The Darkest Star

Chapter 11: Lyra-Bella Cassiopia Malfoy

This is Jake ^^^ you'll meet him soon 😈

Pueritia Est A Brevis Importuna // Childhood Is A Short Season

I collapsed onto my bed with an exaggerated sigh. I'd just come back from a session with the vanishing cabinet. It wasn't going great and it would probably take most of the year to fix alone. I would ask Dray for help but he was already stressed enough. 

     Groaning loudly I covered my face with a pillow and groaned into it a second time.
     "Would you shut up over there?" Andy called from her bed. I threw the pillow on my head vaguely in the direction of the dark-haired girl. She scoffed and I lifted my head to see the pillow laying on the ground just short of the end of her bed. At least it was the right direction.
     "My life is over if I fail this Andy!" I wailed pulling myself farther onto my bed and burying myself into my pillows and blankets.
     "Bloody hell your so dramatic," she chuckled. I huffed in annoyance and ignored her as I got ready to sleep and climbed back into my bed. I lay in bed reading a cheesy romance, which was really bad, to be honest, and found myself slowly relaxing. Andy finished with sharpening her various weapons before putting them away, tucking her one dagger underneath her pillow ('just in case' she says) and turning out the lights. I put down my book and settled into the soft covers, feeling ready to drift off. That is until...
     "Do you think Draco likes me?" Pansy squeaked from her bed. I sighed,
     "I don't know Pans, ask him." I groaned, not really in the mood for her obsessiveness right now. She reminded me of lavender brown, which is not a good thing.
     "I mean, it's just so hard to tell y'know?" Pansy started, "although I don't see why he wouldn't. I've got everything! I'm pretty, rich, Pureblood, Slytherin, what more could you want?"
     "A personality?" Andy stated monotonously. The right equipment? I thought.
     "I mean Draco's just so perfect! He's gorgeous and-"
     "Oh my god shut the fuck up before I slice your throat open in your sleep!" Andy yelled. Pansy shut up.

     I followed Draco carefully through the school as he rushed to wherever he was going. He had excused himself from our library hideout today and went rushing off again as he had in the common room not too long ago. I followed him through the school and up the stairs. He stopped and I hid around a nearby corner. I watched from a distance as he looked over his shoulder and disappeared into an empty classroom. I waited for him to come out. But he didn't. Five minutes went by. Ten minutes. Fifteen. Out of frustration, I decided to confront him myself instead of waiting and stalked towards the door. I swung it open and froze in my spot. Draco stepped away from the guy he had pinned against the classroom wall. His lips were swollen and his hair was messy, the other boy way the same. I recognized him from Quidditch tryouts, he was a chaser. Jake, I believe? Jake was shirtless while Draco was, thankfully, fully clothed.
     "You can stop staring now unless you'd like to join that is?" Jake spoke jokingly, his steel-blue eyes staring into mine with amusement. I glared at him and turned to Draco.
     "What the fuck?" I yelled at him. He glared back at me,
     "Leave Lyra."
     "Why?"
     "Cause I'm busy!" Draco exclaimed, gesturing between himself and Jake. Jake frowned and put his shirt back on, running his hand through his long brown hair.
     "It's fine," he said. He patted Draco's shoulder, "moods kinda ruined anyway. I'll see you later." Jake left in silence and the tension between Draco and I grew thicker.
     "Thanks a lot, Lyra," Draco hissed, "can't you stay out of my business for once." Draco grabbed his bags from one of the empty seats and shouldered past me. It hurt. Not the shouldering part, but his attitude. Fighting with Dray felt like fighting with half of myself.

     "So I did exactly what you told me not to do," I told Jaiden. Jaiden gave me a disappointed but unsurprised look. Andy was at slughorns party and Draco hasn't talked to me since I ruined his little hookup adventure. I had decided to used the opportunity to spend some time with Jaiden by the black lake.
     "I followed Draco when I got suspicious instead of leaving him alone." Jaiden sighed and shook her head. "Now he's mad at me."
     "I would be too if someone went prying into my business like that."
     "Not helping babe." Jaiden laughed and leaned against me, nuzzling her head in the crook of my neck. I pulled her closer into me by the waist and let my head drop on top of hers. Her hair tickled my neck and I revelled in the feeling of her with me, because who knew how long this would last. Especially if she found out about my dark mark. So far I'd done everything I could to keep her from knowing I'd taken it. She didn't need to worry about that right now.
     "Do you ever think about what would happen to us in the war?" Jaiden asked. Everyday. Just now.
     "Little bit," I lied, "but let's not worry about that right now okay?" I said. I kissed her gently on the forehead and brushed my fingers into her short, soft, bubblegum pink hair. Jaiden hummed happily and curled farther into me if that was even possible. The wind was somewhat chilly but I didn't mind. There was no need for speaking as we sat against the large tree.
    The sounds of an owl screeching brought me out of my lovesick haze. Jaidens owl swooped down and landed onto her now outstretched arm. I removed my arm from her waist as she shifted forward to take off the note around the owl's leg.
     "Hermione is looking for me," Jaiden said while pulling herself to her feet.
     "Granger? Why?" I asked, feeling a bit of my old prejudice kick in as well as a bit of jealousy. Jaiden wasn't a fool, she knew I got jealous easily.
    "Cause we're friends," she said while emphasizing the 'friends'. I rolled my eyes and stood up next to her.
    "Do you have to leave?" She nodded apologetically. I frowned, what could Granger possible have that was more important than me? Jaiden leaned towards me and placed a small, lingering kiss to my lips.
    "Relax Bell, I'm dating you remember? Grangers not my type anyway." I scoffed,
    "Who said I was worried?" Jaiden laughed and kissed my cheek before taking my hand and leading me to the castle.

     I returned to the common room after walking Jaiden down to the library. When I entered I noticed Draco doing homework on one of the couches, frowning at his paper. He looked up and noticed me. I tensed and looked away.
    "I'm sorry Ly," Draco sighed. I smiled and walked past the other students to sit down next to Draco.
     "I'm sorry too," I responded, "but I do think we need to talk." Draco nodded and looked around the common room nervously. Most people were heading to bed but there were still a few lingering students. I took his hand discreetly, a small sign of comfort that neither of us acknowledged.
     "I never said right now, or today, or even this week. But eventually, whenever you're ready."
     "That was oddly sweet," Draco teased. But I could see the grateful glint in his eyes.
     "Well, I am dating a Hufflepuff." We both laughed. It didn't take long for the final few people in the common room to head off, leaving Draco and I alone. We sat in silence for a while and then we talked, and laughed, and just enjoyed ourselves for a moment. We were both so stressed it was nice to have these carefree childish moments together. It felt as though I hadn't been a child for such a long time. Even as a child I had expectations, I had to be the perfect little girl. There was no room for errors or mistakes as a Malfoy. I cherished the rare moments I got to laugh without restraint.
     The common room door opened to then reveal a very drunk Andy. My eyes widened and my eyes brows raised in amusement as she stumbled over to us. Oh dear god.

    In case you didn't read the top of the chapter, the picture is Jake. The quote of this chapter is a small homage to how Lyra said: "...it was nice to have these carefree childish moments together." And how they're childhood ended so quickly.

     -River 🌊