Lyra || Charlie Weasley ||

Whatever you say, troublemaker.

I spot a flash of white-blond hair across the dark empty street - Draco! I hurried towards him, and as he caught sight of me, his usually composed face broke into a relieved sigh. Without a word, Draco breathes, folding me into a fierce hug that I return gratefully. "Oh, thank god you're safe," he murmured. A genuine smile spread across my face. "Same goes for you," I replied.

We pull back and Draco keeps his hands on my shoulders, eyes scanning me critically for any sign of injury. "Do you know what it was like waking up to find out you didn't come back, that my father..." His jaw tightens,

I shake my head, not wanting to rehash those dark memories now. "Let's not talk about it."

Draco nods, glancing over my shoulder. A small smirk curls his lips. "You should get back. Your man is here." I turn to follow his gaze. Charlie stands in the door of Weasley Wizard Wheezes, tension radiating from every corded muscle. I shot him a smile, but instead of a warm response, he merely glared at Draco. "He's not my man," I mutter to Draco, though a thread of yearning shoots through me regardless.

Draco snorts. "Well, then why is he glaring at me like he is?" Draco inquired, shifting his focus back to me. I sighed, "He's been on edge since the Ministry thing," Draco smirks again. "That's good."

Before I can decipher his cryptic tone, Theo meanders up. "Alright, mate?" he asks Draco, clapping him on the back. Draco's eyes glitter.

"Theo, kiss Lyra!"

"What?!" I yelp as Theo shrugs agreeably. He grasps my chin in his hand and presses his lips to mine. I stand rigidly, too shocked to react before he pulls away, grinning.

My wide eyes snap to Draco. "What the hell?"

Draco just smiles placidly back."Calm down. Just wanted your watchdog over there to know you're not his to claim. 'not-your-man' needs to understand that if he thinks he'll have you at the back of his call, he won't," Draco explained with a casual shrug. I glared at him. "What makes you think he even cares?" I asked skeptically.

Draco fixes me with an insistent look. "When he asks what that kiss was about, tell Wealsey you're dating Theo now."

"What?" I scoff. "Why would I do that?"

Theo chuckles and slides his arm around my shoulders, leaning into me casually. "Ah come on, darling. It could be fun to pretend for a bit."

Draco narrows his eyes, wiping the grin off Theo's face. "If you lay so much as a finger on her when she's not putting on a show for the Weasel, I'll curse you into oblivion myself."

Theo holds up his free hand in mock surrender, his other still draped loosely over me. "Okay mate, relax! I'll be a perfect gentleman." His amused smirk doesn't fade though.

I duck out from under Theo's arm and cross my own defiantly. "Well I'm not going along with this nonsense. Telling Charlie I'm with Theo? Honestly." I shake my head. "It's not like he'd even care who I date anyway."

Draco tuts in disagreement. "I'm not so sure about that. Look at him - the way he's glaring daggers at poor Theo here." He tilts his head toward where Charlie stands tense as a coil, watching us. "If there weren't people around, Weasley would have hexed him to pieces already."

My gaze meets Charlie's and my breath catches at the unrestrained fury simmering in those hazel depths. Reluctantly I turn back to Draco.

Just as I open my mouth to retort, a warm voice interrupts. "Draco, honey."

We all turn to see Narcissa Malfoy sweeping toward us, an elegantly gloved hand outstretched to her son. Draco moves to take it with a respectful "Mother."