Venom & Virtue

chapter 6

A week later Draco sent a note for another tutoring session.

It had flittered over to me during dinner one night, in the form of a small paper crane.

I didn't realise who it was from at first, but as I unfolded the delicate origami structure, I recognised the familiar lanky script with a day and time to meet.

He seemed to have a knack for knowing when I had free study periods, although I suspected that he'd asked Violetta for my class schedule so that he could plan accordingly.

She'd been very curious about our first session when I'd arrived at dinner that night, asking an endless stream of questions.

I didn't know exactly how to answer them very well; more than anything my experience with Draco had just been strange, confusing in both what was said, and what wasn't.

But she wasn't the only one who was interested in the events of Wednesday afternoon, Adrian had questions of his own, most of which revolved around what I thought of Draco, as opposed to whether he had been pleasant.

"Did you guys get along well?" He asked as we headed back to the common room that night.

I shrugged in return, "neither well nor badly... we didn't talk much."

It wasn't strictly the truth; we had conversed enough to know that there was a significant mutual disdain for one another.

But I didn't feel the need to share that information with Adrian, or even Violetta.

I knew she would make it her business to go tell him off, which I suspected would only lead to greater resentment on his part.

Even over the course of the last week, Draco and I had avoided acknowledging each other in any capacity, like two boats floating on the same wave that refused to cross paths.

For the most part, it was a relief.

We would only have to endure one another's attention in our library sessions, beyond that, the school was a safety zone.

I walked into the library on that dreary afternoon to find him already seated, just as he had been the previous Wednesday.

I went and placed myself next to him again, not waiting for an invitation or a greeting of any sort this time. And again, I scooted the chair over, preventing our knees from touching.

"What in Merlin's name is that smell?" He wrinkled his nose in disgust as I adjusted my position, sending a distasteful look my way.

I mentally sighed, the boy seemed intent on making the experience painful.

"It's my perfume, honey and rose water," I responded, laying my quill down and straightening it slightly.

"Next time do me a favour, don't wear it."

I frowned to myself, "I thought it was a nice scent. What's wrong with it?"

He looked away, "it's... strong, that's all."

I rolled my eyes and made a mental note to wear the perfume everyday from then on.

I wasn't going to let anyone dictate what I should put on my body, especially not a man, especially not the likes of Draco Malfoy.

"I've been practicing the movements you showed me, every night for an hour," I smiled, determined not to let his bleak mood dampen my own.

"Great, it'll save us from enduring more of these sessions than we have to," he bit back, proving that he was not keen to appease my positivity.