Occlumency | Draco Malfoy |

- II -

It was over. The game she had played for the last six years was over, she remembered everytime she felt his stare when she entered a place, or now when he threw her some careless looks over lunch. The first few days she had been waiting for a new encounter, she had prepared herself to be threatend again but nothing happened. 

The only one who noticed the slight changed in Liv was Hermione, they weren't exactly friends like she was with Harry and Ron, they were merely close acquaintances, but even in dark times Hermione's keen sense of perception could see pass her clumsy actions. The study sessions in the library had been suspended by Liv, fearing she could bump into Malfoy on the way there. She had an estrict schedule, leaving the common room only to eat and classes of course. 

She had already finished breakfast but was waiting for someone to get up, so she could tag along. You see, Liv was everyone's acquaintance but no one's friend. From the corner of her eye, she could see how Malfoy had stood up and left the Great Hall. She sighed relieved. 

Everytime she saw Harry, Ron and Hermione talking about something obviously secret she felt like a coward. But she couldn't find it in her to say anything about Malfoy's secret. Many times she had questioned wether she really cared about the whole war thing, she knows she should. She's indeed a muggleborn, but the thing is she has been invisible for so long that maybe her feelings couldn't be perceived anymore. 

In classes she was silent, she was a brilliant student but only talked when asked. She didn't answer any question, although she knew all of them. She was well ahead of all her classmates, except for Hermione of course and usually was asked help for the essays or homeworks, that's how she gained acquaintances but besides being nice and polite there wasn't much of a bond with anyone. 

Blaise Zabini, her partner on potions who usually regarded her with a shallow stare, wasn't there. Instead the tall blonde Malfoy boy stood on his seat, she swallowed hard but kept her pace steady. Liv walked forward to her own seat, trying very hard no to pay attention to this sudden change of plans. 

"I've made a few changes" Slughorn said "I've decided to give a chance to some of you to improve your performance on my class" At least it wasn't something Malfoy had invented to be closer to her. But why her. 

As she had thought he didn't do much, sometimes he seemed out of there. She at least managed to play a plain face but he just wore a sad expression all the time. 

"Oh, I see that you make a great team" Slughorn said after checking on the potion. "You can leave" He then spoke only to Malfoy. 

"A word please, mr. Malfoy"

Liv started to pack her things as fast as she could and head to the library. There was a book she need it and hadn't been able to look because of avoiding him, that wasn't important now seeing as he was going to be her partner until the end of the year. She might as well just accept their awkward tension. 

"Not point in avoiding me anymore" A rusty voice spoke from behind. The narrow aisle between the books covered their otherwise unusual interaction. She turned around slowly as she hid the book in her hands. Her long chocolate hair flowed loose on one side as his cold eyes settled on her own, she frowned and kept a discrete but concentrated starte on him.

"I'm not saying anything. I already told you" 

"That's not what I said" He narrowed his eyes. 

"That's what you're thinking" She whispered and became suddenly surprised "At least what I can see" Liv considered her own words and her short moment of defiant to be rather dreadful. She started to walk away from him, and out of the library. 

"Hey!" He gripped her arm just outside the library "You can just pretend to walk away from a conversation like that" Liv opened her mouth to say something but nothing came along. Draco dragged her through the corridor to a dark corner. 

Draco stood there pointing his grey eyes at her for a few seconds before talking.

"What the fuck was that? Are you a Legilimens?" She swallowed and kept her mouth shut "Who the fuck are you, and who trained you?"

This Gryffindor girl who apparently was nothing at all, was proving to be much more interesting that he had regarded in the beggining. He had thought he had his layered mind under control but obviously there was something wrong.

"Answer me!" He demanded with a firm tone but a low volume.

"I was born that way" Her green eyes turned more obscures than before under her thick lashes "My aunt taught me not to do it all the time..." She looked uncomfortable and ready to run away from him again "Look... I'm sorry I shouldn't have done that"

"Of course you shouldn't. It's bloody rude!" Until now, Draco was proud of just one thing. No one had managed to discover his doings around the castle, no one knows about his mission, no one can ruin it this time, but him.

"Can I go?" She asked shyly.

"Aren't you a muggleborn?" Liv looked surprised that he hand't used the 'mudblood' term "Who is your aunt?"

"Oh, my aunt is a witch too, but she doesn't live here" She hurried to point out.

"What? Afraid I'm going to kill her if you tell me?" He took a step closer to her, a flash of fear could be seen in Liv's eyes. His face suddenly converting into an odd expression, between disgust and confussion. He shook his head.

"Who the fuck are you?" He asked once again "You were born this way? Don't you know you could be a threat to probably everyone who meets you? And you are afraid of me? How-" He shook his head again "Don't you understand the power you have? You don't seem like an ape, you surely must understand what it means"

"I-I" She stuttered "Can I go?" She was trembling with fear.

This girl was incredible.