joelle | d.m

54 | less lonely

April, 1995.

The sound of the bathroom door shutting in the hallway was what tore through Draco's slumber.

It took a few moments for him to actually wake up and when he did, he then processed that he was in Joey's bed, in her bedroom, in her flat. He'd spent the night with her and she was still asleep.

Her back was pressed into his front and her cheek rested over the inside of his bicep since he was the big spoon in her small bed. His other hand was beneath the blanket, protectively curved around her waist and holding the pouch of doughy fat on her tummy.

She wasn't wearing any pants, though she was wearing an oversized T-shirt. She'd had a pair of his sweatpants, so he wore that to bed only.

Her arms were draping over the edge of the bed and he was able to feel the subtle movement through her body as she breathed steadily. His head was resting on the pillow and their legs entwined beneath the blankets.

Everything about Joey's life was so fascinating to Draco.

The way she lived in the Muggle World and the things she did when she wasn't at Hogwarts. He also loved the way she introduced him to different foods like dim sum and bubble tea.

He learned so much about the Muggle World through Joey. One of the things she told him was something he didn't know existed. It was that buying secondhand things was much cheaper and they were in very good condition most of the time.

She was really big on smart-spending and he admired her ability to do so. Whenever she bought something, he noticed it was always something she would use. She never bought junk she didn't need. Perhaps she wanted it, though she didn't buy it.

Which was why he bought it for her. Whatever she wanted and needed, he gladly bought for her without her knowledge and surprised her with it later on.

He loved seeing the little glimmer in her eye when he surprised her with it. She'd tell him he didn't have to through the vivacious happiness written across her face, then she'd thank him gratefully after he insisted.

He also respected Joey, Nayun, and Imani so much because they were all still students, yet paid their own bills and had the adult-like responsibilities that most students didn't have—students he knew, anyway.

The whole flat, their car, the food in their fridge, the stuff in the flat—it was all them. They did it on their own and he respected them for it. They worked hard in school and at work, and also balanced their social life.

Even though the three of them were unsure of what they wanted to be in the future, they still worked hard. They were going to make such big, unforgettable, respectable names for themselves—without a doubt.

He wanted to be like them one day. Make his own money to live off of and have his own place. He didn't want to rely on his parents, their connections, and the trust fund he had. He wanted to make more of himself—do something with his already-known name and do more. Accomplish more. But on his own, not with the connections his family had.

Draco surfaced out of his thoughts at the stir of Joey against him. Her bum pressed into him as she shifted in her spot to get comfortable.

She grabbed his hand from her stomach with her eyes closed and laced their fingers together before holding them to her heart. Nuzzling the back of her head more into his lips, she then lost herself in her slumber and he pressed a kiss into her head.

He wanted to let her wake up on her own and when she was content because when he first saw her the day before, she looked so drained and fatigued. The half moons under her eyes had deepened in purple tremendously since he last saw her, which was only two days ago for the lunch date.