🍂 draco malfoy ; unrequited love, part 3 (hufflepuff fem reader)
♪ lover, you should come over : jeff buckley
part 1, part 2, part 4, part 5
tagged: @miawastakens @watercolorskyy
It was the night of the Yule Ball.
You examined your hopeless reflection, the dress you wore draping straight over your figure. The puffed sleeves were decorated with lace and the silk of the dress fell to your feet.
You clasped your fingers together.
The Yule Ball is a dance, and you were going to be dancing with Adrian Pucey.
There was no doubt that Pucey wasn’t a bad looker. But you felt so empty. You both treated each other as a last resort, knowing that it would be difficult to grasp another date if you even tried. So you settled with him, unsatisfied with what you had.
With one final re-adjustment of your hair, you lifted your dress above your ankles, and walked down the stairway by yourself. The walls were calmly lit with candles.
You could hear ongoing chatter of people inside of the ballroom, eagerness emitting from the crowd. Dread snaked your stomach as you saw Adrian Pucey stood infront of the doorway, awaiting your arrival. You could sense his feeling from a mile away — his expression reeked terribly of discomfort as you approached. It wasn’t one sided, either.
“Please, let us get this over with,” He said, a laugh slightly escaping from his lips. “I only waited so I could confirm I wouldn’t get stood up.”
“You and me both don’t want this, Pucey.” You said, your gaze softening onto him. “You can separate yourself from me until the dance.”
“Then.. I’ll be off.” His eyes flickered to your dress and then your face. He raised his hand to wave, as he cautiously backed away.
Your vision followed his figure stray from you as you were alone, yet again.
You stood alone, mindless in front of the doorway. But you couldn’t stay forever.
You walk towards the stairs that led you down to the ballroom, scanning the room for the one you had anticipated seeing all evening. And there he was, laughing away, a glass held delicate in his pale hand. His arm snaked around Astoria’s back as he pulled her closer, gifting her his pearly smile that you dreamt he would, one day, give you.
The music pounded in your ears as you watched your steps. The insecurity you felt was major despite the attention you wanted from him had focused elsewhere.
“You look beautiful,” Susan Bones, a friend of yours, whispered to you as she leant in. “Did you go with Pucey?”
“Yes.” You replied, hiding your disappointment. “He’s elsewhere.”
“He should really be with you..” Susan said as she sipped her lemonade. “It’s unfair.”
You shook your head. “Actually, it was me.”
“You want to be by yourself? But why?” She asked, tilting her head.
“Because the one I wanted to ask has sadly not complied. So I’m here miserable.” You joked, even though you were upset too.
She softly tapped your shoulder. “There, there.”
You watched the crowd meddle and blend together. The band blared their music loudly through their instruments before it was time for Professor McGonagall to officially announce the dance, the one you had been fearing. The thoughts of Adrian Pucey’s hands on your waist made you grimace so severely that you even debated with yourself to pull out. But you were brave, and you were going to put your problems of jealousy and unrequited love aside for the moment. You didn’t want to ruin this for him either, after all. It would be so selfish.
A tap on a glass turned the people silent as the dance commenced. First, the Tri-Wizard champions poured onto the dancefloor first, demonstrating their first dance. You could only watch in awe at the way Cedric Diggory admired Cho Chang, envy bleeding through you like ink. No matter, no matter…
Now, you needed to focus on dancing. And not ruining your partners night.
Pucey awkwardly walked up to you, stood infront of you like a narrow stick. You grinned comfortably as you let him take your waist, directing you through the dance as Bonnie Raitt played on the large gramophone.
You didn’t actually feel too uncomfortable. That didn’t mean you enjoyed it.
Every so often, your gaze directed helplessly to the bobbing head of the blonde twirling his ‘missus’ elegantly with grace. Even the way she danced was beautiful.
You could hold in the tears, sure you can. But how long would it be until you’d finally break?
You also noticed Adrian becoming just as detached. Was he also thinking of someone else?
After the official dance had ended, it was time to really celebrate. Many people split from their counterpart and decided to create smaller clustered groups, dancing away to the music. Romantic ballads, pop, rock, and disco were echoing from the gramophone.
You sat hunched by yourself, a glass of punch cupped in your palm.
You looked up and saw Malfoy there, as if he was spotlighted. And he was looking at you. But not with the usual, condescending gaze that he always did. It appeared more desperate, and more sad. More remorseful, and more guilty.
You were absorbed into his vision.
Your longing for him grew immensely the more your eyes locked together. He could sense the love you held for him, and he didn’t know what to do with it. He was torn between a feeling of love or guilt. There was no obvious answer to him. And he didn’t know what to make of it. Was he ashamed? Or was he also longing for you?
His gaze was soft on you. You couldn’t help but relish in it. Finally, the one shard of attention he had shed on you tonight.
But when he looked away, it was like the connection between you in that moment that had pulled you together, suddenly snapped.
Astoria seemed like a wonder to him.
The way his eyes lit when he saw her agonised you the most. The way he only looked at you with neutrality or negativity provoked it even more.
Because in the end, you knew there was an obvious choice for him, no matter how much you fed your beliefs that there was a chance.
ILL MAKE A PART FOURR because i want a happy ending so bad im telling you :((
