XIX
Y/n was still shuffling around in her wardrobe when I rose up to further inspect my surroundings, the place that she called home. It was the polar opposite of any home I had been inside of but something about it was just so comforting. It almost made me mournful of the comfort that I must have missed out on growing up in such enormous, clean-cut luxury.
Everything was so neatly chaotic. Not untidy but not at all uniform either. Decorated with love and little pieces of herself, creativity sprung out from every corner. Soft materials and plush pillows scattered themselves along the bed, but the desk where she studies is sturdy, yet, still somehow comfy looking.
Her cauldron was wilfully stirring itself patiently next to a collection of little bottles that contained different scents and oils to make her perfumes. And in front of that laid some half open books with letters and parchment scattered amongst them. I could clearly see my own letters which was bizarre to visualise again in such a circumstance.
Although beneath it was another, imprinted with a crest that I knew all to familiarly. The crest of the Higgs family, and I needn't of even peeled back the corner of my own letter to glance over the one underneath, signed with Terence's name.
Mentally noted.
It seems his little display of defiance against me in the common room where he eagerly goaded me in to bad mouthing y/n, was simply just a tactic as he must of noticed her opening the door right behind me.
Again, mentally noted.
"Dracorini?" Called y/n as she stepped out just finishing pulling her jumper down by the hems. "Having a good snoop around were you?"
"Actually I was just looking at your cauldron thingy, is that where you mix all of the perfumes up?"
"Yep, wanna make one for yourself? This batch isn't fragranced yet and it should be steeped by the time we get back."
I felt a curious half grin crawl up my cheek whilst she shuffled around all of her little vials of essential oils with an excited eagerness. She upturned her head back to me, squinted a little before humming and adding droplets to the mixture. "Okay I've laid down the base scent. Frankinscense and Bergamot I thought would suit you best, so now you can add the layover scents that you want."
I leant over to closely inspect the poorly labelled bottles, eventually deciding on a blend of amber, apple, mint and cedar. "Do you think it's going to smell alright or will that combination be awful?"
"Well we'll find out when we get back, but now, take a shot with me for courage."
"Alcoholic," I teased.
"Narcissist," she teased back.
"Eh, what the fuck y/n?"
"Sorry, I thought we were taking it in turns to state facts. Anyway c'mon, you're going to need it trust me.. because if my assumptions serve me correctly you've never been in a muggle car before have you? One that moves on the ground."
No, no I hadn't. Just the idea of it did sound terrifying admittedly. So I swept aside my principles and took a shot of the most rancid thing I had ever tasted in my life second to skele-gro.
And then she did it, held out that hand that always pulls me in to trouble, Yet, still, I took it. Willingly and without due thought for consequence. Tonight I'm not wallowing in self-pity, I'm just going to be a raging fucking idiot like I'm meant to be doing instead of wasting my life playing handyman to a dickhead with no nose.
Down a flight of stairs and to a front door she dragged me, before halting and stepping in to the first pair of shoes she set eyes on. I didn't get much chance to look about and take in my other surroundings before I was once more yanked.
Back down the pebble path I went, just a step behind her until we arrived beside a bright red motor vehicle. I'd not seen one like it before but I'm assuming it works much the same as any other.
"Get in then?" Y/n goaded with a wicked smile, before hauling herself inside and slamming the door shut behind her. "Oh fuck," I whispered to myself as my knuckles curled around the handle. "If I end up permanently paralysed tonight then so fucking be it."
Of course now in foresight, we know that I did survive that particular endeavour. Nonetheless, I wasn't certain that I would at any point because believe me when I say that y/n cannot drive. It was just a pure fluke that we both remained unscathed that night.
And we got out of the street just fine even though I still held one palm flat against the roof whilst the other stuck rigidly to side of the door. She was pushing and pulling levers, pressing bloody buttons and all sorts. I'd never seen such intricate workings before. I mean flying is easy, but driving, did not seem so much so.
"Loosen up you fucking coward, why are you sat so stiff and looking so panicked. You look like you're about to throw up?!" She turned to ask. "Keep your eyes in front of you merlin y/n!!"
She just cackled even harder as the road led off up a bumpy mud path, the only way it was even visible being the lights coming from the front of the bloody thing. I could feel the colour draining from me. "Not gonna lie this feels like some kind of extreme sport."
"Yeah?" Y/n asked, but the inflection in her voice had shifted, along with the gear stick she was holding. "Yeah," I muttered back trying to hold it together.
"Being human is an extreme sport Malfoy, so best you learn how to play really quickly.."
The unfeigned warning came between the sounds of revving. I opened my mouth to speak back but no sooner did I, y/n slammed her feet down as hard as she could. Her, I and this giant metal machine were catapulted forward with force. "Y/n!!!!!!"
"What?" She giggled so casually, until the wheel that her hands were holding span sharply. The car following in the same direction. All I could see was clumps of grassy mud being flung in to the air and that was just outside. Inside I could barely see past my own arms pelting around like a tornado on steroids as I tried to find my grip again.
"WOOOOOOOO! And on til dawn!" The crazy witch laughed.
Then another brain rattling spin in the other direction until a loud thud sounded out and suddenly the whole thing felt weightless. No longer was the grass visible, just the night sky. That was until we crashed down hard enough to bring us to a halt.
"Oooooooh shit, that was close.."
"Do you fucking reckon y/n?!?!"
Both of us were shaken up, our clothes and hair a little messed; breathing fast and knees aching from the impact of the ground. Adrenaline surged down every nerve ending in my body sending my heartbeat up to a frightful rate. "Let me o-- open this fucking thing-- let me out y/n. I'm getting the fuck out how do I do it?!"
"I told you to drink some liquid courage but you didn't listen to me. And you can't get out until I let you." She held up the keys, taunting me but dangling them close and snatching them away again. "Then please just let me out? And I'm taking this too!"
I snatched at the liquor that had surprisingly remained intact in the footwell. Which in itself is a miracle considering I only just about fit in there myself.
"I didn't sign up for this open the door!" I was still yanking and tugging at the thing for dear life, until finally it clicked and swung open. Oh thank Merlin, ground. Sweet, sweet, flat, safe ground. "Yes you did! You sign up for my bullshit every single time you take my hand and you know it. So you can try and convince yourself otherwise if you want.. but you're going to be let down when you finally come to the true conclusion!"
Y/n had gotten out and walked to the front of the car now, draping herself over the bonnet and sliding herself up to sit, feet dangling over the headlights, in the middle of a fucking field in the middle of the night like it was nothing.
And then there was me. Still skittish and trying to find my balance.
She patted the bonnet next to her, inviting me to sit. I was in no fit state to decline so I slid on and just stared ahead in utter disarray. And I mindlessly lifted the bottle to my lips after popping the lid and threw back an unsettling amount of alcohol for one swallow.
"Give me some." Y/n snatched the bottle from me with a smirk, taking her own fair portion. Only then did I find the nerve to speak again. "You've got serious mental defects y/n, I think you need to see someone about some serious unresolved issues you must have, who the fuck even does that? Were you trying to kill us?"
With a tilted head she asked matter of factly. "Scared to die or something, are you?"
"And are you not?!"
Her lips puckered sarcastically as she pretended to think about it. "No, not really. There's plenty of worse things out there. I mean, I could be in Potter's position but thankfully I've just got some serious mental issues as you so eloquently expressed."
I was hoping that chatter wouldn't turn to that whole ordeal, so I redirected the topic elsewhere. "If you could be reincarnated what would you come back as?"
Without hesitation an answer came. "A duck."
"Okay, but why?"
"Why not? I get to go where I want, swim where I want, shit where I want and people feed me bread all day. Who wouldn't wanna be a duck?"
"Well I was thinking more along the lines of like a lion or something symbolic."
"No. You'd be a giraffe you lanky twat."
"At least I--"
My insult was interrupted by the sky lighting up every colour of the rainbow unanimously from every direction, all at once. It was beautiful, I might even go as far as to say it was transcendent.
Because without even realising whilst we watched the light show, as the clock struck 12; our hands had mindlessly strayed toward each others and our pinky fingers touched, even almost intertwining.
Silently I wondered if she'd noticed too, but she didn't say anything. And I watched as the explosions reflected in her big, intriguing eyes. Not an ounce of fear or shame or guilt behind them. And I wished that could be me all the time.
"Uh can I help you?" Her brow arched as she caught me staring. "Have I got an open book on my head you're reading or something?"
No, I shook my own head sheepishly. "Right then, shall we go back?"
"No, not in that thing? I'll walk thanks."
"Oh no we can't use that now it's battered so I'm going to light it up."
Confusion plagued me as I stepped away and watched her saunter around, throw the keys inside and then launch an impressive Fiendfyre at the thing sending it in to a raging inferno instantly.
"You really don't give a damn do you y/n?"
"No," she turned back to smile at me in a way that made my stomach tingle. "I was past giving a singular fuck years ago. Try it. You might even enjoy it. So best get out of here so I can report it missing."
If she in any way could or would be recruited by the Dark Lord she'd be an absolute weapon. Ruthless, quick, daring and not opposed to a little arson.
Everything I used to try to be, everything I used to think I was.
Thankfully the journey back was a lot easier than the one there, to some random field. That's the nice thing about Wiltshire. It's sort of empty, and you can go miles between seeing one house from the next. Just tiny little villages connected by abundant countryside.
But as we got back to y/n's house I suddenly came over all nervous again. Now what?
And we both stalled at the front door, neither attempting to say the first word until she sighed audibly. "Anyways wait here and I'll get your aftershave."
"Yeah, fine."
Had I been under the impression that we would be spending the whole night together or at the very least a couple more hours. Yes. And that's why it was even more disheartening when she returned with the mixture bottled up ready for our goodbyes.
Stuffing it in to one of my pockets she half grinned up at me. "Thanks for coming around, it was fun but I really do have to report the car as missing now and it's probably not wise that you're hanging around."
"Yeah it's fine, I understand.."
I didn't fucking understand quite frankly, which is why against my better judgement I tried to go in for a kiss. Curling a palm against her cheek to encourage her up on to her toes.
Yet she dodged my face and pulled back hastily, the lump in my throat formed as I swallowed down my disappointment. "Don't ruin it, don't ruin the only decent time we've spent together by messing it up now."
"Yeah of course, I'm stupid I wasn't thinking properly. Sorry."
"Goodnight," she whispered with saddened eyes that I knew wanted something different to what her mouth had said. "I'll see you back at Hogwarts yeah?"
"Yeah okay. Just come find me when you're ready."
"Kay," her soft whisper promised, as I turned on my heel to walk away. Although it didn't stop me peering back in hopes that she'd change her mind, she didn't.
And so apparition engulfed me in a warp, reluctantly destined for home. Even though this New Years Eve was without a doubt, hands down, the craziest I'd experienced. It had been the best somehow.