Underneath

Chapter 50

1 year later

It was summer, and Gia stood outside a shop window, peering in at a red dress she had been considering for a while now.

Her head was foggier these days.

"I'll catch up with you guys in a sec" she waved at Marcus, Rosy and Daphne who were all drunker than she was. "

"C'mon G, hurry up!" Rosy giggled, hanging on to Marcus's arm as he dragged her away.

Marcus was different since his brother had been killed in the Battle. His smile never quite reached his eyes, Gia thought sadly. Thank God he had Rosy.

Gia had wanted to stay, and fight, but she'd received an anonymous letter a few weeks before, demanding that she went home or everyone she "knew and loved would be destroyed", and that wasn't the kind of thing Gia had wanted to risk.

So she spent the the time at home in Italy, laying on the beach and desperately awaiting any word from Hogwarts.

The year back at school had been an empty blur throughout which Gia had focused on her studies, and trying to feel normal again which was impossible since it felt like half the school had disappeared.

And now they had graduated, finally, and Gia felt this empty sort of relief, like everything was fine again but something was missing.

"You should buy it."

Startled, Gia turned to face the person next to her  who had spoken.

Blond hair, icy eyes, tall, slim. Draco Malfoy.

He'd been a fellow Slytherin in Gia's year, all the way up until 7th year which he hadn't returned to.

She'd heard rumours about him, and Harry Potter, and the Battle. Some were good, tales of his support and bravery, and some were... not so good. Gia didn't quite know how to feel about him, but she answered his question nevertheless.

"Why's that?"

Malfoy smiled slightly. "Because it would look good on you."

Confused by his sudden interest in her she simply replied, "That's true", confidently flipping her hair. She wasn't sure they'd ever had a real conversation before.

Draco chuckled deeply and Gia smiled uncertainly, still not sure what to make of this situation.

"I'm Draco, Draco Malfoy", he offered his hand out to her. "I'm not sure we've been properly introduced."

She took it hesitantly. "Oh I know exactly who you are, Mr Malfoy". The contact from his hand created a strange feeling to rise in the pit of her stomach, a feeling she couldn't quite place.

Draco looked intently into her eyes. "Is that so?"

Gia's eyes did their infamous twinkle.
"You're quite hard to miss".

"I could say the same about you, Miss Bianchi".

Gia let go of his hand she realised she'd been shaking this whole time, and tried not to blush in embarrassment.

Draco, unfazed, continued to speak. "You caught my eye several times, you know". He smirked.

And then the fire whiskey hit Gia, causing a moment of confidence. "You caught mine more than several times, Malfoy". It was true, she'd always thought of him as attractive, as little as she knew about him.

Draco's jaw clenched ever so subtly before regaining his composure. "Well maybe I could take you to dinner? We have some catching up to do I think."

Maybe it was that so much time had passed, or that so much had happened, that Gia didn't find the fact that Draco Malfoy was hitting on her all that strange.

So she replied, "I'd like that", with a simple smile.

"Thank you", he almost whispered.

Gia knew her friends would be waiting for her but there was something oddly familiar about this boy.

"I can't believe you remember who I am" Gia laughed, she didn't think Draco had payed much attention to anyone at Hogwarts.

Draco just shook his head to himself.

"How could I forget?"