What Does This Feeling Mean

~~~

Thirteen - Draco Stops By

"I hate it when he sends that bloody bird to get me." Draco growled on our way back to school.

"Your father's here?"

"Oh yes, Octavious never stays too far from his master," he answered sarcastically.

As we walked, I could feel Draco's revengeful energy all around me. This bird must have really pissed him off.

"I'm sorry I spotted him," I voiced in an attempt to lighten his mood.

"Don't be. I'm glad you did. He would've just gotten my attention his usual way. You see this?" He stopped and pulled up his pant leg. He wore a three inch scar on his left calf. "That bloody raven did that!"

"Why did he do that?" I asked. He didn't answer right away, but his smirk gave it's own explanation. "Draco!" I gasped.

"What?! I didn't hurt him... much."

"You would kill your father's bird?"

"My father's bird? Yes. Yes I would."

I shook my head and laughed. "Yet he's still around, and you're the one left with a scar."

He raised his eyebrow. "Getting brave now, are we?"

I quickened my pace as we entered the courtyard. "I was born brave baby!" I said as I began running.

Draco was hot on my trail as I tried to elude his capture. It wasn't long before he caught up, and punished me by pinning my arms against the nearest wall.

"You're bad," he said as he moved his body against me.

"You're worse," I smiled, and stole a quick kiss from him. "You better go find your father."

"I know," he sighed. After a few kisses, he finally started for the entrance. "Are you staying here at Hogwarts for the holidays?" he asked before stepping in.

"Yes. You?"

He looked down apprehensively. "I don't know. I'm sure that's one of the reasons why he's here. I'll let you know."

"Okay," I said and smiled shyly as he left.

I stayed outside for a short while before going into the school. I tried not to dwell on the dream that I had been forced to remember. Instead, I kept my mind on the wonderful day that I had. Dinner was just about over as I walked into the hall. I grabbed a few bites of this and that, then retired to my room to send off my letter and to go to sleep.

***

Draco and I saw each other as much as we could during the last days before the holidays. With our schedule, homework, and his Quidditch practice, lunch seemed to be the only time we had together.

On Wednesday night, I sat in my room, staring out at the starlight from my window. Draco's name wasn't on the list of students staying at school for the holidays when I signed it, and he had yet to mention anything about it. I couldn't imagine not having him here.

"Hello!"

"Fuck!" I yelled tumbling back a few feet, resulting in my bum on the floor. My eyes found Draco crying from laughter as he hovered on his broom, just outside my window. I put my hand to my chest as if it would calm the pounding he caused. "Are you trying to kill me?!"

He flew into my room and landed, still wiping the tears from his eyes. "I'm sorry!"

"No you're not," I smiled as he removed his Quidditch robe. "Why did you come to my window? Were you looking for me?"

"Not at first. I had just finished practice and decided to fly around a bit. I saw you looking out your window, and thought I would drop in."

"How was practice?" I asked standing back up.

"It was good, so we finished a little early. We're ready. Hufflepuff's going down on Friday..."

As he talked, his eyes became fixated on me. "What?" I asked.

"You're just, I mean you barely..."

I looked down to see what he was talking about. I had on my black tank top and shorts that I usually wear to bed. "Is there something wrong with what I'm wearing?"

"Well, no actually. I'm sorry if I- I mean if you'd like to put on..."

My bewildered eyes studied him. He was struggling to act as gentlemanlike as he could. This was a first for me. I've never been in a situation where my clothes, or lack of, caused this kind of reaction from somebody. "Well, I always wear this to bed. It's not like I was expecting company you silly git. Should I be embarrassed or something?"

"No," he said simply. "Not at all. You're just... wow."

He started walking slowly towards me. As his eyes studied my shape, my naive mind finally caught his intention. "Draco Malfoy!" I laughed.

"What?!" he leered, steadily getting closer. "I haven't done anything. Not yet anyway."

"Draco, you are covered in mud and sweat!"

He looked down at himself, and as much as it killed him, he reluctantly agreed. I grabbed my gloves off my night stand and put them on. As I did, I saw his expression change.

"Oh, I'm sorry Jewel. I had forgotten about that."

"It's okay Draco. It's not that. I was hoping we could save the lack of clothing, as it were, until my birthday. I want that day to end with just you and me. You understand, don't you?"

"Of course beautiful," he smiled.

"So you're not going to be here next week?"

"No," he started with a scowl, "my father insists that I come home, but he's not even going to be there. I don't get it. It's made me suspicious."

"Suspicious? As in how?"

"He's just been acting strange lately, stranger than usual. It's made me feel uneasy, especially when I think about the reading we did. What if it's him?"

"Well," I exhaled, "have you had to make a decision that could relate to your suspicions yet?"

"No, nothing like that."

"I'm sure it will be okay," I said as I pulled him into a hug. "If your gut tells you to do something, you just do it. I know you never second guess yourself, so don't start now. You already know what you should do." Draco's hands started to caress every inch of flesh he could get his hands on. I pulled away to glare at him, but his guilty smirk made me laugh. "When is your last day here?"

"I leave Sunday," he said, stroking my arms. "So we'll just have to continue this on the night of your birthday."

"I plan on it," I smiled.

He leaned closer and filled my mouth with his eagerness. I struggled to keep my resolve as each kiss made me want him even more.

"You drive me crazy," he softly said as he continued to muzzle the rest of my face. With a final graze of our lips, he put on his robes, and gave me a wink as he took off out of my room. I watched him fly out of sight before I finally closed my window.

I hopped in the shower to clean up, and to think. Afterwards, I put on new clothes and sat on my bed. I felt so strange. As I sat there, I began to cry. Not hysterically, but heavily none the less. Do I miss him this much already? I grabbed a pillow and held it as I slowly drifted to sleep.

TBC...