Aliah Snape (Book 2): Love and War

CHAPTER ONE: The New Year

 A light giggle had caused a pair of  grey eyes lift from the grounds that were barely lit by the moon. From the balcony he could see movements in the shadows, guests that had also taken an escape from the suffocating party inside. He turned his head slightly to the woman that had approached him. Her newly polished nails tapped on the metal barrier, a habit he had learnt that meant she was either bored or was wanting to say something, but to the look on her face, he knew that she was wanting to say something. 

"What is it love?"

"Your mother," she exclaimed, stretching her back to ease the tension in the tight corset dress. "She believes that a  proper woman should only be allowed to have two drinks! TWO!" 

He rolled his eyes and curled his arm around the girls waist, smirking when her caught her hand in his, the silver band scraping against his skin. He pulled her back against his chest and slowly guided them backwards, twirling his fiancé around from the light thumps of the music inside. No words were spoken between the two. She closed her eyes and felt his heartbeat against her back, his breath on her shoulder as he held her in a tight embrace. 

Draco sat up against the headboard and reached over to the left side of the bed. He wiped the sleep from his eyes and pushed back his hair, disappointed that it reality had surface. He pushed the covers back as he swung his legs over the bed. His eyes immediately went to draw of his nightstand. Shaking his head he fell back onto the bed, an arm covering his eyes. 

"It is time to rise Draco," His mother called letting herself in his room. Draco groaned and pushed himself back up to a sitting position. Narcissa folded her arms, a daring look plastered on her face. "It is late morning." 

"Sorry mother," Draco breathed. "Aliah and I were up till the morning,.

Narcissa frowned, pulling the strands of her blonde hair. Draco moved around the room avoiding his mother's disapproving gaze. He knew she eventually left when the door clicked shut and he was left alone with his thoughts.

---------------------------------

It was an easy thing, but he didn't understand why it was  hard task. Lifting his hand, Draco finally tapped on the wooden door.  "Aliah?" He called and ducked his head in the dark room. His lips twitched as the sunlight sneaked through the crack of the windows onto the lump underneath the bed covers. 

Draco tiptoed into the room and carefully pulled the blankets back, catching his laugh at Aliah laying nearly on top of the pillow, her arm and leg hugging it to her body. She buried her head deeper into its softness. Her nose crinkled and her eyebrows scrunched together when the sun met her face. 

Aliah groaned and rolled towards Draco who was shaking her shoulder. Her arms released the pillow and used his body instead. Her hands curled into his shirt, with her head on his chest. Her eyes fluttered open for a second, before closing them once again. "Happy New Year," He smiled and kissed her forehead. 

--------------------

They held hands as they walked through the manor, making their way to the kitchens. Draco took  a breath as they came to a halt at a door opening. They stepped into the room, Aliah staying close to Draco's side.

Lucius narrowed his eyes from reading the Daily Prophet open in his lap. His wife was in the adjacent armchair painting her long fingernails. Narcissa looked up, turned to her husband and returned to her nails. 

"I see that the two of you finally decided to wake up," Lucius said without looking up from his paper.

"Father," Draco bowed his head.