a christmas break | draco malfoy - 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐃

13

During the dark and cold night hours, Draco was still on the couch in the common room, his legs crossed and his back supported by a pillow. In his lap was the book Astera had given him. The book his mother had read to him. He was hesitant to open it, scared that it might trigger something in him.

In front of him, he could clearly see the last night he ever heard that story. He remembered it as if it was yesterday. He still felt the warm covers over his body and the way his mother laid there by his side, tugging her knees so she could fit in his small bed. He recalled her scent and her warm hands as they turned the pages of the book. His ears rang as they replayed her voice in his head, her soft hums and small laughs so they wouldn't wake up his father.

With a hard sigh, Draco managed to open up the book, his fingers tracing over the hard cover. Those grey eyes of his raked over the words, his brain having a hard time processing them. His impatience grew and so did his annoyance, noticing how he couldn't remember the last word, not to mention sentence, he read.

"I can't do this." he sighed, closing the book loudly and giving up. He wanted to read it. Oh, how he wished he could and just go back in time.

Astera had made her way around the Ravenclaw common room, on her hands holding a book while she held two in the air with her wand, the pages turning at her will.

"How could that make sense?" she murmured to herself, barely making a sound loud enough to hear. She spoke to herself as she read, noting it all in her head and occasionally on parchment.

As she read quickly through the pages of the different books, she set them down, swinging her hand and flicking her wand, practicing her spells. The one she couldn't get, made her more than mad.

"Alright, just think," she whispered to herself, "Not too hard, though."

Her eyes closed, trying to recall memories. She felt her muscles tense and her brows furrow. An annoyed sound left her mouth as she couldn't do it, dropping her wand on the desk and sitting on the chair, plopping her head on the desk.

As she quietly cursed herself and gave herself threats, a slight knock pushed her up. She flinched, wondering what it was. Her head shot up, hair flying sideways, and she got up, turning on her feet to inspect the sound.

Tap, tap...

Astera looked towards the windows, a small figure standing on the edge on the window. Her feet moved slowly, taking her to the stained glass window. Her eyes focused, noticing a brown owl standing outside, a letter in its beak.

Astera tapped on the window, getting it's attention. The windows of the common room couldn't be opened, so she ran up the stairs to the girl's dormitory, opening the small window near her closet and poking her head out.

Her knuckles knocked on the glass and on the stone, trying to get it's attention. The bird was smart, turning his head and opening his big wings, flying towards her. He noticed the small opening on the window, letting himself in.

The owl landed on a bed, his wings adjusting back. Astera took the letter out, petting his cheeks lightly. The owl flew out and she closed the window, going back to the common room for better light.

She sat on the couch, her fingers working hard to tear open the envelope. The light of the fire danced on her face, creating shadows and then casting light in those areas. She blew at the strands of hair that fell over her face, pushing them away like a child.

"Astronomy tower. Now."

Astera looked at the paper. She knew it had to be Malfoy, who else could be awake at this hour except him. Or her, too. She looked at it once more before finally deciding to go. Grabbing her wand, she dragged a sweater over her head, pulling out her long hair, leaving it as it is.

Astera was quick on her feet, going from corridor to corridor, stair to stair and soon enough making it to the top with slightly heavy breaths. She hugged herself closer, a gust of smoke coming out of her mouth. Her body began to shake in attempt to warm her up.

As she reached the railing, her eyes looked over at the beautiful scenery before her. The land was covered in snow and the trees were hardly holding up the tons of snowflakes on it. She tilted her head as she looked up at the night sky, the stars not so visible as they were hidden by clouds dropping snowflakes. The light from the moon made the snow sparkle the same way her eyes did. She had galaxies in them.

"Enjoying the view, Lilith?"

She spun around, her hair flowing to the side from the harsh and cold wind. Her thoughts stopped. It had been the first time he called her after their first encounter. It sounded so foreign. Like something new she wanted to know and learn about.

"I am," she replied, fighting the urge to shake even more, "Care to tell me why you called me here, Malfoy?"

"What's the fun in telling you right away?" he said, fighting the urge to show a sarcastic smirk.

He was in a better mood, something that Astera hadn't seen since their first year when Neville fell off his broom. His hands were tucked in the pockets of his loose trousers and his top half was covered with a white button down and a black cardigan.

"Well, you might make it easier for the both of us," she said, "Considering how deathly cold it is."

Draco walked up to her, making her walk back into the railing. She looked back, noticing the height of the tower. Draco put his elbows on the cold metal, the hair on his face touching his eyebrow and forehead.

"You're dressed more than I am. Surely you'd manage."

Astera looked at his face. It was brighter, more alive looking, "Draco."

He turned his head, looking down on her, "Lilith."

"Tell me what it is that made you call me here."

Draco sighed. He tried a different approach than usual. He tried being funny, maybe even nice. His feet walked him back to the bench he had left the book at, taking it and standing next to her.

"The book? Did you finish it?" asked Astera, taking it from his hands and feeling her finger slightly brush against his knuckle.

Draco shook his head like a child, looking at her with his cold eyes. Whenever she looked at them, she felt as if Draco's eyes were merely just parts of the moon inside if him. He had white in them too, looking like small asteroids passing by.

"I couldn't. I told you," his voice changed, sounding disappointed, "I can't find the patience to read."

Astera saw through him. She knew what he needed, wanted. Taking his wrist without a thought, she slightly pulled him with her, sitting down on the bench with him by her side.

Draco looked at her bewildered, not expecting her to be so bold. Girls were intimidated by him, head over heels even. They fell at his feet with only his look. Astera didn't. She didn't treat him like a pretty boy, or a student to sleep with. She treated him like a person. She treated him like Draco.

Draco sat down, watching Astera take out her wand, flick it and appear a blanket big enough for both of them. She sat herself down next to him, pulling her knees to her chest and covering herself up.

Opening the book, she used her wand for light, "Lumos."

Her soft voice stuck in Draco's head, repeating it over and over. She gently turned the page, a picture of a dragon appearing.

Draco hesitantly tried to move closer, watching her to see if she would react or notice. And when she did, she gave him a look of approval, lifting up the corner of the blanket and letting him tuck in. Draco felt his left thigh touch hers, his body instantly warming up.

"In a faraway land, where only vikings and strong chiefs ruled, the world seemed like a distant place. The stories children heard of the faraway lands seemed like nothing more than fairytales or legends..."

As she read, Draco watched the pictures move, his eyes staring intently even when she turned the page.He listened to the soft hum of her voice, occasionally losing himself in the light of her wand and down to the ring on her finger, to the small bracelet on her gentle wrist.

Draco had never felt at home in Hogwarts, but tonight, Astera took him back home to his mother, reading the story he heard as a child and giving him a sense of peace back to him.