Serpent's Veil || Draco Malfoy.

The look of love

Daphne's POV

I'm walking down the hallway after having stood up my date.

I don't think I'm the only one who's done that, so I don't feel too bad.

Besides, feeling bad about things is no longer part of my personality—that's something I left behind with the innocent Daphne from second year who used to write letters to her little sister.

I'm lost in thought when I hear voices coming from Emily's dorm.

I slow down, recognizing Theo's voice immediately.

What the hell is he doing here?

I creep closer, careful to stay out of sight, my heart pounding in my chest—Theo and I hadn't discussed this.

We spent all of yesterday afternoon thinking about how we could keep our relationship a secret.

Are you wondering if you missed a chapter?

Maybe, but we've had to be very careful to avoid being discovered.

I'm not even sure how this happened, but I know I'm very happy.

Not as happy as I thought I'd be if I achieved something like this, but still quite happy.

The only blemish on all of this is Emily.

I can't help but think that I'm betraying her in a way, but it feels so good to have someone who cares about me.

Besides, she's hurt Theo, and I'm just helping him see that there are other people who care about him.

That's why we're seeing each other in secret—we're not official, but I've promised myself that I'll be his first girlfriend, someone's first girlfriend.

That's second on my list of goals; the first is to get a scholarship so I can pursue an artistic career in Sweden.

I've been researching, and I think I have the qualities they're looking for.

Besides having a good voice, I'm not bad at acting, though I think I haven't been practising it much lately.

I've been ignoring Emily for about two weeks, and when I don't ignore her, I can't help but snap at her.

It's like a defence mechanism, but I'm afraid of going too far.

We're talking about Emily Greenleaf, after all.

I've seen how she's terrorized a bunch of people throughout her school years and how she has half of Hogwarts under her thumb.

I lean against the wall just outside the door, holding my breath as I listen.

I know it's wrong, but I have to know what he's saying to her.

The conversation starts off light, but there's an edge to Theo's voice that makes me wary.

"You startled me," Emily says, her voice barely above a whisper.

I can practically see the way she's probably smiling at him, all coy and innocent.

Pathetic.

Theo's response is flirty, teasing, but then his tone shifts.

I hear it in his voice—he's getting serious, and my heart skips a beat for all the wrong reasons.

"Well, I'm not here just to be insufferable," he says. "I need to speak with you."

I press my ear closer, desperate to catch every word.

This isn't how things are supposed to go.

He's supposed to be pulling away from her, not coming to her like this.