Rivals | D.M

24. The Shambles

Aster's POV

Harper, Blaise and I end up spending our night knuckled down in the musty, warm library. It was a nice quiet, one that reminded me of my father's study at home. The rustling of the textbooks, the flicker of flames from the candles in the centre of the large desks. My father was a scholar, a philosophy researcher. He would forever spend his time studying various theories of magic, many times making a young Aster theorise with him, both of our heads in books and murmuring great declarations and hypothesis.

Once I hit thirteen, my interests started to drift from the academic world. I still prided myself on my studies and I normally came top in most of my classes but I didn't feel that spark of interest in theories and hypothesis anymore. I spent more of my free time with Harper, messing about in Hogsmeade, flirting with boys and girls and sneaking into 18+ concerts. I loved music, I wish the wizarding world embraced muggle music more. At home, our kitchen was always abuzz with music, my mother's favourites mixed with my own. Our father usually holed up in his study, his door shut firmly to keep the drifting notes from disturbing him.

My father always said I had more of my mother's qualities in me, something he had hoped for greatly.

I try to focus on my homework, my writing was starting to get sloppier by the letter, but I had that compelling pulse in my chest I experienced sometimes. It was the wish to be unconfined, mellow and tireless at the same time. I was starting to feel cooped up inside these thick stone walls, my only escape for weeks now had been with Draco, our stolen moments, our forbidden kisses. I needed something else this time.

Harper had her head bowed, her black hair waving at the sides of her cheeks as she scribbled.

"Hey Harper" I whispered across the table.

She holds her finger up and scribbles a few more sentences before she looks up. Her eyes look tired and wary.

"You wanna go see if anyone's playing down at The Shambles tonight?" I mutter, lifting up one eyebrow.

Her own eyebrows raise in curiosity but I see that gleam behind her dark eyes.

"Tonight?"

I nod, "Need to get out of here".

Blaise looks up now, boredom evident in his sharp features.

"We haven't been in a while," he adds.

I give him a malicious grin, grateful that Blaise is in a playful mood.

He rolls his eyes at me, but he smiles before he looks back at his textbook.

"I mean, I need to finish this first but I guess we could get out of here" Harper says, gesturing to her homework laid out in front of her.

"How about I help you?" I ask.

She nods, shuffling over so I can push my chair in next to her.

We all end up helping Harper finish her essay, me proofreading, Blaise flipping back and forth in the textbook. When Harper dots the last i, I twist my torso round to face them both.

"Who's ready to party?" I ask, giving them a huge grin.

Draco's POV

I was finally able to get some work done. I had been distracted by Aster these last few weeks and my school work had fallen off the radar. My father would be furious. Luckily I hadn't missed too much and with a free afternoon I was able to complete a few essays and readings. My eyes were heavy and dry, I could have easily fall asleep at at the table.

The great hall was starting to empty out, students were packing up their books and heading to their common rooms. It was a Friday night, so a few were still hovering out in the courtyard, shielding themselves from the cool air with their robes and scarves.