Last Words Should Always Be I Love You ~ A Draco Malfoy Love Story

Chapter 10

"That stupid, lumbering giant." Draco muttered to Crabbe and Goyle as they ambled down the grounds to the edge of the Forbidden Forest, which loomed above them like shadows and monsters and the stuff of nightmares. "I can't wait until my father get's that imbecile fired."

But he shut his mouth firmly and quickly when they reached the rest of the class who were clamouring around Hagrid eagerly. The first thing that Draco saw was Genevieve standing next to Granger, Weasley, Longbottom and Potter, and he was filled with a seething rage. He stood stiffly a few feet away, watching Potter and Ron eye her up (they weren't really, but to him it certainly looked like it) and Granger make enthusiastic conversation. They were actually remarkably similar when side by side, with wild, bushy and unteachable hair, large eyes and intriguing faces.

 "Alrigh', settle down now you rowdy bunch!" Hagrid boomed, and everyone fell silent, drawing their eyes away from each other and inclining their heads up to Hagrid's beetle black eyes and thick shroud of beard that smothered the lower part of his face.

Well, everyone apart from Draco. When Hagrid turned around and began blathering on about something Draco didn't care about in any way, shape or form, a constant irritating buzzing noise in the back of his head, Draco fixed his attention on the very interesting (and interested)  form of Genevieve.

Her head was inclined more than everyone else, due to the fact she was at least a head shorter than the rest of the class. Draco personally liked the idea of her being smaller than him, he felt more empowered and controlling. Her long hair touched just past her waist because her head was tilted so much, and the ringlets were tight and wild, but Draco thought that one of the girls in her dormitory had helped to tame it, because the locks of hair were shiny and looked more healthy. It also looked as if it had been brushed. Her face was humble, yet awed, her lips full and slightly parted, eyes sparkling and an entrancing shade of emerald green. Her hands, clean and slender were folded on her lap, and she smiled weakly as Hagrid made a joke that made all of the Gryffindors roar with laughter.

Her skin was as clear as water, blemish free and the colour of washed and pressed silk. Draco longed to reach out his hand and touch her, run his hands in her hair and a thumb over her slender jaw-

Several members of the class shrieked, and Draco whirled around, expecting to see an ogre or something leaving the forest. But there was nothing there.

"Woah there! Calm down!" Hagrid boomed, making frantic gestures with his hands, and the screaming shortly stopped. Hagrid took a deep breath and then a sigh, ruffling his dishevelled hair. "There Thestrals, see? Been known as a bi' of a bad omen, because o' the ol' death thing, but they're 'armless really-"

"The ol' death thing?" Weasley interrupted, curious. "What death thing?"

"Ron, Thestrals can only be seen by people who've witnessed death." Granger said disapprovingly, as if it was common knowledge. Geneveive had not taken her eyes of a certain empty spot in the distance, and Draco noticed her expression was now mildly alarmed.

Hagrid looked around curiously at the class, at the people with shocked faces and grunted slightly. "How many 'o ye can see 'em?"

Potter, Longbottom and one other Slytherin boy sheepishly raised their hands. Draco noticed that Genevieve's hand twitched slightly at her side, but her face stayed solemn and terrified.

Draco kept stealing curious and discrete glances at Genevieve for the rest of the lesson, blushing on the rare occasions he caught her eye.

He wondered curiously as the class finished if Genevieve had ever seen someone die.

~

"You're awfully quiet." Senemare said quietly, leaning across the table and spooning yet another serving of dessert onto her already heaving plate and tugging on one of Genevieve's curls; Genevieve, who had been staring distractedly into her goblet of golden pumpkin juice and wrapping a particularly bouncy curl around her index finger looked up, startled, eyes wide. 

Dark bags had formed under her eyes over the past couple of hours, due to stress, fatigue and the amount of homework they had received from Snape, yet again. Having barely picked at her supper, her distance and vagueness was starting to worry her friends. 

"Quiet?" Genevieve mumbled, scrunching up her nose and pretending to pick at the unknown dessert that lay discarded on her plate with her fingers. "How so?"

"You've not said a word, apart from "Pass the gravy." You're usually buzzing at dinner times." Elissa snapped.

"Has Draco done something to hurt you?" Bizelda asked quickly and furiously. "I'll fight him if he has-"

"As if you could fight Malfoy!" Senemare laughed, and Bizelda mock scowled.

"Draco has done nothing!" Genevieve said defensively, banging a fist on the table and recoiling slightly at the impact. Elissa scoffed harshly. "It's true," Genevieve continued, glaring at her friend for being so cruel. "I've barely spoken to him, he doesn't know I exist-"

"Really?" Elissa teased, glancing in Draco's direction. As she expected, he was already gazing dreamily at Genevieve. "He looks at you like you're the only thing he knows to exist."

Genevieve glanced quickly to her right down the Slytherin table, and sure enough their eyes locked, his silvery grey ones and her Emerald orbs, and they both blushed painfully and looked away sharply. The three other girls laughed at Genevieve. 

 "Just talk to him, why don't you?" Elissa said, leaning to grab another cream puff just as they vanished. "Damn-" She cussed and said a rude word. She heaved a sigh and looked up at Genevieve, who was once again watching Draco admiringly. "Wow. You really like him, don't you?"

"No." Gen snapped, cheekbones flushing scarlet as she bowed her head. Elissa, Bizelda and Senemare each shot each other a look, smirking.

"Listen, I'm not going to force you to, but the sooner it happens, the better. We don't have to see you gaze at him as if he was the only person you've ever loved, and you get a super hot boyfriend."

If it was even possible, Genevieve's cheeks turned even darker. "He is the only person I've ever loved. Other than my father and mother-"

Bizelda spat out her Pumpkin juice all over Genevieve's face. "WHAT?!" She exclaimed in disbelief, and Genevieve wrinkled her nose as rivulets of pumpkin juice poured down her face.

She reached for a napkin and dabbed sheepishly at her skin, glaring at Bizelda.

"I've never loved any other boys. Well, it might not be love now, I just really like him-"

"What do you mean, you've never loved-" Elissa started, but Genevieve interrupted and corrected her to "like", not love. "Fine, liked, any other boys?"

"You seem to be forgetting you are the first people I've ever actually met other than my mother and father." Genevieve said icily. "I thought all men were like my father, or Dumbledore-"

"Dumbledore is dreamy." Senemare joked, and Gen smiled for the first time in hours. It hurt her face.

"Anyways, Draco was the first teenage boy I've ever seen. Which must also be why I like him so much."

"That and the fact he is beautiful." Bizelda teased.

"So," Elissa said, closing the conversation. "Now, it is even more important that we get you guys together!"