PART 25

Cirrus partly hid the voluminous scintillating sun , an opal knife dragging tirelessly across an infinite expanse of azure. Tepid zephyr kissed his cheekbones , hands lazily inside his pockets as he waited patiently for a glimpse of the cerulean eyed girl he was infatuated with. Periwinkles blossomed through the flurry of warmth that catapulted tremendously through his pearlescent ribs as his ivory irises caught the familiar figure of the girl - smiling softly in his direction as she made her way towards him , navigating her way through the horde of students that crowded the courtyard , hushed conversations following her - the news of her mother's death still not having settled down.

His gaze connected with hers , both now only mere footsteps away from each other. Her presence irradiated a comforting warmth like none other , spring blossoming in his chest with the manifestation of twirling honeysuckles. Her pulchitrudinous eyes , blue spheres that resembled a sapphire moon carved from ancient tales - holding untold stories he wished to know , resembling the cerulean light of nebular stars. She was an amalgamation of sapphire , stardust and the sweetest nectar - a seraphic creature he could not rid his mind of. No spell he had laid his eyes upon could drive his heart away from the bewitchment under which she held him. In her hands , he was a puppet - a puppet strung down by strings of pearl that she pulled and twined and manipulated to her own will. Even then , she made him feel capable of beholding the stars , the ruler of the galaxy adorning a crown embellished by fragments of comets and asteroids sat upon a throne of moondust and supernovas - a vital amalgamation of dark matter , undiscovered - waiting to be unravelled and unsnarled.

She was a tantalising creation of Da Vinci - the flicker she gave him similar to the spark of stones rubbed against each other. She glittered and glistened , her touch obliteration his morals to dust. But she was just a girl , who made him feel far more than a simple boy. And in the whispers of night - in the sapphire twilight , he would cherish and intoxicate himself with the fragrance of lavender and honey that emanated from her - a conglomeration of stardust , old books , cranberry crushed lips and the recent smell of burnt cigarettes she had adopted ; an amalgamation of all she stood for. 

He wished , no , hoped that she would feel the same about him. He hoped that she would feel helpless like him , as though she were venturing into unchartered waters - tumbling headfirst into an oblivion , into an abyss that had no end. He hoped she would feel the beat of the hummingbird in it's throne inside her ribs as he neared her , he hoped she would fall for him too - just as he was falling for her , exploring without any fears - exploring and ravishing in the rasasvada of young love.

His cheeks were tinted with rose dust , as her smile visibly widened and she reached out her hands , twining their fingers as a rush spiralled through the ashen stairs that lined his spine. Evanna did not speak , as his fingers tightened around her dainty hand - and they fell to step beside each other. 

Students bustled past the duo , as they walked through the cobblestone streets - shops with tinted wooden shingles , wreaths hanging up on their doors along with strings of astringent lights a reminiscent of the long past Christmas.

The February zephyr kissed their foreheads , bearing similitude to a mother lulling her child to sleep. Trees embellished with the blessings of Persephone , adorned with leaves of peridot danced in the wind. His eyes regarded the rose tinted face of the Ravenclaw next to him , sporting a tea green jumper - tiny daisies embroidered in one corner of the fabric , blue optics glistening with the diamond light of an aeonian of galaxies.

His hand tightened itself around hers , gentle yet firm as waves of electricity flickered into his amaranthine lungs , a candle irradiating warmth within melanoid shores of tepidness. A crimson canvas flush stained his porcelain skin as he tilted his head to ask ,"Where to first ?"

"The Three Broomsticks ? I have been craving a butterbeer."

"The Three Broomsticks it is."

                                                             _________________________

Laughter echoed around the duo in waves that rose and fell in waves , the melodic laughter of Evanna Frey as an annoyed platinum haired boy chased her down the streets. When both stopped to catch their breath at the fork in the road that led up to the castle on the hills , Draco choked out through pants for air - "You seriously told Brown that I was dating Potter ?"

And just with that question , the girl burst out laughing once again - covering her mouth as tears escaped the corners of her eyes , making it terribly arduous for him to control the smile that threatened to fall onto his lips.

"But her reaction was fucking hilarious", She said , wiping the tears from the corner of her retinas , as remnants of laughter still bubbled at her throat. At the look she received from the frustrated boy , she raised her hands as though she were surrendering - a challenging look in her eyes as she said ,"Well , she was asking whether we were a thing or not , considering she saw us together. You know how much of a gossip she is , I won't be surprised if she takes the job of Skeeter after graduating. She wouldn't leave me alone when I visited the restroom , so I told her what came to mind first. Besides , there is a lot of sexual tension between you and Potter , for sure."

He sighed softly , looking down at the marks that his shoes had left onto the soft soil through which the grass pierced the earth.

"I would have liked it better if you would have told her that we were indeed a thing", He muttered quietly , hoping she would not hear him. But she did hear him , word for word. The toothy grin was wiped off her lovely features , as she questioned ,"What ?"

A mesmerising dianthus blush coated the skin of his cheeks , as his eyes looked everywhere but at her form.

"I can't keep pretending any longer , Ana. I care about you , a lot. And I really like you. You cross my mind so many times a day , I don't know if it is healthy to think so much about you - but , I can't bring myself to care", He spoke , finally meeting her eyes - sincerity brimming within the voids as his hands inched out to entwine with hers.

Holding her hands , he spoke his mind - listening to the hummingbird that threatened to burst through his emerald veins , voice softer than an equinox's zephyr ,"I really like you Evanna Frey , since we were kids. Maybe the feelings had drifted when we fell apart , but they had never fully gone away."

Her rosebud lips parted slightly , carmine dust coating her button nose as she felt her face slowly warmed. At the sound of her silence , the earnest semblance of his effusive being faded - the grasp on her hands loosening as his shoulder's visibly drooped.

"I like you too , you nitwit", She whispered - the rustle of the leaves the only sound resurfacing within the vicinity. The ebullience within his silver eyes appeared once again , and his small smile widened - blushing a brilliant vermillion to the tips of his ears. But even Evanna's cheeks were the shade of ripened cherries , and he smiled softly as his hand reached out to tuck an escaped piece of her caramel hair behind her ear , his thumb absent-mindedly brushing against her cranberry lips.

"C-can I kiss you ?", He asked gently - heart racing within his chest so stridently , that he was assured Evanna could hear it's beat. She nodded , her ocean eyes that he so often lost himself within flickering down to his soft lips.

And so , he leaned down to meet her rosebud lips - savouring the taste of them , an extravagant coalescence of cranberry wine , chocolates and burnt cigarettes. In the back of his mind , he did questioned himself whether the scent did come from smoking , but he was too wrapped up to question twice the taste of cigarette smoke. If there would have been a manifestation of the seventh heaven - it would have been her.

Both his hands came upwards to cradle the sides of her face - her arms wrapping themselves around his neck. It was a gentle brush of their soft lips - but the feeling was exhilarating , their hearts thrumming at an unhealthy pace as the world caved around the duo.

With a gasp for breath - their lips parted , their foreheads leaning against each other as a small laugh escaped Evanna's throat , his lips curving upwards into a smile at the sound of it.

"Piggy back ride ?"

"Of course , Ana", He said , bending down slightly with his back towards her , as she climbed up gently , winding her arms around his neck. Euphonious laughter echoed around them both , the laughter of Evanna Frey - silver speckles in her joyous irises as the boy with stardust gave her a ride on his back up to the castle on the moors.

                                                                  _______________________

"Ana , we are supposed to be studying", He whispered into her ear - sending gentle shivers down her ivory spine. She mumbled something incoherent , tightening her embrace around him as she buried her head into the crook of his neck - making the boy blush violently.

"Ana", He said softly , stroking her hair that fell in a neat braid to her shoulders.

"You smell nice", She mumbled. "Like mint."

"Thank you."

"And you're soft. You are my new pillow now , I hope you don't mind. And even if you do , I don't care."

Draco chuckled , finally reciprocating her embrace as the crackle of the hearth increased - most students already asleep as the duo sat on the couch - books strewn across the dark wood table , academics long forgotten. As he sat there in absolute tranquility , analyzing her soft , lingering breaths across his skin - his mind wandered back to the letter he had received from the owl that had come for Evanna. He had never given it back to her , and upon opening it after falling slave to his curiousity - he had found it to be empty of any contents. A blank parchment , empty of words etched in ink.

He wandered what it's significance was , and about the strange initials 'E.M.R'  , before his eyes fell to an object that caught the light of the flames. The bracelet he had given to her glistened with warmth , the cold azure and pearlescent appearance blossoming with young love , and his lips curved upwards into a smile - momentarily forgetting the unknown things about Evanna that constantly bothered his conscience.

[ A/N : THIS CHAPTER WAS QUITE THE CHALLENGE. MY SHIP IS FINALLY SAILING AAAAH. DRACO AND EVANNA ARE MY BABIES. AND THIS MAY SEEM RECKLESS , BUT TEENAGERS ARE RECKLESS. THEY FALL RECKLESSLY , AND LOVE WITHOUT RESTRICTIONS. BESIDES BOTH OF THEM HAD BEEN GOOD FRIENDS BEFORE HOGWARTS , AND NOW THE FEELINGS ONLY RESURFACED FOR BOTH. 

THANK YOU FOR ONE THOUSAND READS ! I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD MAKE IT THIS FAR ! ]