Merely Misunderstood

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Instead of spending our lunch period in the Great Hall like we usually did, Draco suggested we take a few sandwiches and go down to the shore of the Black Lake.

We found a patch of grass shaded by a large oak tree, and we sat down beneath the branches, leaning against the trunk and staring out at the Black Lake.

We ate our sandwiches in silence, watching as the surface of the water rippled and flowed peacefully, occasionally being stirred by the giant squid that resided beneath the surface.

Draco finished his lunch before I did, and he scooted forward on the grass, laying down on his back and resting his head on my lap, gazing up at me as I continued to eat my sandwich.

I grew uncomfortable with his gaze after a few short minutes, and I stopped eating, choosing to stare at the water instead.

"I still make you uncomfortable?" he asked, his voice soft. "Really?" his tone implied that he was teasing me, but I could tell he was curious, too.

"Well, people tend to find it awkward when someone stares at them while they're eating," I answered in a matter-of-fact tone, shrugging.

Draco chuckled softly, his gaze never leaving my face, and a wave of goosebumps went down my arms at his laugh.

"Is that so?" he inquired lazily, sitting up to face me. He didn't meet my eyes, though; he glanced down at the goosebumps on my arms, and the corners of his lips turned up.

He still didn't look up at me as he took my hand in his, using his free hand to run his fingers up and down my arm, and I was brought back to the night he kissed me last Christmas. I tried not to blush to no avail, but thankfully, he didn't notice as the heat rushed into my face.

I watched his face as he stared down at our hands, held together loosely against the grass. His hair fell into his bright eyes, which were swimming with his thoughts, and I felt like I could almost see what he was thinking. And when he blinked, his dark eyelashes brushed his cheeks, which were slightly flushed as he gently traced my skin with his fingertips.

I reached up and brushed his blonde hair out of his face with my free hand, and finally, he glanced up at me, his eyes suddenly smoldering.

My breath caught in my throat, and my heart started to jump erratically. I could feel my face grow hot, and I thought about looking away, but I couldn't move.

Draco held my gaze for a long moment before his lips turned up in a small smile, and he averted his eyes back to our hands, saying, "How do you feel about me?"

I forced myself to look away from him, biting my lip. He already knew this, didn't he?

"You should be able to tell...." I said with a small shrug, and he looked up at me curiously. "Well, I blush like mad every time you look at me —"

Draco laughed. "That's not what I meant," he said, meeting my eyes.

I stared at him. What else could he mean?

But then I realized he wasn't asking about my feelings for him; he was asking about my opinion on him, or my impression, if you will. He wanted to know how I viewed him, what kind of person I saw him as.

I took a breath, trying to sort out my thoughts. "You're different than I expected," I began, and he fought a smile, looking back down at his hand to continue tracing my skin.

"How so?" he asked, and even though he tried to sound indifferent, I noticed the faint blush that crept into his cheeks.

"You're... sweet. And don't try to argue, because I've seen it myself!"