What Lies Within

Over the next few days no one saw Sophie at all. She stayed in her room, never answering the door to anyone knocks. Draco made sure that every day during meal times a tray was taken up and set in front of her door. He knew that at least she was eating as when he went upstairs after his own meal the tray was in front of her door, cleared of food.

It was now Christmas Eve and Draco's family were to open the gifts they had gotten for each other before they went to bed as his parents would be away the next day. Draco had tried to get Sophie from her room to join them but no such luck.

After Draco exchanged gifts with his parents they retired to their room and Draco went upstairs and knocked on Sophie's door once more. He was surprised when she actually opened it.

Before him was not the Sophie he was used to. Her red hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail, she had no makeup on her face and looked as if she hasn't slept in days. She wore a baggy tshirt and a pair of grey sweatpants. It actually broke Draco's heart to see her so... broken.

"Can I come in?" He asked her. She sighed and stepped back to let him in her room. There was clothes tossed around the room, old food on table tops and the bed was unmade.

"Sorry about the mess." Sophie told him, grabbing the clothes from the bed and tossed them to the floor so he could sit. She sat on the bed too but far away from him, leaning up against the headboard with her knees pulled up to her chest.

"How are you holding up?" He questioned her, quickly realizing how stupid of a question that was. Obviously she wasn't doing good. He watched as her face crumpled and she broke into tears. She turned her face away from him, wiping at the tears, trying to hide it.

She stood up and tried to get to the bathroom but Draco grabbed her around the waist when she tried to pass him and pulled her into his lap. She instantly responded to his touch, curling around his body. She buried her face in his neck and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"Its okay, sweetheart." He assured her, rubbing his hand up and down her back.

"I'm so scared, Draco." She confessed to him, making him sigh.

"I know that it's scary. Hey, look at me." She pulled away from his neck to look into his eyes. "You aren't doing this alone. Never will you be alone. I will be by your side. Forever. I am never going to let anything happen to you, I promise." He assured her. She felt a watery smile appear on her face before she nodded.

"Thank you." She felt like a broken record, having said thank you to him so many times now in the past few weeks. Never would she have imagined he would ever deserve her thanks. He was truly a different person than she ever expected.

"So, I have your Christmas present." He told her, brushing off her thanks.

"Oh really?" She questioned, grinning. He smiled and nodded. He moved one of his hands from her waist to reach in his jacket pocket, pulling out a small black box.

"I hope you like it." He told her as she looked down at the box in her hands. She glanced up at him before sliding the box open. She gasped at what sat inside. It was a beautiful necklace. It was black and green, the pendent was round with a black snake coiled in the center.

"It's beautiful, Draco." She gasped, pulling it from the box to hold it in her hands.

"So you like it?" He questioned her, making her nod. "Want me to put it on you?" She nodded again and held out the necklace to him. She turned a little in his lap and allowed him to drape the necklace around her neck and do up the clasp.

"I love it so much, Draco." She looked down at her new necklace and smiled before her smile fell."I don't have anything for you... I haven't even thought about Christmas in days."

"That is completely understandable, I wasn't expecting to get anything. I just saw the necklace and thought of you." He answered, shrugging. She looked up at him and smiled. "There is something I want to talk to you about though." She frowned and nodded.

"What is it?" She questioned. He sighed and brought a hand up to run through his blonde hair.

"The other day," He started. "when you kissed me." She figured that this is what he would bring up.

"I'm sorry. It was an impulse move. I know you don't like me like that. I just... I couldn't help it." She explained, looking anywhere but his eyes.

"That's just the thing though, Sophie." He said. "I do like you like that." He confessed making her eyes shoot up to his in shock.

"What?" She gasped.

"Its you, its always been you that I like." Now that Draco had finally said it he felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. It felt so good that she finally knew.

"Why did you never tell me sooner?" She whispered. She couldn't explain the feelings coursing through her. She was ecstatic, delighted, and yet.. frightened all at the same time. She figured he was playing some cruel joke on her, now knowing how she felt about him and how vulnerable she was. She truly was easy pray to mess with.

"I'm a coward. I just... I wasn't sure if you felt that way towards me and I didn't want to tell you and have you reject me and the have our friendship be ruined. I would rather have you in my life as my friend then nothing." He told her, making her nod as she understood completely what he was saying. "I care about you so much, Sophie. I want to be by your side every second of every day, I want to project you from ever being hurt and I feel like I've failed you because you just keep getting hurt and for that I am so sorry." His face crumpled with sadness as he thought of everything she had gone though recently.

"You've been amazing, Draco. I couldn't have gotten this without you." She assured him. They stared at each other for a few seconds before simultaneously moving forward, their lips connecting in what was their first real kiss.

Sophie felt as if she was soaring. Her heart was racing in excitement as their lips moved together. Draco brought a hand up, resting it on her cheek. Draco had kissed his fair share of girls but nothing compared to kissing Sophie. Her soft lips were so perfect against his own. Everything about this moment was perfect.

After awhile they pulled apart, their breath racing. They smiled at each other and Sophie let out a small giggle.

"That was the greatest Christmas present I have ever gotten." He told her, earning another giggle from Sophie.

"Will you stay in here with me tonight?" Sophie asked him, nervously playing with his jacket collar. "I've been having really bad nightmares but I think maybe with you in here I'll sleep better."

"I told you that I would always be here if you needed me, didn't I?" He asked, making her smile and nod. She leaned down and pecked his lips softly before standing up.

"I'm tired." She told him, making him laugh and stand up.

"I'll go to my room and grab some pajamas and be right back, alright?" He asked but she bit her lip. For some reason she didn't like the idea of him leaving her site now. She felt that if he left her site now he wouldn't return. She knew she was being far too clingy but she couldn't help it. She needed Draco and that honestly terrified her, she shouldn't rely on someone so much. Draco saw the paniced look on her face and sighed. "Or I could sleep in my shirt and boxers, if that's alright." She quickly nodded before turning and crawling under the covers of her bed.

Draco went around to the other side of the bed. Sophie watched him as he slid out of his black sports jacket and tossed it over the back of her desk chair. He then slid out of his shoes and socks before unbuckling his belt. Sophie watched him as he then unbuttoned his shirt slowly, doing one button at a time. He saw her watching as he slipped off the dress shirt, leaving him in a plain black tshirt. He then worked on his pants, undoing the button and sliding them down, stepping out of them easily.

"I know I'm sexy, you don't have to tell me." He joked as he went and turned off the light before going to get under the blankets beside Sophie who instantly slid closer to the man, curling up against his side, his arms wrapping around her.

"Do I not get a goodnight kiss?" He joked. She laughed and lifted her head from his shoulder and grinned at him before reaching up to press her lips to his softly before pulling away. "That's all I get for being the most amazing future boyfriend ever?" Sophie's eyes went wide but she giggled none the less. Draco as her boyfriend. She liked that idea.

"Future boyfriend?" She questioned, making him nod confidently.

"We aren't official yet, but we will be soon enough." He told her, making her nod.

"What makes you so sure of that, Mr. Malfoy?" She asked him, getting a grin in response.

"Well you see, Miss Hill. I'm so sure of that because I'm so irresistible. I know you want me." He told her, a cocky grin on his face.

"Yeah, you can tell yourself that, if it helps you sleep at night." With that she put her head back down on her shoulder and sighed deeply, getting ready to fall asleep.

"Sleep well, my love." Draco whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. Sophie grinned and snuggled deeper into Draco's side. She knew this entire thing was crazy,and most likely destined for failure and heartbreak but right now, she savored the feeling of being in his arms and that for the moment, he was hers.