Malediction: the love and life of Astoria Malfoy

Chapter Twelve

I made a small laugh, he did the same. We hadn't moved.

I suppose we both finally realized we were in the middle of the walkway/road, and pulled away, regaining our consciousness.

I just had my first kiss. My first kiss, with Draco.

He cleared his throat. He always did when he didn't know what to say. I tucked my hair behind my ear.

"Are you okay? I mean with the whole" -- he motioned to the ground -- "um, ice thing?"

"What? Oh-oh, yeah, yeah. I'm -- yeah." Was that really only a few seconds ago?

He straightened out, I tried to do the same.

We were both quiet for a moment. I looked at the ground, locking my hands behind my back in a little stretch. He drummed his fingers on his thigh, glancing up at me.

"We should probably, um, get back -- "

"Yeah, yes, definitely," he agreed.

"To the um. . . ." Why did I say we should leave? I wanted to stay, I wanted nothing more than for more seconds of what just happened, but the words came out of my mouth before I could stop them.

But then again, I was partially lying to myself. I wanted to stay there, in that moment, without time, other people, myself, or any other possible harming factors tarnishing it, but I was scared.

A whole new, shiny set of fears was just opened within me. Why, why did Draco Malfoy just kiss me? I had no special qualities, no overwhelming attributes to justify such actions.

I was going to mess this up, or he would soon realize that was a mistake. Or maybe I was mistaken. . . .

Afterall, it was just one kiss, right? It didn't mean he actually liked me, you know -- romantically. Maybe he was confused. Yeah. For sure. He was confused -- he didn't mean to imply that he fancied me -- no way.

Or was this all a prank, a joke or something -- would he waste his time on me though?

Then a thought struck my mind like lightning: what if Pansy put him up to this?

That would explain it. Of course, how could I have overlooked it? But there was only one way to a conclusive, concrete answer. I had to ask him, I supposed.

We started walking back toward the castle as my mind tried to make sense of it all. But another variable was thrust into my already teaming thoughts.

My hand was hanging by my side; he took it in his.

It was nice, a nice feeling. I looked at him, he was smiling. Of course he was smiling.

If he was holding my hand, then that for sure supported the idea of a possible romantic interest in me, right?

I let my mind rest for a second. Right. Maybe he actually did. Maybe he actually fancied me.

I definitely fancied him.

* * *

We didn't talk on the way back, but our hands remained intertwined. That's the thing about Draco; the silence wasn't bad or awkward, it was nice. A moment to just be there, without worrying what you're going to say next, or do next.

A moment to just breathe.

We'd made our way down to the dungeons, the passage revealing itself in the bare stone wall, opening up to the Slytherin Common Room.

We both glanced down at our hands, and let go.

"Well, um, goodnight Astoria," he said, backing toward the boy's dormitory.

"Goodnight," I said.