A/N: Hi!!! I apologize for disappearing for a month. I have been busy this Summer due to my Internship & I hope this new chapter will make up for my loss. Sending you all lots of love<3
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"Malfoy's going to be your partner???" Hermione gasped and the librarian shushed her while students looked over at our table.
I looked at them apologetically and looked back at Hermione and Luna, who were sitting in front of me, with books on our table. We were supposed to be doing our homework in Alchemy but, Hermione started the conversation and asked what was that scene all about earlier. But more likely, she was concerned about the den I had entered.
"Are you going to be alright?" Luna's brows curled and her lips turned upside down.
My eyes laid back to the book, gazing at the pictures of the people who were prominent in Alchemy. One of the pictures was Nicholas Flamel, that one ghost who was almost headless. Harry has told me about Mr Flamel and about the Philosopher's Stone that he created.
I took a deep breath and let the air escape my mouth then spoke, "I do not know what the future holds but I do hope that I'll be alright as long as that man behaves."
"But as I have just observed," Luna took a book from the pile on our table. "Draco was quite observing you."
"Oh, you mean throwing me another face of disgust behind my back?"
"Like there was curiosity in his eyes."
"Pardon?" Disbelief was evident in my eyes.
"I think he wants to get to know you." Luna smiled innocently.
"Perhaps he may be drawn to her for some reason. I have encountered him looking at you as Luna has mentioned as well." Hermione somehow was beginning to suspect the man's motive. "But I must tell you, you just have to be careful. We just aren't sure of his motives."
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— Draco's POV —
A laugh escaped from Adrian and Theo's mouths after hearing from Blaise about what happened during Potions Class. Pansy was even more interested than the two and she couldn't help but keep asking for more details when in fact Blaise had already told them everything. She would even glance and smirk at me during her conversation with Blaise. I knew that smirk very well. It was the 'I know something's going to happen' smirk. She knew how I hated being given that look, even Blaise, Adrian, and Theo were doing it to tease me. It's like they were forcing me to have feelings for her when what I felt for her was the complete opposite, the same as what she felt towards me. We loathe each other and I do believe that it will stay that way for eternity.
"How did she react?" Pansy asked for the millionth time and it was already irritating me.
We were all sitting around the fireplace in the common room. Most of them were seated on the carpet, covering the cold floor, whilst I was seated on the couch with a book on my lap. All of them have gathered on the floor — led by Blaise, of course, who else would it be — to hear about just what had happened earlier in potions. They enjoy too much gossip.
"You have asked that already, Pans." Daphne laughed. "As Blaise has said, she looked annoyed."
"Hearing it again just happens to be pleasing to my ears." Pansy chuckled. "And who knows that someday Draco would fall first for her."
"All you do is make up your own predictions — that will certainly not happen — just to satisfy yourself." I rolled my eyes and then looked back at the book.
"Shut up, Draco." Pansy glared, which didn't affect me at all. "You do know you somehow display an attraction to her, you just don't notice."
I stood up from the couch, closing the book in my hand, as all of them stared at me. Their stares didn't stop me from leaving. No one uttered a word until my foot took a step on the stairs that led to the entrance door of the common room.
"If only you would realize what you feel, you wouldn't deny it like this, Draco," Daphne yelled.
Lucky I was, that we were the only ones left in the common room at this late hour.
"Believe what you all believe." I scoffed then left the common room to make my way to the Library.
Indeed, supposedly the library was closed at this hour but that was when Dumbledore was still Headmaster of the Institute. Headmistress McGonagall has allowed students to go to the library as long as they have the library pass so that Prefects won't be able to report them.
I grabbed the Library Pass hanging on a rack and made my way out into the dimly lit halls.
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The moon shone brightly above the sky as its image reflected on the Black Lake. There were little waves drawn onto the lake when the wind blew West. It was beautiful. It was as if someone had sprinkled glitter on the lake every evening. I have already done my rounds around the school when the clock strikes 11. Supposedly, I was resting in the common room, doing my homework, and such, but when they started talking about what happened earlier in Potions Class pissed me, claiming that I have drawn an attraction for her. The truth was, in fact, she was quite odd. She gave me this kind of feeling that I hadn't felt before.
I knew it wasn't a feeling that you felt an attraction towards a woman. I knew that feeling because I felt it before when I first met a girl, whom I did not know her name, during the summer of 1991. She was lost around Diagon Alley, and I stayed with her in Forstecue's Ice Cream Parlor until I had just gone back from the loo to wash my hands. She was gone, leaving a small music box she held onto when I found her. I could still remember how beautiful she was. Her beauty matches the beauty of an angel gifted by God. I still would carry the music box she left every time I spent my evenings in the Astronomy tower, longing to see her again.
As I entered the library, greeting the librarian as I showed her the library pass, I saw someone who had fallen asleep. Her head was resting on the opened book whilst there was a stack of books next to her.
It was no other than Riviere.
There were ink stains on her right hand. She was in her pyjamas and her hair was slightly frizzy but tied in a low ponytail. She was mumbling a name, but I could not understand who. Then her eyes slowly drifted open. Her eyelids fluttered to make her vision clear.
"Malfoy?" She yawned, covering her mouth with her fingers. "What are you doing here?" She sounded displeased to see me.
"I could ask you the same thing, Riviere." The same monotone voice was woven as I spoke.
"Are you following me?" She scoffed. Her arm was rested on the backrest of her chair yet her eyes still looked droopy.
"Why would I be following you?" I glared.
"Well, if you truly are not, you would've gone to a different table and not watched me sleep." She rolled her eyes.
She's insufferable.
"I'm just here to tell you that half of your face is covered with ink," I said, again in a monotone voice.
She blushed and hurriedly took her handkerchief out of her pocket and rubbed it on her cheek. Then there she stood up with a scowl on her face as she picked up her homework.
"I do hope you have a wonderful evening, Malfoy." She was annoyed. "Hope you spend time with Peeves lurking behind your back." That was, indeed, a threat. Then there she left, leaving me with the books she never placed back on the shelves.
