Dark Promises (A Draco Malfoy Fanfic)

Chapter 9

The aftermath was stranger than ever.

I don't know how to explain it. Everything became unusually quiet. Students who had once eyed me with disdain now looked away with fear, as if they were suddenly afraid to insult me.

Gone were the snide remarks, the pointed glances, and the whispers that had been my constant companions. It was as though an invisible line had been drawn, one that no one could touch, yet everyone– but me– could see.

Even Pansy, who had once enjoyed tormenting me with her spiteful taunts, now treats me with this unwilling respect. No longer were there barbed comments and hostile glares, but rather an apathy to my existence. As if everything that I did or said, no longer bothered her. She avoided me at every turn, coming late to the dorm, and leaving early for classes. Whenever I did see her in the Great Hall, she would sit quietly, making sure not to draw any attention to her.

While it all felt so unusual, the one thing that didn't surprise me was Draco's disappearance. He does this all the time when something doesn't go his way. He retreats into his own world, disregarding everything and everyone around him; the semblance of our impulsive kiss is shrouded in silence. It was as though the moment we shared had been simply nothing more than just a kiss.

Though, it's not like I could blame him. After all, I was the one who told him that it would change nothing.

But, why does it feel like it changed everything?

In those brief moments that I did see Draco, it didn't take me long to realize that, along with everyone, his attempts at antagonizing me had ended. His silver eyes, once so piercing and provocative, now seemed to pass over me with an indifference that left me feeling devoid, and possibly regret for what I said to him. It was as if a constant source of tension had been severed, and the emptiness left in its wake was oddly unsettling.

As time slipped by like grains of sand through an hourglass, each one marked by an eerie calm, I couldn't help but wonder if this newfound silence was merely the calm before the storm, a lull before the chaos. Or perhaps, it was a mirage, a trick of the light that would vanish as suddenly as it had appeared.

"Strange turn of events, isn't it?"

The unexpected voice breaks through my racing thoughts, and I turn to see Hermione standing nearby, a book in her hand. Her expression was a mix of curiosity and concern, as though she had been wondering the same thing that had been plaguing me for days.

"I don't understand it," I admit, my voice tinged with uncertainty. "It's as though everyone has suddenly decided to leave me alone."

Hermione lowers herself onto the seat next to me and grabs a piece of toast from the table, her gaze thoughtful. "Maybe they've all grown tired."

"Six years of torment and now they're tired," I cry, head drawn up toward the ceiling, which appears to be a depiction of the morning sky, painted with soft pastel hues and wispy clouds.

"I don't get why you're complaining. Malfoy stopped being a complete git, Pansy's not causing trouble, and everyone's suddenly playing nice." Ron spears his fork into a bloody sausage. "If I were you, I'd be grateful," he grunts, before taking a mouthful bite into his breakfast.

For a while, I considered what Ron said. Perhaps this was a good thing. And perhaps, some things aren't meant to have an answer. Things happen. People change. Life moves on.

"What's gotten your panty in a twist?" Hermione asks audaciously.

Ron doesn't respond. Instead, his head lies low, fork aggressively stabbing into his meal. Harry nudges him playfully, breaking the silence. "Today is his first Quidditch match against Slytherins."