SCREAM | DRACO MALFOY

chapter nine

Dumbledore's uncertainty haunted my thoughts for the next week. Throughout my classes and as I laid in bed at night all I could think of was the confusion in his eyes and the dark blackness of my memories.

Cedric was ecstatic about the tournament but also weary of the fact that he was having to share his champion title with Harry. I could tell it was bothering him and saw that he made an extra effort to avoid the golden trio as to not cause unwanted confrontation.

Cedric also relayed the information that the first task was on the twenty-fourth of November and we were forbidden to help him. I usually play by the rules but this was one exception. I was not about to sit by and make Cedric do all the research on his own. Luckily neither was Penny.

The amount of books I had checked out that week was probably more than I collectively had acquired during the past three years of school.

After days upon days of studying in the library and common room, the air outside grew unnaturally warmer for November and I ventured outside after class with a stack of book in my arms and a blanket shoved into my bag.

Letting the warmth of the sun sink into my pale skin I sat on my blanket and read and read and read. I was so caught up in my reading that I didn't realize the sun had started to set just slightly and a steady breeze was picking up.

The sun still had all of its warmth left and I savored it, laying my book down and lying flat on my back to enjoy the silence and the leaves rattling through the trees.

This was probably one of the only times in the last month I've been able to fully relax and I relished in it.

Sadly my peace was shattered by the sun disappearing and instead being replaced by a shadow. The warmth left my skin and the wind grew slightly colder against my cheeks as I opened my eyes.

Draco was staring down at me, his head blocking the sun and an amused look on his face. "Napping now are we, Gray?"

I hurriedly sat up and checked my watch. Groaning I hung my head in frustration. It was half an hour past the time I had needed to be at my tutoring session. "I didn't realize what time it was..." I trailed off, moving to collect all of my books to leave. "We can still-" I cut myself of in surprise.

Instead of walking away, Draco had sat down on the other side of the blanket. He pulled his feet underneath him to cross his legs and started to rummage through his bag. He caught my eye just as he opened his Potions book. "It would take too long to walk back inside, and besides you seemed quite comfortable out here."

My mouth hung slightly open and my cheeks began to heat up once again. I was at a loss for words. "Um..." I started, sitting back down. "Yeah...yeah...but uh...I don't have my Potions book."

"Are you blind or something, Gray?" He asked, a small laugh leaving his lips. "Mines right here." He placed it down on the blanket in between us. "Now...don't we have an essay due in two days?"

"Yeah..."I said, brushing the hair away from my face and digging in my bag. "I actually have that with me." I heard him scoff slightly at my statement as I pulled out the piece of parchment.

He looked down at the two paragraphs of work I had completed last night and raised an eyebrow. "I think that's the first time I've seen you do that much work on your own." His words were playful but they still took me back a bit.

I scoffed back at him. "That's such a lie." He looked up at me, almost surprised to hear me talk back to him.

"Whatever..." He mumbled before looking back down at his book.

After about fifteen minutes of essay writing we moved on to reciting the ingredients for the potion of this week. During the reciting I had laid back down on the blanket and was telling him the answers.

"How many times is it stirred?" He asked, picking at some grass at his side.

I had no idea. "Uhhh...three times counterclockwise?"

"Is that your answer?"

"No?"

"No." He shook his head. "Fifteen times clockwise."

I turned to look over at him, his face was relaxed and the gentle breeze was making his blonde locks flow gently across his forehead. I felt my heart start to race. He really is handsome.

He had asked me a question as I had been staring at him. He turned to look at me and our eyes met, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Spit it out Gray we don't have all night."

Instead of the answer I asked, "Why are you so nice to me?"

A moment of silence passed over us. His eyes didn't stray from mine and I could see the evident shock on his face from my question. I regretted it almost instantly.

"I'm not." He said, turning back to his book. "What you think tutoring is being nice?"

"No I just..." I trailed off, sitting upright. "I don't know I mean..." I hesitated. "You came to find me when I wasn't in the classroom. I feel like with anyone else you wouldn't do such a thing."

"How do you know how I treat other people?" He asked, I could tell that my questions were starting to annoy him.

"I don't I just..." I looked down at my hands where my fingers were fidgeting with one another. "Where are your friends anyways?"

He laughed. "Since when was this twenty questions?"

I giggled a bit. "It's not I was just wondering."

"I have no idea. They know I have to tutor every night so they go off without me." He said, his eyes not leaving the book. "What about your friends?"

"Probably the same as me..." I gestured to the books I had brought. "Trying to help Cedric figure out what the first task will be."

"What your boyfriend isn't smart enough to figure it out himself?" He asked, his tone sounding gruff.

"He's not my boyfriend."

"Sure." I couldn't see his face but I could tell he was rolling his eyes.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

He shrugged before looking up towards the now almost fully darkened sky. "It's getting dark. I wouldn't stay out here too late."

I watched as he shoved his book and parchment into his bag. "Yeah..."

He shrugged the bag onto his shoulder before turning back to me. "By the way..." I heard him say. The wind had picked up slightly and my hair had fallen into my face. I moved my hand up to push it away just as his moved up as well.

His middle finger brushed along my forehead, pushing my brown locks back behind my ear. His finger was cold and he let his thumb rest slightly along my jaw. I had shivers roll down my spine. "I am not being nice to you."

His hand left my face and he stood up from the blanket. My eyes followed him all the way back to the castle.

The sun had set by the time my heart slowed down.