Dare - Draco Malfoy

Chapter 51: Snape's letter

Draco:

We spend the next couple of hours in bed, laying next to each other. Me, reading one of the old tattered books I picked from the shelf above the dresser, her, resting her head on my shoulder, half asleep still recovering from the curse she took.

I brush her hair, the same sugary scent seems to never leave her. It's the sweetest thing. I watch her as her body moves in her sleep and think back to how all of this begun. A game. Just a stupid dare. I think back to the previous years and the time in which we were just acquaintances. But I always had something for her. I always noticed her, watched her as if she was something worth knowing about. There's always been something I had to fight back, a desire to have her. I have always been conscious around her. I wonder how things would be if she never took the dare, if we never kissed, if my craving for her had been controlled.

As the day dies down, the sky getting darker, the light in the room almost completely vanished, I look down at her, to find her eyes following the lines on the pages.

"Do you wanna go downstairs? See the others?" I ask her quietly.

Her head shoots upwards. Her fingers rubbing her puffy eyes. She sits up and looks around, a hand on her bandages. I close my book and sit up next to her.

"Yeah"

She finally says.

-

Maeve:

As we walk down the stairs I grip Draco's hand tighter. I'm nervous to see them all. We appear in the living room and everyone is already staring at the stairs. They heard us coming down. It all feels so awkward, no one knowing how to act. They all seem happy to see me awake and well, but deep down everyone's awareness of a secret we kept for so long makes everything uncomfortable.

Aria stands up and runs to me, wrapping her hand around me.

We stay in each others arms for a long silent moment, sniffles coming from her nose.

"How are you feeling?" She asks, letting go.

"Better- good actually."

"I was so scared" Aria bursts out, not able to fight the urge to plunge at me again.

"Let the girl breathe" I hear a cheerful Blaise speak from the end of the room.

We both turn to him. I smile, Aria takes a step back as he approaches.

"Hey" I greet him as he wraps a friendly arm around my shoulder.

"I'm glad you are better. But I knew you are a though one." He continues.

I notice Isy, who has been leaning onto a wooden column near the sofa. She gives me a smile, which I know to mean more than she shows. She's never been one of too many words.

I scan the room. Nott is not here. I look back at Draco and hesitantly back at Aria.

"Can I talk to you?" I ask, my voice shaking

She nods.

"Let's go to my room" She invites.

-

The space looks somewhat larger than the room I am staying in. The large king size bed still made, a pile of folded clothes on top of the dresser. I wonder how or when we'll be getting our things back from Hogwarts, or if they have already been sent home.

I turn to face her, we both stay silent for a while. She takes a leap forward, looking down.

"I just want you to know. I don't judge you."