Villain, D. Malfoy

9. Pushing Buttons

Emerald

"What you said about my father, it's true. He never wanted me to have an escape from Hogwarts. What led you to think that?" His stares were utterly stunned at my logical inferences. I let out a low chuckle before answering.

"You know, usually, when one makes an assumption just as the one I made, it's usually because they went through a similar thing themselves."

He immediately understands I was talking about my parents. More precisely, about my mother. "Your mother- she's a legend. A Hogwarts legend." He lifts his eyebrows.

"Outside of our home, she is. Inside, however, she's just. Something else."

Before any of us speaks out again, we stay hearing all the noises around us. The pale screams from the children in the park, the breeze swooshing with force, and our light breathing were up to par with one another.

"She always told me about a place like this too. I reckon our parents simply wanted to trick us." I break the new silence.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Is it an escape if they know about it, too? They needed us to feel unrestricted when, in reality, we're all locked up." I admit. After a few moments of Draco remaining silent, I knew I had accidentally made him feel uneasy.

"Perhaps we should head back. I think Wood expected to have one more Quidditch practice before the big first game tomorrow."

I was right. For him, any excuse sounded better than confronting the validity of things.

"Sure," I muttered but was hardly heard.

We both stand up at the same time, brushing off the dust and lawn bits that were left clinging to our clothing.

His little Slytherin friends who happened to come here with him were nowhere to be found. "I guess they left without me." He strived to make it sound like a joke, but something about how he said it made me speculate this wasn't the first time he said something like that.

"Forget it; let's just head back," I indicate.

The forbidden forest was a bit darker now with the sun setting. We tried passing through it as rapidly as we could, so we could avert any threatening animals or creatures.

As we're halfway through the forest, we both halt dead in our paths. A howl was heard, but none of us knew where it was coming from. "Stay back," He murmured, attempting to find the werewolf.

Carefully striding one foot in front of the other, I gradually walked around my sides. "Draco, here," I hum and nod my head. He's about to draw out his wand until I do first.

"Lumos!" I yell, making the werewolf shriek in reaction. I didn't want to harm it. I just needed to distract it so we could run away in time. I yank Draco's hand and make him sprint with me. A few seconds later, we had finally made it out of the twilight forest.

But to our luck, we were moving so quickly that when we fled, we accidentally plunged to the ground.

"Woah!" I feel Draco's weight tumble on top of me. I wail, "You're... really close right now."

His eyes appeared so anxious for a short moment until he realized what was going on and promptly stood up, brushing himself off. "This is all your fault!" He cries.

As I manage to balance myself off of the ground, I put my wand away. "My fault? Please, enlighten me."

"You're the one who appeared at the town as well, and then you had such a courage to babble about my father as if you knew him!"

I felt he was furious at his father but directed his resentment towards me instead.

"You're lucky I saved you. You nearly became someone's dinner tonight." I ignored his accusation.

"Please, I don't need your help." He shook his head as if he was trying to persuade himself so more than me.

"Well, if you're so self-sufficient, have pleasure making friends of your own." I shoved his chest and struggled to leave before he jerked my arm back.

"Not after disrespecting me like that." Draco positioned his palm on my cheek, and I felt the raw metal radiate from his numerous silver rings. My breath hitched up at my throat, making it hard for me to exhale.

Once he saw the effect he had on me, he quickly pulled his hand off and began snickering at my helplessness.

"You're a fucking ass." I perked up at him, stepped away, and never glanced back.