Ruthless : d.malfoy [ REWRITING ]

PART 3

IT HAD BEEN  almost a week after the incident at the Ravenclaw Tower. After that day , he didn't try to purposefully avoid Evanna , but she never seemed to be where he was.

To whom did the voice belong ? Who had Evanna been talking to ? And , what was 'the job' ?

He was jolted out of his reverie when he heard the scrunch of the burning red autumn leaves that were scattered on the once green courtyard of Hogwarts. Turning behind , he saw Evanna heading towards him with a slight smile and a book tucked under her arm. Making space for her to sit , Draco shifted away slightly , leaning against the backrest - masking his discomfort from the night prior. With a gracious thank you , she took the seat beside him - but not before handing him a queer autumn leaf.

Holding it with his slender fingers , Draco raised a brow.

"What is this ?", He asked , twirling it as he studied the peculiar shape , and colour of the leaf. It had a sharp , pointed end , like that of an arrowhead - and it's tip was an indented curve - both mixing somewhere between the hues of deep red , orange and , quite curiously , a pale pink. 

"A leaf , obviously", Evanna said , as she rolled her eyes and flipped open her new book. The title of the book revealed it to be a book on Transfiguration , but judging by the level of interest with which she eyed the words - it appeared to be something else.

"I am aware. But why did you give it to me ?", He asked , meeting her blue eyes.

"Look at it. It's so queer. These days everything is so boring , and when I found it , I decided to show it to you", Evanna replied absent-mindedly , engrossed in her reading.

"What are you reading ?", He asked , leaning over slightly , keeping up the pretense that nothing strange had happened between them , pocketing the leaf.

"A book on curse breaking. It's quite interesting , if I do say so myself. I tend to read multiple books at the same time , if you are wondering , and so I picked this one up a little later after Charms from the library."

"Oh", Was all Draco said , before he fell silent again. He watched as the white clouds rolled by , in the skies above that would soon turn grey with the upcoming winter - the leaves as  they fell in all their splendor in a variety of colours. In the evening , when darkness would loom over the castle - those of eligible ages would be able to enter their names. Draco was eager to see who would be chosen as the champion of Hogwarts.

Occasionally , he would glance at Evanna - watching how the corners of her lips turned upwards when she read something interesting , or how she would scrunch her nose slightly when she didn't understand something.

"Why are you reading a book on curse-breaking ?", Draco found himself asking , breaking the comfortable silence.

Evanna looked up , as though she had been caught off-guard , before smiling and explaining ,"I happen to be quite interested in the field. I wish to pursue the career after graduation."