four : A SECRET CLUB OF TWO

chapter iv : a secret club of two

   "for practice. no feelings involved. just... curiosity."

NEARLY EVERYONE IN THE GROUP had their mouths dropped, eyes wide, as if the bottle had just conjured a dragon instead of pointing at their two most notoriously antagonistic classmates. Eric Lewis was the first to react, his hand flying to his mouth to stifle a burst of giggles, his shoulders shaking with barely suppressed thrill. This was peak entertainment for him. Blaise, usually so composed, had his mouth agape for a solid three seconds before a slow, wide smirk stretched across his handsome face. "Now that's interesting." Ivory Davis chimed in, a genuine grin splitting her face. Claudia Selwyn, predictably, recoiled. "Ew! Draco has to hug a half-blood?" She whined, her nose wrinkling in disgust. Pansy nodded vigorously in agreement, a smug, superior look plastered on her mean-girl features.

Draco Malfoy and Valerie Potter ignored them all. They just stared at each other across the circle, their faces unnervingly blank, masks of carefully constructed indifference. Valerie felt so weak, so light-headed. Was this a dream?

Eric cleared his throat, his voice still thick with suppressed laughter. "Well, off you go, lovebirds."

Millicent tapped her vintage silver watch. "Time is ticking. Ten minutes, remember."

Draco pushed himself gracefully to his feet, his gaze still fixed on her. Valerie, feeling every eye in the room, slowly stood too. The air between them, usually charged with antagonism, was now thick with an entirely different kind of tension. A shy, nervous flush crept up Valerie's neck, mirroring the subtle pink that dusted Draco's pale cheeks. This wasn't how they did things. They sneered, they snapped, they battled. Not... hugging each other.

They walked to the closet, their movements stiff, almost synchronised.

Valerie stepped in first, the small space immediately engulfing her. Before Draco could close the door, she caught a glimpse of their friends: Eric looked absolutely thrilled, a silent cheer radiating from him: Blaise was still smirking, a wicked glint in his eyes: Pansy looked utterly revolted. Then, the heavy door clunked shut, plunging them into suffocating, absolute darkness.

Suddenly, the common room chatter and distant music faded to nothing. The silence was immediate, absolute, broken only by the frantic pounding of Valerie's own heart against her ribs and the surprisingly quiet sound of Draco's breathing beside her. The darkness was total, thicker than any she had experienced.

She couldn't see him, but every one of her other senses screamed his presence.

The air was thick with the faint, sweet scent of her own vanilla lotion, mingling strangely with the fresh, clean scent of Draco – a mix of soap, that familiar expensive cologne, and something else, something uniquely him that was warm and earthy.

It was overwhelming, intoxicating.

She could feel the warmth radiating off his body, just inches away. She squeezed her eyes shut, as if that would somehow make her less aware of him, trying to regulate her ragged breaths. Ten minutes. Just ten minutes. And a hug. No pimples.

           "Ummm... if you don't want to, Potter, it's okay—" Draco's voice, surprisingly soft and hesitant, cut through the darkness. It was almost... kind. His usual drawl was gone, replaced by a slight tremor that Valerie felt deep in her chest.

Valerie's mind raced. He's giving me an out. But the thought of those ghastly LOSER pimples, especially with the thought of Draco seeing them, was enough. More than enough. But was it just the pimples? A strange, exhilarating surge of inner confidence, sharp and sudden, bloomed in her stomach.

A part of her, a very small, very secret part, wanted this.

Wanted to know what it felt like.

To hug her rival.

Her forbidden crush.

Without another thought, Valerie took a brave step forward into the impenetrable black. Her hand, hesitant at first, found his arm. She felt the solid muscle beneath her fingers, then she shifted, raising her arms. Slowly, almost reverently, she wrapped them around his torso, pulling herself gently against him.

Draco froze. Valerie felt the instant stiffness in his body, the surprised intake of his breath. He hadn't expected this. Not from her. A furious blush spread across his face, thankfully hidden by the absolute darkness of the closet. His heart hammered a wild, erratic rhythm against his ribs. She's actually hugging me. The scent of her vanilla lotion filled his nostrils, shockingly sweet and comforting. He could feel the soft curve of her body pressed against his, the gentle weight of her head resting somewhere near his shoulder.

           After a beat of stunned silence, as if moving in slow motion, Draco's own arms, large and strong, slowly, almost reluctantly, rose. He hesitated, then, with a soft exhale, he wrapped them around her, pulling her closer against him.

It was an awkward hug at first, stiff and formal, a forced proximity.

Valerie could feel his chest against her. But as the seconds ticked by, a strange warmth began to bloom in her own chest, spreading outwards. She could feel the subtle shift in his posture, a slight relaxation as his arms settled more comfortably around her. His head was close: she could feel the phantom warmth of his breathing on her hair.

The scent of his cologne filled her lungs, suddenly grounding and intoxicating.

Her initial anxiety began to morph into something else, something terrifyingly pleasant. A shiver ran down her spine, but it wasn't from fear. It was a delicious, intoxicating flutter of butterflies, a riot of them in her stomach.

This was Draco Malfoy.

Her enemy.

And he was holding her.

In the dark.

In a closet.

Every nerve ending was alive, buzzing with the impossible reality of the moment.

          "I guess we have to stay like this for ten minutes, then..." Valerie's voice, muffled against his chest, came out as an awkward, breathless whisper.

         "Yeah... we do." Draco murmured back, his voice still tense, surprisingly close to her ear. Valerie could feel his heart, a frantic drumbeat beneath her cheek, practically vibrating through his chest.

It was beating so fast.

"Your heart's going crazy." Valerie pointed out, a mischievous, nervous laugh bubbling up.

         Draco scoffed, a soft, almost affectionate sound in the darkness. "Yours too, Potter. Don't think I can't feel it."

A brief, awkward silence settled between them again, more potent than before.

But this time, it wasn't uncomfortable. It was charged. Electric. Every muscle in Valerie's body was screaming at her to run, but every fibre of her being wanted to lean closer, to savour the warmth, the impossible closeness. She could feel the rapid thump of her own heart, and the steady, racing beat of his, now perfectly in sync.

          "Funny," Valerie whispered, the words tumbling out before she could filter them. "I always imagined you'd be... colder. Not like this. You're actually... warm." Her voice trailed off, the accidental confession hanging heavy in the dark. Oops.

Draco's body stiffened again, but this time it wasn't surprise, it was a subtle shift of amusement. A low, chuckle rumbled from his chest, right against her ear. He grinned, she could feel it against her scalp where his head was now, very subtly, resting on top of hers, settling into the soft curve of her hair. The embrace shifted, becoming more intimate, more natural, as if they'd been hugging for years.

           "You imagined about me, Potter?" He teased, his voice thick with a triumphant mirth. "And you imagined I'd be cold? Oh, that wounds me deeply."

Valerie's face burned. She felt the blush spread from her neck all the way to her hairline, a furious, undeniable heat. She was sure she looked like a ripe tomato in the dark. Her heart, already frantic, began to pound even faster, a wild drum solo against his chest. She squeezed her eyes shut tighter, burying her face further into his shoulder. Merlin, kill me now.

Draco's chuckle deepened, a warm vibration against her. "And now your heart's practically trying to escape, isn't it?" He murmured, the words a soft puff of air on her scalp. He tightened his arms almost imperceptibly, pulling her a fraction closer. "Must be all that imagining."

             Valerie let out a muffled groan. "Shut up, Malfoy." But there was no real heat in her voice, only a strange mix of embarrassment and... something else she couldn't name.

"Make me," He countered, the challenge soft, playful.

The silence that followed was different.

Less awkward, more... charged. Valerie could feel the warmth of his breathing, the steady rhythm of his heart, the solidness of him against her. It was oddly comforting, in a terrifying, exhilarating way.

          "You know," Draco said suddenly, his voice quieter now, a touch of vulnerability she had never heard before. "This is actually... nice." He hesitated. "I've, uh... I've never really hugged anyone before. Not like this."

Valerie's breath hitched. Her heart, already doing acrobatics, now seemed to pause. He's never hugged anyone? The thought was both incredibly sad and inexplicably endearing. All the pure-blood formality, the stiffness she had always seen in him... it suddenly made a strange kind of sense. Her own arms tightened around him almost imperceptibly. An unexpected wave of awe, mixed with a fierce protectiveness, washed over her.

"Never?" She whispered, genuinely surprised.

         "Not... properly," He clarified, a hint of his usual pride creeping back, but it was softer, less sharp. "It's not exactly a Malfoy trait." He let out a small, self-deprecating laugh. "I suppose I'm quite good at it, considering it's my first go."

Valerie couldn't help but smile into his shoulder. "Actually, yeah. You're... surprisingly good."

A soft huff of amusement escaped him. He shifted slightly, and Valerie felt him press his head more firmly against hers, as if finding a more comfortable spot. The simple gesture sent another jolt of warmth through her.

         "So," Draco murmured, his voice a low rumble. "If I'm so warm, and good at hugging... does that change your 'imaginings' about me, Potter?" There was a hint of genuine curiosity, not just teasing, in his tone now.

Valerie hesitated. The darkness felt safe, a cocoon where she could admit things she never would in the light. "Maybe," She whispered honestly, her voice barely audible. "Maybe it does."

Another beat of charged silence. The air crackled with unspoken thoughts, with the quiet hum of their combined heartbeats. This was an intimacy she had never imagined, not with him. Not like this.

          "This is... really strange, though, isn't it? Us. Like this." Valerie shifted slightly, feeling the solidness of him.

        "Beyond strange, Potter." Draco's voice was a soft, almost contemplative murmur, his breathing warm on her dark hair. He paused. "And yet... not entirely... unpleasant."

Valerie's heart skipped. Not unpleasant? He actually likes this?  "No... not unpleasant," She confirmed softly, a breath escaping her lips.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

The faint, annoying sound of Millicent's enchanted watch broke the spell, vibrating faintly through the thin door.

The ten minutes were up.

Neither of them broke apart.

They stayed locked in their embrace, the silence now stretched thin with a shared, desperate reluctance. Valerie felt an immediate, sharp pang of regret, a desperate wish for time to stretch, to stop.

Already?

She didn't want this to end. Not yet. She could feel Draco stiffen slightly too, a shared awareness that their impossible bubble was about to burst.

          "Sounds like our ten minutes are up, Potter," Draco said, his voice low, a touch of frustration beneath the words. He didn't loosen his hold.

         "Already?" Valerie murmured, a soft sigh of disappointment escaping her lips, muffled against his chest.

         "Seems so." Draco's response was a low, almost pained murmur. He leaned his head into hers for one last, fleeting second.

Valerie, still nestled against him, felt a strange boldness. "This was... surprisingly good," She whispered, her voice barely an exhale.

A pause. Then, very quietly, so low she almost missed it, Draco responded. "Yeah. It was."

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ♡ *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

VALERIE POTTER inserted the white earphones into her ears and played the song 'Love me like you do by Ellie Goulding', automatically daydreaming about her crush, before sitting down over to the two empty desks at the left hand side of the classroom. She glanced around and realised Professor Sinistra was nowhere to be seen.

Her head still felt a bit fuzzy, a lingering haze from a night of restless, excited sleep. After the Slytherin get-together, her best friend had practically burst into her dorm room, eyes wide and sparkling, ready to dissect every single detail of the closet encounter.

He had bounced on the end of her bed, barely containing his squeals of glee, demanding to know everything. And Valerie, surprisingly, had found herself sharing. Not all of it, not the way her heart had hammered or the way Draco's voice had softened, but enough. She had recounted the initial awkwardness, the shared laughter, and his surprising confession about never really hugging anyone. Eric had devoured every word, already planning a dozen scenarios in his head for their next 'forbidden' moment.

Even after Eric had finally been shooed out by a stern-faced prefect, Valerie had tossed and turned, the memory of Draco's warmth, the faint scent of his cologne, and the hushed intimacy of the closet replaying in her mind like a broken record. She had relished the feeling of his arms around her, the surprising comfort in being held by someone she was supposed to despise. It was all so confusing, yet undeniably thrilling. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw only darkness and felt the solid press of his chest against hers.

Fading in, fading out

On the edge of paradise

Every inch of your skin is a Holy Grail I′ve got to find

Only you can set my heart on fire, on fire

Valerie pulled two books from her red designer purse, a seemingly small accessory that Eric's older sister had cleverly enchanted with an extension charm, allowing it to hold far more than its appearance suggested. Eric, who had a matching one in lavender purple, often joked about their handbag twinning.

Just then, more students spilled into the classroom. Valerie spotted Eric and Seamus amongst them, both looking suspiciously disheveled and smeared with spots of black dust. A smile touched her lips, a familiar warmth bubbling up at the sight of her chaotic best friend.

She pulled her right earphone off, the music fading. "What did you two do this time??" She asked, a laugh already bubbling in her throat.

          "Seamus and I almost burnt the kitchen down once again," Eric chuckled, unfazed, as he placed his lavender purple handbag on his desk and slid into the seat to Valerie's left.

"Here, let me help." Valerie unzipped her red handbag and pulled out a packet of wipes. As she began gently cleaning the dust from his face, Eric, without missing a beat, plugged the other end of her earphone into his own ear. The gentle, romantic melody of Ellie Goulding's 'Love Me Like You Do' filled the small space between them. Eric's eyes widened playfully. He grinned, a knowing glint in his gaze. "—Girl... you are so in love."

Love me like you do, la-la-love me like you do (like you do)

Love me like you do, la-la-love me like you do (ye-yeah)

Touch me like you do, ta-ta-touch me like you do

What are you waiting for?

Blaise and Draco entered the classroom. Draco's mere presence sent a subtle jolt through Valerie, a familiar flutter in her stomach that was now tinged with the fresh, bewildering memory of the closet. A strange, almost soft smile touched Draco's lips, a silent acknowledgement of their shared secret from the night before. Valerie politely returned the soft smile. He strolled towards the desks behind her and Eric, his usual confident swagger softened just a fraction.

         "Where's Miss Sinistra?" Blaise asked loudly, glancing around the room, waiting for any of his classmates to answer as he settled into his seat.

        "—We've got no idea," Daniel Chen, a black-haired boy sitting in the middle row, responded. "Heard she was unwell, though."

A relaxed clamour of chatter instantly filled the room, students taking advantage of their familiar red-haired teacher, Aurora Sinistra, being absent. Laughter echoed, quills were idly tapped against desks, and a few students pulled out sweets. On the right-hand side of the classroom, Pansy Parkinson was already thoroughly pleased about something, smugly reading a newspaper with her friend Octavia Turpin, a Ravenclaw whom Pansy usually didn't bother with unless her own Slytherin clique was missing.

Pansy's voice sharp and clear. "Hey Weasley!!" She called out for Ron, who was sitting in the middle row next to Harry Potter. Hermione Granger and Padma Patil were seated behind them.

"What?" Ron answered, already sounding wary.

"Your dad's in the paper, Weasley!" Pansy declared triumphantly, unfolding the newspaper with a flourish. Her sneering gaze swept across the room, ensuring she had everyone's attention before she began reading loudly. "Listen to this!—"

╔═══════════════╗

FURTHER MISTAKES AT THE MINISTRY OF MAGICIt seems as though the Ministry of Magic's troubles are not yet at an end, writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. Recently under fire for its poor crowd control at the Quidditch World Cup, and still unable to account for the disappearance of one of its witches, the Ministry was plunged into fresh embarrassment yesterday by the antics of Arnold Weasley, of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office.

Pansy glanced at Ron, "Imagine them not even getting his name right, Weasley. It's almost as though he's nonexistent!" Her classmates were all listening now and Valerie turned her music off because she was gladly ready to defend Ron. Pansy straightened the paper and continued reading:

Arnold Weasley, who was charged with possession of a flying car two years ago, was yesterday involved in a tussle with several Muggle law-keepers ("policemen") over a number of highly aggressive dustbins. Mr. Weasley appears to have rushed to the aid of "Mad-Eye" Moody, the aged ex-Auror who retired from the Ministry when no longer able to tell the difference between a handshake and attempted murder. Unsurprisingly, Mr. Weasley found, upon arrival at Mr. Moody's heavily guarded house, that Mr. Moody had once again raised a false alarm. Mr. Weasley was forced to modify several memories before he could escape from the policemen, but refused to answer Daily Prophet questions about why he had involved the Ministry in such an undignified and potentially embarrassing scene.

╚═══════════════╝

"There's also a picture too!" Pansy cackled, flipping the paper over and holding it up for everyone to see. The image showed a disheveled Arthur Weasley and Molly Weasley standing outside their Burrow. "A picture of your parents outside their house—well if you can even call it a house!" Her voice dripped with saccharine disdain. "You know, I think your mother should consider losing a bit of weight."

A heavy, disgusted silence fell over the classroom. Every eye was locked on Ron, whose face was rapidly turning a deeper shade of scarlet than his hair, his hands clenching into furious fists under the desk. He was shaking, a vein throbbing visibly at his temple.

"Shove off, Parkinson." Harry's voice was a low snarl, his own eyes blazing with protective anger.

          "Oh, yeah!" Pansy rejoiced, her eyes glinting with malicious triumph as she turned her sneering gaze to Valerie. "You and your ugly sister were staying with them this summer, weren't you Potter? So tell me... is his mother really that porky, or is it just the picture?" The final jab was delivered with a sickeningly sweet smile.

Valerie's vision narrowed. Her blood ran cold, then boiled. The fleeting, soft moment with Draco from earlier vanished, replaced by an inferno of pure, unadulterated rage. That's it. I've had enough of this bitch. The thought was a growl in her mind, and without another second's hesitation, she launched herself from her desk. A collective gasp ripped through the classroom, followed by the frenzied rustle of robes as students scrambled to pull out their phones, eager to record the spectacle.

Draco's eyes, sharp and predatory, tracked the dark-haired girl as she moved like a coiled spring. A dark, almost feral grin stretched across his face, a thrill igniting in his gaze. He wasn't just smiling cheerfully: he was relishing the impending chaos, admiring the sheer audacity of her fury.

          "The Viper strikes again!" Blaise Zabini exclaimed, a shout of pure exhilaration echoing through the room.

Just as Valerie reached Pansy's desk, a new presence swept into the room. Professor Sinistra entered, dabbing her perpetually runny nose with a tissue, followed by the unmistakable, heavy thud-thud of Professor Moody's wooden leg. His magical eye whirred, already swiveling to take in the unfolding pandemonium.

'Viper' became Valerie's infamous nickname, earned in second year when she first displayed her fearless, venomous streak while standing up for others. The name stuck, not just because of her unyielding nature, but also because her twin brother could speak to snakes, cementing her association with the cunning and dangerous creature of her Slytherin house.

Valerie didn't hesitate. Her hand CRACKED across Pansy's face with a loud, stinging smack that echoed through the sudden, stunned silence of the classroom. Pansy stumbled back, her hand flying to her reddening cheek, her smug expression dissolving into shocked outrage. This wasn't Valerie's first time striking her: she had fought Pansy and her other main enemy, Claudia Selwyn, multiple times before, particularly in third year. Her very first act of defiance had been punching Gregory Goyle in the face in first year for insulting Eric.

Professor Sinistra gasped, her eyes bulging. "MISS POTTER AND MISS PARKINSON!" She shrieked, dropping her tissue as she surged forward, her red hair practically vibrating with indignation. Professor Moody, though slower, followed, his magical eye fixed on the scene.

             Pansy, her face now a mask of fury and humiliation, shrieked, "YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT!" She instantly pulled her wand out, a malevolent jinx already forming on her lips, but she wasn't quick enough.

          "Petrificus Totalus!" Valerie's spell was a whipcrack of light, hitting Pansy squarely. Her body stiffened instantly, freezing mid-lunge, before she toppled rigidly, hitting the floor with an undignified thud.

"MISS POTTER!" Professor Sinistra roared, her face contorting with disbelief. "I was simply coming to fetch Professor Moody to teach this class today as I feel unwell, then I arrive to you attacking another student in my classroom?!"

"I wasn't going to let her hit me first!" Valerie retorted, her chin high, her eyes fixed defiantly on the professor. As Sinistra, seething, lifted the spell off the prone Pansy, Valerie continued, "-Besides, she started it in the first place! Insulting Ron's parents like that!" She pointed at the now-stirring Pansy, and her classmates murmured amongst themselves, thoroughly entertained by the escalating drama.

          "I have had enough of this violence coming from you, Miss Potter!" Sinistra seethed, her hands balled into fists. "-I'll be taking thirty points from Slytherin and you'll serve detention this afternoon with Professor Snape!"

        "Oh well," Valerie shrugged, utterly unrepentant. "At least I had the chance to smack some sense into this dumb bitch—"

       "Keep your fat mouth shut, Potter!" Pansy snarled, scrambling to her feet, her wand already raised once more. She was fast, but not fast enough.

"OH NO YOU DON'T!!" Professor Moody's gravelly voice cut through the air, and his wand snapped forward. A flash of brilliant light, and Pansy Parkinson was immediately transformed into a small, fluffy white ferret, causing the entire classroom to erupt in roaring laughter. The bewildered ferret bounced on the stone floor, squeaking in utter confusion.

"Moody!" Professor Sinistra seemed as though her eyes were about to pop out of her head, staring at the unfortunate ferret. She quickly pulled out her own wand and, with a complex incantation, reversed the transfiguration. Pansy Parkinson reappeared, her black hair disheveled and plastered to her now quite pink, utterly mortified face. Without a word, she scrambled upright and, with a choked sob of humiliation, bolted from the classroom.

             "Moody, we never use Transfiguration as a punishment!" Professor Sinistra hotly debated, her face a mask of exasperation. "I'm sure Professor Dumbledore mentioned it?" Moody replied, scratching his chin unconcernedly, his magical eye whirring. "He might've mentioned, yeah... But I figured a good sharp shock—"

"We give detentions, Moody! Or speak to the Head of their Houses!" Professor Sinistra declared, throwing her hands up in exasperation. Alastor Moody sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly. "I'll do that then." He replied, before signalling Valerie to follow him out of the classroom.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ♡ *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

MONDAY MORNING ARRIVED and the students of Stream A from Year 4 had Potions for second period as usual. As Valerie entered the dungeon classroom, a wave of familiar chill wrapped around her. She found her usual desk, sliding into the seat beside Draco, the air between them thick with the unspoken memory of the closet. She avoided his grey eyes, focusing intently on the chipped edge of her desk, a blush threatening to creep up her neck.

Professor Snape had the class complete an unexpected quiz, to check if they were paying attention to last week's lessons. The classroom fell silent, the only sound the nervous scratching of quills onto parchment. Valerie's quill moved furiously, her mind trying to focus, but fragmented memories of warm arms and hushed whispers kept intruding.

            Eleven minutes had passed and Hermione Granger handed her paper in first as expected. To Draco Malfoy's surprise, the girl sitting beside him completed the quiz before he did.

Valerie, finished early, instinctively reached for her phone, but Professor Snape, with his usual uncanny timing, walked over to her and gestured for her to hand it over. Valerie whispered, "But I finished early...?" She pleaded, but Snape's expression remained unbothered. He simply waited. Valerie sighed, a small huff of defeat, before allowing the phone to be taken away.

A moment later, the blond next to her handed in his assignment as well. Draco's fingers brushed hers as he passed the parchment, a brief, accidental contact that sent a subtle jolt up Valerie's arm. She quickly pulled her hand back, her cheeks warming, and risked a quick glance. His jaw was tight, but his grey eyes, when they briefly met hers, held an unreadable mix of tension and something else she couldn't quite decipher.

Draco opened his Potions book, though his gaze kept flicking towards Valerie. She, in turn, pulled her Visual Arts homework out of her red purse: an unfinished sketch of a majestic dragon.

Another ten minutes passed, and every student had completed the quiz. Professor Snape instructed the class to continue researching antidotes by reading the given textbooks, before leaving the classroom to discuss something important with another teacher. Instantly, the students relaxed, a low hum of chatter filling the dungeon.

Instead of following Snape's instructions, Valerie carried on with her Visual Arts homework. She hadn't had much time for it last week, preoccupied with detentions. She became absorbed in adding scales to the dragon's snout, the pencil scratching softly against the parchment.

Draco, supposedly reading, found his eyes drawn to her drawing. He was clearly impressed, but not surprised. He already knew his classmate was greatly talented with art, a skill he had always secretly admired. Yet, he was curious why, of all creatures, she specifically chose a dragon. He hesitated, picking at a loose thread on his sleeve. The memory of her warmth, her quiet laugh in the dark, still resonated. He wanted to talk, but how?

He leaned closer, his voice a low, hesitant murmur. "Why choose a dragon?" He accidentally forgot that he hadn't spoken to her in such a quiet, normal way for quite some time, not since... the closet.

Valerie froze, quill mid-air. She stared at him for two full seconds, genuinely surprised he was talking to her again, and in such a gentle tone. "Um..." It was such a simple question, but her mind suddenly went blank. "My Visual Arts teacher assigned my class to sketch any magical creature..."

       "You didn't answer my question." Draco stated, his tone still mild, almost coaxing.

Valerie breathed deeply, a faint blush dusting her cheeks. "Dragons are my favourite creature... I guess."

     "Why?" He asked, his gaze fixed intently on her drawing, then flicking to her eyes.

He's actually... interested. "It's my Patronus."

Draco's brow furrowed in genuine confusion. "Patronus...?"

Valerie began to explain, "A Patronus Charm is a form of advanced magic in which—"

"—In which the witch or wizard casting the spell draws upon their happiest memories to produce a kind of shield to protect themselves from Dementors," Draco finished smoothly, talking over her. "Yeah, I'm not stupid. Of course, I know what a Patronus is... But are you telling me you can really perform that type of advanced magic? A full Patronus?" There was no challenge in his voice, only genuine awe, a hint of respect, and a profound curiosity. He leaned in just a fraction more.

         "Yes." She agreed, a small, proud smile touching her lips. "Professor Lupin gave Harry and I private lessons last year. He's actually my godfather, you know."

"That's... powerful magic, Potter." He murmured, watching her intently, his gaze unwavering. A faint, almost imperceptible smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth, a new kind of expression she hadn't seen on him before.

         "So... a dragon?" He continued, his voice a quiet drawl. "You know, my name translates to dragon in Latin." His smirk deepened slightly, and Valerie felt a warmth spread through her chest. She tried to hide her grin.

Just then, Millicent Bulstrode and Ivory Davis, who were sitting on the desks directly in front of Valerie and Draco, let out a series of muffled squeals. Millicent, her eyes sparkling with excitement, spun around to face Valerie.

       "Guess what, Val!" Millicent sang, her voice hushed but bursting with glee. "Ivory has a boyfriendddd!"

Ivory, a blush creeping up her neck, playfully shushed her friend, swatting at Millicent's arm. "Not yet! It's just a date!" She corrected, though a wide smile betrayed her excitement.

Valerie's own face lit up, returning their enthusiasm. She remembered their numerous late-night talks about crushes. "Is it that Hufflepuff you've been talking about?"

Ivory squealed quietly, nodding vigorously. "Yes!"

Millicent leaned in, a mischievous glint in her eyes, and began to tease Ivory, making exaggerated kissy faces close to her friend's cheek. "Ooooooh, someone might get their first kiss!" She singsonged, causing Ivory to dissolve into giggles. Valerie laughed to herself as well, a warm, fuzzy feeling spreading through her chest at her friends' joy. Ivory and Millicent eventually turned back around, but their playful teasing continued in hushed whispers between themselves.

Draco, who had been listening to the exchange with an unreadable expression, shifted slightly in his seat. His gaze was curious as he turned back to Valerie, his voice dropping to a low, hesitant tone.

"Have you... have you had your first kiss yet?"

Valerie's heart dropped, a sudden, unexpected plummet.

         The question hit her like a surprise Bludger. "Um..." She stammered, her cheeks heating. "No," She admitted, her voice barely a whisper.

"Really?" Draco's eyebrows rose in genuine pure surprise.

Valerie's own eyebrows knotted in confusion. "No, Malfoy, I haven't. Why? And how could I even do it? I've never had a boyfriend..." The thought was mortifying, and she wondered why he would even ask.

Draco leaned back slightly, a faint, almost imperceptible blush touching his own cheekbones. "Well," He drawled, looking vaguely uncomfortable but still intensely curious, "I know plenty of guys who fancy you. For Merlin's sake, you're the Girl Who Lived." He trailed off, leaving the unspoken implication hanging in the air: how could someone so famous and sought-after not have had a kiss?

Valerie, feeling a sudden surge of something she couldn't name – curiosity mixed with a strange hope – decided to turn the question back on him. She was so sure he must have had hundreds of kisses, but a part of her, a tiny, desperate part, wished he hadn't yet. "Same for you, Malfoy. I know so many girls who practically throw themselves at you. Have you?"

         Draco hesitated, looking away for a split second, a flicker of vulnerability crossing his features. He swallowed. "No," He admitted quietly, "I haven't either."

Valerie's eyes widened, genuinely disbelieving. She stared at him, trying to reconcile the arrogant, self-assured Draco she knew with the hesitant boy admitting such a personal secret.

Draco, sensing her disbelief, gives a slight, almost imperceptible shrug. "It's not... a priority," He mutters, though his gaze still holds a strange intensity as he looks back at her. The air between them, already thick with unspoken things from the closet, now hums with a new, charged tension. It's an odd intimacy, sharing this specific secret, this shared inexperience, with the person they're supposedly enemies with.

Valerie's mind races. He hasn't either? Draco Malfoy? The one every other girl in Slytherin swoons over? It's bewildering, but also... oddly comforting.

It feels like a strange, secret club of two.

Her gaze flickers from his eyes to his lips, then back up. She remembers the unexpected comfort of his arms, the slight tremor in her own body when he held her in the closet. The curiosity that had been a dull throb in her chest since then now surges, sharp and insistent.

Then, a hesitant thought, almost too bold to voice, sparks in her mind. It's born from their shared secret, from the unusual closeness they'd experienced. She bites her lip, then blurts it out, her voice barely a whisper. "So... do you ever wonder... what it's like?"

Draco's eyes narrow slightly, as if carefully assessing her, searching for the hidden meaning behind her words. He doesn't answer immediately, but his gaze drops to her lips for a brief, telling moment. "Sometimes," He admits, his voice equally quiet, almost a confession.

           "Me too," Valerie whispers, her heart starting to beat a little faster. "I mean, how are you supposed to know what to do, right? If you've... never..." She trails off, the awkwardness palpable, yet the curiosity is stronger.

Draco shifts again, leaning forward just slightly. His voice is a low murmur, almost a dare. "Perhaps... we could find out."

Valerie's breath catches. "Find out?" She repeats, her eyes wide, a blush creeping hot over her cheeks.

He nods, his gaze unwavering, challenging. "Just... for practice. Purely for research purposes, of course." There's a hint of his usual smirk, but it's softened, edged with vulnerability. "No feelings involved. Just... curiosity."

The idea is outrageous, scandalous, exactly the kind of reckless thrill her Slytherin side craves. It's also terrifyingly tempting. She thinks of the girls who would kill to be in her position, and the irony makes a nervous laugh bubble in her throat. "Practice?" She echoes, but there's a glint in her eye now, a growing boldness. "Purely for research?"

         "Purely," Draco confirms, his voice barely audible above the distant chatter of the classroom. He looks around, then back at her, a silent question in his eyes.

Valerie's heart hammered against her ribs, a frantic drumbeat against the quiet hum of the room. The idea was absurd, dangerous, thrilling. Every logical part of her screamed no, but her Slytherin instinct, the part that craved forbidden excitement, hummed with anticipation.

She met his gaze, a silent agreement passing between them. The question wasn't if they would, but when and where. They had to be alone. Completely alone.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ♡ *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

( entire chapter rewritten - june 22nd 2025 )

i officially need to admit myself into a mental hospital because the way i was squealing and giggling to myself in bed at 2am as i write this story is . . . . .

this part of the story was not here originally so i hope you all loved this !! EEEEEK !!

word count : 6,002