Adeleine Potter: The Shifting Shadows, Draco fanfic

Part 23

On my way back from the Astronomy Tower, the night air felt unusually cold against my skin, seeping through my clothes as if trying to reach my bones. The weight of the evening, the unresolved emotions, and the simmering tension with Draco pressed down on me like a heavy blanket. I walked slowly, each step taking me closer to the inevitable confrontation with Pansy and possibly Daphne. The thought alone made me pause, my hand hovering over the door to our dorm. Through the wood, I could already hear their muffled voices, sharp and biting, the kind of argument that would leave no room for peace if I stepped inside.

For a moment, I considered it—just pushing through, facing whatever wrath awaited me. But then I thought of Draco. A part of me yearned to go to him, to seek comfort in his presence, in the way he made me feel earlier at the tower. But that comfort was complicated, and I knew I wasn't the only one who might be seeking it tonight. Daphne would likely find him soon, or perhaps she already had. The thought sent a pang of jealousy through me, sharper than I expected, and I quickly turned away from our door, my decision made.

My feet carried me almost instinctively down the corridor, leading me to a door I had stood before more times than I cared to admit. Mattheo's door. I hesitated, my knuckles hovering just above the wood, but before I could lose my nerve, I knocked. The sound echoed in the quiet hall, and within moments, the door swung open, revealing Mattheo standing there, his expression a mix of curiosity and amusement. Lorenzo was just leaving, his gaze sliding over me with a silent nod before he disappeared down the hallway.

Mattheo leaned against the doorframe, his dark eyes sweeping over me slowly, deliberately. "What's up?" he asked, his voice carrying that familiar mix of teasing and something darker that always made my heart skip a beat.

"I..." I hesitated, suddenly feeling foolish. But there was no going back now. "Can I come in?"

He didn't move from the doorway, just raised an eyebrow at me, his lips curving into a smirk. "Can you? Seems like you already made that decision," he said, stepping aside just enough to let me pass.

I brushed past him, feeling the heat of his gaze on my back as I entered the room. It was dimly lit, shadows dancing on the walls, adding to the feeling that I had crossed into a space where the usual rules didn't apply.

"Pansy kicked me out," I admitted, trying to sound nonchalant, but the vulnerability in my voice betrayed me.

Mattheo chuckled, the sound low and almost predatory. "And you decided to come here? Interesting choice, Adeleine." He closed the door behind me, the click of the latch sounding final, like there was no turning back now.

I crossed my arms, trying to gather some semblance of composure. "Don't look at me like that, Mattheo."

He didn't stop grinning, but there was something softer in his eyes now, something almost... playful. "Why not? It's hard not to when you show up here looking like that," he teased, but there was an edge to his words, a sharpness that made my pulse quicken.

"Because..." I started, but the words died in my throat as he took a step closer, closing the distance between us with that predatory grace he had.

"Because what?" he prompted, his voice a murmur now, so close I could feel the warmth of his breath on my skin.

"Because it's not right," I managed to say, though the conviction in my words was weak, easily overshadowed by the electric tension crackling between us.

"Right," he repeated, as if tasting the word, rolling it over his tongue. "You think about right and wrong too much, Adeleine. Sometimes you just need to feel."

There was a challenge in his voice, one I wasn't sure I was ready to face. But there was also truth in it, a truth that scared me because it resonated too deeply. Before I could overthink it, Mattheo was closer, his hand reaching out to brush a strand of hair away from my face. His touch was light, almost tender, but it sent a shiver down my spine, making me acutely aware of how close we were, of the space between us that was rapidly shrinking.