ALLURING || D.M.

Chapter 22

A pillow hit her face in a second. Two weeks had passed since that day in the alcove. A week since the last time she'd encountered the first-years to take care of their injured hands. For they were no longer injured, they had healed due to her attention.

All first and second years were off the hook, yet while the second years had scarred words on top of their hands, the first years she met were unblemished. Lilianne could not help feeling a pang of guilt for them, Draco reminded her, she was being unrealistic, she could only do so much with her time and schoolwork, besides she had already done a lot for them.

At the very least the children she helped were good and healthy, she liked to think a bit of that was because of her. It was a comforting thought

Over the two weeks, examination time approached. She watched his friends bury themselves in books or spend hours just practising one spell that they already mastered as if their futures depended on it, in many ways, they did. OWL's were a serious matter, and the fifth years knew it. Lilianne and her year had regular exams, but that did not mean she was any less stressed.

Monday she opened with Charms, her older friends with written Potions Theory. For that she had locked herself in her dorm with Ariel and Corine, it had been five hours the young fourth years stayed inside their quiet bubble. It was to be expected they'd gotten bored. With being entirely focused on the books in front of them and all.

She had already told them of her relationship with the Malfoy boy. Only them though, it felt they were the only ones she trusted entirely not to tell a soul. She felt a little bad keeping it from Eleonora and Warren, but for them it could be troublesome. Lilianne liked to think it's not because she did not trust them but because it was easier for them that way. Warren wouldn't get hurt and Elli, well truth is she wanted to tell her, but her friends thought otherwise.

They loved their other redhead roommate, but it was clear as day she would not keep something from the Phelps boy. She was head over heels for him, not a passing crush but a deep, extensive yearning that remained even if he didn't notice and even if she never said a word. The girls knew she was forever in a quest to earn his favour and if she was lucky, his affection. The most she'd gotten until now was a hug.

If the situation was as critical as Lilianne said, it was best not to let anything leak and remain quiet. Tichborne thought it was a tad weird keeping it hushed but reasonable considering her friend's home situation, Excelfan was elated, a sucker for secret romance, like the ones in the books. The idea of a hidden love, a forbidden connection. She was all for it.

Lilianne had met up with Malfoy a lot over this past two weeks. She had already become familiar with his presence, his kisses, his touch, she was used to his humour now, that hint of mischief he always seemed to carry. But that did not mean she was sure she felt love, she had never experienced falling in love before so there was nothing to compare it with. What she was certain of, as of now, was that she liked him very, very, very much.

That was actually what earned her a pillow on the face. The satin fabric smacking softly on her focused face. She had been sitting at the edge of her bed, trying to pour all her attention into the textbook, yet her friends had taken a habit of asking her of her rendezvous with Malfoy either when she came back from seeing him or first thing in the morning the next day.

Corine, leaning against her bedpost with a knowing smirk, and Ariel, sitting cross-legged beside her, gave her the same look they always did whenever they wanted a gossip update. The little brunette had ignored them for ten minutes now, adamant on really grasping the illustration in the book. "Just tell us!" Corine said with a knowing smile, Ariel next to her made puppy eyes. Lilianne gasped, grabbing the pillow and throwing it back to them, "Grow up".