Why the fuck do I never get a greeting like that?" Draco roared as Blaise and I hugged with gusto.

"Maybe because I don't act like a grumpy sullen git unlike some people I know," Blaise chuckled amusedly, breaking away from me to go and greet his old friend with a slap on the back and a fierce handshake. "Good to see you man, I hope you're not giving our poor Ivy too much grief."

"I'm trying to convince him to let me paint him on the Ferris Wheel." I explained. "But he's not very enthusiastic about it."

"Aw come on, man," Blaise cried, "Don't be a spoilsport, let the girl paint you at the fair."

"You, I don't mind." Draco said, looking at me. "I'd let you paint me anywhere, Parkinson. However, a whole class of them gawping at me looking like some loser in a fairground, I do mind."

"I thought you enjoyed being gawped at?" I frowned, before turning to Blaise conspiratorially. "The whole class is full of Draco's fangirls. They literally swoon whenever he rolls up his sleeves. Honestly, without him, I'd have no class to teach at all."

As soon as I said this last part, I felt the familiar gut wrenching twist in my stomach I always got whenever I was reminded that Draco would soon have to be out of my life for good.

"Well, maybe they'd go for a bit of the Blaise Man, instead?" Blaise enquired thoughtfully. "Perhaps I could pose on the merry-go-round? I've always fancied going on one of them horses that go up and down. Man, the Muggles know how to live."

"Well, now this is the kind of enthusiasm I like," I said pointedly to Draco. "Perhaps you can take a leaf out of Blaise's book."

"He's not doing it twelve hours a bloody week though, is he?!" Draco snapped irritably, glaring his eyes in Blaise's direction.

"Oh, hush," I said, my lips tugging into a smile as I playfully smacked his arm. "You're doing a wonderful job, and you know it."

Draco looked down at me, his scowl faltering and his lips twitching up at the corners despite his best attempts to remain fierce with me.

I loved it when I could make him smile. I knew he was never really cross with me, because I could see it in his eyes. It had been three weeks since our 'lunch date', and ever since then, he would look at me with such a soft tenderness; even when he was scowling and acting grouchy about something.