Limerence; Draco Malfoy

Chapter Twenty-Four: Apples

^ Chapters titles accidently go from 21 to 24, there's none missing lol xoxo

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"-And Cedric says I've got a natural talent for quidditch. Says I might even make the team. You should definitely come and see me play if I end up doing so. There's no practice tonight though, so I was kind of wondering if maybe you'd like to-"

There was a bird outside, perched high up on the apple tree. A sparrow, I think.

It was the following morning. Timotheé (the transfer student who I'd become friendly with) and I were stood next to one of the high, arched windows in some cold vacant corridoor. Having a nice chat, as you do. Or at least, Timotheé was chatting - I was mostly just nodding my head every now and then, and letting out the occasional: "Oh, that's so crazy!"

I may have been aware of the distant hum of Timotheés warm voice droning on in the background - like one of those white noise machines - but I just couldn't tune my attention in. My mind had taken a pleasant stroll out of my body.

And all my attention had somehow been grabbed by that bloody little bird nestled high up in the tree...

"-It's the latest model, which means it has the full self-driving capability, interior disco lights and heated seats - seats which err... recline all the way back to make a bed, which can really come in handy-"

A gust of wind suddenly caused the branch to sway; the fragile little creature flapped its wings - once, twice, in protest, before it returned its attention to the singular, green apple which was dangling from the tree branch. It gave a tentative peck of the fruit. And another. And then the wind came blowing back out of nowhere, violently swaying the branch and forcing the bird to take flight.

That lucky thing, I thought. I really could have used a pair of wings myself last night, in retrospect. Or a shotgun.

I'd press it into the space between his eyebrows, right between those judgy, scowling, irritatingly striking blue eyes of his. And I'd watch his clever cocky mask dratically slip from his face as the terror hit him. Scared, Malfoy? I'd smirk, You should be - and you can bet my fingers wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger...

"-Uh...Vi?" A large hand was suddenly being waved in my face, and I was rudely pulled out from imagining my murderous fantasies.

"You okay?" Timotheé reached up and scratched his earlobe, not quite meeting my eye. "You looked sad. And sort of tired if you don't mind me saying."

I did mind very much but I forced myself to smile. The last thing I wanted on this miserable Wednesday morning was to be reminded of my ghost-like appearance. It didn't help that my hair was sticking up like a frizzy bird's nest - the aftermath of a restless night spent tossing and turning.

"I'm fine, honestly. And I'm not tired: this is just what I look like without makeup."

"Oh..." Timotheé scanned my face wistfully before a soft smile broke out. "Well, I still think you look fine. Great. I mean-"

He dipped his head, brown curls falling over his forehead. I eyed him wearily. Forcefully tried to remind myself that skipping pancakes at breakfast to talk with the Hufflepuff boy was worth it in order to avoid you-know-who at the Slytherin table...

"-I was just asking you, did you want to go out tonight?" He looked hopeful, and his expression reminded me of a golden retriever or something. My heart softened, slightly.

"With me? In my Tesla? I'll pick you up after quidditch practice and we can go someplace nice and scenic and I'll bring chocolate coated strawberries. You do like strawberries, don't you? If you don't want strawberries I could bring something else--"