Limerence; Draco Malfoy

Chapter Nine: Hide and Seek

Apples and expensive cologne.

That was the very first thing that met my senses. Apples, arrogance, and expensive cologne... I breathed it in deeply, and affirmed it was the reason my thoughts were so foggy.

Someone or something had their arms wrapped tightly around me, and was hugging me from behind. No, not hugging me - trapping me. Despite the burst of panic this delivered, I noted the feel of my feet firmly planted on the floor again, and my shoulders slumped in relief.

I hadn't died then. Not just yet.

My eyes snapped open to reveal a pitch-black room. I completely froze in the embrace of the stranger behind me, my memory from the confusing time jump resurfacing. We'd apparated. I suddenly realized why I couldn't speak: someone had their cold hand pressed tightly over my mouth.

"Lockwood?"

His voice shot out in my right ear in an apprehensive hiss, his cold breath ghosting my skin, and for some reason, I didn't dare try to break free. The teleportation had made my head heavy, and I feared that if I tried to step away I'd go plummeting to the ground, or hit my head on something in this dark, empty space we'd spawned in. And I wasn't in the mood to be humiliated again, thank you very much.

I mumbled into his large hand - "Get off me!" but it came out sounding more like "Mmmmmmphh Mmmm Mmmmm..."

Did he seriously think I'd start screaming? I half wanted to.

His hand suddenly disappeared from my mouth, and he untangled his arms from around my waist, taking a step back to put as much distance between us as possible Once he was no longer too close for comfort, it felt like I could breathe again. My shoulders relaxed and I gave an awkward cough.

"Where are we?"

"We apparated."

No shit Sherlock.

I folded my shivering arms across my chest. "Why?"

"To play hide and seek?" Draco scoffed, and though I couldn't see through the gloom I imagined he had just rolled his eyes. "Why the hell do you think? Blaise was going to see us and-- and I wasn't in the mood." The last part came out in a low string of mutterings.

"Well in that case wave your poxy magic wand or whatever and teleport me back! I want to go to bed!" I tried to search for a pair of blue eyes to glare into, but all that surrounded me was a void of pitch-black darkness. My throat constricted. I needed to escape.

"He'll still be there and he'll see us. I'm walking back to the dungeons since by the time I get back there, the nosy bastard will have gone back to bed." I heard a rustling and felt a gust of cold air hit my face. Draco muttered an impatient spell under his breath "Lumos,"

Suddenly, a dim light revealed the cramped and cluttered cupboard we'd apparated inside of. God knows where we were inside the school, but Draco didn't seem the least bit phased. Instead, he had his eyes fixed on me with their usual degree of mirth; and he proceeded to stare hard at me in darkened thought.

"So... we're going to walk back to the dungeons?" I bit my lip to fight back the angry string of insults that were building up inside; all of this was so damn petty. He must realize that. He must.

Ignoring my question completely, Draco narrowed his eyes for a split second, as though trying to figure something out; I felt my eyes grow wide as his gaze did a quick scan up and down over my appearance, and heat unwillingly crept up the back of my neck.

"Do you mind-" I clipped out angrily, but he interrupted me in his usual arrogant tone.

"-Move out of the way, your standing by the door."