[1] Gasoline ✗ Draco Malfoy

fourteen

Chapter Fourteen;

Seohyun was surprised how she and Draco were slowly interacting more.

She enjoyed it, actually. Watching him open up to her, even just slightly, made her feel... strange. There wasn't a word to pinpoint how exactly she felt – nervous and excited all at once, breathless, with small thrills that passed down her spine.

Even still, she wished that he would open up to her fully; and tell her what exactly made him look more and more ill by the day. He wasn't just pale now. His skin had a greyish tinge to it, and it concerned her greatly.

Her thoughts were on the blonde as she trooped down the stairs from the astronomy tower, her art supplies tucked away in the bag she had swung over her shoulder.

She wondered if it was fate that the same boy would round the same corner just as she was, causing them to almost literally run into one another.

"Fancy running into you. Again," he said, smirking.

Seohyun frowned. The expression was half-hearted; it was obvious his heart wasn't into it. His hands remained in his pockets, his shoulders slumped, his eyes not quite meeting her own.

Seohyun licked her lips. "I see you around the seventh floor a lot," she ventured cautiously. "Is this a common habit? There's not much up here apart from Gryffindor and Ravenclaw towers."

"More than just a habit."

"What do you come up here for, then?"

He didn't answer. Butterflies fluttered in Seohyun's stomach as she approached the blonde, barely breathing. It was almost like approaching a frightened animal.

"Draco?" She shifted her grip on her bag. "I thought I told you, you could tell me anything."

He glanced up at her through his lashes. His hands were still in his pockets, his body still folded in on itself.

"Draco," she breathed.

He sighed heavily. "I come up here because I have to."

She blinked.

"That... Draco? If there's anything more, please..."

She was cut off by the sound of several loud, exuberant voices. Seohyun gasped and looked back. People were approaching – and Draco didn't look comfortable with the idea of being spotted.

"Draco!" she whispered fiercely. "Do you have somewhere we can talk?"

He inclined his head, and grabbed her hand. "Follow me."

Seohyun followed him, both of them walking at a brisk pace. Even as they walked, Seohyun glanced down at their hands. He hadn't taken her by the wrist this time, even as he pulled her along. He'd taken her by the hand; even though their fingers weren't laced, but his hand held on to her palm.

Seohyun didn't know what she was expecting – she had been along the seventh floor corridor many times and didn't know any good hideouts. She was even more startled when Draco stopped in front of a blank wall: it was so unexpected, it was like she had walked into the wall herself.

Draco paced in front of the blank wall. Seohyun bounced on the balls of her feet, casting repetitive glances down the corridor where voices were growing louder.

"Seohyun, come on."

Seohyun looked back at the wall and choked, seeing two doors staring right back at her.