𝑈𝑛𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑 ☾ 𝐷𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑜 𝑀𝑎𝑙𝑓𝑜𝑦

The Meetings ☾ 5-05

As I rose from my bed, the sunlight streaming through the window cast a soft light across the room. My dorm-mates' sleeping forms rose and fell with their slow breaths. I quietly got out of bed, and began to get ready for the day. Our trip to Hogsmeade was today, and I wanted to make sure I could remember every second with Draco.

I stood in front of the mirror, smoothing invisible creases from my skirt. I chose a big navy blue sweater, and a black skirt. The skirt went to just before my knee, and I paired it with long white socks and black boots. My hair was done in a little braid, and I smiled as I looked at my reflection. Checking the time and grabbing a coat and gloves, I bolted from my room down the stairs. Davies and Stretton were lounging on the couches, their legs draped over each other's as I blew past.

"Where's the fire, Whitethorn?" Davies asked as I yanked open the common room door.

"Who'd ya get all dressed up for?" Stretton yelled as I ran down the stairs. I wished I had time to flip him off. I absolutely would not be late. Bursting into the calm great hall, everyone looked at me while I ran to the nearest table. A terrified Hufflepuff almost fell off her chair as I grabbed a piece of toast off of the platter in front of her. The few students halted their quiet eating while I ran out of the room. I heard Fred and George chuckle behind me. They could sod off.

Running into the courtyard, my eyes landed on Draco as he stood, leaning against a pillar. He had switched his robe for a black dress coat, some slacks and a t-shirt. His favoured suit was nowhere to be found as his eyes landed on me. Effortlessly handsome, he grinned as I walked toward him.

"Hey Draco." I said, trying to be nonchalant. My cheeks turned pink as he looked me up and down, still grinning.

"Hey." He said quietly. I could feel my stomach twist with the butterflies he gave me with that look. He gently took my hand and we began to make the journey to hogsmeade.

-

We were sitting on a stone wall, overlooking the mountain range. I had a warm mug of tea pressed in between my gloved hands. I took a sip, and the soothing peppermint washed over me. I closed my eyes sighed in relaxation. I always loved the feeling I got after drinking tea.

I opened my eyes and found Draco staring at me. His eyes sparkled with amusement as he smiled softly. I looked down at my tea and blushed. We had talked about hundreds of things while walking through the small town. He had stopped playing Quidditch after his father had worried about too many injuries. I had told him all about the work my father was doing at the Ministry, now that the World Cup had been cancelled. We talked about everything, and I felt like we had known each other forever.

I looked up and returned his soft smile. He looked down at his own mug of tea pressed in his hands.

"Aurora, can I ask you something?" He turned to look at me again, this time his eyes full of hope and curiosity. He set down his tea, freeing his hands to fidget. His face was filled with an expression of worry, as if he feared my answer. I frowned at the idea of Draco being scared of me.

"Of course, anything." I replied placing my hand on his arm after setting down my tea. I noticed now that he was closer than I thought. Our knees were touching as we faced each other, and I could feel the warmth from his arm as it brushed against my own. If we turned both of our heads, we could almost touch noses. His sleeve felt soft underneath my fingers, even through the gloves, and he almost leaned into my touch.

Our eyes met again, and this time his gaze travelled across my face, lingering on my lips. Heat crept higher into my face as I felt his eyes come back to meet my own. My heart was beating faster than before, and I could hear it thumping in my ears. The conversations of other patrons seemed to fade into the background as we stared at each other. His voice broke the silence as my heart continued to pound.