The Snake| Draco Malfoy

~Year 7~ Slytherin's Finest

We were back on the Hogwarts Express in the same compartment that we'd occupied on our journey home two weeks ago. The difference that those two weeks of winter holiday had made was great. Instead of sitting on Theo's lap, Astoria was now wedged between the wall and Draco on my side of the compartment while Theo was seated grumpily across from her by himself. I sat between the window and Draco, who had been uncannily silent this entire time.

I glanced at Draco where he sat beside me, thinking he might return the look, but his eyes were focused out the window beyond me. I sighed, everyone was being uncharacteristically silent. And I really wanted to know what had happened between Theo and Astoria.

"So," I begin. "How was...the break?"

Astoria slumped against her seat, arms crossed as her and Theo met gazes.

Theo was the first to speak. "Good, I had fun. Too bad I wasn't around. We'd probably spend holidays together and stuff now." I knew he was referring to the fact that he was a Death Eaters son, just like Draco. He was probably right. If he hadn't been off in Paris with Astoria he would've most definitely come with his father to the manor. "Yours?"

I opened my mouth to answer but Astoria beat me to it.

"Hers was fine."

"You don't know that." Theo said.

"Oh, so now you're going after her." Her brow was raised and her tone accusing.

"No!" Theo sat up straight. "She spends all her holidays with Mal, I just want to know what they do!" He scrunched his nose over at Draco, who didn't appear to have heard him.

"I'm sure it was boring. Mal sucks. No one likes Mal. Rae loves me more than Mal—" Astoria exclaims with a pointed look at Theo. I had a feeling she wasn't talking about Draco anymore, and instead the boy across from her.

"You know, I can hear you.," Draco droned, leaning his head back against the seat as he closed his eyes. "I'd prefer not to be here, and I only am because of her." He tilted his head in my direction and kept it there, the weight of his shoulder pressing against mine.

For a moment Astoria returned to how she was before. "Because you love her!" Astoria sang. I expected some sort of remark back, but he kept his mouth shut in a simple smirk. When Astoria and Theo began to give me suggestive looks, I quickly looked away and out the window. Draco was the only one who loved me. The only one who ever had, and ever will.

"When's the wedding?" Theo joked. I thought he would stiffen or say a rude remark, but his sly grin only broadened. After a few moments of waiting for a response, I realized that I wasn't going to get one, not now, anyway; Draco had fallen asleep.

He looked calm and peaceful. He deserved sleep. He hadn't been getting much since the rampage of Voldemort, neither of us had.

"Did you guys?" Astoria wiggled her eyebrows.

"What—of course we didn't!" I grumbled, shifting awkwardly in my seat. "What do you all think happens at that Death Eater infested Manor? We nearly died. Do you think we had time to do anything like that?" My face heated up.

"But you have slept with Malfoy." Theo leaned forward.

"Did you at least snog him?" Astoria asked.

"I—" I ran through my mind, trying to remember all that had occurred in those two weeks. I nearly killed myself, nearly died, and the house was destroyed. Not to mention the whole Horcrux thing. "It doesn't matter! What's up with you two!"

"Nothing." Theo said, and he sounded disappointed. "We're..." His eyes darted to Astoria. "just friends." He settles on. Her eyes went wide and her lips were pressed tightly together. She stood abruptly and made for the compartment door.