( Draco Malfoy x Reader )
Warnings: angst, heartbreak, cheating, swearing
"Sometimes it's not the butterflies that tell you you're in love, but the pain."
It's been a full year now since I graduated Hogwarts. I didn't really think my experience there was going to be full of drama. Yeah, I expected chaos, but not that kind. You can tell Hogwarts really made an impact in my life, considering how I'm still thinking about my time there a year later.
But let's think about something else. That's why I'm here. In a place filled with...humans. I'm still getting used to it. If I could, I would've obliviated some idiot drivers near here.
I looked outside from the small café porch and sighed. It's been so quiet these days that I almost miss the chaos. Almost. It still caused me trauma.
Wanting to clear my thoughts a little, I exited the café and went on a little stroll around the neighborhood. There were people carrying newspapers and baskets of bread. Stealing them was tempting, but I didn’t have my wand.
I turned to my right and spotted two grown men bickering in an alley and newspapers on the floor. I shook my head and was about to leave when the other guy spoke.
"Look, I'll buy you some new ones, alright?"
My legs froze. It almost seemed too familiar for me. I turned back to my right, hoping I just heard wrong. But I didn't. Why is he here?
Our eyes met. Shit. Hoping he didn't have time to recognise me, I turned my head away and started walking in a fast pace towards my apartment.
Shit. Shit. Shit. Almost jogging now, I quickened my pace but why would I bother, when I know just how stubborn he can be.
"Y/N, is that you?" he tugged on my sleeve with a little force, causing me to stop in my tracks. I wouldn't turn around, so he stepped in front of me instead. His grey eyes played the moments we shared back in Hogwarts like a record. I drifted my gaze away, if I get reminded of them, it'll just be harder to leave.
I sat on my bed with my legs crossed, waiting for Draco to open the door to the dorm as he promised to meet me here. He's already 15 minutes late. Giving up, I threw my phone on the nightstand and was about to get myself tucked in bed when the door opened.
"Sorry, Stupid Potter got in my way back there."
Shooting myself back up to sit down, I glared at him. "I waited 15 minutes, Draco. Fifteen."
He just smiled in reply and sat down beside me with an arm over my shoulder. "I know, and I'm sorry." Looking at him, I couldn't possibly stay mad at his adorable smile. Knowing he probably never says sorry to anyone else at campus except me, I decided to forgive him.
"Alright, so where are we going tonight? Star-gazing? A walk around the town? Oh, can we please sneak into that new shop that sells exploding bon bons?" His eyes started to soften, almost sad-looking. "I can't stay for long. My father is expecting me. He arranged a.. meeting with someone."
"Oh," I knew how strict his father was. I also knew how much he feared him, so I didn't have the right to blame him. "It's okay, we can always go next time." I plastered on a forced smile, hoping he wouldn't notice.
Almost every night, we sneak out of campus and walked around town. Last year on this very day was when we officially started dating, but he didn't even mention it today. 'He's going through something with his dad.' I thought to myself.
"I'm sorry, I really am." Without even hesitating, he stood up and walked out the door.
The next few days, I barely even got to see him. He's been.. distant. I would see him in the hallways every so often, but when I call out to him, he leaves. Did something bad happen with his father? Why isn't he telling me about it? He normally does. We don't keep secrets because we feel like it'll drift us further apart. Today, I want to confront to him about it. I need to. I can't keep living every day like nothing ever happened.
I took a deep breath before heading towards his dorm. Crabbe told me he's not attending Dark Art's lessons today, and that he'll be in their dorm. Gathering all my courage, I lifted my hand to knock when I heard a girl's voice coming from inside.
"You have no idea how honored I was when I found out I had been given Lucius's blessing."
"He just knows how much I love you. That's probably why." Draco? No. Surely I heard wrong.
"Oh, Draco." The courage I mustered up before, acted on it's own, and now I'm watching another woman in the arms of the only person I have ever given my heart to. I couldn't move a single inch, my brain was still processing what I've just seen and the tears were piling up in my eyes. I opened my mouth to say something but nothing came out. "Y/N," I looked back up at him. He pulled away from her, but just stood there.
"Oh, is that one of your friends? Hi, I'm Astoria. Astoria Greengrass." She smiled at me. I didn't know who to despise. Her or the foolishness of my actions.
"Y/N, I can explain." I couldn't even look his way because I knew if I did, the tears I've been holding back would escape. I didn't want to look weak. Not in front of her. Not in front of him. I didn't want him to know he hurt me. I didn't want him to look at me like I was a poor child who lost something so precious. "Y/N, look at me." He started walking towards me and I took a few steps backwards.
"Explain? Explain what, Draco? What is there to explain? How her presence is better than mine? Oh, I know. How consoling her hugs are, perhaps?"
"Y/N, if you would just listen to me-"
"Draco, what's going on--" Astoria spoke up. "Please, Astoria this is my problem to fix. Get out." This was the first time I've heard him raise his voice like that. Even I winced at the harshness of his words. She left, hitting her shoulder with mine.
"Y/N.. I know it looks bad. But you've got to believe me, my dad. He-"
"Blaming the father again, are we? Please, Draco. I've seen the way you were holding her. I've heard the words you tell her. You can't tell me it was all an act. Acting doesn't look that real." You could hear the cracks in my voice.
Silence. There was no reply. He didn't say anything. Does that mean what I said was true? Did he truly love her?
"Come on, then. Tell me it's not true. Tell me everything you told her was a lie. Even if it was your father's doing, can you really leave her and come to me?" Unable to hold back, my lower eyelashes were drenched and so were my cheeks.
"I'm so sorry.. I'm sorry, Y/N."
That was all I needed. Ripping my gaze away from his sorrowful eyes, I turned around and walked away.
I found myself in the same café I was in earlier this morning, but with the person I wished I had forgotten sitting before me.
He never took his eyes off me since we entered the café, and I started to feel uncomfortable. "I've missed you."
"Save it. I really don't wanna hear it right now. Get to the point. What do you want?" His eyes now left mine and wandered the cafe's interior. "How long have you been here? Is the food nice? Can't be better than those exploding bon bons though, right?" I stared at him in disbelief. "Exploding bon bons? You mean the ones we were gonna get but didn't, because you ditched me for.. what was her name, Astoria?"
"Is that why you wanted to talk to me? To remind me we had a fucked-up past?" The audacity of this man caused me to cross my arms and furrow my eyebrows. "Y/N, I told you it was my fath-"
"Shut up." I was sick and tired of his talks about his father. It's always his father. His source of excuses was his father and I knew that better than anyone.
Another pause of silence. Fed up, I picked up my jacket from the chair and walked out to leave-
My body involuntarily froze.
"I left her because of you. Because whenever I'm with her, I get reminded of the moments we shared. And I miss them. I miss you." I turned over to look at him.
"What do you want me to do? Thank you? Apolagise? Draco, do you have any idea what you even did?" I started getting more and more annoyed as he kept going.
"Yes. Yes, I know. And I'm not asking for you to thank me or apolagise. Just.. just give me another chance." His words almost made me scoff.
"I won't ask for anything more. All I'm asking for is for you to at least forgive me. I was a child. I didn't know anything. I fucked up, I know that now and I promise I changed. Just please.. If I'm gonna lose someone, I can't let it be you."
There was truth in his words and I wanted to believe him. His words lured me in. I was helpless at this point.
"Whatever." I tried hiding the smile that grew on my face but I'm sure he noticed.
He gave me a big smile like a little kid who has just seen a basket of chocolate. "Thank you."
A few months passed and we would meet everyday. I've always known I still had lingering feelings for him, however I didn't want to believe I loved someone who thought so little of me.
We weren't dating, I couldn't let him get away with it so easily. But I started to think that he changed, and I meant more to him than anyone else in the world, so I decided to ask him today. I trusted him, and he probably does too.
We were supposed to meet at mine today, but I had to go out and get some groceries so I gave him the keys and told him to wait for me there. On my way back, I picked out some bon bons to surprise him with. I didn't like how something only ever reminded me of bad times. I wanted to replace the negativity with positivity.
Taking my heels off and tidying myself before the big moment, I twisted the doorknob but my actions came into a halt when I heard.. Lucius?
"She is not worth your time. I told you once, and I'll tell you for the last time. You are to be with Astoria." His words were sharp and stern.
"Father, I told you, I'm in love with-"
"I have already set the time and place of your proposal. Make it run smoothly."
With that, the door opened and I stood there, hopelessly, like a lost child. Lucius ignored my presence and walked out while Draco just looked at me, his eyebrows furrowed and his breathing was unsteady.
"Draco.." Neither of us knew what to say because we knew we were powerless. There wasn't a single thing either of us could do to make this situation any better.
"I'm sorry, Y/N." Why is it that all I ever hear him say is sorry? Why is our relationship full of reasons to be sorry for?
He was about to walk out but I held onto his wrist, stopping him from leaving. I didn't want it to end there. I didn't want 'us' to end there. I've been hurt this way before and I didn't want it to happen again.
"You told me you changed," Deep inside, I wished he would answer the way I wanted him to, but of course that won't happen.
"I guess I haven't." Why does he always make me feel powerless? Why does he always make me feel weak?
Slowly releasing my hand away from his wrist, he gave me one last smile before leaving.
I was left with so many questions. What would have happened if I wasn't so harsh on him? Were we bound to be separated from the very beginning? Did I meet him again just to feel the same pain I did back then? Was this all just to remind me that I'm not worthy of him? That I'm not worthy of love?
What about us? Was there even an 'us' to begin with?
A/N: I wasn’t so confident about this story but I mustered up the courage to post it. If there’s something you see that needs improvement, please tell me :) I need honest feedback.