The World and Her Stars

Chapter Seven

It was later that night. A Friday night. Every Friday night, all of us got together and hung around in either the girls' room or the guys' room, and we drank, listened to music, and just fucked around until we got tired.

It was a fun tradition we had been doing since we came to Hogwarts. The drinking didn't start until year 5 though.

Tonight, we met up in the boys' room. I was weirdly curious to see how Draco was going to behave after our little interaction in the hallway today.

As much as I hated to admit it, I couldn't stop thinking about his lips grazing my ear, and his breath on my neck. His veiny hand and ringed fingers gripping my waist and pushing me against the wall. I hated that I loved to think about it.

When we walked into the room, I could tell he was thinking about it too, due to the fact that he locked eyes with me immediately, and held it for a good 15 seconds before looking away. I was expecting him to start drooling.

"Hey Nott," I smiled warmly.

"Hey Rose," Theo grinned from the couch. I could feel Draco's mood shift immediately. God, I felt drunk with power, and after a half hour, I was actually drunk with fire whiskey. When the girls and I were drunk, the only thing we wanted to do was dance. It felt nice to just let loose and be kids.

Someone else that loved to dance while drunk was, surprisingly, Crabbe. Ever since we were young, I've had a feeling that Crabbe was hiding a little more than he let on. He tried to put on this tough, death eater, scary guy persona, but underneath, he was one big teddy bear, who loved to dance around with the girls more than he liked joshing around with the guys.

Pansy was surprisingly a lot more bearable when she was drunk. Her confidence went up, and she wasn't as clingy, which is usually the opposite for any drunk person. Her and I were more similar when we were both drunk. Millicent was a very flirty drunk, but very particular. She was very loving. Hugging everyone that she saw to be worthy of one. Tonight, her crutch was Goyle...of all people. She knew better than that.

Daphne wouldn't shut the fuck up when she was drunk. She would try to have a full-on conversation with you whilst in the middle of the dance floor if you didn't keep shoving drinks in her face, just to keep her quiet. Love her to death but good lord, she could go on for hours.

I loved the feeling of being drunk, more the numbing factor of it. Physical and mental numbing. It was euphoric almost. God, I sound like a bloody alcoholic.

One thing I did not like about being drunk though, was my inhibitions were not at their heightened state. My filter was more permeable to words that would get me in trouble the next day.

"Everyone is having a good time besides you. Why do you always have to look so fucking angsty, mate?" Theo drunkly punched Draco's arm.

Mr. Dark and brooding sat on the floor with his arms loosely draped over his knees with a half empty bottle of fire whisky in his left hand.

"I'm not angsty. I am having a good time." Draco scoffed over the music.

"You've been sitting here looking like a gargoyle for the past half hour." Theo burped and blew it into Draco's disgusted face.

"Fucking...nasty." Draco kicked his foot out at Theo, who put his hands up playfully in defense as he walked over to Millicent, trying to detach her from Goyle.

In my drunk brain, I thought it would be a good idea to go sit my happy ass right next to the Draco Pain-in-the-ass Malfoy.

"Hello there, Malfoy." I sat down on the floor next to him, leaning my back against the couch.

"Coming back for more insults and sexual tension now, are we?" he put the bottle to his lips and took a swig.

"I don't know what you are talking about." I tried to grab the bottle from him, but his other hand grabbed my wrist, stopping me. Searing pain shot through me. God damnit. His long fingers were right over my mark.

I tried to hide the pain on my face, but he had already heard me gasp.

"Fuck...Malfoy. Let go of me." I snatched my arm back from him and cradled my wrist as inconspicuously as I could.

"I knew I saw you flinch yesterday when Greengrass grabbed your arm." He sneered, leaning towards me slightly.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I tried to fight the urge to clench my fists and scream into a pillow from pain.

He grabbed my arm again with an iron grip and pulled up my sleeve to reveal the angry red skin that surrounded my mark. "I'm talking about this, Eros."

My breathing got heavy as I tried to pull my arm away without causing a scene. I didn't want anyone else seeing this. The alcohol was not helping me fight against Draco's strong grip.

"Will you calm the fuck down?" He snapped in a whisper. He pulled out his wand and mumbled something under his breath. Instantly, a wave a freezing cold air settled over my arm. Relief. Immediately I felt like I could cry of happiness, which I don't think I have ever done.

"Why did you...how did you..." I tried to figure out my sentences, but I was just so overcome with relief and the smolder of Draco's eyes on my face right now were making that difficult.

"Had a feeling," he slightly tilted his head for a moment.

A lump formed in my throat as I realized who exactly I was talking to. A Malfoy. A sneaky fucking Malfoy. I had known him long enough to know that he was a loud and proud tattle tale. Like a fucking child.

"You going to tell on me to daddy dearest now? I'm sure you would absolutely love that." I slurred, grabbing the bottle successfully now and taking a generous swig.

"Why would I love that?" he raised his eyebrows with an amused look on his face.

"You are a man that loves revenge, Draco Malfoy." My eyes were getting heavy. I didn't realize how much the pain was keeping me awake all of the time.

"Revenge? For what?" He leaned forward and pulled a piece of lint from my hair.

Gulp.

"For...terrorizing you. Toying with you. You know." My words were freely flowing from my lips now. I didn't even care at this point.

"Rosie..." he leaned close to my ear, "Why would I ever want you to stop doing that?"

I squinted my eyes and studied his face as he pulled away from me. "I thought you hated me."

"You're one of my best friends, Rose. And you are my favorite thing to look at." He scooted over to me on the floor, grabbing my shoulder so I didn't fully fall over.

"Why would I want to get rid of my favorite view?" he whispered in my ear. "Also..." he looked down and pulled up his own sleeve. "It seems you and I are in the same boat."

The skin around his mark looked just like mine. His milky skin was red and splotchy, and surrounded my scrubbing and scratching scars...just like mine.

I ran my finger against his cool skin, tracing the snake.

"We are similar in more ways than you think."

We both looked up from his arm at the same time, our noses almost touching. No. This was not going to happen. I pulled away and quickly put the bottle to my lips, but not before a couple tablespoons spilled onto my shirt.

"Bloody hell, Eros." Draco groaned, grabbing the bottle from me and lifting me up by my hands.

"Can I borrow a shirt?" I can't believe I just asked that. Almost as much as I couldn't believe his answer.

"Of course."