The Facade

Chapter 34

I shifted on the soft mattress. I was aware of the body wrapped up around mine and tried to just fall back on sleep but it was of no use.

Slowly I opened my eyes and became aware of everything around me. I was lying on my side, Malfoy’s face was inches away from mine, his arm was wrapped around me, his palm resting on my bare back, His leg was placed over mine, and the rest of our bodies had no space between.

My gaze hovered by Malfoy’s face then, his eyes closed, his hair ass messy, one strand was in front of his eyes. His chest accompanied his breathing, going up and down every time he inhaled and exhaled. It hit my face, hot and heavy, just deep breaths, asides from the birds lilting outside, it was the only other sound inside my ears.

He seemed so at peace, no war or tiredness stole his features, his masks vanished, and he seemed as vulnerable as me, innocent. He was just a boy. Still so young and yet old from witnessing so many abhor things in his youth.

I lifted my hand with care up to met his face, very slowly, I tucked the strand of blonde hair obscuring his eyes behind his ear. My hand hovered there then, only briefly, resisting the urge to rest my palm on his soft cheek. I lowered my hand back down on the mattress instead, afraid to wake him up and disturb his peacefulness while sleeping.

I let myself steal a few more seconds memorizing his features looking so calm before I begun to shift on the bed carefully to get out of the bed without waking him up.

“How many times do I have to tell you it’s rude and creepy to watch others sleep?” Malfoy’s raspy voice broke out the silence in the room and my eyes widened in surprise.

Slowly Malfoy’s eyes opened and fell right on mine. I was sure my cheeks would be red by how flaming hot they felt for I was deeply embarrassed to have been caught.

“Technically you weren’t really sleeping.” I poorly defended myself.

“Yes, but you didn’t know that.” He grinned.

I rolled my eyes in annoyance but didn’t bother in replying as it would only ending up in embarrassing me more.

“For how long are you awake?” I asked.

“I woke up and saw you were still asleep, and so I decided to go back to sleep as well.” He said.

I raised and eyebrow at him. “Why do I feel like you also stared at me sleeping like I did?”

He let out a loud laugh at that. A laugh that filled my ears and brought a smile to my lips.

He drifted his gaze back to me, let it roam my face for a second as if he was still trying to convince himself that I was here, lying beside him, with no desire to leave his side.

I also didn’t quite believe it as well. It felt too impossible to be real. But it was.

His hand found my cheek and slowly moved it to stay still behind my ear as his thumb gently stroked my jaw. The movement soothed me and I felt like I could stare at Malfoy this way for ages.

I realized I was staring at the real Malfoy, at his true self. No masks, no walls. This was who he truly was, and it was so very far from being a monster.

However, now without his walls I could read so much, and tell that something was bothering him, lingering on his mind. Something I felt he just wanted to say but couldn’t.

I lifted my hand to touch his own on my face, catching his full attention to me. “Is something wrong?” I asked concernedly.

He furrowed. “What? No.” He replied. “Why are you asking that?” He asked.