Always - Welcome to the Wizarding World

Part 22

Somehow, my savior had managed to haul me back to the Slytherin common room and sat me down on the sofa. I sat there in a daze; everything seemed to be sliding about around me. They perched themself next to me and clasped a cold glass into my hands.

"Drink it. It will help, I promise" they instructed me, bringing the glass to my lips. I swallowed the cool water, waiting for something to happen, but I remained in my drunken state. I shrugged, throwing my arms in the air.

"Nothing happened" I slurred. They took the glass from me and put it safely on the floor.

"It will take a while to work" they assured me, then sighed weakly, pressing their fingers into their forehead. "Why did you get drunk, Ray? You're four years underage to drink, anyway, but despite that, its so unlike you to do something this reckless" they questioned me. From their pitch and my slowly calming state, I finally recognized this voice to be male. This concerned me slightly, as I feared that my savior may be Cedric, he might have seen me attack Cho. No, he would be furious with me, there's no way he would be this understanding. Besides, I would recognize his smell. This wasn't him. 

I slouched in my seat. I thought that I might as well tell this boy what happened, he sounded like the type who was prepared to listen to whatever I had to say. Anyway, for some reason, I felt like I could trust him. So I told him, more or less, everything about mine and Cedric's relationship. This boy seemed to sympathize with me and seemed to care that I had been hurt by Cedric.

"Then a few weeks ago, my uncle Severus told me that Cedric didn't want to go to the dance with me, but someone else did" I told him.

"Do you know who that person was?" he asked.

"I had an idea" I informed him. The boy cocked his head as he waited for an answer, his pale skin glinting from the light of the blazing fire. It always seemed to be lit, but I had no idea who ignited the flames. "When I thought about it, Draco Malfoy was the first person that came to mind". The boy nodded. I couldn't see his face too well through my blurred vision, but I think he was smiling. He chuckled lightly, obviously not a fan of Draco. It was quite hard to find someone who was. 

"Really, Malfoy? Why him?" I shrugged.

"I'm not sure, really. He's taken an interest in me ever since we met, which I found kind of weird. He's also been strangely protective over me and really bossy, telling me not to see Cedric! He hardly knows me, who's he to tell me who I can and can't see!" I ranted. The boy nodded again. "Although, I suppose Draco was right about him. I should have listened to him a bit better". 

"Do you still like him though, even after all that?" he quizzed. I sat still, barely capable to think from all the alcohol fuzzing up my brain.

"I don't know. I think Draco is gorgeous, no doubt about it and we have this odd sort of chemistry. I don't know him too well, but I'd like to. He's an intriguing  boy, I think there's a lot more to him than meets the eye" I blurted out. The boy giggled sweetly. He was acting very bizarrely towards me, this boy with no face. Maybe he was the one who bought me the ring for Christmas, maybe he was my admirer. "I don't know if he wanted to take me to the Yule Ball, maybe it was just wishful thinking on my part. Anyway, he can't have been interested because he took Parkinson instead!" I spat. The boy chuckled at me throatily, scratching the back of his neck. "What?" I asked him, still slurring my words.

"Malfoy, he, erm, he ditched Parkinson before the ball even began. I don't know why he asked her out, to be honest. He hates her, it was a stupid idea. Not only is she ridiculously annoying, but she's not exactly a picture to look at either!" the boy told me, laughing under his breath. Good, I thought. I was glad he'd left her there. She did not deserve him. 

"So, you think Malfoy's attractive then?" the boy asked me cheekily. I didn't see why he would care, but I nodded, I did think he was attractive. I really did. I blinked my brown eyes repeatedly, rubbing them harshly to try and clear my vision. My vision cleared a bit and I could have sworn that the hair of the boy sitting face to face with me was a white-blondish color, triggering images of Draco in my mind.  

I leaned forward, pulled the boy's face towards mine and kissed him. This might have been my alcohol influenced thoughts talking, but that kiss was phenomenal. Sparks ignited and exploded in my body and my blood boiled with passion. My head felt lighter than air and his indulgent lips felt so soft against mine. He tasted like peppermint, leaving traces of himself all over my lips. All I wanted to do was touch him and have him touch me. Throughout the ecstasy and passion I was feeling from the kiss, I suddenly realized what I was doing. I was snogging a boy, who was snogging me back, whom I did not recognize and probably would regret kissing in the morning. Remorsefully, I pulled away from him, leaving the boy hanging there, his pink pale lips pouted.

"Sorry. For a second there, I thought you looked like..."

"Draco?" I nodded. He grinned at me. "I do get that a lot" he replied, trying to console me. I chuckled slightly and we sat there awkwardly in silence. I could still feel him, taste him on my lips. If the water the boy had given me hadn't worn away some of the alcohol units inside my body, I probably would have kissed him again. But since I was slightly sobering, my thoughts started to rationalize.

"I should probably go up to bed" I thought out loud. The boy took my hand in his again, his innocent touch sending fire coursing through me.

"Would you like me to help you up the stairs?" he offered kindly. I nodded drowsily and let him lift me up, wrapping my right arm around his shoulders so he could carry me. He carried my limp body all the way up the steps, pushed open my bedroom door with his foot and laid me down tenderly upon my bed, wrapping the silver covers over my shivering body.

"Thank you for helping me with the whole Cho thing. And I am truly sorry, for kissing you, I wasn't thinking clearly" I apologized. He shook his head.

"That's quite all right. And don't worry, I won't tell anyone" he promised.

"About me getting smashed and hitting Cho?" He nodded, sitting down on the end of my bed.

"And that kiss can stay our little secret too, if you like" he teased, winking at me. I stuck my tongue out at him and he beamed. The boy stood up and blew out the candle lights as I snuggled my head into my soft eiderdown pillow.

"Goodnight, Radia" he said. I grinned to myself, my eyes closed. This boy had been so caring and supportive to me tonight, so considerate. Whoever he was, he made me forget entirely about Cedric.

"Goodnight"I replied to him, drifting slowly off to sleep to dream of a boy who made mefeel the same way he did.