Your still mine D.M

Unfinished Business~Chapter 4

Avery POV

The tension of the day clung to me as I stepped out into the courtyard after Transfiguration. The cool October breeze was a welcome relief against my heated skin, but it did little to calm the storm that had been brewing inside me since Draco's words in class. I let out a frustrated breath, my mind swirling with a thousand different emotions I couldn't quite name.

Pansy was walking beside me, her usual chatter mercifully absent. She glanced at me now and then, clearly aware of my mood but choosing not to comment, for which I was grateful. The last thing I needed was her prying questions.

We reached a quiet spot by the edge of the courtyard, where a large oak tree offered a bit of privacy. I leaned against the trunk, crossing my arms as I stared out at the distant hills, my thoughts still tangled in the mess Draco had stirred up.

"How long are you going to let him get to you?" Pansy finally asked, breaking the silence. Her voice was calm, almost detached, but there was an undercurrent of concern.

I shot her a sideways glance, resisting the urge to snap. "I'm not letting him get to me."

"Sure," she said, raising an eyebrow. "That's why you've been brooding since lunch."

I sighed, rubbing a hand over my face. "I don't know, Pansy. It's just... complicated."

"Is it?" she asked, leaning against the tree beside me. "You two were friends. You had a falling out. You left. Now you're back. Sounds pretty simple to me."

"It's not that simple," I muttered, kicking at the dirt beneath my feet. "It's never that simple with Draco."

She studied me for a moment, her eyes narrowing slightly as if she was trying to piece something together. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but I'm just saying—if you don't deal with whatever happened between you two, it's going to keep haunting you."

I clenched my jaw, her words hitting closer to home than I wanted to admit. The problem was, I didn't even know how to begin dealing with it. There was so much between Draco and me, so much history, so many things left unsaid. It wasn't something I could just brush off.

Before I could respond, a shadow fell across us, and I looked up to see Blaise Zabini strolling over, his usual lazy grin plastered on his face. He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his robes, giving us a casual nod.

"Ladies," he greeted, his gaze flicking between me and Pansy. "Mind if I join you?"

Pansy rolled her eyes but didn't protest, while I gave him a tight smile. Blaise was one of Draco's closest friends, which meant he was part of the same circle of chaos I was trying to avoid. But he was also sharp, observant in a way that made me wary.

"What's with the gloomy faces?" he asked, leaning against the tree with an exaggerated sigh. "You'd think someone died."

I shook my head, not in the mood for his teasing. "Just thinking."

"Ah," Blaise said, nodding sagely. "That dangerous pastime."

Pansy snorted, and I couldn't help but crack a small smile despite myself. Blaise had that effect—he could make light of almost anything, a talent I sometimes envied.

"Speaking of dangerous pastimes," he continued, his tone taking on a more serious edge, "Draco's been in a mood all day. And judging by your expression, Avery, I'm guessing you had something to do with that."

I stiffened, my smile vanishing. "I didn't do anything."

Blaise raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Right. Well, whatever it is between you two, you might want to figure it out sooner rather than later. The tension is starting to get noticeable."