I'm Better Off. You're Better Off.

[[ 18 ]]

Rewritten: 1/15/2021

[Draco]

"So you've been a better version of yourself, since we started this Month deal?" I glowed as we both skipped some rocks across the surface of the Black Lake.

"I guess," she giggled, pulling some hair behind her ear. "according to Star -"

" - she is the smartest out of you guys." I smirked, playfully watching a frown rest over her face. "Kidding, obviously."

"Tell me something," Baie started, sliding some rocks on the edge of the boulder, attempting to line them up as straight as she could. 

"What?" I grinned over at her.

"why didn't we try something like this before?" She questioned, turning from her line of rocks.

"Try to date?" I inquired.

"Yeah, I mean sure - we're putting honest effort into this, right -?" She paused and when I gave her a small smile she continued, " - and it seems we're both happier because of it."

"Sure," I shrugged, passing her some rocks and watched in amusement as she added it to her front line of rocks. "what are you going to do about Potter?"

"Oh," she scoffed, adjusting the new rocks in line with the others. "I still have to seduce him."

I froze.

I felt my face and heart dropped a little.

I wasn't aware she had turned to me when I didn't respond to her statement.

"Aww," she frowned, stepping close to me. "is someone a little intimidated?" she grinned, tugging at the collar of my shirt.

"No." I smirked, shrugging her off. "Look Baie, we started this and it's been fun, but we have an issue, a few actually..."

"...like?" Baie glanced to the Lake and then back up into my eyes with a small shrug, as if she wasn't worried about a single thing in the world. 

I've noticed her demeanor changed when we were together, she was more relaxed and didn't seem to let the stress of school and other priorities get to her.

Our conversations have been pretty random, then they get super personal, and then random again. It was like we were playing that muggle sport, Baseball. From what I understand about it, you're only to tag a player before touching the plate, and it was almost a touch and go situation with us.

We're personal - but if it got too personal we'd both pull away.

"Let me bring up the Potter mission." I stated, as I walked back to the tree that stood behind us but stretched over the shore we had occupied. 

"This again." she groaned, dropping down against the roots beside me. 

"Yes this again." I snapped, glaring over at her. "I understand that it's your mission, but do you have to be so committed to it?"

She grinned in a way that irritated me, but it seemed she found it more ridiculous that I kept bringing it up. To be fair, this is about the fourth time I've brought it up in a week and a half.  

"If I'm not committed Draco, then I'll fail." She pointed out, looking away from me. "Are you scared that I'll fall for him, or something?"

I didn't answer.

I found my breathing a little heavier.

"That's it, isn't it?" Baie grinned, pulling herself from her bottom to her knees and facing me. "What happened to us being in competition to breaking each other hearts?"

My eyes drug themselves from the Black Lake to Baie's gorgeous eyes.

She rose her eyebrows, waiting on an answer.

She sighed when I didn't respond, just held her stare, "Is someone catching real feelings?"

"If someone is, that someone would be you." I pointed out, causing her to drop back against the tree off her knees. Her gaze was glued to the Lake as I spoke, "Face it Baie, your friends are already pointing this shit out. You're in a better mood, you're a better Slytherin, you're holding yourself in a more confident matter than ever before and it's all because of me -"

She bit her lower lip and nodded slowly as I continued.

"- you can't deny it, Baie." I smirked, feeling as if I was winning considering she wasn't responding to anything I was saying, other than the slow nod. "Seriously, we hated each other for five years and something changed this year...so we decided to check it out and when we did, you liked what you found."

Baie's head lowered at this point.

"You actually like me." I pointed out, poking her shoulder.

Her eyes connected with mine, and my smile faded when I noticed her eyes were a little pink. She was almost on the verge of crying, but wasn't quite there.

"Whats this, then?" I asked, wrapping my arm around and pulling her closer, only for her to reject my comfort attempt. "What is it Baie -?"

"- what are we going to do if all that's true?" She barked, rising to her feet and taking a few steps in front of me and rounding back to face me. "Does that mean that one of us will be out there, vulnerable and completely naked, emotionally -" she corrected herself as my eyes lit up a little. "- and the other goes on with their lives just fine?"

I sighed and felt a little out of place as I asked, "Isn't that the point of this?"

Baie paused, just blinking at me.

I rose to my feet as I explained, "The whole idea to this was to out romance the other and then rip the rug out from under them. It was your idea to do it to me to begin with, now that its happening to you - you're not game?"

She bit her lower and looked away.

I got a little choked up to seeing her struggle a little.

"Baie...?" I started, attempting to reach for her hand, but she pulled away.

"As for the Potter mission." She changed the subject, quickly and turned away from me as she spoke. "I'll do what I got to do, and sense this isn't anything but a bet to you - you should absolutely no issues with me dating Potter."

I opened my mouth to speak, but found myself closing it.

She was right.

If this was what we both wanted to do, this heart breaking bet, is it really on us if we end up falling for each other and then breaking each other's hearts?

We choose to do this.

Our pain would be on ourselves, not each other - ish.

I frowned watching her walk away from me and head back to the castle.

"Fuck." I growled, turning back to the Black Lake and lacing my fingers with each other on the back of my head as I let out a frustrated scream. 

I was...Baie was right...feelings were being caught.

She wasn't alone in that.

Goddammit.