Poison Ivy || Draco Malfoy

24 - The Kiss

I went back to the flat. I had to. I didn't know what else to do.

Panic filled me to the very core; Draco knew. He had actually seen it happen in my mind and I didn't know how I could look him in the face ever again.

I felt so humiliated and angry. I couldn't stop crying.

"Ivy, darling, there you are," Percy said as he hurried out of the kitchen to greet me. "I was so worried when you didn't come back. Are you okay? You look terrible."

"I- I was feeling sick," I said, not untruthfully. "I needed to get some air."

Percy studied me carefully, frowning thoughtfully as he removed his glasses to polish them on his shirt. "Merlin, you don't think you could be..."

"No!" I said instantly, horror creeping up my spine at the very idea. "It must be something I ate. If you don't mind, I think I'll sleep in the spare room tonight so as not to disturb you in the night. I've been quite sick."

It was to my relief when he agreed. He usually left me alone on a Sunday night, never liking to do anything before the start of his working week... unless something triggered him, of course.

Luckily, my unexpected departure from the hospital hadn't caused that; if anything, it seemed to have him thinking about babies which evidently placed him in a good mood.

Unfortunately, though, it just made me feel worse.

After having showered, I crawled into the spare bed, my mind racing with fear. I had to face Draco again the next day and I didn't know how it was going to go.

I silently sobbed myself to sleep, thinking that if I never woke up again, that wouldn't be a bad thing.

*****

Despite classes not being until the evening, I arrived at the studio first thing in the morning.

Even though Percy had left early for the Ministry, I couldn't stomach being at the flat amongst our things. The studio was the only place I liked being anymore, and I wondered just how I had coped before it.

I spent the day drawing the view from the window, my eyes constantly seeking out the penthouse across the river. I wondered if the white-blond haired Slytherin was there looking back; replaying the memory he had stolen from my mind.

The thought made me nauseous and I kept having to consume peppermint tea to help settle the horrific churning in my stomach.

One hour before the first class was due to start, the studio door opened.

I held my breath, waiting for the inevitable.

But it wasn't Draco.

"Pansy?" I gasped.

Jumping up from the easel, I ran across the room, flinging my arms around my startled sister as I proceeded to breakdown in floods of tears.

"Ivy, what on earth?" she spluttered, awkwardly patting my back as I clung onto her, shaking in my relief at seeing my sister again. "This is a twelve hundred Galleon scarf that you're drenching in your snot, dear sister!"

But I knew she wasn't mad really, because her voice was warm and her eyes were kind.

"Sorry," I wept, breaking away and reaching in my pocket for a tissue. "I've just missed you so much."

Pansy narrowed her eyes, studying me carefully. "You've never missed me this much before. What's going on? What's he done to you?"

I looked up, startled. Had Draco said something to her? I suddenly couldn't breathe, the idea of Draco and my sister discussing what he saw in my mind caused my chest to harden unpleasantly.