Underwater Calls

Laura knew, deep down, that she had expected this. She had told herself that it was the exhaustion making her movements slow and sluggish, but it was the fact that she was expecting Malfoy to make some sort of move. But when he had grabbed her arm and yanked her against him, the excitement suddenly turned shock.
What was she thinking, waiting for Draco Malfoy to kiss her?
Worse, a Death Eater to kiss her?
Before Draco could crash his lips onto hers, her hands place themselves on his chest, pushing away so that the connection couldn’t be made. Frowning, Draco looked down at her and saw her eyes, steady and sure, staring into his.
“This cannot happen again,” she said softly, a trace of a smile on her lips as his face showed the obvious confusion. Wasn’t this what they both were anticipating?
“And why is that?” he asked, his voice dangerously calm and smooth.
“Because of this,” she said, and her hand slid down to grasp his left wrist, pulling it up so that the sleeve dropped and revealed his mark. Draco was shocked and bewildered at her behaviour. His mark had never been exposed so calmly or casually – he had always made sure that it was hidden. And now here he was, standing with Laura, letting her expose what judged him.
“I don’t tolerate Death Eaters, Malfoy. I don’t like them. And I won’t ever sleep peacefully knowing that this time round, I anticipated and waited for a kiss from one. But I will live peacefully knowing that I won’t make that mistake I did a few months ago. There’s nothing between us Malfoy. Or maybe there is too much between us. But whatever it is, this cannot happen,” she stated softly, her hand gently running over the Dark mark that was branded on his skin. He looked at her, his eyes full of barely held back anger and annoyance.
She could tolerate that, she thought numbly. She could tolerate anything but her own stupidity.
And with that, she let go of his arm and move away from him, heading up the stairs to the dorm she shared with her best friends.
Leaving so many possibilities behind, she felt the tug of regret that she buried down with sleep.