Rivals | D.M

61. In the Stacks

Aster's POV

"Ok we need to start the report for Amortentia. How about we start with the etymology?"

I grabbed my notes and shuffled them out in front of me, determined to get started on the Potions assignment. I still refused to look up at Draco but I could see in my peripheral that he was settling into the chair next to me.

Ironically, all I could think about what the sour scent of green apples wafting from my left.

"Well that's easy" He scoffs next to me.

I look up and find his eyes twinkling. I cock my eyebrow at him.

"Amor is a Roman god of love and tentia is Latin for held" Draco states, leaning into the back of his chair and crossing his arms in front of him, a cocky expression plastered on his face.

"Ok well then you write that part" I mumble, annoyed at his blatant arrogance. I look back at my notes and try to focus on the words in front of me.

"Already have"

I swivel around in my chair to properly face him. He cocks one eyebrow at me, his usual smirk accompanying it. 

"Would you like to just write this assignment yourself?" I spit. I stand up from my chair and walk towards the library stacks, determined to get my mind off the his intoxicating smell and his arrogance. 

I tried to focus on the titles in the stacks, skimming the books for something related to Amortentia. I let my fingers brush against the leather-bound books.

"Did you have a nice time on your date with Nott?"

I jumped at his voice, twisting around and pushing my back against the bookshelf. He towered over me, his presence slightly domineering and intimidating. The stacks I had wandered down were narrow, he leant on the opposite bookshelf but with how close he still was I couldn't escape his gaze.

"It wasn't a date" I grunted, crossing my arms in front of me.

"Sounds like it was" he mumbled. His eyes were impassive but his jaw was clenched.

"I told him it wasn't a date" I reaffirmed.

His pale eyes searched my face.

"I actually told him I was seeing someone...a muggle. Which is why I didn't want everyone at school to know" I explained, my words tumbling out of my mouth in a nervous bundle.

His eyebrow's shoot up in amusement and I sigh at his reaction.

"A muggle?" he scoffs.

"I'm just trying to make sure no one knows about...us". I couldn't help but feel a bit morose about it all, the fact I had to lie to so many people about the one thing that made me feel so at ease and happy.

Something between us shifted and we both stood leaning against the stacks, melancholic at our situation.

"If things were different..." he started, his eyes focused on his feet, "you would be mine and everyone would know" he mumbled.

My heart stilled.

I waited until he looked up and found his eyes soft, nerves present behind his silver gaze.

A thumping resumed in my chest.

"Things aren't different though are they?" I angrily retorted.

I wasn't angry at him, I was angry at the situation and I hoped he knew that.

Draco ignored my comment and instead he picked himself off the shelf he was leaving on and took one step towards me.

"I heard you held his hand" he said through gritted teeth. The tension around us had snapped, a fury rippled between that made me apprehensive.