Hiraeth // draco malfoy

NINE.2

secrets of a serpent

"Why are men so daft?" Ophelia asked Pansy, who shrugged in response. "First Draco, then Cormac, now Draco again. My head is spinning." Ophelia leaned against the desk, holding the sides of her temples.

"I suppose men are created dumb so woman can always be right." Pansy shrugged again. "Feminism." She muttered, making a fist and raising it temporarily before looking back at her book on the muggle world. "It's kind of wild that muggles have to use cars and such just to get somewhere." Pansy spoke aloud as she flipped a page. The library's atmosphere was calming right now. Not many people were in there, and the sun had already gone down. Rain was now pouring outside, melting all the snow away. Lightening would strike every so often, creating an ominous vibe, and Ophelia actually was enjoying it. She really liked nights like these.

"After all that fighting, and drama, we finally get to a friendship level again, and he has to go and mess it all up with a kiss." Ophelia groaned, letting her head fall face first onto her arm that lay over the desk they sat at. Pansy eyed her, knowing full well the two of them still had their feelings for each other. "It had to have been jealousy, right? He's upset Cormac and I made out and now his toxic masculinity is taking over."

"Boys and their desire to be alpha." Pansy rolled her eyes. "But in all seriousness," she continued, closing her book and leaning forward toward Ophelia, who now was laying on the side of her face, staring over at her. "Maybe you need to talk to him?"

"And say what exactly?"

"I dont know. Whatever you feel." Pansy shrugged. "Maybe he will clue you into why he's been so off this year. Or maybe you find out that he's still madly in love with you." She smirked and Ophelia let out a long groan.

"He's not madly in love with me, Pans. He's Draco. Who could he ever love more than himself?" Ophelia asked in all seriousness and Pansy rose a brow with a smirk.

"Now you're the one acting daft." Pansy scoffed, as the girls stood up, deciding to head in for the remainder of the night. They left the library, and walked down the corridors, heading to the dungeons. Ophelia was about to turn to Pansy, when a swift figure from the right caught her attention. She looked closer, seeing the candlelight flicker and a resemblance of blonde hair reveal itself briefly before two large doors appeared. It was Draco, and he was going into the room of requirement. That stroke her as suspicious, and she definitely wasn't going to back down on her curiosity.

"I'll meet you in our room later." She suddenly said to Pansy, as Pansy turned to her, confused.

"Why? Going to meet up with McLaggen, are we?" She joked and Ophelia shuddered at the thought.

"Just need to take a little walk by myself. Clear my thoughts and whatnot." Ophelia shrugged, as the doors to the room faded away just after Draco had entered.

"Alright. Be safe. Use a condom." She smirked, before hurrying off. Ophelia stared down the hallway and walked forward the the bare wall. She knew how to get the room to appear and so she convinced her mind that she desperately needed in. When the doors revealed themselves, she walked in, not knowing what she'd be getting herself into. At first glance, the place was nothing like last year. It now was practically a storage room of sorts, and was somewhat disheartening as she had a lot of memories from Dumbledore's Army and their training they did.

"Right there," Draco's voice spoke up from the darkness, as he walked into the light from the candle above him. "That's where you stood when Umbridge took down that wall." He told her and she looked around, realizing he was right. "I'll never forget the look on your face when you saw me. It was comical, yet gut wrenching all at once."

"What're you doing in here?" She asked, completely disregarding his prior statements.

"What're you?" He cocked his head to the left slightly, with a smirk.

"I asked you first." She stood her ground, crossing her arms over her chest in a huff. "And I think you know I'm here because I saw you come in."

"So you were following me?"

"No. I was— passing by. And the coincidence arose by itself." She insisted.

"Sure it did." He nodded, glancing down at his shoes with a slight chuckle. "I come here to get a break."

"A break?" She too, could use one right about now.

"From everyone. Everything. It's been a great place to hide away from the world." She loosened her posture at this statement, as she needed to let go of her constant interrogation of the boy.

"From me?" She seemed convinced, and he laughed once again.

"Is that all you were wondering? Why I spend time by myself?" He really needed her to leave, but he couldn't raise any red flags on to what his true intentions were within this room.

"I suppose so." She felt foolish, wishing she had just followed Pansy back to their room. But then she'd have continued to wonder what Draco was lurking around for. "Did you receive an invite to Slughorn's dinner party?" She decided to abruptly ask.

"I've been, uh, slacking in the potions department." He felt slightly embarrassed about that, being that he usually was an excellent student. This year, school just felt like a waste. He knew what the end of the year would entail. "Did you?"

"I did." She beamed, a bit proud of herself. "As did Blaise."

"Ah, of course Zabini managed to get in." He mocked, stepping closer to her. "I'm glad you're doing so well."

"Why are you being so weird?"

"Just in a good mood, I guess." He lied. He just wanted her to go to bed so he can do what needed to be done.

"Well, alright then. I'll leave you to your thoughts, I guess?" She shrugged, beginning to walk away, when his hand caught her by the shoulder.

"I'm sorry. I just need some time to think and stuff." He managed to explain, in a way. She nodded.

"I get it." And with that, she walked out, heading back to her dorm.