Forever And Always | D.M

Chapter 16

I woke up feeling a bit disoriented, unsure of my whereabouts. It took me a few moments to recall that I had spent the night with Draco. As I attempted to sneak out of bed, I felt his arm around my waist, restraining me. I couldn't help but giggle at his touch.

"Where do you think you're going?" He whispered in my ear.

I responded, trying to appear serious but unable to conceal my grin, "I need to hurry back to my dorm to take a shower and get ready for class."

"Not yet," he said, pulling me back towards him. "Stay here with me for a little while longer."

I turned to face him, seeing the mischievous glint in his eyes. I knew I was going to be late for class, but at that moment, I didn't care. I snuggled up to him, enjoying the warmth of his embrace. For a while, we just lay there, talking and laughing.

•••

I jolted awake to the loud sound of the alarm, indicating that it was already past the time we were supposed to be in class. I groggily looked over at Draco, who was still fast asleep, oblivious to the fact that we were running late. I nudge him, trying to wake him up, but it's no use. He's out cold.

I quickly jump out of bed, feeling a surge of panic wash over me. We can't afford to miss another class. I rush over to the bathroom, trying to get ready as quickly as possible.

I splash water on my face, brush my teeth, and try to style my hair in an acceptable way. I don't have enough time for a shower, so I apply some deodorant and throw on the clothes I wore the day before.

I rush back to the bedroom to try and wake up Draco again, this time shaking him more vigorously. He finally opens his eyes, his voice thick with sleep. "What's wrong?" he croaks. "We slept through our first class, and if we don't hurry up, we'll be late for Potions," I reply, urgency in my voice.

Draco jumps out of bed and quickly scrambles to get ready. He diligently brushes his teeth and throws on some clothes, running a hand through his hair to make himself look presentable. "Let's go," he says as we grab our bags and head out of the room.

As I strolled alongside Draco toward the Potions classroom, I couldn't help but feel a pang of regret for having skipped the Defense Against the Dark Arts class this morning. Draco, however, didn't seem too fazed.

He was walking with his usual swagger, his platinum blonde hair perfectly coiffed, and his robes pristine. Meanwhile, I was struggling to keep up with his brisk pace, my messy brown hair falling into my eyes.

We arrived at the classroom just in time, panting for breath. "Good morning, you two," Slughorn said with a knowing smirk. "Fancy seeing you two together. I must say I didn't expect it."

"Oh, no. Um, we're just friends," I spewed out frantically. Honestly, I wasn't sure if Draco wanted to keep our relationship between us or not.

Draco was finding great amusement in my panic, suppressing his laughter with a few coughs. "It's quite peculiar to see you two together as friends, and if you hadn't noticed, I never suggested anything remotely romantic," Slughorn quipped.

"Right, I'm going inside," Draco said with a mischievous chuckle as he stepped inside.

Embarrassed by my awkward encounter, I sheepishly replied, "Yeah, me too."

Before I could enter, Slughorn raised a hand in objection. "If I may have just one more moment of your time, dear," he interjected. "Go ahead," I replied, shrugging.

He asked me, "Have you received my owl about my renowned Christmas party that is only two weeks away?" His voice was smart as I furrowed my brow in bewilderment.