NOVA WALKED UP THE STAIRS to the prefect's dorms of the Slytherin house. It was on the top floor of the tower; two bedrooms across the hall from each other with a single dark wood door directly across from the top of the stairs. It was the bathroom she shared with the head boy of the Slytherin house, Draco Malfoy.
Draco and Nova weren't necessarily friends, however, they were friendly to each other whenever they did speak. If he ever saw her outside of the tower, he would wave, even if he was with his friends. They'd exchange friendly words in the halls if they bumped into each other between classes. She found this odd because of the whole "death eater" and "prince of Slytherin" thing, but she didn't mind. A few years ago, Nova had finally allowed herself to admit that she had a crush on the blonde boy. And things hadn't changed since then.
Nova entered into her room and hung her school-issued green and black uniform scarf on a hook, then hung up her snow-dusted jacket and book bag beside it. She began pulling out warmer clothes from her drawers, a heavy sweater and thick wool socks along with a pair of snug black pants. She looked out the window after closing her drawers and saw the heavy snow falling down over Hogwarts, covering the grounds in a thick dusting of white powder. The window was fogged up, too, only adding to the winter aesthetic around the school. Sighing, she grabbed her clothes and walked out her door, then into the bathroom.
"Oh my gosh!" she gasped, throwing an arm across her face. The blonde boy in the shower turned around and jumped back. Luckily for him, the shower had been all fogged up with steam from the heat, so she hadn't seen anything.
"Guess I forgot to lock the door." Draco chuckled after he turned the water off. "You can look now."
Nova moved her arm down and saw he now had a towel hung low across his hips and was drying his hair with another one. Her eyes grew at the sight of his naked torso, but she quickly calmed down.
"I can leave so you can get dressed."
"No, no, let me get out of your way," his hoarse voice responded. He was gathering up his clothes from the small stool beside the shower.
"Are you alright, Draco?" Nova asked when she noticed he was avoiding eye contact with her. The situation was awkward, but they had lived together for many years, so she thought that he would be a little more comfortable around her. He nodded silently, beginning to walk past her towards his room. She placed a hand on his warm arm. "Draco, wait."
"Yeah?" His eyes were rimmed in red.
"Have you been crying?" She'd never seen him cry once in all their years together at Hogwarts.
"I'm fine," Draco said, putting up a weak smile and continuing to move past her.
She frowned at his retreating figure, but she only closed the door to the bathroom after he left. She would have to figure this situation out later.
