NEMESIS || Draco Malfoy

50

– Hello, this is a pre-chapter A/N to let everyone know there will be light smut in this chapter, and so if you're uncomfortable with that, please make sure to stop reading at the appropriate time LOL. I'm sure you'll be able to figure out when that is! For the rest of you: enjoy. :) –

Knight to F3.

My eyes batted open, fingers letting go of the black piece between my fingertips as I watched Pansy opposite me carefully. She analysed the situation, eyes flying over the board to come up with her next move.

"So," I stated casually, dragging out the word to catch her attention, and as expected, her eyes shot upwards, curiosity glimmering in them as she sent me an anticipating look. "You were gone by the time I got back to the dorm yesterday."

Once more, Pansy's eyes dragged over the board, distractedly so, as her expression turned into one of pure horror — eyes wide and brows knitted together just for a second.

A second was long enough to notice, though.

Her hand hovered over the chessboard for the same amount of time, quickly picking up one of her pawns and dragging it over to F3. She smiled brightly as she snatched my knight off the board and carefully placed it next to the rest of the pieces she had taken.

"Trying to look for you, of course." She quickly shot back, shaking her head as she threw me a daring glance, eyes scanning my reaction a little nervously. "You ran out of the room as if you knew who tried to kill us—" She cut herself off with a hum, quickly changing her mind as she added, "Actually, I'm pretty sure you do know." She assessed, finally making eye contact again. "So, spill."

Diverting my gaze to take in the board before me, I immediately moved my second knight to F4 without hesitation, a challenging gleam in my eyes as I looked up at Pansy at the presented situation. "Seemed to have just been a really bad prank, for all I could tell."

I covered the lie with a shrug, unsure of why exactly I didn't tell her about Malfoy but telling myself it was because if I'd let loose on his secrets, he'd let loose on mine.

It was easier this way— that's what I believed, anyway.

"A prank?" She scoffed, eyes still desperately searching the board for a good move to make. Her words seemed to be laced with annoyance, though whether that was due to the prank or the game, I couldn't tell.

I hummed in agreement, a smile forming on my face at the helpless look on her face, continuing to release small groans under her breath as sharp curses fled her lips in desperation at the same time.

She sighed, closing her eyes for a second and leaning back in her chair to let her gaze flicker through the filled common room afterwards. Her tongue absentmindedly flicked over her lips as she crossed one leg over the other — hitting my leg in the process — still searching the room for something.

"Draco," She then said, the name alone making my brows furrow in stress. She couldn't possibly have found out it was him who sent those flowers, could she?

"What?" My voice wavered as the words left my mouth, following her gaze as I turned in my chair in a rush.

Release washed over me as his approaching figure stepped into my field of vision, and Pansy repeated her former shout a little louder. "Draco—!" She said again, this time waving him over in anticipation.

I watched her, former stress released, though my confusion just as prominent. My eyes rolled almost automatically as the boy came to a halt beside us, head tilting and a smirk forming on his lips as his gaze flickered from Pansy over to me.