"She's the sweetener to his bitter self."
"And maybe he can get her sober."
In which Draco Malfoy falls in love with a muggle-born Ravenclaw who likes to pretend she doesn't have substance issues.
part 1// 6th year AU (ongoing)
//started: july 2020
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JOANNA WAS extremely nervous to enter the doorway to alchemy, because she knew who was waiting. And she knew he wouldn't let her go anywhere without talking and she didn't know how she'd react. Draco was stubborn and got what he wanted, always. So the large classroom with books lining the walls felt daft and tight, closing in on her slowly. The air felt like it was suffocating the young girl as each step made her stomach churn cruelly. Her eyes couldn't break away from the back of Draco's head, but she felt like all the eyes were in fact on her- that people knew. She felt unbelievably vulnerable. There was still enough time to back out and skip, avoid confrontation.
But Joanna knew it was now or never she couldn't push this off like she had on Wednesday. Besides, she did tell herself she'd give him the opportunity to talk- which terrified her because who knew what he would say. So each step she took forward got heavier and heavier, and she felt weighed down.
When Joanna took her seat next to him, his head snapped over at her and he looked shocked. He even sent her a tiny smile which he tried to cover up quick.
"Joanna..."
"I'll let you have your chance after class."
"Okay," for a few moments Draco hovered just hand over hers, trying to decide if he should touch her or not. But he decided against it and went back to staring at his papers; Joanna found herself wishing he'd touched her hand.
Joanna knew this was going to be a long class as she messaged the temple of her head with her fingers. Trying to focus would be her main goal, at least she had a scapegoat if she missed the material. And boy it was the longest class of her life, felt like hours. Draco kept sneaking glances at her or 'accidentally' ghosting his hand against hers. It was pure torture for both of them.
Draco felt like he was going to throw up as he felt under pressure. Her being so close to him was intoxicating because she took over every cranny of his brain. The classroom, even with the teacher lecturing, felt silent. Deafening. He knew after class today it would be his only chance to win her back. But for days he planned what he would try to say to her and suddenly it seemed to fly out of head, he found himself panicking.
The astronomy tower loomed over the rest of Hogwarts, allowing every beautiful sight of the castle to be seen. Joanna stood looking out onto the clear blue sky, watching students run about, and taking in the fresh air. She hadn't been here in years, it felt like more. Draco watched her from a few feet away in admiration. His stomach felt as if it were filled with hundreds of tiny fluttering butterflies; especially each time a breeze blew her hair and the sun sparkled down on her skin. Since the disaster of last night his chest was always filled with an anxiety that suddenly seemed to disappear now that she was here.
