simple

16.

"Is this really, truly, necessary?"
Draco complained as he looked up at the ceiling.

Hera fiddled with his tie.

"Oh, who am I kidding?" she said, blowing a strand of black hair out of her face and looking at the disheveled tie. "Do it yourself. I feel like a 50's housewife doing this anyways."

He rolled his eyes but then beamed down at Hera placing her hands on her hips, all frustrated.

She plopped herself on his armchair.

"Stop looking at me like that! We're doing the whole effortless couple thing, okay? THIS IS EFFORTLESS!"

He arranged his tie and laughed at a sarcastic but clearly heated Hera. He was wearing a dark emerald green sweater, collared shirt and a black tie underneath, and they were both matching with the green. Hera wore the same color on her skirt.

"You're nuts, baby," he said, smiling and shaking his head. "Okay, how's this?"

She didn't know what it was about him today. It wasn't like her to find men this level of attractive.

"Good. It's good. It looks good, I mean."

Draco rejoiced in her mumbling. He knew.

" Take a shot everytime she says 'good',  everyone!" he gestured to a pretend audience in his empty room.

"They're all drunk now!" she sang back, looking around like she was on a talk show. She grinned and stretched out her hands for him. He pulled her out of the chair and their lips joined perfectly.

"Effortless couple thing, you say?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.
"I keep trying to make it happen but we already have it," Hera remarked, shrugging.

"Come on, let's go."
 
                              ~

"Did you see Hera Nostrova walked holding onto Draco Malfoy's elbow today in the hallway?"

" Did you see what they were wearing?"

"Did you hear Malfoy's dating Hera Nostrova?"

" I heard it's an arranged pure-blood marriage..."

"Wait, but did you hear he bought her the Birkin bag? "

"I heard he bought her an island before they even started going out so she would date him!"

" She's a filthy traitor, is what she is, but she's proper hot. "

" I guess two wrongs make a right..."

"They look so good together, all things considered..."

                             -

Hera patted her face dry that night with a small face towel.

"You bought me a what?"
"A fucking island!" echoed a deep voice from her room.
"Well, that's cool! What else?" she said, smiling to herself.
" A couple of the latest brooms, a gold chest, a castle and, if I heard correctly, a part of your family business? Oh and the bag, obviously."

Hera shook her head and went out into her room.

" Did you hear anything about my outfit, though?"
"I'd say everyone unequivocally thought you were ravishing."
" You're such an ass-kisser, Malfoy," she muttered, brushing her long hair in the mirror.
"Everyone was drooling over you, Hera," he cooed. " I mean, look at you!"

Hera blushed. "You sure?"

"Are you joking? Of course! Of course they fucking did! Please tell me you're joking."

"Oh please, I look heaps different with no makeup on," Hera said matter-of-factly. "The fact that I'm letting you see me like this is huge for me."

Draco couldn't believe that she was serious. This was a very surprising side of Hera he was just now getting to see.

He laid in her bed, mouth slightly agape, questioning if the world had gone mad.

"Come," he said. "Sit."

Draco gestured to the bed. Hera joined him and continued to brush her long black locks.

"I cannot convince you of your beauty, Hera. You should know it. But you must know that everyday everyone fucking basks in your simple presence. So stop asking me stupid questions. "

"Okay," she agreed, and laid down beside him, on her side. " But save me the speeches. I'm tired of today."

He put his hand around her and pulled her close. He knew the core of this. As she snuggled her nose into his chest, and sighed, Draco felt like they still had an infinity of things to say to each other. Like he knew her but still had long before he learnt everything about her. It sort of made him happy. She was so interesting, so complex.

"It was a lot, wasn't it?" he asked softly, addressing today.

"Yeah," she admitted plainly. "We've been through worse, though. Much worse."

" I know."

"But I feel so ... drained," she whispered, closing her eyes.

"People will do that to you," he said. " You know I do, all right?"

"You know I do, too," she whispered next to his heart.

Before long, they were fast asleep, together.