The Taming of The Viper

Chapter 24: Dimples and Dostoevsky

Wind swept through the corridor, carrying with it stray leaves and the scent of autumn decay. It curled around Draco like a cat at his ankles and left him cursing under his breath as a chill rippled through him. A suit of armor on patrol marched past him for the third time, an infuriating reminder of the minutes he was wasting. It felt puerile, loitering outside of the infirmary, and he wondered if Amicia had felt just as foolish waiting for him. Of course, she was probably far more accustomed to the feeling than he was.

At least this beat being in Potions, where in Amicia's absence, he was forced to partner with Goyle and Imogen, both idiots in their own right. Not to mention it was a hazard simply being in the same room as Potter and Weasley when poisons were involved.

Really, Nolander, how long does it take to get dressed?

Leaning against the wall, Draco let his head fall back against the stone, rattling the long to-do list he kept brooding over. He gazed beyond the arched window frames, finding a sliver of tranquility in the distance. The surface of the Great Lake was still, drenched in liquid sunlight, aspens bordering its shores like a golden ring. Although the air had a frigid bite to it, the sky was a blanket of unsullied blue. Jagged mountain ranges cut across the horizon, encasing the grounds. A sigh escaped him. It would be a shame to waste a day like this in the dungeons, he thought, and when the infirmary door swung open and he heard Amicia's voice thanking the matron, he realised that there were far better ways to spend an afternoon.

Amicia walked in his direction, eyes downcast and her bottom lip in between her teeth, the copy of One Thousand Magical Herbs & Fungi clutched against her chest. Beneath it, Draco recognized the faded logo of the Bulgarian Quidditch team.

As she got closer, he pushed himself off the wall in a languid manner, awaiting her approach. Awaiting the surprise to cross her face when she realised that he'd waited for her, for her to trip over her words as she struggled to thank him while he shrugged it off like he had nothing better to do anyway.

Draco awaited a moment that never came because Amicia breezed past him without so much as a glance, leaving him frozen in her wake.

The subtle beginnings of a smile that had tugged at the corners of his lips ceased as Draco listened to the sound of her footsteps growing farther. A stream of confusion washed over him, paving way to a flood of sour indignation. It felt as if he'd taken a Bludger to the stomach, except usually that wasn't personal. This felt personal.

He had waited.

He had bloody waited for her and this was the thanks he got?

It took three long strides for him to catch up to Amicia, and when he did, Draco seized her by the back of her shirt. He felt her spine go rigid against his knuckles right before she whirled around, bumping straight into him. The Herbology book fell to the floor and pages scattered across the corridor.

A hand flew to her hip, grasping for a wand that wasn't there until recognition dawned on Amicia and she let out an exasperated sigh.

"You menace," she said breathlessly, her dark brows coming together. The troubled expression on her face had been wiped, replaced by a pink-cheeked glower. "What the hell are you doing sneaking up on me like that? Didn't it occur to you that I could possibly be in a very fragile state right now?"

"And here I thought you were perfectly fine ." He couldn't help but smirk as he recited her own words back to her.

They stood nearly nose to nose, Draco's hand still clutching the fabric at the small of her back. He felt the quickened rise and fall of her chest against his own and the grip he had on the worn t-shirt tightened. There was a pressing weight on his forearm. She was leaning away from him, trying to maintain a distance, and he resolved himself to be unmoving in return. If her intention was to ignore him then he was going to make it as difficult as he could.