Chapter 12
"Walk slower." Draco whined, trailing purposely behind Grace as the warmth of the castle enveloped them once again, the sun dipping behind the forest in the distance and plunging the grounds into a deeper chill than they'd endured the entire walk back from Hogsmeade. "I'm in no hurry to get to this party to be yelled at for my attire."
"Or lack there of." Grace teased, glancing once again over Draco's sweater. "She's going to make you change."
"She couldn't if she tried."ย
She trailed back as they neared the wall to the Slytherin common room, pausing as Draco muttered the password, stepping into the busy room and waiting for her to follow him.
"Malfoy! You'd better be headed right up to your dorm this instance-"
"Save it, Greengrass." He groaned, shooting Grace a glare when he heard her laughter beside him.
"Why can't you just match Grace? Look at her!" She tugged the blonde's arm and pulled her from Draco's side easily. "You're not getting her back until you've changed."
"Daph, I'm looking at nearly two dozen people in this room who aren't wearing-"
"Well, I can't control the entire house, Malfoy. Just you." She grinned, leading Grace towards the familiar set of couches that had been claimed by Blaise, Enzo, Crabbe, Goyle and Astoria. While Crabbe and Goyle were still dressed in their signature black outfits at the edge of the group, muttering beneath their breaths to one another, Blaise was wearing a red shirt and Enzo and Astoria wore nearly matching pink sweaters, though Grace couldn't help but notice how tight Astoria's was before pulling her eyes away from the brunette.
"Grace!" Enzo's eyes lit up as he spotted her, sinking into her seat beside Daphne. "Finally! We've all been itching to hear how your date went." He grinned and Blaise sighed, rubbing two fingers along the edge of his temple.
Astoria's eyes flickered from Lorenzo onto Grace before puling her gaze back to her heels, tapping quickly against the green rug at their feet.
"Enzo." Daphne warned, though her own lips were curled into a smile.
"It wasn't a date."
"Right. Just on Valentines Day. With your fiancรฉ." No one spoke, all eyes flashing between the Slytherin and the Ravenclaw. "It's crazy, actually... You and Draco. We all had our bets on Theo-"
"Lorenzo." Blaise spoke up now, eyes wide as he glared at the brunette beside him.
"Theo?" Grace asked, searching Enzo's face for a second before letting her gaze drift over the room, spotting Theodore at once. He had obviously followed Daphne's instructions as well, a deep maroon sweater fell loosely above perfectly tailored black pants as he leaned against the wall beside a very pretty older student Grace had never seen before.
"What!" Enzo muttered, moving his chair a bit farther from Blaise's reach as if he expected to get smacked. Grace pulled her eyes from Theo, glancing around the group and noticing everyone was holding heart-shaped pink glasses besides her.
"I'm going to get a drink... Anyone need anything?" She offered, stepping slowly around the couch as everyone shook their heads. She wasn't sure exactly where the drinks were, but she had seen the boys disappear towards the far end of the common room on enough occasions to guess the general direction.
"Abbott!" A new voice called over the crowd, pushing in between groups of people until the tall brunette she recognized from New Years Eve stood at her side. "Hi."
"Hi..." She tried for a smile, shuffling through her memory to try to come up with his name.
"I'm Adrian... Pucey. We sort of met at Malfoy's party on New Years Eve."
"Yes. Grace." She held one hand out and he smirked, taking it gently into his own and shaking it quickly.
"I know." He nodded towards the table in the corner filled with the familiar pink heart cups and a never ending stash of liquor bottles. "Can I get you a drink?"
She paused before nodding, letting him lead the way and grab two cups, balancing them in one hand as he begin pouring different liquids into each.
"Thanks." She smiled, warmly, accepting the cup he held towards her and following him out of the way of the table as a few people stepped up behind them to grab drinks.
"Course." He replied, his eyes raking over her body shamelessly, though she pretended not to notice, letting her eyes rise to the dark green water of the Black Lake above them.
"You're a fifth year right?" He asked, drawing her attention back to him and she nodded at once, nerves filling her chest as his gaze clung to her. "Getting ready for OWL's?"
"Trying." She forced out a laugh, thinking back to the countless hours she had already spent preparing for the end of year exams.
"They're rough." He nodded, "I could help you study, if you'd like?" He stepped closer towards her, backing her against the cold stone wall.
"Okay... yeah, I'll let you know when they get a bit closer."
"Better to get ahead, don't you think?" His voice dropped lower as he took another step, leaning against the wall beside her, his free hand falling lazily against her hip and brushing a soft touch against the lining of her skirt.
"Yeah, I just-" She swallowed nervously as he moved with her when she stepped back.
"She's got it under control, Pucey." Malfoy's voice drew her attention from Adrian, though she didn't miss the scowl that rose to his lips. "You know, Ravenclaws, they're quite bright."
Draco's eyes were a darker gray than she'd ever seen them as he took another step towards the Slytherin, raising his eyebrows expectantly.
"Sorry, didn't realize you'dย claimedย her, Malfoy." Adrian scoffed, though Draco hardly reacted to the words. "Maybe I'll catch you around sometime when you're free of you little body guard, Grace."
"I'd like to see you try." Draco answered before Grace could even process the boys words. "Piss off, Pucey." He spoke again when the Slytherin hadn't moved yet before turning to face Grace once again.
"You didn't have to-" She started, glancing at Adrian's retreating form in the crowd.
"He's being a dick." Draco shrugged, looping an arm through Grace's and pulling her back towards their friends. "And besides... you're my girl, aren't you?"
She bit back a grin, though she was sure the ghost of a smile was still pulling to her lips as she pushed her hand out towards the blonde before her, wiggling her bare finger and earning herself an eye roll.
"You've come a long way from ignoring me in January to begging for my proposal now, haven't you?" He teased and she shoved him playfully towards the couch where Daphne huffed out a groan.
"Are you really not going to change?" She demanded and Draco chuckled, leaning back lazily into the couch.
"No, Greengrass. I'mย reallyย not going to change."
"He never will, Daph." Enzo called, drawing the blonde's attention to him. "You can't fix him."
"Try as I might." She sighed, dramatically and the group grinned, enjoying Draco's scowl as he changed the subject abruptly.
"So, Grace. I've been thinking." Daphne started, turning towards the Ravenclaw. "Eventually... all of this is going to come out... you and Draco..." Grace felt her eyes widen, steadying her eyes on Daphne beside her, very aware of Draco listening in at the other end of the couch. "So I thought, what better time for you and Pansy to become friends than before all that mess gets brought into it-"
"Oh, that sounds lovely." Grace answered sarcastically, Blaise stifling a chuckle into his fist.
"Knock that off right now." Draco ordered, pointing one finger towards Daphne. "Don't find any more excuses to bring that creep into this group."
"What makes her a creep?" Daphne asked, turning towards Malfoy.
"Yeah, if you're labeling every girl that's ever had a thing for you as a creep, you've lost about half the school, mate." Enzo teased, his grin spreading as Draco shot him a glare.
"You all make my life so insufferable." Draco groaned, leaning back on the arm rest and kicking his feet up to Daphne's lap, much to her displeasure as she whined and pushed his legs to the floor.
As soon as Draco's feet hit the floor, there was a collective gasp near the back of the room and a sickening crack followed by a few high pitched screams as the students began to crowd into a circle. Draco sat up, craning his neck as Blaise and Enzo jumped to their feet, pausing for only a second before jumping over the edge of the couch.
"Fucking hell." Draco grumbled, following the boys as Daphne set a hand on Grace's arm, keeping her in place with a slight roll of her eyes. Blaise elbowed his way through the crowd, Draco and Enzo on his heels, revealing Theo and Adrian on the floor, blood dripping from both boys faces as Theo raised his fist over Pucey's face once again before Draco pulled him to his feet, tossing him towards the wall with a stern look.
"Nott!" He screamed, "Leave it! You've done enough."
"Fottuto stronzo." Theo grumbled, shaking out his fist as Adrian scampered to his feet, spitting out a glob of blood and sneering at the Slytherin boys in front of him before stalking off into the crowd and out of sight.
Grace watched as Enzo looked up to Theo who simply shook his head, turning on his heel and starting the opposite direction Adrian had disappeared to. This apparently was enough for Draco and the boys who shook their heads and started back towards the couch, though Grace stepped away from Daphne silently, who's eyes had been linked to the scene before her.
Grace ducked through the gossiping crowd back towards where the drinks sat, grabbing a new cup and filling it with ice before hurrying back towards where Theo had disappeared before, scanning for only a moment before spotting the maroon sweater near the staircases.
"Theo." She called, his eyes flashing to hers at once, watching as she drew closer in silence. "Here..." She held out the ice and he shook his head quickly.
"I'm fine." He muttered, though she shot him a warning glance.
"You're bleeding. And your knuckles are already red." She pointed out.
"I think I'll be alright." He said, his voice slightly teasing though his eyes never left hers.
"Just let me help you?" She sighed in frustration. Where's your dorm?"
Theo's eyebrows lifted, the edges of his lips pulling into a smirk before she shook her head.
"Shut it."
"Alright, Gracie, so demanding, I'll take you upstairs-" He teased and she shoved him carefully up the first few steps, following a few stairs behind him, the ice chilling her skin in it's glass. They walked for a few moments, the music and chatter from the party disappearing behind them before Theo stopped before a black wooden door, turning the handle with a click and pushing inside.
Grace glanced around, remembering how Draco had described the state of his previously shared dorm, though it wasn't nearly as bad as he had said. There were a few piles of clothes, notably some Quidditch jerseys that Grace was sure needed to be washed, and a few stacks of books lining the edges of one of the beds, but altogether, paired with the size of the dorm, it didn't look too messy at all.
Theo shut the door behind them and started towards the bathroom, not looking back to see if Grace was following. She crossed silently behind him, stepping into the bathroom with him and reaching for a washcloth from the open closet beside the doorway.
She emptied the ice from her cup into the towel, bunching it up and reaching for Theo's hand which he let her pull towards her easily, setting the icy cloth on his already bruising knuckles. He didn't flinch at the change of temperature, and she wondered how often he found himself in this situation.
"What happened?" She asked, looking up and stepping back nervously at the sight of the hazel eyes so close to hers in the small room.
"When?" He asked, raising both eyebrows and not bothering to hide the smirk that rose at her glare. "Nothing happened."
"Oh, you beat people up for no reason?" She confirmed and he shrugged, finally stepping away from her and hopping onto the countertop behind him easily, flipping the faucet on with his free hand and pausing as it began to warm up. "Did you really punch him just for the fun of it?"
"No." He scowled, testing the water with one finger and hissing as the steam began to rise against the mirror. Grace grabbed another washcloth from the closet and crossed to the sink beside him, adjusting the water's temperature until it was tolerable and running the towel beneath it, feeling Theo's eyes on her as she worked.
"You're really not going to tell me? What did he do?"
"I don't want to talk about it, Gracie." He muttered, pausing as she flipped the faucet off and stepped between his legs, reaching carefully for his chin with two fingers and ignoring the way he flinched away from her touch at first.
"Was he mean to you?" She continued as she raised the warm cloth to the main cut on Theo's cheekbone, dabbing softly and watching for any sign of pain.
"He wasn'tย meanย to me." He scoffed. "Will you just drop it?"
"Fine..." She shrugged, ignoring the red beginning to stain the washcloth in her hand. "I thought you had to stop fighting."
"No, I was very clear about that. Just had to stop getting caught." He answered, sarcastically.
"Well then, may I recommend not picking them in the middle of a house wide party?"
"No, you may not." He teased, watching as she worked carefully, cleaning the smaller cuts surrounding his face.
Grace felt Theo's legs tighten around her waist slightly and her eyes drifted to meet his, bright green surrounding the brown of his irises.
"What?" She asked when he didn't look away and the two fell into silence for only a moment.
"You're pretty." He answered, his words slightly slurred, though Grace still felt her heart jolt inside her chest, a flush rising to her cheeks which she knew there was no way he wouldn't notice.
"You're drunk." She replied, setting the damp cloth on the counter beside him.
"So what?"
She wet her lips nervously, stalling for a second for something to say and wiping her hands on her skirt though there was nothing on them.
"Have you been smoking?"
"Why?"
"You smell. Like smoke. You wreak."
He chuckled, the sound filling the small space around them and Grace fought back the smile threatening to pull to her lips at the sound.
"My sincerest apologies."
She sighed, glancing along the counter. "Do you have a glass? You should have some water before you go to sleep-"
"He said the next time he saw you... without Malfoy... that he'dย show you a good time." Theo cut her off, her eyes widening as she tried to piece together his slurred words. "Pucey."
"Oh..." She breathed, her stomach twisting uncomfortably as she ran over the words again in her head.
"He was practically bragging about it. Like it was a sure thing." He scowled. "So I hit him. And I'm not sorry."
Grace let out a short laugh, tucking some hair behind her ear awkwardly and looking back to the dark hazel eyes.
"I don't want you getting into trouble for me. For something stupid like-"
"It's not stupid." He interrupted. "He doesn't get to talk about you like that. Nobody does."
His eyes were trained on hers, a small frown painted on his face, and she knew he was referring to his comment from only a few weeks ago in the common room just below their feet.
"Okay, Theo..." She nodded, glancing towards the doorway. "Thank you-"
His legs tightened around her once more as she tried to step back from him and she turned back, eyes running over the cleaned cuts along his cheek once again, refusing to meet his eyes again in their close proximity.
"I know I said... I hated all the balls and the parties... I do..." He slurred, "But god, just once... if I could just do one of them with you by my side... I don't think I would mind."
"That's... You don't think you would mind?" She giggled, her thoughts spinning, though she tried to focus only on the way his words seemed to blend into one another.
"I should have asked you." He whispered, his eyes falling to her fingers against his knee as she picked at the jagged tip to one of her fingernails. "I should have asked you first."
"Alright..." She breathed, setting her fingers gently against his arm and pulling him lightly until he slid from the counter. "Let's get you to bed, okay?"
He shrugged, letting her pull him back into the dorm, diminishing the light with her wand as they left and leading him to the center of the room.
"Which bed's yours?" She asked, softly, though they were the only ones in the silent dormitory.
He turned to look at her again, his lips rising into their signature smirk as he shrugged.
"Figure it out, Ravenclaw."
"You make it so hard for me to want to help you, sometimes." She sighed, scanning over the nightstands before settling on small stack of books lying haphazardly beside a silver lamp and led him towards the neatly made up bed.
"You're no fun." He grumbled, falling into his bed and kicking off his shoes before climbing beneath the blankets.
"I've been told." She shrugged, starting towards the door at once.
"Wait, Gracie!" He called, his eyes heavy in the dim light from the window pane.
"Hmm?" She turned, pushing away the thought of her racing heart as she waited for his next words.
Neither of them spoke for a moment, Theo's eyes latched to hers until he finally answered.
"Goodnight, Gracie."
She turned the door handle quietly, stepping into the hallway and glancing back once more.
"Night, Theo."
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