Phases (editing)

seventeen

AN- Chapter Songs: Cherry Wine by Hozier and In Your Arms by Sunbeam Sound Machine

19th October 1995

Waxing crescent

I felt my conscious pull from the dreaming abyss, by a physical tether. A hand slowly traced the frame of my face and tucked a hair behind my ear. Then a groan escaped my throat at the revelation of another day, where I was woken earlier than I wished.

"Hermione," I groaned into the soft pillow that was warmed from my slumber, "would you quit waking me up so bloody early."

Then a soft chuckle, which was most definitely not Hermione's, widened my eyes. I was met with an abundance of green rather than red. My head quickly shot up from the silk bedding and spun to meet face to face with Draco.

"I slept here!" I nearly shouted at the realisation.

"That you did," and he smiled, "good morning, Lewis."

I began sitting up and reaching to move the duvet that lay on top of me, but Draco grabbed my hand to halt the movement. I saw a softness behind his eyes that I had only seen one other time.

"Stay," he whispered, "there's still an hour till breakfast. No reason to rush"

"Okay," I said with a smile and saw Draco stretch his arm out, offering his chest as a place to lay. He wore a loose-fitting white t-shirt, and I finally got to take in the image in front of me. His hair was damp, from a shower I assume, and his white strands fell down his forehead like grass on a summer morning. I could smell his usual scent of rain and musk that stuck to his skin, and he had never appeared more inviting. I obliged and readjusted to lay in the nook he created for me.

The rest of the dorm room came into view, and four other beds occupied the square-shaped room. All of them were empty and unslept. "All of these beds to yourself?" I laughed at the question.

I felt his body vibrate with a silent laugh, "no, I had them sleep elsewhere to give you space. Didn't think four other blokes itching their morning hard-ons to be a pleasant sight, first thing in the morning."

"Who would that be?" I teased.

"Zabini, Nott, Goyle, and Crabbe." He replied. "Perks of being the son to one of the Governor of Hogwarts, him and his mates get their own flat."

"Of course," I retorted, and saw one of his hands move to fidget with one of his rings. It was the Malfoy Signet Ring. It was the closest view I've ever had of it. "Tell me about it."

"About what?" He said, while continuing to fidget with the ring.

I pulled my hand from under the covers to pinch at the finger that the ring was placed. "The ring."

"Not much to say," he sighed. "Father gifted it to me for my thirteenth birthday, told me I was a man in a boy's body, then that was that." He pulled the slightly loose fitted band from his finger, and reached for my hand. He unfolded my palm and set it in the middle.

I rolled the band between my fingers, taking my time to feel the texture of the signet. The ring was a comfortable temperature from Draco's body heat and not a single part of it was chill to the touch."Does thirteen-year-old Draco agree with that?"

"At the time he did, but no more than I do now." He took my other hand into his, rubbing absent patterns with this thumb into my knuckles. "The trials and tribulations of being a Malfoy man, the pressure to grow rapidly will never slow." I felt him press a kiss to my hand, and continue rubbing patterns with his thumb.