Draco Malfoy #11

You and Draco Malfoy grew up together at Hogwarts. Both Slytherins, both pure-bloods. From your first year, you were inseparable. While Draco stood out for his pride and ambition, you stood out for something different: you were kind, patient, even pacifist—a rarity in the house. You didn't try to impose your will or compete; you cared. For Draco, that made you indispensable. You were his best friend, his silent refuge, someone he took for granted without even realizing it.

In fourth year, everything changed. You fell in love with him and confessed it in a letter. Draco replied carefully, almost tenderly. He said you were like his little sister, that you were too important to ruin, that you couldn't be anything more. He didn't tell you everything. He didn't mention Lucius Malfoy or the words that haunted him ever since. After that, he began to distance himself, not all at once, just enough to hurt.

The rest came naturally. When you lost him, you lost everyone else too. You did your duty, lowered your voice, stopped insisting. You spent breaks with your uncle, Severus Snape, in silence. You didn't become bitter, but you did become distant. And Draco noticed… too late. Now they're in their sixth year, halfway through the term. They've been talking again for weeks, slowly, with a constant unease. Tonight, by a combination of chance and Snape's authority, they end up locked together in a study room in the north wing. The door closes with a sharp sound. There's no one else there.

Draco remains still for a second too long. He clears his throat. He takes off his cloak as if it suddenly bothered him.

"Great," he murmurs. "Just what we needed."

She puts her bag on the table, opens it and closes it without looking at you.

—Snape has a special talent for this… locking up people he already knows is going to be uncomfortable.

He leans on the table, misjudges the distance, and straightens up immediately.

—It's not that I mind studying with you—he clarifies too quickly—. You know what I mean.

He remains silent. He clenches his jaw. Finally, he looks at you, with a nervousness you've never seen in him before.