𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐃𝐎𝐖 | Draco Malfoy

TEN | to live for the hope of it all

Blair leaves Draco's room early that morning, having promised Emris to meet her at the Great Hall. Draco acts like he's alright, but the second Blair leaves, he grabs the nearest glass and throws it against his wall. Atlas kissed her. More than once.

The mark on his forearm burns, igniting uncontrollable amounts of anger inside of him. He has to do something. He has to do something so he won't kill Atlas the second he sees him.

Draco's first class won't start for another two hours. He's got time.

And so he leaves Hogwarts grounds, apparating.

_____________

Emris smiles when sees Blair. She knows her friend too well to not notice that something happened last night. The girls sit down next to each other at the Slytherin table, like they usually do.

"Someone had a fun night." Emris laughs, examining the hickey on Blair's neck that she's tried to cover with her hair.

Blair shifts in her seat, smiling. "It was fun, if you ignore the fact that Atlas called me in the middle of the night and asked where I was. He knows that I wasn't in my dorm."

Emris widens her eyes, looking around her. "Shit, what else did he say?"

"He was drunk again. Send me a bunch of texts, asking me if I was with him. I didn't confirm it, though. But he heard Mr. Malfoy talking to me," Blair sighs, shaking her head. "Em, I don't know what he'll do if I do confirm it. There's nothing I can use as an excuse anymore."

"I think you should tell him eventually, B. Atlas is set on the idea that he's marrying you, to find out that you're having an 'affair' with someone else will obviously shatter his heart, but lying to him about it is worse. Maybe he can find his peace with it. Probably not, but it's worth a try."

"I know, Mr. Malfoy wants me to tell him, too. I told him that Atlas kissed me on my cheek when he asked me what happened between us. That already drove him mad. He wants Atlas to know I'm unavailable." Blair says, grabbing a scone off the plate.

"He doesn't know you and Atlas kissed?" Emris gasps, her eyes even wider now.

"No, of course he doesn't! If I tell him that, it'll be like signing my own death sentence!"

"But why did you kiss him, B? I know you have feelings for Mr. Malfoy, but are you sure you don't feel something for Atlas, too?" Emris asks.

Blair looks down at her plate, clenching her jaw. That's the real question— what does she feel? Has the thought of marrying Atlas sparked some curiosity into her after all?

"You told me you had a crush on him last year," Emris adds, trying to smile to reassure her friend. "I thought that went away."

"It did," Blair says. "Or— I thought it did. I don't know. With everything that's been going on, all I've been able to think about is Mr. Malfoy. What he makes me feel is different from—"

"Atlas is coming." Emris hisses underneath her breath, kicking Blair under the table.

Blair feels as if she gets kicked into the stomach instead, desperately adjusting her hair in the hopes to cover the hickey better.

"Good morning." Atlas says, sitting down in front of Blair, next to Emris. Blair forces a nervous smile, waiting for the questions to emerge. But before Atlas can even speak, her eyes wander down until they stop at his hands. His bruised knuckles, covered in dried-up blood. "What happened?!"

"Nothing, got into a fight last night." Atlas shrugs, taking his elbows off the table, hiding his hands under it. "The cuts look terrible, haven't you cleaned them?" Blair asks with wide eyes.