familiar ; draco malfoy

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE (R)

mature content ~ viewer discretion is advised

A long, too long, silence had passed until Ramona could find her voice. And an even longer silence passed from the moment she found it to the moment she uttered her first words. In fact, the length of that silence wasn't the problem; the heaviness of it was of graver importance, because all the while she was silent, seconds seemed like hours to Draco.

That silence made Draco Malfoy realize that, perhaps, he'd taken it too far. Certainly, he had overestimated the girl. Certainly, she had not meant her words when she told him she could handle it. And he felt foolish for even believing it was so, for the girl took longer than he expected to regain her senses.

Draco stiffened himself militarily and cleared his throat.  And then softly, almost wistfully, he walked towards her. With a curt nod of his head he asked permission to touch her, since he wasn't sure himself what he was to do, and circled one arm around her waist. Ramona placed hers over his shoulder, using her other arm to slightly cover herself, and walked over to the sofa she'd once slept on.

Gathering her clothes after she was sat down, expressionless, Draco hovered towards the sofa where she sat. She outstretched her arm to take the clothes from him, curiously observing him, but Draco knelt down in front of her, taking her knickers and holding them out for her to step in them.

"I can do that," said Ramona, hesitantly stepping one foot into the opening of her knickers. She still felt lightheaded and failed to notice how nervous Draco had become, and how silent he was.

Draco slowly pulled them up her legs and she stood up, allowing him to pull them all the way up. He held onto her legs to make sure she didn't fall over, since she still had trouble standing, and only then did she see that he was not looking up at her. In fact, he was not looking at her at all.

"I've got this," Ramona told him gently, taking the clothes from his hands and putting on her bra and oxford shirt herself. However, she quickly realized that the shirt had no buttons on it. She looked at Draco who, still kneeling in front of her, was staring off to the side. His eyes were fixed to one spot and he found himself deep in thought.

Ramona cleared her throat to capture his attention but it was in vain.

"Draco," she whispered, "Draco." Only when she called him for the second time did he look up at her.

"Hmm?"

Ramona only motioned to the destroyed shirt, noting that only one button had remained. Wordlessly, Draco took his sweater off, lending it to Ramona. Underneath it he wore his own oxford shirt that had, miraculously, kept most of its buttons. However, even if it hadn't, Draco wasn't too bothered.

Pulling the shirt over her head, Ramona fluffed out her hair. Draco remained too silent for her liking.

"You alright?" she asked him, the casual tone of voice taking Draco by surprise.

"Me?" said Draco, surprised at such a question, "Are you alright? You're barely talking."

"I thought you liked me when I was quiet," joked Ramona, a half-grin breaking out on her face. Only then did Draco dare look at her, with eyebrows furrowed and puzzlement clear on his beautiful features.

"You're not... I mean... You're alright?" he asked, unsure yet of her answer.

"Yes Draco, I'm alright, I'm not made of glass," confirmed Ramona, now amused.

"Then why the bloody hell did you- Why were you- You have to use your words, woman! I'm not a mind reader. Looked like you were going to collapse there," he hissed out, visibly relieved that he had not overstepped with his roughness.