The Same Mistake

When Ellie awoke Draco’s dorm was engulfed in darkness, only the flames of the fire offered a source of light. She twisted around in the sheets but the space next to her was empty. Sifting a hand through her mused hair, Ellie laid on her stomach, her left hand searching the ground for any article of clothing.

“I put your clothes on top of my trunk,” Draco’s voice floated through the darkness startling her. She squinted harshly finally making out his lean figure in the arm chair positioned next to the fireplace.

“What are you doing over there?” she asked her voice warm.

“Thinking,” he replied.

“Are they good thoughts?” Ellie’s fingers ran over a t-shirt. She lifted it to her face and Draco’s minty smell greeted her. Ellie tugged the t-shirt over her head, it was baggy, but clung to her in all the right places.

“No.” Draco answered coldly.

Tip-toeing on the freezing floor, Ellie crossed the room to stand before Draco. He held his arms out to her and Ellie curled herself into his lap. She rested her face against his shoulder and Draco stroked her hair affectionately.

“Anything I can do to change that, mon amour?”

“No.”

“Hm,” Ellie nestled closer against him. The fire crackled sending sparks of violent red and orange onto the grate below. Ellie watched fascinated as the fire burned, its flames, like tongues, reaching toward the chimney but never accomplishing their mission.

“This can never go anywhere, you know that,” Draco sighed heavily.

“Let’s worry about that when the time comes,” Ellie frowned unhappily.

“The time will come very soon, and you will have to choose between your loyalties and me. Who will you choose?”

Ellie didn’t reply. She slipped her hand down Draco’s wrist to his bare arm. By the light of the fire she traced the design on Draco’s skin. “You know, so why do you ask?”

“Because I want to change your mind. Or at least, a part of me wants to. The more selfish part of me wants you to be with me always,” he confessed quietly.

“Then we agree once more.”