Cos you got my heart in a headlock

You stopped the blood and made my head soft

And god knows

You got me sewn

It had been a week since the night Draco had sat down with me on the sofa. Although I had cast little glances in his direction during the day, nothing more was exchanged between us since. I had resisted the desire to wait up for him again, fear that he would think I was being too fixated on him if I did.

Although in truth I was. My thoughts were now filled with Draco - I couldn't help it. My stomach fluttered whenever I remembered that small smile he had given me as he had said goodnight. My heart clenched whenever I remembered how shattered he had looked and how utterly resigned he was to whatever it was he had to do. I wanted to reach out to him so much. But I was afraid - afraid he would reject me.

But tonight, a week on, I decided to make myself comfortable on the sofa by the fire when the last Slytherin left for bed. And then I waited.

I didn't have long to wait this time. Draco walked in just after midnight. I heard his tired footsteps as he practically dragged himself in. I felt the soft thud as he collapsed onto the other end of the sofa.

"Hey," I attempted a small smile as I greeted him, relieved that he had chosen to sit with me again.

"Can't sleep, still?" He asked, his eyes meeting mine. My pulse quickened. There were dark shadows under his eyes that weren't there before. His face looked drawn in and his frame was looking thin beneath his shirt. I had to fight down the urge to place my hand on his beautiful, tired face.

"Pansy's talking in her sleep - apparently the neighbours cat chased her up a tree again."

Draco sniggered at my attempt at humour. It was true that Pansy spoke in her sleep but it was usually unidentifiable mumbo jumbo. My heart swelled at the fact that I had made him smile.

I watched as he yawned and his hands went to his head, ruffling his blonde hair through his fingers leaving him with a tired, rugged look.

"The offer is still there, you know," I said as he looked at me questioningly. "To help."

Draco exhaled slowly as he looked back towards the fire. "There's no need." And then, he added quietly as if he wasn't sure he wanted to say it, "but- but thank you... anyway."

I smiled in response even though he wasn't looking at me. I couldn't help but feel a nugget of disappointment that he didn't want me to help him.

"You didn't deserve that, by the way."

I looked over to Draco quizzically as I wondered what on earth he was talking about.

"Last year. What Pansy did to you. What I did."

I was speechless. It hadn't even occurred to me that he still thought about that, least of all that he was somewhat remorseful.

"It's in the past," I offered, shrugging my shoulders. I really didn't want him bringing up that night, just thinking about it made my cheeks burn with humiliation. That and the fact that it reminded me of how cruel Draco had once been to me.

"But it's not - Pansy's still being a grade A bitch to you."

I was starting to feel irritated, I just wish he would drop it.

"Why do you hang out with her?" I asked, not being able to keep the irritation out of my voice.

"Why do you hang out with Potter?" He bit back.

We looked at one another. I saw a smirk start to creep on his face and I couldn't help but smirk back.

"Ok, ok," I laughed. "Point taken."

Later, we both said goodnight as we parted ways and I when I fell asleep I dreamt of silver grey eyes and white blonde hair.

***

He was drawn to her in a way that he had never been drawn to anyone ever before. It was extremely disconcerting to him. He had a task to do and he couldn't afford to have any distractions.

Yet, now, when he was working on the Cabinet late into the night, he found he was eager to finish up and head back to the common room. It unnerved him how his heart would pound in anticipation of seeing her, and how the disappointment would hit him when the sofa was empty, looking so sad and bare without the dark haired, blue eyed, Slytherin girl.

Draco stepped into the common room after another long and exhausting effort of trying to fix the Cabinet. As usual, his eyes went straight to the sofa by the fire and he felt a small wave of pleasure ripple through him at the sight of her.

As he walked towards her though, he could tell something was wrong. She didn't give him her usual smile in greeting - instead, curled up in the corner of the sofa, her head was down, shoulders slumped and her hand was placed over her left cheek as if she was trying to cover up something.

"Carter?" He sat down next to her, looking at her in concern and as she slowly lifted her head to face him, he noticed something dark red and sticky seeping through the gaps in her fingers that were holding her cheek.

"Damn, Carter, is that blood? What happened?" He noticed her eyes were red and glassy, as if she had been crying and he looked into them, his own eyes full of worry.

"Pansy," her body juddered as she tried to suppress a sob.

***

"Why the hell did Pansy do this to you?!"

He sounded so angry. I didn't want Draco to see me like this but I didn't want to go back to the dormitory even more. Not with Pansy there.

Earlier that evening, I had been hanging out on my bed, reading, trying to pass the time until I could go and wait on the sofa for Draco. When Pansy, Tracy and Daphne had all entered at last, I had got up to leave, but before I reached the door, Pansy had stepped in front of me, her arms crossed with a furious expression on her pug like face.

"And just where do you think you're going?"

Annoyed, I tried to step around her but she moved her body acting like a barrier between me and the door.

"Answer me, Mudblood!" I flinched as she yelled the last word right in my face, flecks of spittle landing in my eye.

"It's none of your business what I do." I tried to speak calmly, yet firmly, hoping she would just back down and let me go. But she didn't, and what she said next made my blood turn cold.

"It is my business when it's my boyfriend you are chasing after, you little whore."

I tried to feign ignorance but couldn't help the blush that crept onto my cheeks. "I don't know what you are talking about."

"Don't act the innocent with me." Pansy lowered her voice dangerously. "I know about your little midnight meetings. It's pathetic. Do you really think Draco would look twice at a filthy Mudblood like you?"

"It's not my fault if he wants some intelligent conversation for a change." I snarked back, sounding braver than I felt.

Shaking with fury, Pansy pushed me hard, sending me toppling to the floor, sprawled on my back. Before I could register what was going on, she picked up my hardback book that had fallen from my grip, and with a scream, slammed it down as hard as she could on my face.

The pain was excruciating as I felt the hard edge cut into my cheek as Pansy sliced it downwards. I was too shocked to yell but I was gasping for air. I was aware of Daphne and Tracy pulling Pansy off of me and in that moment I staggered up, clutching my stinging cheek where the cut was now bleeding profusely, and ran out the door into the common room.

And now Draco was sitting next to me, staring at my cheek, his eyes full of concern.

"She- she thinks I'm trying to steal you from her." I mumbled, my eyes not meeting his. I suddenly felt highly embarrassed.

"What?!" He stood up so suddenly that I jumped a little. He started pacing in front of the fire angrily, his hands vigorously rubbing the top of his head, messing his hair all over the place. He looked as though he was trying to think of what to say but coming up with nothing.

"I'm not, just so you know." I whispered.

He stopped and looked at me, and then spoke gently, "I'm not hers to lose."

Our eyes locked and something sparked between us before he quickly looked away. It felt as though a thousand butterflies had just taken flight in my stomach.

Sighing, Draco knelt down on the floor facing me where I sat on the sofa and gently pulled my left arm down, forcing my hand to leave my cheek. My heart pounded as he leant closer to study the wound Pansy had inflicted on me.

"I can fix it." He spoke gently. "If you want."

Mutely, I nodded. I didn't trust myself to speak, the closeness was making me feel giddy.

I watched as Draco removed his wand from inside his jacket pocket. I had no idea what he was going to do and I suddenly felt nervous, not knowing any healing spells myself.

Seeing my worried expression, Draco cocked an eyebrow and gave me a slight smile. "Do you trust me?" His voice was velvety soft as he spoke.

"Yes." Barely a whisper but he heard.

He shuffled closer to me, his eyes on my cut as he leant in closer. I could feel his breath on my cheek as he pointed the end of his wand alongside my face. He started to mutter words I could not understand and I gasped as the strangest sensation went down my cheek. It felt like the broken skin was knitting itself together tightly with very sharp, very tiny, needles. I tried not to cry out in pain, but I couldn't stop the shaking. Draco had to steady my face with his other hand, cupping my chin in his long, calloused fingers. The touch of his skin on my skin sent thrills through my entire body.

Our faces were so close they were almost touching. As he continued to whisper the spell, I could feel the words leave his mouth and land on my own lips and I all I could think about was that if I moved my lips in an inch closer, we would be kissing.

When Draco lowered his wand, he didn't remove his hand from my chin and he didn't move his face away from mine. His eyes met mine and his breathing matched my short, ragged gasps.

My lips parted and I found myself quite helplessly whispering his name.

But before he could react, another voice filled the room, one that belonged to neither him nor me, and made us jump apart at once.

"What in Merlin's name are you doing to Carter?!"

***