THE VISION THIEF - D. MALFOY

35. potter and weaslebee

I sharply turn the hallway of the Ravenclaw Inn. I had lost track of time and it was already 9 in the morning. I was supposed to be looking for my father by now, or at least back in Serena's office to be talking about how I would find him. 

I find my way back to the hotel room, attempting to creep back in once I enter in. I'm quiet as I open the door and close it careful not to wake Malfoy as I assume he is still sleeping since it's incredibly dark inside the room still. 

I pray to God he is still sleeping. I don't know if I am able to face him just yet after the things that were said - and done last night. He - he almost kissed me. And I almost let it happen. I feel ashamed at the very thought. 

"Where the hell have you been?" A demanding voice comes from behind me. I jump, caught off guard and still facing the door as I slowly turn around to face him. I take a deep breath. "Why should it matter?" I retort casually. 

He sighs. "Maybe because we are in a different country with killers on the loose, looking for your very own family. If they happen to see you wandering around the city don't think for a second they won't kill you or capture you," he growls. 

I shake my head. "I don't see what the issue is. You shouldn't even care if all I am is just a game to you," I say, using his own words against him. Even in the poor lightning, I can still see the look of surprise that crosses his face. 

"You're not just some game. I literally am responsible to look after you," he says. 

"Yeah? Well you should've thought about that before whatever the hell you pulled last night," I say. 

He lets out a frustrated sigh. "You don't get it Ashwood, I'm trying to make you understand-" 

"What is there to understand?" I exclaim. 

"You- you're getting too attached," he says suddenly.

I flinch at his words. The audacity. "What?" I breathe out. 

"It's better if you just stay hating me," he says. 

"I do hate you!" I try to tell him. 

"But you don't. I can see right through you. You're awful at hiding your emotions. I know you try to hate me, but you can't. Which I don't get but - but it's better if I just make you hate me. Really hate me," he explains. 

I pause for a moment, my lips parted, and my eyebrows drawn up in confusion. "You're not making any sense," I say quietly. 

"You can't keep acting like this! Like we're friends. I don't do friends anymore, and it's better if we just keep this-" he gestures between the two of us, "-the way things were when we first met," he says. 

When we first met. When I really did hate him. As much as it pains me, he was incredibly right. I did try to hate him, but most of the time I just couldn't. But it made no sense why he was acting like this so suddenly. Why was he trying to cut me off. I felt like slowly we were making progress. He had opened up to me a few times, and I had done the same. But in the past few days it felt like I was sent reeling back to square one with him. 

Our steady breaths fill the room and for just a second, a paralyzing silence stretches between us, and we hold onto each others gaze. Everything slips away however, the second a knock sounds at the door. I flinch, tearing away from his stare, and turning towards the door to open it. 

I open it up to reveal Lily's bright face, a warm smile on her features. "Good morning!" She beams. "Morning," I smile back, my voice containing only a fraction of enthusiasm. "I came to get you guys on behalf of my Grandmother. She wants to speak to you both again," she says. I nod my head, and I follow her out of the room, not caring whether Malfoy is behind me. I was done with his bullshit. With his twisted mind games. First he teases me, tells me he's just having fun, and now he's telling me I'm too attached and it's better if I hate him?