A Magic Stronger Than Darkness ~ Book 2: Forever & Always

Chapter 5 ~ (Not) Spilling the Tea

The meeting soon disbanded and I made my way back to Honeydukes. Draco was still gone when I arrived, so I asked a nearby Ravenclaw for the time, wondering if I may have returned to the shop early. He responded that it was two o'clock, taking me off guard. Surely Draco should have been back by now. It had been nearly an hour and a half since we had last seen one another. Worried about what kind of trouble my boyfriend could have got himself into, I headed back outside and started exploring the nearby shops to search for him.

The streets were still bustling with students, but the familiar face of my handsome boyfriend was nowhere to be seen. I meandered aimlessly for fifteen minutes or so, scanning the village for any sign of the Malfoy Heir. Like the birds that usually sat upon the village rooftops, my luck seemed to have flown south for the winter. It wasn't until I came upon a magical shop I had never been inside of, one with interior walls the color of a midnight rose and gothic architecture unlike the other stores in town, that I finally found my boyfriend. There, I ended up peeking into the tinted window and doing a double-take.

Sighing in relief, I identified Draco as the boy currently paying for something at the counter, his back to the window as he conversed with an elderly witch behind the register. I smirked and backed away so that I could stand against the wall beside the door, hoping to surprise him when he walked outside again.

The creaky old door swung open a couple of seconds later, and Draco crossed out into the cool early winter air. Invested in staring at whatever was in his palm, he didn't even notice me standing a foot away from him. When he started to walk away, I reached forward and poked his shoulder. "Hey," I giggled as I startled him, causing the Slytherin Prince to jump in fright.

"Blimey, Veronica, why do you insist on doing that?!" He puffed out exasperatedly when he noticed it was only me, but there was amusement rather than annoyance in his pale gray eyes.

"Because your reactions are quite humorous," I quipped, still laughing lightly.

Draco snorted in reply but smiled anyway. "Here, I bought you something." He announced, changing the subject.

Taking my hand, my boyfriend pressed a small black pouch into the center of my open palm. I cocked my head slightly and started to untie the soft string holding the velvet fabric closed, wondering what could be in the miniature satchel. When the top was unlaced, I turned it over in my hand, causing a tiny metal object to fall out and land on my palm where I had previously been holding the bag. It was a ring. Smiling broadly, I picked it up to examine the piece more closely.

The circlet was an intricate silver band with an oval-shaped moonstone placed in the center, the hue of the stone alternating between pale lavender, silvery pearl, and a soft shade of sapphire depending on how the light hit it.

"Draco...it's beautiful. Thank you, but you didn't have to get me anything." I told him while sliding the ring onto my right middle finger (since that was generally where I wore my rings). Stepping forward, I hugged my boyfriend in appreciation for the gift.

"I know I didn't have to, but I saw that ring and it reminded me of you, my moonlight enchantress... Now, are you ready for our first official date?" He continued, resting his chin on my head and returning the sweet gesture.

I nodded, "Of course I am." I replied. We pulled away from each other after another moment and I grasped his hand, ready to continue our excursion through Hogsmeade.

My boyfriend led me past some more cottages, only stopping once we arrived at Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop. Admittedly, this surprised me because Draco was not exactly the kind of guy to go to places...well...furnished entirely in various shades of pink. Like a true gentleman, he opened the door for me and we stepped inside the cafe together. Draco found us a nice table in the corner, away from too much noise, and he pulled out my chair politely in a silent invitation for me to take a seat. I did as directed, unable to stop a giggle from passing my lips.