Short Change Hero

Chapter 34: My Stress

Author Note: Hello All!

Smut Warning: The whole second half of this chapter is smut, so please proceed with caution. I don't normally write smut so please review and let me know if it was any good. Haha.

Thanks!

~ Madi

Chapter Thirty-Four

I Need Ya

"Some days,
I just wanna leave the negativity in my head,
I just want relief from my stress,
I just want relief from my stress,

Some days,
I don't wanna see or,
Have a bunch of people to impress,
I just want relief from my stress,

Got my state of mind,
Yeah, walking on that grey line,
Hoping my stress dies,
It's like I hate it but love it at the same time,
Pressure pushing me from all sides,
Insecurities of all kinds, yeah,
I'm a hostage to my own pride..."

My Stress by NF

Saturday November 30th, 1996

In the Halls leading away from the Slytherin Common Room, Half past eleven in the evening

The swift chilled air of the crisp evening twisted from a window that was slightly ajar. Speckled flakes of snow glittered in the muted moons light as Draco started walking away from the Slytherin commons. The sound of his dress shoes softly echoed against the stone flooring while he tightened his already firm grasp upon the familiar burning coin.

With a shaky and uneven breath, Draco started scanning the empty halls slowly with his dimly lit wand lighting his way. With his free hand, Draco reached upwards to rub his eyes in order to see better. The week had not been kind to him.

Each night for hours at a time, he spent rebuilding and working on the vanishing closet that Nott had destroyed for what seemed like no reason. Each time his coin had burned his mark twisted hotly against his skin, the pain almost unbearable at times. After the pain faded each time, Draco reminded himself, 'Better you, than mother...'.

It was rather apparent that the Dark Lord's plans had been pushed forwards even more so by the urgency his aunt Bella now had with fixing the cabinet. The thought made him worry...

With a sharp scuff of his shoe against the ground before he began to ascended the stairs, Draco recalled his thoughts over the week.

As if working on the cabinet hadn't been enough, it had been days since his sinful encounter with Granger in the library. Even when he was able too seek out just a little sleep these past five days, it had always been filled with the know-it-all in every dirty and compromising position his mind could come up with.

Clearing his throat slightly in order to push those thoughts aside for the moment, Draco turned the corner. His cheeks blossoming with warmth that suddenly grew hot, then quickly pulsed under his skin. With that, Draco silently wondered what he would do the next time he ran into Granger. The more time he spent away from seeing her, the more anxious he had become.

With a shuddering shiver, Draco made his way to the room of Requirements while the silence of the castle made him weary. Just when he came close to where the door appeared normally Draco heard a soft snap of some kind of cloth behind him. Instinctively Draco rose his wand and spun on the soles of his shoes. He was met with familiar sharp and hallow features and slicked black shoulder length hair.

"Why are you following me?" Draco sneered softly through his teeth just before the elder Slytherin managed to reach out and grab hold of him. Without another word Draco found himself roughly discarded to lean up against a wall beside a door. Snape then proceeded to open the door without a single word.