Jealousy Jealousy

We all made our way toward the Black Lake, the February chill biting at my skin even beneath my thick cloak. The entire school was buzzing with excitement, the stands filling quickly as everyone prepared to witness the second task of the Triwizard Tournament. I found myself caught between anticipation and... something else. Something a little closer to dread.

The moment we settled in our seats, Draco, who was sitting beside me, leaned back lazily, the perfect picture of smug amusement. "Heard that Potter is taking tips from Longbottom on how to survive underwater for an hour," he drawled.

Blaise let out a chuckle. "Merlin, they really are desperate, aren't they?"

"Hey!" Kenny shot him a glare, ever the Gryffindor sympathizer. "Neville's good at Herbology. I'm sure he wouldn't give Harry anything harmful."

"Right," Blaise smirked. "I'm sure the great Boy-Who-Lived will be just fine with his knowledge of plants."

Kenny huffed and smacked Blaise's arm, but my mind was already elsewhere.

The contestants were walking onto the platform, the four champions standing side by side as they faced the judges. And that's when I saw him.

Cedric Diggory.

He stood with the effortless kind of confidence that made people look at him, his Hufflepuff robes draped over his broad shoulders, a determined expression on his face. His jaw was set, his eyes scanning the lake as if he was already calculating his strategy.

I swallowed, suddenly uneasy.

Draco, whose attention had also landed on Cedric, made a low sound of disapproval in his throat. "What's with his ridiculous hero stance?"

Blaise snickered. "Diggory's got that 'golden boy' aura. Can't turn it off."

"Or maybe he's trying to impress someone," Kenny chimed in, sending me a pointed look.

I knew that look.

Draco stiffened beside me.

I tore my gaze away from Cedric immediately and turned to Kenny with what I hoped was a convincingly neutral expression. "Don't be ridiculous."

But Kenny just smirked. "Am I?"

Draco's fingers drummed impatiently against his knee. "Of course she's being ridiculous. Diggory doesn't have anyone to impress." He shot me a quick, assessing glance before adding, "Especially not Selene."

I raised a brow. "You sound awfully sure about that."

Draco's jaw clenched. "I am sure."

Before I could open my mouth to respond, a loud cheer erupted from the crowd as the champions prepared to begin.

Fleur Delacour looked effortlessly regal, her silver-blonde hair glinting under the watery sunlight. Viktor Krum, ever the brooding Bulgarian, had the expression of a man about to charge into battle. Harry, on the other hand, looked like he was trying really hard to remember how to breathe.

And then there was Cedric.

Who, apparently, was still looking our way.

I felt Draco tense beside me before he turned his sharp, icy glare toward the Hufflepuff champion. "Oh, for Merlin's sake," he muttered.

Blaise noticed immediately. "Oh no. No way. Malfoy, you're jealous."

Draco scoffed, but I could see the muscle in his jaw twitching. "Don't be stupid, Zabini."

"Oh, but I love being stupid," Blaise grinned, clearly enjoying this way too much. "And this? This is entertainment."

Kenny, bless her, was now practically vibrating with laughter. "You—" she pointed at Draco, "jealous of Cedric Diggory? Oh, this is delicious."

I opened my mouth to shut them both up, but Draco beat me to it. "I'm not jealous of Diggory." He turned to me, his grey eyes narrowing. "You don't still have feelings for him, do you?"

I blinked.

Kenny let out a delighted gasp. "Oh my god."

Blaise nearly fell off the bench.

I could feel my face burning. "Draco, what the hell kind of question is that?"

Draco leaned in, his voice lower now, but no less sharp. "An important one."

I opened my mouth, ready to give some sort of biting retort, but my gaze flickered back to Cedric.

Big mistake.

Because at that exact moment, he shot me a quick, almost hesitant smile before turning back toward the lake.

Draco saw.

Draco's fingers curled into fists. "Unbelievable."

"Oh my god," Blaise was practically wheezing. "He did the smile. The Diggory smile. We've lost her, lads."

"Shut up, Zabini," Draco snapped, but I could hear the absolute venom in his voice.

I turned to glare at Kenny, who was beaming like this was the most entertaining thing she had ever witnessed. "Don't. Say. A word."

"I won't," she said, eyes sparkling. "But he will." She motioned to Draco, who was fuming.

"Selene," Draco said, his voice deceptively calm, "I swear on everything that if Diggory so much as breathes in your direction again, I'm—"

"You're what, Malfoy?" I cut in, crossing my arms. "Hex him?"

"Gladly."

I let out an exasperated sigh. "Draco, you're being ridiculous."

"You know what's ridiculous?" He turned fully to face me, his stormy grey eyes locking onto mine. "The fact that he still thinks he has a chance with you."

"Maybe because I haven't given him a reason to think otherwise?" I shot back.

Draco froze. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

I bit my lip. "I just mean... well, you never really—I never really..." I trailed off, feeling stupidly vulnerable.

Draco's eyes darkened, his jaw clenched.

"You are mine, Blackthorn," he said, his voice low, dangerous. "And I'll make sure the whole bloody school knows it."

A shiver ran down my spine, but before I could respond, a loud whistle blew from the judges' table.

The task was about to begin.

Draco finally looked away, but his hand found mine, his fingers curling tightly around mine in a grip that made one thing very clear—

He wasn't about to let anyone take me from him.

Not even Cedric Diggory.

*******************************************************************

The second task had ended hours ago, but Draco was still in a mood.

I could tell by the way he was sitting stiffly on the common room couch, staring into the fireplace as if it had personally offended him. His jaw was clenched, his fingers drumming against his knee—an undeniable sign that something was eating at him.

I sighed, dropping onto the couch beside him. "Alright, Malfoy. Spit it out."

He barely looked at me. "Spit what out?"

I rolled my eyes. "This—" I gestured at the very obvious brooding he was doing, "—you've been sulking since the lake."

Draco scoffed. "I don't sulk."

"Right." I leaned in, lowering my voice. "Then why do you look like you're plotting someone's untimely demise?"

That finally got a reaction. Draco's gaze snapped to mine, stormy grey and unreadable, but there was something sharp underneath it.

I blinked. "Oh my God. You are plotting someone's untimely demise."

Draco exhaled through his nose, tilting his head back against the couch. "Why did he smile at you?"

I frowned. "Who?"

"Diggory," he said, the name dripping with distaste. "Why did he smile at you before the task? And why did you smile back?"

Oh, for Merlin's sake.

I resisted the urge to groan. "Draco."

"What?" He sat up straighter, fixing me with a pointed glare. "I want to know."

"You do realize that Cedric is just—" I paused, trying to find the right words, "a person? Who smiles at people? Because that's what polite people do?"

Draco's expression didn't change. "He doesn't smile at me."

I deadpanned. "Yeah, I wonder why."

Draco narrowed his eyes.

I sighed, reaching for his hand. "Listen to me," I said, threading my fingers through his. "I don't like Cedric, I never liked Cedric. He's just a good-looking senior who happens to have nice hair and a stupidly symmetrical face."

Draco scowled. "Oh, wonderful, that makes me feel so much better—"

"Let me finish," I cut in, giving his hand a squeeze. "I have never looked at him the way I look at you."

That made him pause.

I continued, softer now. "Cedric Diggory is handsome, sure. But you? You're—you are my person, Draco. No one turns my head the way you do. No one makes my heart race the way you do. And certainly no one can infuriate me like you do."

His expression flickered, the tension in his shoulders loosening ever so slightly.

"You mean that?" he asked, his voice quieter.

I smiled, shifting closer. "Draco, you own me in ways no one else ever could."

His eyes darkened, his free hand coming up to cup my face. "Damn right I do," he murmured, and before I could tease him for finally relaxing, his lips were on mine.

It was soft at first, a lingering brush, but then he deepened it, his fingers tangling into my hair, his other hand gripping mine like he never wanted to let go.

When we finally pulled away, I whispered against his lips, "Better now?"

He smirked, brushing his nose against mine. "Hmm. Maybe."

I raised a brow. "Maybe?"

Draco grinned, his grip on my waist tightening. "You might have to convince me again."

And just like that, I was gone.

...............................................................

Kenny and Blaise sauntered over, flopping down on the couch next to Draco and me. They had clearly been waiting for the perfect moment to launch into whatever dramatic retelling of the second task they had prepared.

"Alright, we have to talk about this now," Kenny announced, clapping her hands together. "Because, first of all—Fleur got attacked by a swarm of grindylows. I don't think I have ever seen someone so graceful look so absolutely done with life."

Blaise snorted. "She came out of that water looking like she had personally fought Poseidon and lost."

I giggled, picturing it all over again. "And let's not forget Harry bloody Potter—again—playing the hero by saving both Ron and Fleur's sister. If this kid doesn't get therapy after Hogwarts, it'll be a miracle."

Draco scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Of course he did. Saint Potter and his stupid heroic antics."

Kenny smirked, nudging him with her elbow. "Oh, somebody's jealous."

"Absolutely not," Draco said immediately, sitting up straighter. "I just think it's pathetic that he has to make everything about him."

Blaise raised an eyebrow. "Right, because saving his best friend's life is totally attention-seeking behavior."

Draco huffed, crossing his arms. "He probably planted himself in the lake just to get a bigger audience."

I rolled my eyes, but before I could say anything, Pansy joined us, gracefully seating herself beside Blaise.

Now, Pansy and I had reached an understanding. Ever since she had finally moved on from her obsession with Draco, she had become...well, actually quite nice. It turned out, without all the possessiveness and dramatics, she was funny, clever, and excellent at picking apart other people's relationship issues.

Which, apparently, was what she planned to do today.

She grinned. "Speaking of jealous boys, let's talk about how you two—" she gestured between Draco and Blaise, "were absolutely steaming when Fleur kissed Ron on the cheek."

Kenny cackled. "Oh my God, yes! The way both of you froze."

Blaise groaned, rubbing a hand down his face. "That was not jealousy, it was secondhand embarrassment. The kid looked like he was about to combust."

Kenny leaned into me, grinning. "Ron literally looked like he had momentarily left his body. If someone had tapped him on the shoulder, he would have disintegrated."

I burst out laughing. "The most dramatic reaction to a kiss in history."

Draco, however, still looked thoroughly unimpressed. "Oh, please," he sneered. "It was pathetic. We would never react like that over some stupid kiss."

Kenny, Blaise, and Pansy all turned to look at me at the same time.

I smirked, tilting my head. "Wouldn't we, Draco?"

Draco tensed immediately. "Selene."

I leaned in. "So, if Viktor Krum were to, say, kiss me on the cheek out of gratitude...you wouldn't be jealous?"

Draco's entire body went rigid. His grip on my thigh—when had he grabbed my thigh?—tightened, and his jaw clenched so hard I thought it might shatter.

Blaise whistled. "Ohhhh, he is mad."

Pansy sipped her tea. "I, personally, am thriving."

Draco turned slowly to face me, his eyes dark, his expression unreadable. "Don't."

I blinked innocently. "Don't what?"

"Don't test me, Selene."

Kenny gasped dramatically. "Oooo, this is so romantic. He's losing it."

I bit my lip to stop myself from laughing. "So, just to clarify, if someone were to kiss me, you would—?"

Draco growled.

He actually growled.

And then, before I could react, he grabbed my face and kissed me.

The teasing from Blaise, Kenny, and Pansy erupted into full-on whooping as Draco kissed me with so much possession it left me dizzy.

When he pulled back, he looked down at me, his thumb tracing my lower lip. "No one else gets to kiss you, ever," he murmured, voice low and firm.

My entire brain short-circuited. "Oh."

Pansy fanned herself. "Merlin's beard, get a room."

Kenny sighed dreamily. "That was better than the entire second task."

Blaise shook his head, smirking. "Draco Malfoy, ladies and gentlemen—the man who totally wouldn't get jealous over a simple kiss."

Draco ignored them completely, keeping his eyes locked on mine. "You belong to me, Selene."

I swallowed hard. "Yeah," I breathed, my heart pounding. "Okay."

Merlin help me, I was so gone for him.

A/N: It's giving 'kissing booth' i am aware. But trust me, i couldn't figure out a better scene :")