Empire (D.M)

Part seventeen

A slightly graceless silence fell over the empty Slytherin common room. On Draco's crisp white collar she could see a small dark red smudged stain, her lipstick. She had once more left a mark, a mark that had gotten them busted. She felt like she wanted to sink through the leather of the black couch, never to show her face again.

"This is not what you think it is" she was quick to tell Ezra, sitting up straighter.

"This is not what I think it is? So you two aren't shagging behind our backs?" Ezra asked with a smirk, eyeing the two of them.

"No" she stammered, looking at the boy with the chocolate brown curls "absolutely not"

She heard Draco snort as he leaned his back against the leather couch, slowly shaking his head. The pale boy couldn't help but laugh, she could see him pushing his lips together to try and muffle it.

"You're a bad liar Alice" Ezra pointed out, smirking at her "absolutely horrid, you two are totally doing it"

"We're not!" she argued, feeling her cheeks flush.

"You are!" Ezra said, waving his arms about "take a fucking look at Malfoy, he looks pleased Alice... he's never pleased, he definitely got some not too long ago"

Another obnoxious laugh left Draco's pale lips, and she could see him turn his head away. She sighed, crossing her arms over her chest as she sunk down into the couch, leaning her back against the cold leather.

"Fine" she muttered, pouting her lips "you're right"

"I always am" Ezra smirked, laying his hands behind his head "oh how grand"

"Don't tell anyone" she said sternly, pointing her finger towards him "or I'll spread a rumor across school that you're a virgin"

Ezra laughed, lowering his hands in defense.

"Your secret is safe with me, don't worry"

"Promise Ezra" she spat.

"I promise Alice" Ezra said sweetly "don't worry about it"

....

December was upon them with deep snow and icy cold winds. She was sat in class, sniffling her nose slightly as she worked on her Charms paper. Marlize was sat in front of her next to Luna, and she was seemingly in her own world, staring at the ceiling as she chewed on her quill. Noelle was sat next to her, concentrating on her work.

Suddenly she felt someone's fingers on her back, twirling and twisting strands of her hair. She turned her head to see Draco, who was behind her next to Ezra, playing with her hair.

"Your hair smells really nice" he hummed quietly.

"Thanks" she whispered back, twirling her quill between her fingers "I know for a fact yours does too"

"Of course it does" he smirked, causing her to roll her eyes and turn back around. Noelle smacked her arm, and she took it as a hint that she should probably focus on her school work instead of Draco's hair.

After class her and Draco snuck away, meeting up in the room of requirements to try and repair the vanishing cabinet. She had told her friends that she was going to the library, and Draco had simply disappeared without saying a word.

"Harmonia Nectere Passus"

She had heard the same spell over and over probably a thousand times by now, and they were no closer to repairing the cabinet. 

"Harmonia Nectere Passus"

She watched Draco lower his wand, turning to her with frustration clear in his cloudy grey eyes. He sat down next to her on the old couch, putting his wand away.

"You try it" he mumbled, nodding his head towards the cabinet. She grabbed her wand and stood up, pointing it towards the dark cabinet.

"Harmonia Nectere Passus"

Nothing, as usual.

Draco reached for his black leather book bag, opening it to take out a green apple. She watched as he threw the apple up into the air and caught it in his hand over and over again.

"It's not working" she mumbled, her eyes on the apple. Draco caught it with a firm grip before he stood up, opening the heavy wooden doors and placing the fruit down at the bottom.

"Try again" he said as he closed the doors to the cabinet "we need to get it to work, he chose us for this mission Alice"

"I know, I know" she mumbled, turning back to the cabinet "Harmonia Nectere Passus"

Draco checked, the apple was still there.

"Say it like you mean it" he told her, closing the cabinet.

"Harmonia Nectere Passus"

He opened the cabinet again, and the apple stood at the bottom. It had not moved a single inch.

"Concentrate Alice"

"I am Draco" she breathed, gripping her wand in a firmer grip "Harmonia Nectere Passus"

Draco pushed her to the side, opening the cabinet once more. She watched as he leaned down and grabbed the green apple from the bottom. He held it in his pale hand, turning it as he inspected it. Nothing had happened, once again. The apple was still there, and it looked just as it had when he first placed it there.

She sighed, lowering her wand as she saw Draco biting down on a apple, sinking his teeth into it. She put her wand away and plopped down on the old couch as he ate the apple slowly, his eyes dancing upon her as he chewed. 

"We'll give it a rest until after Christmas" he said sternly, taking another bite of the apple.

"Right... Christmas break" she mumbled, leaning her back against the couch "great"