I will come back to you

Chapter Eighteen

He quivered in place, forcing out the familiar urge to refute with malice. He was, however, intent to maintain the well-practiced cold mien. Or he could simply just ignore the dear saviour. “Malfoy, can we –”

“Oh, how considerate of you to grace Draco Malfoy with your presence,” Draco said in a slow, sarcastic drawl, shifting in place with a low grunt, forcing a scowl on the face. “a change of heart, Potter?”

It wasn't the easiest of tasks trying to mask his still very present hurt from Potter's earlier words with his usual bouts of sarcasm. But Draco Malfoy was nothing if not obstinate.

“I was –” Potter paused, a brief flicker of regret crossing his features. “I’m not –” He cast a glance around the room with a sigh, fingers fidgeting with a cup in the hand. “well yes, a change of heart.”

Draco cut him off with a raised hand, halting him in his speech, “Out, Potter.” He managed to get away with only a slight tremble to the voice, an arm curled around his abdomen, trying to savour every hint of warmth he could produce. “I want a moment of peace.”

“Draco –” Potter crossed his arms over his chest in a typical closed-off stance and leant on the doorframe, fingers circled around the cup. “can we not fight for five minutes?”

“Oh, the moronic fuck won’t leave,” A soft sigh escaped Draco’s mouth. He didn't want to do this, not now. He had no patience or the inclination to care about what the precious Chosen One wanted. Yet of course, ignoring Potter's presence wasn't an option. The prat wouldn’t grant Draco the privilege. He closed the novel with a curse and placed it on the bedside table. “what?”

“I – can I come in?” He whispered in a soft, uncertain voice, which caused one small, small stutter in Draco’s chest. Quickly stamped down, however, by the frustration at himself for his vain efforts to shun Potter despite all that he was holding against the prat at that moment.  “only for one minute or two–” A small frown creased his forehead. “Of course, I wouldn’t want to waste your precious moment of peace when you’re occupied with your – Lord of the rings?”

“You are wasting my precious moment of peace with your –” A fight-fest with Harry Potter was not a clever idea and it wasn’t worth the trouble. He didn't have the emotional capacity to go through with petty arguments right then, “never mind, come in,” Draco said with a scoff, “what can I do for our saviour?”

“Quit with the saviour nonsense, for one.” Potter whispered with a small snort, pacing over to the bed, his calm composure shifting slightly, “I’m not the saviour or the Chosen One.” A beat. “you can’t rely on The Prophet.”

A corner of Draco’s mouth lifted for a brief second and it caused the brunet to scoff and to quirk a brow, waiting for a retort. “Not fond of cameras on you when you’re out in public?”

“Or the front page of The Prophet.”

“Right,” Draco was, of course, not intent to continue with the conversation. He would rather save the civility for a Kneazel instead of forcing it with Harry Potter who was an insolent, self-righteous prat. “if your two minutes of ruining my moment of peace are over –” Draco flicked two fingers at the door. “Out, now.”

“I wasn’t in your room for an opinion about the Prophet,” Potter said with a soft sigh, carding his fingers through his unruly hair. “you want to be clued in on the artefact, correct?”

“No, you were clear when you said you won’t clue me in on the artefact and your words of choice in our small row were convincing,” Draco was, however, indeed still curious about the artefact. He wasn't going to succumb to his curiosity driven urge to prod though, not after what went down the last time he did. “Insensitive, yet convincing.”