[1] Gasoline ✗ Draco Malfoy

eleven

Chapter Eleven;

Seohyun sometimes wondered why people didn't come up to the Astronomy tower more often.

It was quiet and secluded from the rest of the school: a perfect place to be alone, to escape the hustle and bustle of the castle and just be submerged in the beautiful views Hogwarts had to offer, and feel a sense of freedom as they were so close to the sky. Whenever Seohyun made the trek up to the tower, she instantly felt at peace. She was a part of the world up here, surrounded only by nature and the ever-present breeze. Troubles and stresses were so easily forgotten up here: those things belonged to the normalcy of everyday life.

She was drawing again, once more risking curfew. Seohyun didn't care. It was worth the risk for a few extra minutes of peace and tranquillity she couldn't experience anywhere else in the castle.

She was so engrossed in her work that she didn't hear anyone approach until their footsteps cluttered up the final stairs. She raised her head and blinked, déjà vu flashing over her as, for the second time, Draco wandered up the tower while she was drawing.

This time, however, she wasn't invisible to him. His eyes sought her out almost instantly, as though drawn in by a magnetic pull. Seohyun mustered a gentle smile amidst her surprise.

"Draco?" she murmured, eyes widened.

He inclined his head her way. "Seohyun."

He was frozen on the top of the stairs and for a second, Seohyun was terrified that once again, he would turn and leave before she had the chance to say anything.

"Don't go," she blurted, leaping to her feet.

She couldn't explain why the thought of Draco leaving made her so upset, but it did. They barely had a chance to talk, since they were almost always surrounded by their other friends. This was such an opportune moment. Seohyun did not want it to slip through her fingers like smoke.

But Draco surprised her; he moved forward and, like the last time they met on the Astronomy tower, rested his elbows on the railing. "I wasn't planning on it."

Seohyun grinned to herself and settled herself down once more on the ground.

They didn't speak, coexisting in comfortable silence. Seohyun returned to her drawing, adding some extra shading to the trees. Her tongue protruded slightly from her lips as she worked, the strokes of her pencil as delicate and gentle as the slightest breath of wind.

Unbeknownst to Seohyun, Draco turned his head as she worked. He stared at her, drinking her in, wondering what had so recently changed that he could bear to remain in her presence, even when he had come to the tower so he could be alone. There was something calming about Seohyun Park, something about her that made him feel accepted

"I've seen you drawing before." Seohyun glanced up, only now aware that the blonde was looking at her. "Is it a common pastime?"

Seohyun laughed, brushing her hair behind her ear. She forgot she had charcoal still in her hand, which left a black smudge across her cheek. "I basically live and breathe art," she said, gazing fondly at her drawing. She treasured every piece she made – even if, years later, she'd look back and cringe at some of her earlier artwork. Even then, it was a part of her, and the drawing had meant something to her at the time. It was like documenting a part of herself at different stages of her life, in different environments.

He hesitated. "Would it be fine by you, if I -"

"Saw my art?" Seohyun smiled, turning the pad around. "Of course."

Butterflies fluttered in her stomach as she let Draco view her art. Normally, she didn't mind showing people what she worked on: Luna, Padma, and Hermione had all seen exactly what she could create – even her parents had. But that was after she fell into a comfortable friendship with them. Draco was still virtually a stranger, apart from the few guesses she had made about him.

Seohyun only had the skeleton of Draco's portrait; she didn't have the detail, the depth, to go with it. She didn't know the simple things such as his favourite food, or any of the deeper shading such as his future ambitions to give him form.

Draco's light eyes widened fractionally as he took in her work. "You're quite talented," he said, with his trademark lazy smirk.

Seohyun rolled her eyes and turned the drawing back toward herself. She wondered if it was hard enough to hide her warm cheeks. "Thank you. Art helps me take my mind off things. And so does this place." She gazed out at the grounds fondly. "I've always loved the stars... I don't know. Something about them gives me hope. If they can shine... I can, too."

Her eyes were vivid, sparkling like the very stars she was describing. Draco muttered something under his breath; Seohyun turned back to him, head tilted to the side. "What was that?"

He looked away. "Nothing."

"You can tell me." She paused and, summoning a small bit of bravery, shifted closer and whispered, "You can tell me anything."

Draco didn't meet her eyes; his gaze remained fixated on the stars as he said, "You shine, Seohyun. The teachers have noticed you're as smart as Granger and-" He cut himself off.

Seohyun's heart skipped a beat.

"And what?" she breathed. She was almost breathless in the wait to hear more.

They twisted their bodies so their eyes locked; each of them unblinking, they remained glued in the stare of the other.

He held her gaze evenly; no emotion was betrayed on his face. "You care," he said simply.

The statement was so simple, so profound – they both understood the weight behind those two words. Seohyun sucked in a breath and lay her drawing to one side. You care. Such a simple thing to happen, yet obviously Draco did not experience a lot of it. It was something she had taken for granted in her family and friendships – what must it be like for Draco, if she made such an impact just by caring?

"Draco, please," she begged lowly – she had to hear an answer from him, an actual answer, not just an excuse that he couldn't tell her or anyone – a yes, a no, an 'I'm confused, I'm not sure.' She'd been trying for so long to get an answer out of him and now she had to opportune moment, she was not going to let it fall away and become yet another possibility. "I just want you to tell me you're okay."

He didn't respond instantly. He leaned further over the railing, fingers absently tapping against the black iron.

"I'm not okay," he admitted, in a voice so quiet she almost didn't hear him. "But I can't do anything about that."

"You could," she exclaimed, leaping to her feet and stalking toward him. "If you let me in."

Their breath condensed on the night air, sparkling in the dim light. Their bodies were close, almost touching; it was more intimate than they had ever been and they both knew that, because of the way they had just opened up to each other. It was like taking off a layer of clothing, like a thick jacket – there was still so much to discover, but they could see each other a little more clearly.

"Trust me –" Draco sighed, turning away once again. "You don't want to."