a christmas break | draco malfoy - 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐃

19

"You really are hopeless."

"You really are annoying," she said, practicing random skills. The floating ball of snow was steady as she turned around pointing it at Draco and making it fall over his head.

Draco glared at her, noticing the smile under her palm as she hid it. Soon enough she let out a laugh as he tried to get the snow out of the collar of his shirt.

"What're you doing here, Malfoy?" she finally asked, twirling her wand and making the branches of the tree braid themselves. Draco finally got himself free of the snow, answering.

"I decided to stop by."

"Oh, yeah?" she said, her back turned to him, "What for?"

Draco picked up a large amount of snow, molding it in his large hands and leaving prints on it, "This."

He threw the ball at her head, the snow falling inside of her shirt. She screamed as the cold touched her warmed up skin, dropping her wand and quickly taking off her jacket.

"Draco! You complete arse!" she yelled, shaking her shirt in attempt to get the snow out.

For the first time in months, Draco's laugh was genuine. He bent over, holding his stomach as the pain from laughter grew. In that moment, he forgot about all his worries, the mark, his family. He forgot about the pain or the ache in his head.

"Did you really think I'd let you off so easy?" he said, wiping the corner of his eye. Astera slowed down when she saw his smile, her own starting to form and mimic his.

Astera was quick to get her wand again, flicking it and getting a pile of snow to drop from the tree above him. Draco gasped, but his gasp was gone when the snow trapped him, and a look of triumph turned up on Astera's face.

"Did you really think I would let you off so easy, Malfoy?" she mocked him, her hand going to brush away the snow above him. Except, she fell once Draco's fingers wrapped around her wrist tightly, pulling her down and making her fall in the pit next to him.

Draco laughed once more, turning to his side and balancing himself on his elbow, "So how's the weather down there, Lilith?"

"I hate you." she said whilst her face was buried in the snow, pulling herself up by her hands slowly. Her brown eyes watched the way Draco's smile formed, an unfamiliar sight for her. She noticed the lines around his mouth and the small, barely noticable, dimple on his right cheek. How his eyes creased and almost shut, though they still remained cold and icy.

"Yeah, I know," Draco said, getting up and dusting the snow off him. His coat was covered with white snowflakes as well as some in his hair. His pants turned almost grey from the white snow, feeling a little cold as the snow melted and stuck to his skin in a few places.

Astera got herself up, grabbing her jacket and putting it over herself in attempt to warm up, "So, really, why're you here?"

Draco shrugged. He looked better than when she last saw him. It definitely was a better sight to see. Sure, he had a long way to go for her to say that he looked good in terms of his health, but everything takes time. Draco was taking steps, small ones but he was getting somewhere, slowly. Whilst his eyes still had those dark circles, his skin had a more natural pale colour, unlike the unhealthy matte one a few nights ago.

"I haven't got really anything to do," he said, "Besides, you told me I haven't left the common room in days and... It felt like I should."

"Since when do you do what others tell you to?"

Since always, he wanted to say. But didn't. How could he portray himself as a slave, as someone who let every adult in his life walk over him? Draco was dominant; he was the one walking over people, not the other way around. He couldn't stand being submissive to those around him, but he didn't have much of a choice, now, did he?

"I don't," he said, an angry look on his face, "Don't take this as an excuse to boss me around, Lilith."

"I would never, Malfoy."

☆☆☆☆☆☆

There wasn't really a book Astera hadn't read in Hogwarts' library. She spent most of her time there, even on school nights. Though, not all books interested her, she never really started a book without finishing it.

It was hard finding a book to keep her interested long enough. She was a fast reader and it was important for the subject to be a keeper of her focus, otherwise, she'd lose it.

Astera was really hardworking. Failure wasn't in her language and those few times she didn't do as well we're moments of doubt and anger for her. Countless nights she had spent in the library or common room, being the only one awake in the entire school to perfect herself. There were times where she had lost control, forgetting that she too is a human being who needs rest, food and water in order to live.

But as she was raking the shelves, her eye caught a glimpse of a book.

"Wandless magic?" she read out loud. The book was a guide to a wizard for using their power without their wand. Sitting herself down, Astera was able to read the book quickly, though it wasn't too large either. Her thoughts were brainstorming, excited and confused with all the new information they had just recieved.

Her body moved quickly, running through the halls and stopping in front of Dumbledore's office. She knew she wasn't allowed to go in without announcing herself first, but when her mind was made up, there wasn't much stopping her.

As she spoke the password to his office, she barely waited for the stairs to take her up. Holding the book in her hands, squeezed to her chest, she impatiently waited.

Once her eyes saw the full view of his office, she opened the doors, letting herself in.

"Professor?" she called out, her voice echoing slightly. She heard a few shuffles and something drop to the ground, telling her Dumbledore was up the stairs in his library.

He quickly got out, a look of confusion in his eyes as he watched the young student in front of him,"Astera? What're you doing here?"

He walked down the stairs slowly, watching her walk back to give him space. He noticed the book in her hands, his eyes slightly widening and his chest tightening up.

"Sir, I'm sorry to come unannounced but, I was hoping you could tell me something."

"Wandless magic..." he whispered, sitting in his chair and pulling his hand out, giving her a nod to sit, "I can imagine you're very curious."

"I am, sir," she said, "Is it true? That the strongest of wizards don't use their wand?"

He nodded, folding his hands, "Yes, it is. You see, wandless magic isn't quite a simple thing. Not all strong wizards are able to perform it. It is, in a way, art to us. Difficult and somewhat dangerous."

"Could you learn it?"

"Anything can be learnt. What depends, is your teacher." Dumbledore said.

Astera looked down at the book in her hands, "Sir?" she asked, getting a nod from Dumbledore, "Do you think I could do it?"

Dumbledore smiled, "It does not matter what I think. Whatever I do, prove me right or wrong, miss Lilith."