Emerald - Draco Malfoy

55

"Put me down, Draco." I yelled to him. 

The loud music thumped throughout the air, the green light flashed throughout the room, people were everywhere. 

"Why?" Draco smiled, spinning us in quick circle. 

"People are looking." I said to him.  

"So, I don't care." Draco quickly spoke. 

"Lies. Put me down, Draco." I demanded. 

He sighed loudly, before softly letting me to the floor. 

I pulled my dress down, as people stared at me. 

I began to grow anxious, as their eyes continued to glare at me. 

I could feel them all looking at me. 

Panic flowed through my body. 

"Oh, God." I ran my hands through my hair, as I quickly walked away from Draco. 

My chest began to tighten, as I moved through the crowd of people. 

"Hey!" Draco grabbed me by my arm. 

"I-I want to go." I choked out.  

The walls felt like they were caving in.  

"Come on, let's step away for a moment." Draco quickly pulled me into his room, and shut the door behind us. 

"Ahhh." I groaned, closing my eyes. 

Calm down, for fucks sake. 

"You look terrified." Draco let out a little chuckle, as he plopped down on his bed. 

"Thanks," I spoke between my heavy breaths, "I need some air."

I opened my eyes, and quickly ran to the window in his room. 

I pushed it open, and took a deep breath of the cool night air. 

I quickly sat on the windowsill, and dangled my legs out. 

I pulled the cigarette from behind my ear, and put it to my lips. 

"You got a light?" I turned to Draco. 

My hands shook with nervously. 

"What is that bloody thing?" Draco questioned, pulling his wand out.  

He casted a small flame from the end of his wand, and lit the cigarette from between my lips. 

"What do you mean?.... it's a cigarette..." I gave him a confused look, as I took long slow drags.  

I could slowly feel the anxiousness leave my body, with every puff I took. 

Draco stared at me blankly. 

"What ever it is... it smells vile." Draco scrunched his nose, as the smell filled the room. 

"You smoke them, obviously.... It helps calm me down." I laughed. 

Draco smiled slightly, as he got up from the bed. 

He walked over to me, and sat next to me on the windowsill. 

"I don't calm you down?" Draco softly spoke. 

His eyes looked sad.  

I couldn't help but notice how Draco looked more weathered this year.  

I wish he would tell me what was going on.

"When you're not calling me a mudblood, I guess you do." I closed my eyes as I took another drag. 

The image of Draco degrading me in front of Snape, played through my mind.

"The memory of that... keeps me up at night, I truly am sorry." Draco wrapped his arm around my shoulders. 

I could feel his sorrowful words hit my chest, and soak into my heart. 

Draco truly sounded apologetic.

"Don't let it weigh down your heart, Draco." I reassured him. 

Draco licked his lips slightly, as he eyes up my cigarette. 

"Can I... try it?"

"I be you 10 Galeons that you'll cough." I raised an eyebrow at him. 

"Deal." Draco winked, as he softly removed the cigarette from between my lips. 

Draco put the cigarette to his lips, and inhaled deeply. 

His eyes got wide. 

Draco began coughing violently. 

He threw the rest of the cigarette out of the window, as he climbed back into his room. 

Draco's eyes grew watery, as he continued to cough. 

"I wasn't done with that!" I laughed, as I came down from the window. 

"That tastes just as terrible as it smells." Draco gaged. 

"Told you, you would cough." I taunted him, as I shut the window. 

"Shut up," Draco finally caught his breath, "you shouldn't have anymore of those vile things."

"There's only one more in the pack." I laughed. 

Draco turned to me, placing his hands on the sides of my arms. 

"No more after that." Draco demanded deeply. 

"I'll try my best, Mr Malfoy." I swallowed hard. 

"Why so tense, Ms Stewart?" Draco questioned. 

I quickly relaxed my body. 

"There's just a lot of people, Draco... a lot of stares.... a lot of thoughts racing through their heads...." I trailed off. 

The feeling began to grow in my body again. 

"Come here, darling." Draco pulled me into a tight hug. 

"It's just a lot at once." I sighed, resting my head on his chest.  

"You need to relax.  Don't worry about them.  Just imagine that it's just us, like at the ball. " Draco soothed my worries with his voice. 

"How?" I asked, looking up at him. 

"Just act, as if they aren't there.  Just dance with me, like no one is watching." Draco kissed my forehead. 

"Are you sure? What if your friends-" Draco quickly hushed me. 

"Shh..." he slightly smiled, "don't worry about them or anything."

I nodded in agreement. 

"Now, let's go back out there... you need a drink, and a good time." Draco took me by the hand, and lead me back out to the party.