Today is the day before my first day of my fifth year.
Daddy helped me finish packing because Mum had to run out to Diagon Alley to finish my school shopping. She wouldn't let me come with her because all of my clothes were not packed.
Draco flooed over sometime around noon, while I was packing my running gear. He always flooed directly into my room, much to the dismay of our parents. It was a habit we'd picked up when wanting to speak privately.
My daddy was in a bad mood after I shooed him from my room, but I needed to talk to Draco.
I laid down on my bed, waiting for him to join me. His dive into my duvet was impressive.
"Solid 8.5." I judged him, followed by his scoff of disbelief.
"No way, that was a definite 10." He remarked rudely. I shook my head, pursing my lips so I wouldn't smile at his childish antics. No one would believe he was fifteen if they saw him in the states that I did.
Suddenly, he was tickling me. His hands ungracefully ripped into my sides, pulling peels of laughter from my throat as well as protests.
"I'm not stopping until you take it back!" He exclaimed, "Admit that I'm the best diver in all of Great Britain!"
He wasn't just at my sides; his hands were underneath my arms, in between my thighs, and down at the bottom of my feet despite my kicks.
"Never!" I insisted, knowing I was only asking for more trouble. I didn't know how much longer I could hold off: I was laughing so hard.
I was wheezing and coughing as he challenged, "Really?" It wasn't much longer after that.
"Draco...stop it! Draco, I can't breathe!"
"Say it!" He demanded.
The trouble was I couldn't get the words because I'd been laughing so hard. I coughed and frowned at the pain in my cheeks from my wide smile.
"Say it!" He sneered, telling me without words that I couldn't handle anymore pain and I knew it as well as he did. Finally, I wheezed out the words.
"You...are...the best...Draco Malfoy." I heaved a sigh of relief from my weak stomach as he finally took his fingers off of me.
"'Wasn't so hard, was it?" He smirked. It was satisfying to me when I hit him that he flinched. He lay on his side, facing me, and the air in the room shifted. Instead of being playful, Draco was now serious.
"Nothing's going to change between us." He insisted, trying to ease the fears he knew deep down I had.
I could never decide if it was a problem or not that Draco could read me like an open book. He cupped my cheek in his hand and turned my face towards him, as if just one look could reassure me.
"Natalie Rosalynn Smith, you are the only friend I've got. You're not going anywhere, agreed?" I sighed as he asked me the question he already knew the answer to. I scooted closer to him on top of the duvet and snuggled underneath his extended arm, my head resting upon his chest.
"I can hear your heartbeat," I remarked, to which he rolled his eyes. A moment after that his grey eyes grew stormy as he waited for my agreement. "I'm not allowed to run away?" I questioned hopefully, as a joke.
"No." He replied with an edge in his voice, clearly unamused by my attempt to joke with him. I tilted my face so that I was looking downwards upon his blue button down. I was briefly surprised that he wasn't wearing his robes.
"You know I'll always be here," I whispered, as he interlaced our fingers over his stomach.
He helped me finish packing and stayed for dinner. I'm sure he got in trouble with his parents for that. Tomorrow we'll be on the train together though, I'll be off to start another year in unknown territory.
I wonder if I'll finally find out a few of the things I've always wondered. Who are my true friends? Will Draco remain my Draco? Am I the Slytherin princess my parents raised me to be?
I have a feeling that no matter the tricks or lies I inflict upon others, I have a soft spot. That worries me.
