8 Letters
Draco Malfoy x Reader
Word Count: 3,068
AN: Ummm, hello Tumblr. It’s been quite a while, but I suddenly had an urge to write something. This is based off of the song 8 Letters by Why Don’t We. It is essentially a soft Draco piece with a hint of angst, but that’s part of every good story I think. Unfortunately, writing is still going to be an every now and then kind of thing. When inspiration hits, I will try to use it the best that I can. I’m tagging a few people I was friends with before I went MIA at the bottom, but I hope that you enjoy. I missed writing and I love you all. You can find my Masterlist here :)
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The astronomy tower had always been Y/N’s favorite place to go because she could look at the stars, but tonight, for some reason, she found herself in the Great Hall. Nothing was going on and no one was in there, but the candles still floated, suspended in the air. Their frames twinkling and bright, bright enough that a Y/N could feel like light illuminating her face just slightly.
The room was quiet and perfectly still until the door opened and shut. Not rushed or hurried, but steadily, as if someone had poked their head inside and found what they were looking for. The footsteps clicked at a steady pace before they got to Y/N in the center of the room, a blond boy leaded over her and looked down. “I’m surprised to see you here,” Draco smirked. “What are you doing on the floor?”
Y/N breathed in deeply, allowing a small smile to appear on her lips. “It was a little colder than I’d like in the astronomy tower, and it was cold, so I thought maybe if the candles were still lit, the Great Hall would be a good substitute for the stars.”
“I should have guessed.” Draco grunted slightly as he lowered himself to the floor, laying directly beside Y/N. The only part of them touching was their elbows as they laid with their hands folded on their stomachs. Draco had mimicked Y/N’s position when he got down next to her. “I’ve been dating you for 8 months, that should have been something I knew.”
“No need to beat yourself up there, love, but yes, yes you should have known,” Y/N smiled softly.
The silence hung between them peacefully before Y/N broke it once more. “Have you told your parents that we’re together yet?” Y/N asked, keeping her voice low. Even if she called Draco her boyfriend, she never said it too loudly. No one actually knew that the two of them were dating and had been happy. He was in Slytherin. She was in Gryffindor. Having the Slytherin prince with a member of his house’s rival was not good. At least, that’s what he always said about not telling anyone else. But Y/N was also muggle born. She hadn’t grown up in the wizard world, but she’d gathered what the Malfoys and many other pureblood Slytherin families thought about people like Y/N learning at Hogwarts. Did it eat her up inside? Yes, but Draco made up for it every time that they found time to be together.
“I haven’t figured out how to tell them yet.” Y/N didn’t respond, and Draco turned his head to look at her face, despite her avoiding his eyes. “I’m sorry. I really am. I will do it and I won’t care what they say.”
Y/N sighed before she finally turned to meet his gray eyes that she loved so much. “You’ve been saying that for 4 months now. I was okay with it for a while because I understood, but I want to be able to hold your hand in the corridor and not pretend I’m disgusted when we pass each other in the halls.”
“You’re not very good at acting disgusted, trust me,” Draco chuckled. Y/N rolled her eyes before nudging him in the side with her elbow.
“I try my best, but it’s hard when I’m not actually disgusted.”
Draco kissed her cheek swiftly. “Well, that’s certainly a relief,” he beamed, gulping deeply before looking back up at the candles, at the ceiling. “Did you know that you probably know me the best?”
“I get to see you in situations like this, when you’re relaxed and not worrying about what everyone else is thinking, so I would say that I know,” Y/N responded.
Her eyes followed one candle as it floated up and down. She could feel Draco’s eyes on her again before he started talking. “You know the worst things that I’ve done, seen me hurt, but you don’t judge me.”
“You said so yourself that I know you best. You’ve had a tough life, so how could I judge you? Do I wish you would be like this in front of everyone else? Yes, but you will on your own time.” Y/N thought for just a second before continuing, “Are you embarrassed by me because of my parents?” She had always thought that he might have been but pushed it to the back of her mind.
She could tell that Draco was thinking. “It’s honestly the scariest feeling that you know me so well. Opening and closing up again is what I’ve been used to. I’ve been hurt so I don’t trust. I trust you, but I don’t trust how my parents would react, well, my dad. The last thing I would ever want to do is subject you to his horrible words and thoughts and opinions. I can’t even imagine how mad I would get if he said something about you. I want to protect you.”
“Draco, love, I can handle biases. I’ve seen it all before. As long as it doesn’t matter to you, I don’t care.” Y/N took her eyes away from the ceiling long enough to look at Draco and stroke his cheek. His small smile didn’t hide the worry in his eyes.
“I will tell them soon. I promise.”
Y/N sat up and smiled at the boy. “I know you will because I just have a feeling. It’s almost curfew, so we should probably go.”
Y/N tried to stand up, but Draco grabbed her hand before she could get far. She looked down at him and couldn’t stop the broad smile from forming. “Come here really quick,” Draco grinned as her face got close enough for him to cradle her neck. He held her neck as their lips connected. He didn’t want to let her go. He didn’t want to send her to her bed in the Gryffindor Tower while he went down to the dungeons. He was in love with her. She was all he ever thought about. Hell, it was even starting to affect his marks in classes that they had together. He was surprised no one knew he was in love with her because he would stare at her far too often in their courses.
Y/N pulled away from the kiss, but as her lips hovered right over his, Draco thought he had the courage to tell her. “Y/N/N?”
“Yes, Draco?”
“I –“ Draco cut himself off, “I hope that I get to see you again tomorrow like this.” He blew it or just lost it.
“Astronomy Tower, same time. There aren’t any evening classes up there tomorrow, I already checked,” Y/N grinned before pecking Draco’s lips one more time and standing up. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” she winked before walking out of the Great Hall, softly closing the door behind her. Draco, however, continued to watch the door that Y/N just walked through. He’d told a girl he loved her before, but it was a lie. He knew that now because of how he felt being with her. She deserved to hear those three words a thousand times.
Draco rubbed his eyes while he breathed deeply. All it is is 8 letters, why was it so hard to say? Why would he get in his own way? Draco groaned again before getting to his feet. He followed the same path that Y/N took only moments earlier, but when he got into the corridor, it was already empty.
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“Draco?” Y/N whispered, tiptoeing up the stairs of the astronomy tower. She peaked around the corner to see him leaning on the balcony railing. It had been almost a week since their night in the Great Hall, but they had still managed to see each other a few times, though not as much as either one of them would have liked. Y/N walked quietly up to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. “Guess who?”
“Bloody hell, Y/N. Don’t do that!” Draco breathed heavily before laughing. “It was far too quiet up here for you to do that.” Draco turned around in Y/N’s arms, so he was facing her, back against the balcony railing.
Y/N bit her lip, drawing her eyes up to Draco’s own. “I’ll make it up to you eventually. I promise,” she giggled before placing a quick kiss on his lips. “Care to help me with divination class?”
“You have homework to do?” Draco wide eyed her.
“I saved the most fun assignment for you,” she winked before placing her bag on the floor and pulling out a textbook. “We’re learning about palm reading this week and I am not good at it at all, so give me your hands.”
“No, no, no, no. I do not need you to tell me what my future has in store,” Draco shook his head.
Y/N pulled him towards her, sitting on the ground, hoping that he would follow. Of course, he did. “I’m not any good. You can read mine too. There are directions and everything in here. Even if Professor Trelawney seems a little crazy, this stuff can be fun.”
Draco rolled his eyes, but really didn’t mind if it meant spending time with her. After some time and a few failed attempts at seeing the lines on Draco’s hands, both their palms were facing up, illuminated by the moon and stars. “Isn’t it amazing how almost every line on our hands align?” Draco noted, pulling both palms a little closer to his face to examine.
Y/N jerked her palm up, gently booping his nose with the center of her hand. “I suppose it could be, but there’s no way that they are actually the same.”
“I think they are. Seriously, take a look.” Draco took Y/N’s right hand into his own, palm facing up, while holding out his own left hand. Y/N studied both of the hands closely and quietly noticed the things that Draco saw. They were incredibly similar. “I think it’s a sign of some sort,” Draco offered.
“Speak your mind, Draco. You now believe in fate,” Y/N giggled. Draco studied her face, noting each of the cute features. He may be more in love with her today than he was yesterday and the day before that.
He wanted to tell her, but when he opened his mouth to speak, something else entirely came out. “I wrote to my parents,” he blurted with no lead up or anything.
“What? When? What did you say? What did they say? Have they responded yet?” The string of questions fell from Y/N’s lips as she stared at him wide-eyed.
Draco kissed her before her breathing could get away from her. “I told them that I had been seeing someone and told them your name. I sent it off this afternoon, so I don’t expect to hear anything until my father can do some research into who you are.”
Y/N’s eyes fell to the floor. “So, you didn’t tell them that I’m muggle born,” she trailed off.
“I- I- I figured that if it matters that much to my father, he can find that out for himself,” Draco tried to explain.
“I see,” Y/N responded softly before gathering her things and putting them back in her bag.
Draco watched her confused, feeling even more so when she stood up. “Where are you going? We still have at least 20 minutes before we have to be back in our dormitories.”
Y/N sighed. “I want you to be okay with everything I am. Not fearful and trying to keep hiding me from the world.”
“I am okay with everything you are!” Draco tried to call after her even though she wasn’t listening. “It doesn’t bother me in the least!”
“It would look different if that were true, Draco.” Y/N looked at him sadly as she reached the stairs. After one more second, she descended the stairs and Draco just watched her. He just watched her. It was stupid of him to do, but this was his nature. He’d pull people close and then push them away. He was pushing her away. And it felt wrong, but still, he sat there as she got further away from the astronomy tower. She deserved to hear those three words and eight letters from him a thousand times, but he didn’t stop her from leaving.
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Draco didn’t sleep for more than an hour the night before. After Y/N had left him in the astronomy tower, Draco went straight to the Owlery. He scrawled a short message on a piece of parchment –
Mother, Father,
Y/N is muggle born, but the greatest person I’ve ever met. I am in love with her. Please accept this because she’s my world
Draco
Draco had folded the letter and attached it to his owl who had probably just returned, sending the confession directly to his parents.
That was the reason for his lack of sleep. He tossed and turned all night, anticipating what his father would respond. If his father would just show up at the castle and scold him in front of everyone. He couldn’t eat breakfast for fear that it would come right back up, so Draco just pushed the food around his place. He picked Y/N out the moment she walked into the Great Hall with her friends, smiling, but he could tell it was forced. He also knew that she knew where he was, but she avoided looking and meeting his eyes.
Draco was too used to the little looks that they’d steal between one another and not catching her Y/E/C eyes first thing in the morning was like a stab in the gut. He couldn’t take the way he left things the night before. Draco should have run after Y/N and blurted out how he felt then and there. Why was he so reluctant to tell her? All it is is eight letters. Eight tiny little letters and she would know exactly how he felt.
Owls swooped in with the morning mail and a thick letter dropped onto Draco’s plate, Lucius’ handwriting scrawled on the envelope. Draco’s heart started beating, a little too quickly as he picked the letter up, fingers rubbing the envelope. He didn’t want to open it. He didn’t want to read the disappointment and anger that Lucius inevitably expressed. What Draco wanted to do was kiss Y/N one more time before he read what his father had to say.
Without thinking, Draco stood up suddenly, letter clutched in his hand. He strutted towards Y/N at her table, standing right behind her and completely ignoring one of her friends as she sneered, “What do you want, Draco?”
Y/N turned to look up at the blond, a questioning look in her eyes, her beautiful eyes. It was the first time that day that he was able to really look at them. “Are you okay?” Y/N asked softly. Draco didn’t miss the care and hint of concern in her voice.
“All it is is eight letters,” Draco thought to himself before he spoke to her. “I wrote to my parents last night. I told them exactly who you are.” Draco lifted the envelope towards Y/N. “This is my father’s response, but I don’t want to read it because I don’t want to care what he has to say. I only care about what I have to say.”
At this point, the entire Great Hall was watching the Slytherin prince speak to a muggle born Gryffindor without insulting her. But that didn’t matter to Draco. All he cared about was the face looking up at him and the girl it was attached to. “Y/N, I love you,” Draco spit out. His hands suddenly became sweaty, realizing what he’d just done. It took everything in him not to run away back to his table or even the dungeons. He stood immobilized, staring at her, waiting for her response.
“Are- are you sure that you don’t want to read the letter first?” Draco shook his head, letting Y/N process and not reaching for her like he wanted to. “Won’t it change your mind about this if you do?” Without thinking, Draco tore the letter in half.
“You’re all I think about Y/N, and I want to tell you a thousand times how much I love you. You, for everything you are and the person you’re going to be. I love you. Can I kiss you now?”
Y/N’s nod started slowly but increased in speed as she rose to be standing in front of him. Draco didn’t wait another second before holding her face in his hands and bringing her lips to his own, kissing her deeply. The entire Great Hall was focused and watching, but Draco didn’t care. Y/N pulled away a few mere centimeters before whispering, “I love you too, Draco.” Her eyes fluttered shut as she kissed him one more time.
Draco didn’t want this moment to end. He didn’t want to face the professors and peers that watched their entire interaction. He didn’t want to return to the words that would no doubt fall from his father’s lips the second he heard about what happened. He didn’t want to think about the danger that Y/N might be in now. All he wanted was to live in this moment with her forever, never letting go. “I love you,” he breathed out once again, not daring to look away from her face. “Don’t ever forget it.”
“I could never,” Y/N leaned into his touch before pulling away. She was facing the rest of the Great Hall, a large smile on her face. Her friends looked at her with utter confusion, shock, and surprise. Y/N pulled Draco to sit down on the bench beside her, continuing to eat her breakfast, but she never took her hand off his thigh. Draco let her encouragement and warmth flow into him as he took a piece of toast from her plate, only allowing himself to imagine the life that he would one day have with the girl beside him.
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