𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐒 | 𝐝.𝐦. 𝐱 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

༺ 8 ༻

Turns out that trying to avoid someone in Hogwarts, especially when they are in your same year and house, is quite a difficult task. After the episode that had happened previously along with the ginger set of twins nagging me about the whole Draco situation I was constantly tormented by the most annoying daily dose of overthinking. What I overthought and tried to figure out were my feelings toward Draco.

It's not as though I was mad-crazy-type-of in love with the notorious Slytherin Prince. Not at all. Now, on occasion, I would find his small gestures like his smiling, laughing, listening attentively to class, or reading silently in the corner of the common room quite...attractive? However, was this a sign that I was falling right into the hands of the phenomena familiarized as 'attraction' or even 'love'? Like hell would I know?

Naturally, I appealed with my sob story to the twins. Were they excited? Oh boy, were they exhilarated! What I probably regret most is ever telling them about what had transpired that night in my room. At first, they were understanding and all, but it all got out of hand when they purposefully sat next to me during breakfast, lunch, and dinner just to childishly humiliate me. Their humiliation, however, would go far beyond the typical childish "Y/N and Draco sitting in the tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G" song. It was worse. Along the lines of:

"Imagine setting an eye for a twink-looking party animal," George would typically start the conversation by yelling out some nonsense.

"Party animal?" Fred would turn to his brother with a smirk, "More like a blonde rat unable to handle alcohol. Don't give him the credit."

"A blonde rat? I'd say a blonde ferret," George would add.

"No, but actually, imagine poor L/N as his wife?" Fred would tragedize the situation, "He would lock her up in a tower."

"Surrounded by snakes and spiders," George would make out a fake shiver.

"Not as cruel," Fred would criticize, "Let her out on the weekends, perhaps."

"Still, she would be one of those housewives who have no connection with the outer world, cook and clean all day round and look after the children."

"No parties allowed."

"No laughing."

"No smiling."

"No coughing."

"No breathing."

And usually, I would snap mid-through their mindless conversation with a simple whisper-shout:

"Cut it out, you illiterate git-twats."

But they would pay no attention to it.

"Tragic, she is turning into the vision," George would sigh, "Are we wrong, though?"

And they would proceed to just look at whoever was sitting right from across the table. Being hopeful that this wouldn't get to Draco was a miscalculation on my hand.

And this was the exact reason why I would avoid all contact and dodge the poor guy at every opportunity he saw to have a civil conversation with me. Imagine having a civil conversation with the one your friends make fun of regularly, moreover, everyone knows you like them. Absolute embarrassment.

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As of the moment, I was locked up in my room doing my potions assignment trying to keep myself from falling asleep. I was thirsty as well and was in desperate need of a glass of water, however, the water container in my room was emptied, so the only source of water I would find was downstairs in the common room.

As I went down the stairs I turned the corner finding myself at the table on which lay a carton of a few water bottles. As I poured the water into my glass container, I wondered if Draco was fast asleep like everyone else. Now thinking back, I didn't like not having his company. Doing an assignment in the middle of the night in the library was more entertaining than this, surely. By now, we would have finished the assignment together and would have been re-reading the rose-covered book by his demand. Turned out, he was quite fond of the book.

"Fancy seeing you here, stranger.'

Speak of the devil.

"What are you doing up this late into the night," Draco asked getting up from the couch to lean over the opposite side of the counter of the table I was at.

"I'm assuming the same as you," I avoided eye contact looking behind Draco to see the same papers set on the coffee table in front of the couches, "Snape?"

"Snape," Draco confirmed.

Now, I was looking back down at the table trying to close the water bottle cap to throw it out. He couldn't have chosen a better time to be here. This wasn't one of the comfortable silences we always shared. More like the most uncomfortable silence I had ever shared with anyone.

"Don't see you around that often anymore," I heard Draco say awkwardly, "Guess, you got sick of the good old me."

"Not like we don't see each other anymore," I tried to justify as I threw away the bottles I used up, "We still see each other in class."

"No, I mean," Draco sighed looking up at the ceiling as if trying to find the right words, "I sort of miss annoying you at the library."

"I suppose, maybe that's why," I chuckled.

"I have a better idea," Draco's voice turned serious, "Are the Weasley twins bothering you?"

"Huh?" I looked up at him surprised, "No, not at all. Where'd you get that from?"

"I mean, I've heard a few things," Draco sighed walking around the counter to stand close next to me, "So, I figured, you avoided me to avoid rumors as well."

I was now contemplating whether or not I should pass out or yell out because of the small distance he created between us rather than answering the question. Wouldn't you say it is extremely challenging to explain certain things to someone when they are so dangerously close to you?

"Well, uh," I tried to latch onto the right words, "You could put it like that. However..."

"However?" I noticed Draco smile softly.

This git knew, didn't he?

"You get the idea, don't you?" I asked him with an annoyed face.

"Of course, I do," Draco was now fully smirking, "But I want to hear you say it."

Of course, he wouldn't back down without an admission. He is Malfoy for Merlin's sake.

"Dream big, Malfoy," I answered folding my arms across my chest, "Dream big."

"Have it your way then, feel free to tell me when you want to," Draco shrugged going back to the couch, "Just know I feel the same way."

"Feel the same about what exactly?" I knew full well what he meant, but I asked anyway just to get under his skin. Good to have our stupid bickering back.

"We both know it," Malfoy snickered turning his head back to me, "Sad we are too stupid to say it."

"It's not stupid, it's a question of who admits first," I say with a smirk, "I am not admitting anything unless you do first."

"We'll see, L/N," Draco sighed, "Tomorrow at the library?"

"Sure, Malfoy."

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