Hateful Love

Chapter Fourteen

NOTE: I do not own any of the ideas or characters expressed in this story (except Cassie Jackson). All of these belong to J.K. Rowling.

~*~

Cassie P.O.V.

          I’m giggling. Like, giggling so hard I can’t even breathe. “Draco,” I gasp, trying to push his hands away from my stomach, which he’s been tickling relentlessly for the past five minutes. I roll away from him, laughing and clutching my stomach, until he finally gives up.

          “I never knew you were ticklish,” Draco smirks, propping himself up on one elbow and blinking against the sun reflecting off the shimmering lake. “You should have told me sooner.”

          I roll my eyes at him, then flip onto my back and moan, “It’s only March, why is it so hot?”

“Go swimming,” he says, gently brushing pine needles out of my hair.

I sit up and look down at him with a grin on my face. Jumping up, I say, “Yeah, let’s go swim!”

“Uh, I was kidding,” he stammers as I pull off my shirt, leaving just a camisole on and shorts. It’s Friday afternoon, so we’ve both changed out of our robes.

I turn back and see Draco sitting up and staring at me. “Well, come on, I know you want to.”

I see him trying to decide, but he must make up his mind because he stands and tugs off his shirt, revealing hardened muscles. I force myself to look away, blushing furiously.
          Draco leaves his jeans on, which is probably a good thing for me. I turn away and run into the water. It splashes up against my legs, and I gasp out, “It’s cold!” I can hear him laughing, but it stills sounds strange to me. It isn’t often that Draco laughs.

I’m so busy standing still and shivering that I don’t realize Draco’s jumped in beside me. I barely have time to shout, “No, don’t!”, before he wraps his arms around my stomach and pulls me under with him.

We both emerge, me spluttering. I glare up at his smirking expression and snap playfully, “I hate you.”

“I don’t think so,” he replies, and I see him notice my uncontrollable shivers. Draco pulls me close against him, and I wrap my arms around him, feeling his bare skin.

The sun beats down on both of us, and we stay enveloped in each other. Draco rubs small circles on my back with so much gentleness, and I suddenly don’t feel so cold anymore.

~*~

If anyone asks what the deal is with me and Draco, I’m not sure what the answer will be. All I know is that I like him, and he likes me. That’s all there is to it. Apparently, this isn’t enough for Katherine.

          “What’s going on with you and Malfoy?” she demands suddenly one morning as we both shovel down fried eggs for breakfast. I look up from my plate to see her watching me curiously. “There’s something up between you two.”

          Nervous, I shakily reply, “I dunno what you mean.” I still haven’t told anyone about Draco and me, even though we’ve been meeting in the Room of Requirement for months now. And this past week, we haven’t exactly been studying in there…at all.

          “You know exactly what I mean,” Katherine says, poking her fork through a small sausage.

          I bite my lip, wanting so badly to tell her. I have to let someone know soon, or I’ll explode. “Look,” I say slowly. “If I tell you, you have to promise not to tell anyone else.”