TRAINING WHEELS—
IGNORANCE IS BLISS.

019

"Harry!"

She had been trying to spot him for the past two days, but it seemed he was either skipping on meals or coming in at completely different times to Amora. Now, however, her eyes were locked on her brunet target, who was clearly trying to ignore her, as she rushed through the crowded corridor. People stared as she swerved around them, jumping up on her toes to see over all of the heads.

"Harry Potter!" She called again desperately.

Ron, who was coming down the hallway in the opposite direction, widened his eyes when he saw that Harry was ignoring Amora, pausing in his tracks. Harry grabbed Ron's arm in an attempt to drag Ron back in the direction that Ron had come from, but Ron yanked Harry and forced him to keep still, jerking his head at Amora for her to come over.

She did a small jog over, a hurt expression written on her face that she couldn't get rid of. Ron forced Harry to turn around and Harry tried not to look at her for a few seconds before she spoke his name again.

"Harry, I thought we were okay?" She knew it was a rather dumb question, but she had no idea what to say.

Nothing she could tell him was going to make him feel any better.

"We are." Harry nodded quickly, swallowing.

Amora frowned deeper. "Oh..." She feigned confusion to avoid confrontation. "Did you not hear me just calling your name, then?"

"I must have been too deep in thought," Harry rambled, and it was so obvious he was lying, earning a nudge and a glare from Ron. "You- You know, second task coming up and all."

She felt a pang in her heart that he was lying to her, but maybe Harry was on the right lines with ignoring that it had ever happened. Maybe then the problem would fade and he would be able to move on.

"Oh, right," she said, "Yeah, Cedric was talking about it all of Boxing Day. Have you worked out what your egg does yet?"

"No, not yet," Harry admitted and Ron rolled his eyes at the pair.

"Well, good luck, then," Amora breathed, her brows knitting together when Harry nodded and averted his eyes once again.

"You too-- I mean, thank you," Harry stammered before he sent her a small wave and then grabbed Ron harsher than last time, dragging the redhead away and out of sight.

Amora wasn't quite sure what to make of the interaction, but she tried not to dwell on it too much. Hermione had told her that Harry seemed a little distracted but that it was nothing he couldn't handle. Amora just hoped that her friend wasn't sugarcoating it for her sake.

It was a dreary Wednesday. January was Amora's least favourite month ever. It was so cold in Hogwarts and the snow had been replaced by heavy rainfall, which she only liked if she was in the comfort of her dormitory, blankets wrapped around her frame and a good book in her hands. Teachers were also starting to pile the homework up more, reminding them all that their O.W.L's were now just a year and a half away.

"At least he spoke to you," she heard Leon behind her, making her flinch. "Next time, don't run away from me to chase Harry. I didn't know if you'd gone left or right."

Amora huffed quietly. "I wish I never kissed him."

Leon tutted the shorter girl, tapping the end of her nose and making it scrunch up. "You're quite the heartbreaker, aren't you, Amora? Let's hope your next victim takes it better than Potter."

"Leon!" Amora hissed at his pure excuse of a joke. "It's not funny and I didn't mean to hurt him. If I knew this would have come out of it I would have just left the stupid photo frame there for the Christmas break!"

Leon frowned. "Hey! I thought you loved the photo frame."

Amora rolled her eyes with a small smile, her face softening as she glanced up at her best friend. "Of course I do. You know what I meant. This is a disaster! I don't know what I can do to make it up to him, because I'm starting to feel like every time I'm nice to him, he likes me even more!"

"Maybe some distance is what you need right now?" Leon suggested casually as they both strolled towards the Hufflepuff common room. "It's what Harry seems to want, anyway. Then he'll realise how much he needs you as a friend and he'll come back."

"I miss him," Amora admitted as Leon tapped out the password on the correct barrel.

"Just give him some time, Amora."

D.M + A.B

Amora groaned against Draco's lips, her breath hitching when his mouth trailed down from her lips to her jaw. She tilted her head upwards, allowing him full access to her neck. He left open-mouthed kisses down her soft skin, his hot minty breath leaving goosebumps in its wake.

Amora seriously didn't understand how she had ended up pinned against the Astronomy Tower wall with Draco Malfoy assaulting her neck, but there she was. One moment they had been talking and the next they were a mess of wandering hands and hormonal words. Her hands tugged at his white-blond hair a little and pulled Draco up after a few seconds.

"No marks," Amora whispered.

Draco frowned in disappointment but seemed to respect her wishes, retreating from her neck back to her lips. He was content there, his tongue swiping at her bottom lip to ease them into a more intense makeout session. His hands gripping her waist tugged her closer so that their fronts were pressed against each other, no room between them for even a piece of paper.

This wasn't the first time that this had happened. For about two weeks now, Draco and Amora had been meeting up and just making out, maybe a couple of times a week. It was strange-- barely any words were exchanged, and when they were, they were never as lovely as Amora hoped they would be.

In her ideal universe, Draco would greet her with a sweet nickname and hold her hand and they'd talk about their days and their classes before the kissing ensued. However, that wasn't what a relationship was like with Draco Malfoy-- if you could even call it a relationship.

They definitely were not boyfriend and girlfriend. Draco never asked her, and Amora certainly wasn't going to ask him. They didn't even really talk about things like that. It seemed like, for now, they were both content with the secret makeout sessions around the castle.

Draco would stare at her whilst she was working or with her friends in the Great Hall, more open about his thing for her, but Amora continued to shy her gaze away from him, becoming distraught whenever she thought about what her friends or her mother would say if she told them.

It was for that reason that she was sort of glad that he never asked.

It never went further than kissing and a little bit of groping perhaps. Amora let him know that she wasn't comfortable with it yet when his hand had trailed a little too far-- she warned him that they were too young for anything further. Besides, Amora didn't really want her first time to be propped up against the Astronomy Tower wall and over in two minutes in an attempt to hide from any classmates or teachers.

Amora pulled back from Draco's lips, the two of them staring at each other. Draco's hand reached up and cupped her jaw, his thumb swiping at her swollen lips and drying them a little. His silver gaze was so intense that Amora blushed beneath it, but it wasn't judging or cruel-- no, he looked mesmerised by her.

"I love when you look like this," Draco whispered, "lips swollen, hair messy. So beautiful."

Amora didn't know what to say, her hands that were around his neck just reaching up to run through his blond locks. She was glad that he didn't wear any gel in it anymore-- she liked how soft it was, her dainty fingers threading through it. Amora thought Draco's eyes nearly fluttered shut in comfort, but he pursed his own swollen lips and stopped himself, ducking down to peck her one more time.

"Curfew's soon," Amora reminded absentmindedly as she trailed her hands from the back of his hair and down the broadness of his shoulders.

They passed down his arms and reached his hands, grabbing them into hers. They were large against her hands, and not to mention freezing. Draco looked down and watched her as she played with the serpent ring on his finger for a second, just twisting it as she admired it. He pulled his hand away as soon as he felt his heart leap.

Amora tried not to take offence. "Could you grab my scarf for me?" She asked.

Draco glanced over to where he'd hung it over the railing of the tower. "It's right there."

"I know, but I can't go to the edge," Amora admitted.

"You're scared of heights?" The blond appeared amused, quirking an eyebrow as an actual smile crossed his face. Sure, it was a teasing one, but he looked bright.

"I thought you already knew that," Amora muttered, "don't tease."

"I won't, I won't," Draco said half-heartedly, going towards the edge and grabbing her scarf. "Come get it, Buckley," he grinned.

Amora's eyes widened a little. "Don't be a dick, Draco."

He wouldn't really make her come to the edge to get it— would he? Amora admittedly didn't know much about Draco. She could make her assumptions based on his actions though, and therefore she wouldn't put it past him to force her to come closer to the edge to retrieve her scarf.

Draco grinned slyly, running his tongue across his teeth. "I'm being serious. Come on. Maybe you'll get over your fear of heights."

"I highly doubt it!" Amora huffed, taking one tiny step closer and feeling her knees grow wobbly at the thought. "Knowing you, you'd shove me off the bloody Astronomy Tower!"

"You might live," Draco shrugged.

"If I had wings," Amora retorted, "which, the last time I checked, I do not. And so, therefore, I will die if I come any closer."

Draco rolled his silver eyes. "You won't fall."

"Just chuck it to me."

"Just trust me."

Amora wasn't sure if she trusted Draco. She wanted to— so badly. Of course, she knew he wouldn't actually push her off the side, but Draco loved to tease her. She didn't doubt for a second that he might shove her as a joke— not hard enough to send her over, but hard enough to scare her.

"Okay," Amora blurted, shocking Draco a little. "Okay. I'm going to take some steps forwards. But, just so you know, if you so much as make a motion to push me, then I will never let you kiss me again. And I mean that."

Draco knew she was stubborn, so of course she meant it. He watched her take a tiny step closer towards him. Then another and another. She was about four feet away from him now and her eyes widened as he leaned against the railing behind him, placing his hands on the metal poles.

"Draco..." Amora warned.

"I'm not touching you!" He claimed.

"Yeah, but you're getting close," Amora swallowed and forced another step. "Okay. I think I'm close enough now."

Draco smiled a little and handed her scarf out to her. Amora grabbed it and took a couple of steps backwards.

"Wasn't so bad, was it?" Draco teased, watching her roll her eyes and huff as she pulled the Hufflepuff scarf around her neck.

"I hate you," she muttered and pulled her dark hair out of her scarf. "Now we really might miss curfew."

Draco moved towards her and grabbed her shoulder, steering Amora to turn around and head for the hatch leading back into the castle.

"Come on, then. I know a shortcut."

Amora nearly smiled at Draco's ability to be nice to her. Their relationship was strange— she knew that by morning they'd go back to pretending that the other didn't exist, but when night fell again, they'd be longing to see one another again.

She wondered if she would ever fall in love with him. She didn't think he could fall in love with her. Amora didn't think Draco was impossible of love, but he seemed like he'd put up barriers far too high for him to take down for somebody like her. In the long run, she bet he'd end up with some beautiful, Pure-blood Slytherin.

However, anything was possible. Amora wondered if she'd get her heartbroken by him. It was definitely possible, what with his lack of filter and brain full of conservative views. She could see herself falling in love with him, and that sort of terrified her, because she had never imagined liking somebody like Draco, let alone falling in love with somebody like him. She'd always imagined somebody more like Harry, which made it all the more confusing because if she wanted to, she could have him.

But Amora wanted Draco.

She craved the way his hand felt against her skin or the way he looked at her. How he murmured softly to her when nobody was around, or the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled. She had yet to hear a genuine laugh rather than a dry chuckle, but she was sure she would get it out of him someday.

Amora didn't know how long someday would be. Maybe Draco was temporary rather than permanent. After all, it wasn't like she could bring him home to her parents, and she didn't know how his parents felt about Hufflepuffs, but they certainly did not like Professor Buckley. Everything was a mess. It was like the universe screamed at them to stay apart, but something else was continuously pushing them together.

For now, secret kisses would do. She would worry about her feelings later-- if they ever became strong enough for her not to ignore.

She secretly hoped not.

...

i already have a chapter that can be posted tomorrow as well :) that will be three consecutive daily chapters :))) I'm on a rollll

draco and amora's relationship is meant to be complicated for now,, things will become clearer in the future obviously as they start to work out how much they may or may not mean to each other.