Of Mice and Snakes

Y/N sighed contently as she walked towards the open middle courtyard resting silently in the black of night. It felt freeing to be in such a commonplace without the usual noise and bustle of students bumbling around. While everyone she'd ever met at her time at Hogwarts went their separate ways across the globe in search of their families for this holiday season, she got to roam around to her heart's content without the feeling of high risk. It felt really good.

The click of her shoes had been colliding noisily against the stone flooring that boxed in the greenery of that peaceful place. She was just about to let her heels feel the change of scenery at the touch of the grass when she was startled by the sudden entrance of an annoyingly familiar voice.

"Merlin's beard, Y/L/N, you're still here?"

She had been very confident that she was finally alone but searched the barren courtyard anyways. Not a single body around. Not in sight, at least. She couldn't even identify a suspicious silhouette to stare wearily at. Then, she heard his voice again. His words carrying a smirk to her lips.

"Certainly, didn't expect to see you scurrying around. Don't you have some small, dark hole you should be getting off too by now?"

She held back her amused laugh. She'd entered one of her favorite past times and the first rule she would always abide by was to do all that she could to hide her genuine reactions from him. Most of them would supply his ego with far too much confidence in how he could affect her. She took her long-awaited step onto the grass slowly, searching for a direction to clue her into the hiding spot of the source of that noise. She needed more.

"You're much more accustomed to living in the dark than I ever was, Malfoy. Or is it not your nature to live in the cast of someone else's shadow?"

A pleased chuckle floated through the air, giving her that direction she had been seeking. She zeroed in on the corner across the greenery. Still, he was holding back. He wasn't going to let her in that quickly, after all, he'd grown quite fond of this past time as well.

She smiled with mocking sweetness, hoping he could see her from wherever he hid and called out with just as much honey dripping in her tone, "C'mon now."

She continued to place her gingered steps toward the corner she'd identified, "You and I both know how much you crave for center stage."

Her path took her to the only object that called that corner home, the large unidentified tree that so many students dubbed their resting place. She pressed her back up against it, listening attentively for a single sound before continuing her taunts, "How much longer do you plan to be a tease?"

"Now, there—" Draco began to articulate from above before smoothly dropping down from the branch he'd been perched upon, "—is a subject I could surprise you in."

On the impact of his feet to the ground, she naturally tried to jump back but was met with failure as her body had already been pressed up against an anchor. Just as naturally, Draco began to chuckle deeply with the pleasure of seeing her stone-cold demeanor fall apart at his doing.

"Ah, so you frighten like a mouse too."

He felt his satisfaction increase as she rolled her eyes at the reference to the pet name he'd bestowed upon her. Ever since their first year at Hogwarts, he'd noticed her ability to move so quietly and unseen for someone who could not so easily be missed. Her very presence always made him take note. How was it that barely anyone else had as well?

It was true that the name had originally grown annoyance within her upon hearing it, but as the years passed, it turned into yet another smile-inspiring act from him that she would have to cover with false narratives. Not that it would matter if anyone could figure out her secret attraction. It was the feeling of toying with him and being toyed with right-back that brought her an exciting air of feeling alive.