Slytherin sparks

Separate

Dorm room 2:30am

Iris hadn't spoken to Draco properly since they'd arrived, and now it was 2:30 in the morning and Syd was snoring and she was getting zero sleep without him. She slid on a hoodie and tucked in her wand, shuffling down in slippers to make her way to his dorm.
It had only been a day but she'd fucking missed him, plus it had been a mentally exhausting day returning for them all.
If Draco wanted to sneak around with her, she had no energy left to argue.

He was just trying to stop other students from associating her with used to be death eater Draco Malfoy.
She needed his arms around her and she couldn't pretend any longer. Iris hadn't a wink of sleep and as she used her 'lumos' to light the corridor ahead, she yawned at the thought of snuggling up next to him.

She attempted a sneaky 'alohamora' against his dorm but he'd added some sort of charm against it. The door wouldn't budge.
Iris frowned, leaning against it to see if she could hear anything. No- nothing.
Without thinking further, Iris tapped her knuckles hard on the wood and waited.

No reply.

She hit it again. Harder. Louder.

No reply.

She straightened her wrist and widened her palm out to slam it against the wood, her nerves getting the better off her.
Then- footsteps. And he was unlocking the door.

It creaked open, his eyes straining under her lumos, shirtless and lazily leaning on the side of the door. Brows furrowed.

"What sort of charms have you got on this bloody dorm! I only wanted to sneak in because I couldn't sleep! Trying to keep me out or something?"

Draco rubbed the back of his head and caught her angry narrowed eyes.
"Um, yes?"
Iris paused, unsure what to say in reply.

"What's up with you, since we've arrived you've just started pushing me away again?"

Draco sighed heavily and crossed his arms. He wanted to embrace her, truly he did, but he had a feeling deep down being allowed back into Hogwarts for him shouldn't have been this easy.
He was waiting for something to happen, something to go wrong- and wanted to keep her out of it.

"You don't get it ok? I'm doing this for you. You don't want to be associated with me here. We aren't back at the cottage. People here know what I've done."

Iris frowned.
"So?! The war is over now. There's no sides."

"You really think that they think that? The pissing Griffindors that lost their classmates? And I'm just wondering around the school like nothing ever happened? It's shit. I wanna be here, for you. But I still feel like I don't belong. Parkinson was sensible enough to not fucking show. I should've done the same."
Draco stepped closer to her as to block the entrance of his dorm.
"Go back to your dorm Iris. Study hard this year and forget for a little while and then we'll pick-

"No. I won't."
Iris scuffed her shoe against the floor in frustration. "We came here together. I know it's not the same as the cottage but I don't care what people think about us together! People already hate us all for being in Slytherin, what's the difference?"

She edged closer to him, her hair that classic scent of honey that he adored.
Draco sucked in a sharp breath, he didn't know what to say apart from he was doing it all for her.
He'd always do it all for her.

Draco reached forward and gently ran his hand along her cheek. She pressed her eyes closed as he ran a finger along her jaw and then through the soft ends of her hair.

"Let me stay Draco. It's late."
He smiled at her sadly and then shook his head,
"I'll walk you back."

She shook her head, her throat nearly closed up because she didn't know what to say. She just wanted to be close to him.
Draco reached inside to grab a hoodie and then pulled her into his chest.

"You're going to have to get used to life without me."
She pressed her eyes tighter together and shook her head, ignoring his words as his minty scent danced up her nostrils.

"Come on Banks."

His heart told him to stay and hold her and his head told him to stay strong and to protect her.
As much as he wanted her he couldn't be greedy. He'd had her for more than he could've hoped.
He felt so lucky.

Draco slipped his hand in hers and walked her back to her room. In silence apart from her occasional sniff as she realised she'd lost a conversation that she so desperately wanted to win.
How could they go from sleeping with eachother every night to this?

He opened her door for her and she slid inside, her face sad and filled with defeat, pulling at his hand.
"Come insideee."
She groaned, being careful not to wake Syd.

"You need to get used to us being apart a little."
He rolled his eyes and whispered, cradling her jaw.
She frowned sadly, "I'll tuck you in."

Satisfied with his answer, and yawning with each breath she climbed into bed with his guidance. Draco pulled the duvet up around her neck and sat on the edge of the bed stoking her hair.
"Try to stay away from me the next few days Princess. You know trouble follows me wherever I go."

She smiled sadly, her eyes adjusting in the dark to his figure next to her as he continued to stroke her hair.

"I fucking love you."

He choked out unexpectedly, placing a warm kiss on her lips.

"Always." She whispered, as his arms creeped around her neck and as he littered her cheeks in kisses.
Sleep stole Iris quickly and Draco waited until she was immersed in a deep slumber before he hugged her, whispered how beautiful she was in her ear, and then creeped back to his dorm.
Locking her door firmly behind him.

He looked back at Iris' door and placed a hand against it. Pressing his eyes tightly shut he breathed out, hoping she didn't think he was being cruel.
"Fuck."
He whispered under his breath as he made his way back through the dark corridors. He knew he wasn't going to be able to sleep.

No fucking chance.

7:30am Dorm room

Sydney pulled Iris out of her cosy slumber and they walked down to breakfast in sweatpants, ready for the first lessons of the year.
Iris tried desperately at breakfast to look around for Draco- but she was unsuccessful as she pushed around the food on the plate. Her mood deflating because she wasn't joined by him.
She knew how he liked to sleep in so she wasn't worried- but not being in any lessons with him all day was bound to make her crash. Especially if he wasn't going to allow seeing her out of lessons.
Iris now officially hated being  fucking protected.

Throughout the day, countless lessons that bored her entirely- she tried to focus to remain successful for her N.E.W.T.S. But how could she focus when he was all she could think about?
Iris hadn't seen him all day and as she sunk into the common room sofa beside Syd, her eyes flitted up every time the door opened. And it was never him.

Iris could feel her mood deteriorating and could sense something was wrong.

Was he having second thoughts?
Was his love once again ruined by his ideals to protect her from whatever he imagined would go wrong next?

Whatever it was, Iris couldn't wait around any longer. Something was up and she wasn't going to last the remainder of the school year like this. 

~

Prepare yourself- just a few chapters left until a big ending !! <3