Doe (#Wattys2016)

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Weeks passed. In between, Lord Lurie tried to persuade her to apologise to her father. She refused. Yet, he didn't send her away, instead he only dismissed her disgruntled and again she was left in limbo.

The limbo was stretched out into the hot summer. The days were cloudless and breathless, clothes and hair clung to skin while beads of sweat bejewelled tanning skin. Lessons were postponed for three week holiday because of the heat. This had never happened before, but they were all grateful. Francis spent every morning in bed with windows wide open, the birdsong and insect noise the background music to her doze. Lunch would come in with Draco. He remained cool, skin as pale as ever even with all the afternoons they spent outside in the sun.

They moved to the beach for the last week of the holiday. They slept around the campfire and spent all day in the sea and exploring the caves. Francis and Doe loved every minute of it. The beach was Francis' favourite place in the whole world. She felt confused to think it might be her last chance to see it and yet Lord Lurie seemed also to be holding her there.

She rolled the grains of sand in small circles on Draco's skin, watching the bending of his fair hair under the pressure. She dragged the sediment through a drop of seawater, tracing the water along a blue artery. The sand heated her belly and chest; she could feel the tightness of it drying in her hair. Lazily she smiled as she listened to the conversation over her head. Tim had finally found himself an admirer in a girl called Blanche de Lacy, which Draco and Kitty found highly amusing.

"You have to invite her here." Kitty begged.

"No. I don't even know what she's-"

"Thinking?" Draco asked lazily.

Kitty laughed.

"What she's wanting from me." Tim concluded.

Kitty giggled.

"She obviously wants to court you," Francis yawned, "Maybe even marry you."

"No way." Tim shook his head.

"She must see you like that, Tim." Doe said.

"I'm not ready to get married. Plus she's too young too."

"Not too young really. The same age as you. Seventeen. And that's not too young for sex."

"Kitty!"

"Kitty," Draco warned gently as Francis cried with laughter.

Tim looked away.

"In any case, she'll want to come over." Kitty told him, "I can't wait to meet your lady friend."

"Lady friend?" Tim spluttered.

"Hopefully, this is just a moment of madness and she actually does possess some self respect." Draco said.

"Draco!" Francis lightly smacked him, "Of course she does. Tim's a very good catch."

"There you go again, breaking his heart." Draco sighed.

"Sorry Tim." She winked at the flushed boy.