Rivals | D.M

13. After

Aster's POV

We end up awkwardly lying next to each other, side by side on Draco's tiny bed. Our exasperated pants are the only sound in the empty room. I'm not quite sure how to approach the empty silence, normally we're either at each other's throats or I suppose now, at each other's mouths. I wiggle my toes, the feeling in my legs now returning.

Draco finally moves, pulling his underwear on. I don't feel awkward because of what we have done but purely because I'm not sure how to feel about him. My nerves are still frazzled from the ecstatic feelings that were just released from my body mere minutes ago.

"Well Flint, thanks for the ride" his eyes glint with humour but his body seems tense.

The words hit unexpectedly, but I try and tell myself that's what it was all about.

The pure release of sexual tension. That's all it was.

I calmly pick myself off the bed and gather my clothes. Keeping my back straight and my confidence in tact as I pull my underwear on and zip my jeans up.

Before I can let my female emotions take over, I look up to find Malfoy running his hands through his hair.

"Not too bad Malfoy" I reply, giving him my best smirk. Channeling all the confidence I have left in using those small muscles in my jaw.

He releases his hands from his white hair and grips the back of his neck, his eyes looking me up and down with accomplishment.

I roll my eyes at his surveillance. "You done gawking?" I taunt.

"Mmm, just reliving what we just did all over again Flint" he replies, licking his lips.

I watch his lips, my own mind wandering back to those on my neck. I feel my cheeks flush in response and before I give him more to taunt I collect my wand from the dresser.

"I better go" I say before muttering the unlocking spell and opening the large wooden door.

"See you around Aster" Malfoy calls, giving me a wink before I turn around and head back to the common room. My head spins as I realise what he just said. He called me Aster.

I try and brush my hair with my fingers to smooth out the knots before I see Harper and Blaise. I'm too caught up in my thoughts about Draco that I forget to think of an excuse for my disappearing.

"Girl where you been?" Harper says, her words slurring. Her dark eyes are glassy from the whiskey.

"Umm...bathroom" I quickly snap. I grab a nearby gum drop and shove it in my mouth, my jaw working through the sticky sweet, ultimately easing the tension I've worked up. Why am I worked up? I should be fucking relaxed after what I just did.

She wiggles her eyebrows in response but before she can interrogate me, Blaise pops up from behind her and grabs her shoulders.

"Just overheard Nott say that his parents are ordering him back home tomorrow!" his eyes wide. He squeezes Harper's shoulders before he whispers something in her ear. Her eyes shoot up to the small stairway leading to the dormitories.

I spin round to find Malfoy, hands in his pockets, his Quidditch jumper now switched with a black hoodie.

I don't know if it's the remnants of the fire whiskey in my system or the fact that my brain is still frazzled but it takes me about a minute before I register the look on Harper's face. Her eyes wide, her lips turned up in amusement.

"What?!" I say, also searching Blaise's face for the answer to this obvious humorous situation.

"Where were you?" she says, her eyebrows furrowed.

"Bathroom" I say, my impatience rising.

"With who?" she adds.

"Why would I go to the bathroom with anyone?" I spit out, trying to cover my panic with laughter.

"Well you see, I am increasingly good at observing and knowing the ins and outs of this house and while Malfoy just disappeared with one jumper on, he has returned, just shortly after you, with another on" she deduces. Blaise steps back from behind Harper, his eyes sharp, darting back and forth from myself and Malfoy.

"What has that got to do with me?" I sputter.

"You've been disappearing all afternoon" she adds, her eyes now full of delight.

"I've never had to disclose my whereabouts to you both before, why now?" I retaliate, forgetting to hide the contempt in my tone.

"Forget about it Harper" Blaise mumbles. My stomach drops as I take in his expression, disappointment and weariness in his normally kind eyes. 

My heart feels like it's rattling inside my chest, but I need to distract Harper from this interrogation. She can't find out about Malfoy, I would never hear the end of it.

"What did Blaise say about Nott?" I say, stepping round them both and throwing myself onto the small couch behind them.

I can't bring myself to look at Harper or Blaise, so I instead lean over to grab more gumdrops. The guilt of not telling Harper is already starting to eat up inside me.

"Why is Nott going home?" Harper questions Blaise. I feel the couch sink beside me.

"I don't know. I think it's serious though, he didn't look too pleased" Blaise says beside me.

Silence fills the conversation, the only sounds coming from the excited chatter still evident in the common room. 

I finally brave a glance at Harper, the silence grabbing my attention. Her eyes look so deep in thought and for a quick second I think I see a flash of panic in her features.

After a few more seconds, it's like she snaps back into the present and his eyes blink up into mine.

"Weird" she says, a wide grin now on her pretty face, "I'm gonna get another drink" she says before she skips over to the now-dwindling table of refreshments.

"She's been acting weird lately too" Blaise murmurs.

I look over to find him staring over at her, his eyes soft and his lips in a thin line.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"She has these moments where she goes all quiet and secretive".

I furrow my eyes at his observation. Guilt adds on to more guilt. Have I been so self-involved this week that I haven't noticed my own best friends change in behaviour?

"I haven't even noticed" I whisper, shame pouring out of me.

"Maybe just keep an eye on her? Make sure she's alright?" Blaise presses. I nod in response. "I try and not involve myself with her anymore..." he adds, rather quietly.

"How are you going with it all?" I ask, concerned for my friend.

"Ok, getting used to it," he says simply. I give him a small smile in reply.

While Blaise sips his drink, I search the room for Harper. I find her at the table, chatting to a fourth year, her eyes back to their usual gleaming.

Before I can help myself, my eyes find Malfoy. My heart skips a beat as I take him in, the casual look of the hoodie making him look like a completely different person. His hair is ruffled from earlier and I feel heat rise to my cheeks as I remember my hands running through them just hours before.

"What have you been up to Aster?" Blaise interrupts. I look over at him, he has one eyebrow cocked and he nods his head in the direction of Malfoy. He caught me.

Instead of fretting, I embody my usual confident self.

"Nothing for you to worry about" I say, giving him a smug smile.

Thanks everyone for commenting on the last chapter! I'm so glad you're enjoying the story! I'm going to try my best and update every other day :)