in the dark | d malfoy

chapter thirty

after i said goodbye to draco and headed back into the castle, i had a light, warm feeling in my stomach, even though my ears and nose were freezing from the cold. i hurried down to the common room, a smile stuck to my face, and settled into an armchair by the fire, pulling out some charts for divination that i hadn't finished yet.

my brain felt melted as i moved through my homework, letting the fire warm me. my heart was beating five times faster than it should have been, and i had to bite my lip to restrain my lingering grin.

draco malfoy liked me. for real.

not only did he like me, he wanted to get to know me as a person. he cared about someone other than himself, and i felt like the luckiest girl in the world to know it was me.

-

"the quibbler?" i asked, surprise etching my voice. "hm. at least someone's telling your story." i was seated on a bench in the library with harry, ron and hermione, who had just informed me of harry's interview in the quibbler.

"on a separate note, did you hear malfoy talking shit on hagrid this morning?" ron sneered. "i wanted to punch him right in his nose, like hermione did in third year." he snorted with laughter, and a small blush appeared on hermione's cheeks.

i paled a little. "he isn't that bad, is he? maybe you guys just haven't given him a chance." the trio stared at me in utter confusion. harry shook his head. "malfoy is a foul git. i'm not sure how he's gotten you on his good side, but i suggest you stay away from him. he's nothing but bad news."

"hmm." i hummed, turning back to my parchment, and trying to ignore their exchanged glances once i wasn't looking at them. whatever i made the trio believe, i was practically skipping wirh excitement after they left the library and i spotted draco in a corner, alone.

"malfoy," i called, sauntering over to where he was seated, away from any students. he glanced up at me and dropped his book promptly on the ground. "my, katherine, you look absolutely stunning today."

i blushed as he grabbed me under my legs and scooped me onto his lap. "hey!" i struggled to stand up, but he pinned me down with a naughty grin.

"you don't look to bad yourself," i said with a smirk, eyeing his collared shirt under his sweater. he grinned, giving me a small kiss on the collarbone.

"why, thanks, katherine."

"are you ever gonna stop calling me that?" i groaned, propping my feet up on a chair and sliding deeper into draco's lap. he curled an arm around my head, leaving me to snuggle into the crook of his arm. a small smirk was evident on his face. "hmm... nope. you're always gonna be katherine to me, princess."

"i'd almost prefer princess to katherine," i said with a groan, referring to the new nickname draco had begun to call me over the past few days. he grinned broadly. "i'll keep that in mind."

a silence fell over us for a minute while i reached up and played with draco's hair gently. he smiled down at me, making me bite my lip in spite of myself. "how was your day?" i asked softly, and he shrugged. "got a letter from my dad. he just found out pansy and i broke up, and he's pissed about it."

i frowned. "why?"

draco gave me a look. "you know why. he was glad we were together. we'd be a pureblood couple, you know." a sliver of uncomfort edged up my back, and i glanced away. "right."

he grabbed my chin, turning my face back to his. "you know i don't want pansy, right?" his eyes gazed into mine, as his hand held my face in place. i nodded, and he relaxed his grip, running his thumb down my jawline. "you're stunning, katherine. pansy looks like a pug. i'd pick you a thousand times over her." i frowned again. "that's not saying much. you know you can't choose me in the end."

he frowned too, letting his hand drop from my face. "i don't care. you're mine right now."

he leaned in, kissing me gently on the lips, and i returned it enthusiastically. he broke the kiss quickly, and i snuggled deeper into his arms. he didn't like to kiss too much in public, even in excluded places. if word of our relationship got out, his parents would kill him.

"what are your plans for tonight?" he asked me suddenly, and i shrugged. "i dunno. why?"

he smirked. "there's a party in the slytherin common room. you could come, if you want. none of them will snitch on us." i frowned. "but what if they do? i just got you for real, draco. i don't want to lose you."

he kissed the top of my nose, making me blush. "don't worry about it, katherine. i promise it'll be fine. it'll be so fun! come."

"all right, then." i said with a grin, and draco leaned in again, kissing me harder against my lips. his tongue swiped on my bottom lip, and i granted him access, letting his taste enter my mouth as our lips clashed together. i kissed him desperately, and when he let go, he kissed me again, softly, before lifting me off his lap. "you've got-," he began, and i gasped as he brushed some feathers off my ass.

"you're not allowed to touch my ass, draco. that's reserved for my boyfriend," i teased.

"close enough." his eyes were blazing with a new emotion i hadn't recognized a ton on him, and my cheeks blazed. "but not quite there." i told him, and he scowled, leaning forward to whisper in my ear.

"you're gonna hate that you played hard to get for so long, katherine. once you're mine, i'm gonna leave marks all over your body. i'm gonna claim you so everyone knows you're mine." my legs wobbled as his breath hit my ears, his voice husky.

"see you at the party, princess," he called, and i stared after him, my cheeks bright red.