Do You Believe in Love at First Sight?

Chapter 4

Anna

                Why couldn’t he have just asked her to tell him about the book? She would have, if he’d asked she would have done it willingly. But here she was a quarter til 7 on a Friday night in the astronomy tower, Romeo and Juliet in hand, waiting on Draco Malfoy to show up. Why on earth did he want to know about her book? She had already heard enough about him and his family to know that they did not like muggles or anything to do with them. If he wasn’t here in the next five minutes she was leaving and she didn’t care if she did risk detention with Umbridge. Anna waited a little longer and then started to go back down the stairs.

                “Going somewhere?” a voice asked.

                Anna recognized Draco’s smirk even though she didn’t see him and she turned. He was walking in from the outside balcony.

                “Have you been here all this time?” Anna huffed, pushing her dark hair back out of her eyes.

                “Yeah.”

                “Well, you could have made yourself known,” she walked up the few stairs she had started going down.

                “Come on,” Draco took her hand and Anna had to admit it felt good in his warm one. “We’ll sit here,” and he showed her to a small cozy nook in the corner near the balcony with a cushioned sofa. There were windows all around and the stars twinkled in the dark night sky. Anna sat down, Draco sitting beside her. She scooted a little away from him.

                “I can’t very well read in the dark,” she commented.

                “Don’t worry, I’ve got that covered,” he smirked, using his wand to light a few candles sitting behind them on the window ledge behind them.

                “Okay,” Anna asked impatiently, “shall I begin?” not believing that she was about to read Romeo and Juliet to Draco Malfoy of all people.

                She began to read and as she did Draco started laughing.

                “What is so funny?” she asked angrily.

                “I’m sorry,” he laughed. Draco was genuinely laughing without being smart, “but what kind of story is this and what’s up with the language?”

                “Well, it was written over four hundred years ago for one, and second, it’s a play written by one of the greatest muggle playwrights ever,” Anna explained a little huffy, “Look if you don’t want to hear it then I will stop wasting your time and mine. I’d be glad to stop.”

                “No, go on. I want to see why you find it so fascinating. I mean especially since it was written by a muggle,” Draco sneered.

                “Then don’t interrupt me again or you will just have to turn me over to Umbridge.”

Draco

                Anna took up where she left off and Draco listened intently, absorbing it all in. At first it was hard to understand but then he started understanding it the more she read. He enjoyed watching her read and she brought each character to life with their own personality as if she’d read it a thousand times. Anna’s face would become animated with each characters emotion. From comedy, love, indifference and grief, he saw all these emotions in her. Who was this girl? She was always in his thoughts, even when she wasn’t around, he found himself thinking about her and his eyes were always drawn to her when she was in the room. Of course she was pretty, but a lot of other girls at Hogwarts were pretty even beautiful. But there was something more to Annabelle Blackburn.

                Draco didn’t know how much time had passed but it didn’t seem very long until she came to the part where Romeo took his life by poison and then Juliet awoke to find her new husband and lover dead; in grief thrusting his dagger into her heart. And there it ended, two families suffering the loss of two beautiful people in love that they brought upon themselves with their hate. It touched Draco slightly, but on his life he’d never admit it to her. There it ended and Anna stopped reading. Draco could sense the emotion coming over Anna and looked over at her.  A single tear ran down her cheek. Draco did not know what came over him but he reached up and softly wiped it away with his hand, which caused Anna to jump slightly and look up at him in shock.

                “Sorry,” he said roughly as if he had something in his throat, “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

                “It’s okay,” she said softly, embarrassed and turned away, “I don’t know why but this story always gets to me.”

                They both sat there for a few minutes in awkward silence and then Anna broke it, “Well, that’s the end. What did you think?”

                And Draco Malfoy, being Draco said, “It’s really rather stupid. I mean, how many people fall in love at first sight like that, marry and then in less than a week they both do away with themselves?”

                Anna looked frustrated. Draco knew he was making her angry, but he wasn’t going to let her know how much he had enjoyed it. “That is why it is called a tragedy. Do you not believe in love at first sight? That a person could find their soul mate in that short time and be unable to live without them?”

                Draco looked deep into Anna’s eyes and inside he wanted to scream yes, he believed it. He could feel some of it in his self every time he looked at her, when he saw her beautiful face and body across a room. And that was scary for him, who was usually so self-confident and cocky, but with her he wanted to be a different person. He just couldn’t let her know his feelings because that would mean he cared, which would make him weak. And Malfoy’s are never weak. Hadn’t his father drilled that trough him a million times. “No, I don’t believe I do,” he sneered.

                Anna had been looking at him intensely as he’d thought about it and Draco thought he saw disappointment on her face, “Your right,” she agreed, “it does seem rather stupid.” Draco hated that she hadn’t disagreed with him. He also hated that he’d made her feel that way. If she believed it then he really didn’t want to take that away from her, “but there is one lesson that can be taken from this,” she continued.

                “And what would that be?”

                “That hate can destroy a truly beautiful thing,” she said in a soft whisper. Draco had been looking at Anna deeply when she spoke and he felt himself being pulled to her.

Anna

                Anna stop looking at him, she was telling herself, but deep in her heart and mind she was hoping he would still come closer. She couldn’t help looking at his lips, thoughts of how they would feel on her own flying through her. After all, Draco Malfoy doesn’t believe in love she tried to force into her brain and heart. But somehow Anna knew there was something more to him then what he was letting on. He tried to act so tough and mean, but Anna felt a vulnerability and goodness in him that he never let show. It was like the same way she felt sometimes, especially with the life she’d had so far, having been practically raised away from the world. It had a way of making a person feel like an alien. Anna knew if she wasn’t careful and she let herself she could fall hard for this Slytherin bad boy and that would just lead to a broken heart.

                Draco was moving a little closer and Anna felt like a kiss was coming, she quickly turned away, “Well, it’s getting late. It’s time to get back to our dorms,” she broke the intensity, “Since I finished this story I guess this is the last time we’ll be meeting.”

                “I don’t think so,” he smirked, she wasn’t getting out of this that easy, “I know you have other muggle books , Annabelle, so we will continue to meet up here with a new book. 7 o’clock on Tuesdays and Fridays.”

                “I do not have any more muggle books,” Anna raged.

                “Shall I have Umbridge inspect your dorm,” he smiled wickedly.

                “Draco, you can’t do this,” Anna was fuming; she couldn’t believe the nerve of him.

                “Anna, I’m not stupid. I know you do. You enjoy reading and learning, so I know you do. Shall I just drop by Umbridges office when we leave here,” he laughed at the horrified look on her face.

                Anna stood up seething with anger, “You are unbelievable,” she hissed.

                “Just pick out whatever you would like from the collection I know you have. I’m sure you have a lot to choose from.”

                Anna stormed off and down the stairs in a huff. She could hear Draco’s laughter behind her.  As much as she hated to, she was seriously contemplating a bonfire with her books tonight. Then see what was left in her dorm room for that toad Umbridge.