Underneath

Chapter 37

Her plan to resist him was easier than she had expected, because Draco disappeared for about two weeks after that. Not a single person knew where he'd gone.

Gia shook the irrational thoughts from her head that it had something to do with her and tried to focus instead on lessons, and on Rosy, and on the upcoming Valentines ball. Marcus had asked Rosy, of course and Blaise was going with Daphne. Gia had secretly wanted to go with Draco but fuck knew where he was, so in a moment of weakness she let Rosy persuade her into letting Sam take her.

She was excited for it, she loved dances, but the overwhelming disappointment was all she could focus on when Sam greeted her politely at the bottom of the staircase.

"You look beautiful," he told her earnestly, as she and Rosy reached the ground.

"Thanks!" She beamed back.

She wished she cared about what he thought.

"Still no sign of Malfoy?" Rosy asked Marcus as he she clung to his arm down the hall.

"Nope, not a word". He replied. "Doubt he's missing much though, these dances aren't exactly the epitome of entertainment" he joked, and Rosy laughed.

Gia shook her head, ignoring whatever it was Sam was saying to her. Didn't anyone else care where he was? Everyone was so used to "Draco being Draco" that nobody even questioned his behaviour anymore. It made her sad.

Marcus and Rosy were having a great time, but when a slow song came on Gia darted off to the exit before Sam could ask her to dance again. She knew he would try and kiss her and she really wasn't in the mood.

She shut the heavy doors behind her, leaning against them and sighing in relief to finally be alone. Or so she thought.

"You really thought I was gonna let you dance alone?"

She looked up, startled. Draco was elegantly leaning against a wall, hands slid in the pockets of his all black tux. He looked beautiful, and ominous.

She got over her initial shock and responded. "What makes you think I was alone?"

He grimaced. "How many people asked you then?"

"7", Gia replied honestly.

"Tough competition this year." Draco smirked, "I might not have made the cut."

Gia was not amused by his playfulness. "Well to make the cut you have to at least show up. And Sam did that", she said back flatly.

Draco's jaw tensed, but before he could reply with anythjng bitter she leaped in,

"fuck you Draco. I wanted to dance with you. And now here you are, acting like everything's fine, when you didn't even let me know you were ok!".

"You cared?" He took a step towards her but she took one back, pressing herself further into the doors.

"Of course I cared, you idiot", scoffing at his naivety.

His eyes suddenly filled with concern.

"Gia I'm sorry, truly I am".

She let him come closer.

"I tried to write you, I swear, but I couldn't".

She tilted her head up to look at him. "What do you mean?"

"It's complicated. Some shit to do with my family. I wish I could tell you Gia, I really do".

She wanted to question him further, to
dig a full explanation out, but she had never seen him look so stressed. He hadn't slept in weeks, by the looks of it.

So she wrapped her arms around him instead. "You don't have to talk about it now. Whenever you want", she whispered, letting him bury his face in her hair, feeling him inhale gratefully.

"God I've missed you", he mumbled. "And that dress...", he pulled away, looking down at her body.

She'd gone for a lacy white silk dress with a corset and short puffy off the shoulder sleeves. It was flowy and light, and she felt like a princess in it, especially with her hair twisted up in a bun on top of her head and a string of pearls around her neck.

She beamed, finally feeling complete and did a twirl for him playfully, letting the skirt swing around her.

"I'm going to marry you in that dress, Gia" Draco told her and she laughed, shoving his shoulder slightly but his face told her he had meant it. A pleading in his eyes and the way he was squeezing her hand made her almost, almost believe him.

"Are you going to ask me to dance then or what?" Gia demanded, changing the subject so as not to let her knees weaken at his words any further.

He smiled and extended his hand to her. She took it and held his neck with her other, while he held her waist. He spun her around out in the dark corridor, faces lit only by a few dying candles, as an an upbeat violin played a tune neither of them knew through the doors of the hall.