The Hollow Beneath Hogwarts

43. Jealous Guy

Draco's words hung in the air. Heavy. Ugly. Impossible to take back. He had expected many things. Anger. Embarrassment. Maybe even denial.

What he hadn't expected was the look on Sloane's face.

She had stopped walking entirely.

The bustling corridor suddenly seemed distant around them. Students moved past in groups, laughing and talking on their way to breakfast, but Sloane barely noticed them.

She was too busy staring at Draco.

Not angrily. Not yet. Just... bewildered.

Like she genuinely couldn't understand how he'd reached the conclusion he had.

Draco folded his arms. Part of him already knew he'd messed up. The other part was too stubborn to admit it. "What?" he asked.

A smugness crept into his voice that even he hated the second he heard it. "You didn't think I heard that?"

Sloane blinked. "Heard what?"

"Oh, don't do that." Draco laughed humourlessly. "I heard enough."

His jaw tightened. "I heard you telling Potter that you liked him."

Sloane's eyes widened. Then narrowed. Then widened again.

As she mentally replayed every word she'd said to Harry. Every sentence. Every joke. Every piece of advice. Realisation slowly dawned.

And with it came disbelief. "Oh my stars."

"What?" Draco shrugged. "I wonder what kind of counselling sessions you've been having with him." The bitterness in his voice surprised even him. "Sounds like a pretty good time."

Sloane's face immediately fell. The change was instant. The amusement vanished. The confusion vanished. Everything vanished.

Leaving only hurt. Raw hurt.

Draco felt it immediately.

Because unlike everyone else, Sloane didn't have to speak for him to know exactly what he was feeling. And she knew he felt guilty the second the words left his mouth.

Still...

That didn't stop them hurting.

"Do you at least clean the couch before your next patient?"

The silence that followed was awful. Even Harry and Hermione stopped walking. Hermione looked horrified.

Harry looked like he was deciding whether to punch Draco.

Sloane stared at him. For several seconds she didn't say anything.

Then she laughed. A single humourless laugh.

"You know..." Her voice was quiet. Dangerously quiet. "Jealousy isn't a good look on you."

Draco scoffed immediately. "Jealous?"

The word sounded ridiculous. Impossible.

Except it wasn't. And Sloane knew it. She could feel it. Every bit of it. The insecurity. The possessiveness. The fear. The jealousy. All of it.

"Yes." Her voice sharpened. "You."

Draco opened his mouth. "No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes, you bloody idiot!" The shout echoed down the corridor.

Several students turned to stare. Hermione and Harry moved away further down the hall to give them space. Neither noticed.