ALLURING || D.M.

Chapter 16

Hurriedly he took silent steps on the brick floor. Around five thirty, a tall slim figure sneakily flitted to the all-too-familiar-now alcove. That whole day he'd been tense, no apparent reason why. He just knew it was one of those days where it was easier to just stay away until his mood improved.

But unlike himself, he didn't just stay in his room. Idiotically he was not bailing on the healing nonsense, quite the contrary he was heading there with a sack full of medicine.

As he turned a corner, his eyes caught the brown ponytail moving side to side in synch with the cheery steps of Lilianne Lestrange. He almost groaned at her carelessness, there he was trying to not be noticed and the brunette ahead went about without a care in the world. He picked up the pace, arriving just in time with her.

"You could be more discreet" He muttered once inside. "If I act suspicious they have more reason to look" She debated with a smirk, but he was in no mood for that. The brown satchel sat now on the bench, and he turned to leave, exasperated.

"Where are you going?" She asked, confused. "I have stuff to do, I'll be back soon enough" Draco said, no room for discussion. Lilianne merely shrugged, picking up her materials. She was learning to grow used to Draco's attitude, he was sarcastic, arrogant, a little conflicting and often dismissive. But she knew he'd be back.

Despite it all, he had earned her trust that way. He could be a downright arse but ever since she met him, he had not once put her wellbeing at risk. As a matter of fact, unsettling as it was for her, he actually prioritised it over the first-year's.

Much like that day, as he stood with an air of nonchalance, his back casually pressed against the wall as if he had all the time in the world. He observed the children as they walked away. He believed they didn't need to hear his words anymore, they had already grasped what he was about to say. At this point, he felt a quiet sense of assurance, believing that they had understood to keep their traps shut, even without him having to utter a single word.

"Ready to go" She asked, her voice light and content, feeling satisfied with how the day had unfolded. He remained silent, only offering a silent nod before turning to walk away. After a few minutes of walking by his side, she slowed down and glanced at him, a hint of concern in her eyes. "Is something wrong with you?" She asked, her voice softer now, as she noticed the subtle shift in his demeanor.

"No" He answered simply, his tone sharp and brief. But the silence between them only deepened her concern, making her wonder even more, "Anything I can help with?". He let out a frustrated huff, irritation flickering in his eyes. "I just told you no" He reached over, lifted the satchel from her shoulders, and swung it onto his own, a quiet act of both practicality and dismissal. "Let's just get to the common room," he muttered, his tone leaving no room for further discussion.

He walked with a steady pace, his face set in a hard expression, though inside, a storm of frustration churned. She didn't buy it, the tension radiating off him. Not by a long shot was he alright, but she respected his silence, knowing it would be wrong to push him when he clearly didn't want to talk. Yet just as the thought settled in her mind, he abruptly halted, spinning around to face her with a sharp turn. His brows were furrowed, a mix of irritation and something deeper flickering in his gaze.

"You know I never took you for a sappy person" He spoke with a serious expression. "What?" She blinked in confusion, what is he talking about? Was he giving her words back to her?

He sighed, his tone suddenly shifting to something more indifferent, "You guys pulled quite the show yesterday". He shrugged, "That's all I mean". His tone was nonchalant, face calm and unbothered, but there was something about the way his eyes lingered that didn't match the nonchalance in his words. "What show?" The girl asked, a frown forming on her face. She hadn't seen him since the night before, and the last thing she remembered was going up the stairs to sleep after the whole picture thing.