Pawns | A Draco Malfoy Love Story

The Common Room

We were practically ushered down the halls and up to Gryffindor tower by a sea of first year students who were more than enthusiastic to see their new home. 

Hermione, our female prefect, led them all down the halls at a quick pace, pointing out historical aspects of the castle as she went, and telling them that more information could be found in her favourite book, Hogwarts: A History. 

Ron, by contrast, stayed at the back of the group, telling a few of the boys which professors to annoy and how to get out of class without being caught. 

Harry walked beside me, our hands brushing as we were huddled tightly amid the scurrying crowd down the hall. He'd opened his mouth once, like he wanted to say something, but the crowd was so loud and he just smiled instead. 

When we stepped through the portrait hole, I felt an enormous sense of peace. The Gryffindor Common Room was one of the coziest places to ever exist and it felt just as safe as home. It looked exactly as it did when we left it last summer; The dozens of squishy arm chairs, the lovely red curtains which draped the brick walls, and a roaring fire to top off that Gryffindor-red glow. 

The returning students were making themselves comfortable, settling into the large sofas and chairs, while the first years were looking around in awe. Hermione and Ron accompanied them up to their respective dorms to show them around and give them any last pieces of information that they would need before bed. 

I watched as Ginny sat with Dean at the other end of the room. She was eyeing her bracelet fondly and Dean looked pleased, biting his lip in a nervous way and looking at her affectionately. Meanwhile, I sank into the squishy chair near the fireplace, and Harry did the same in the chair across from me. For a few seconds, we sat in silence among the soothing sound of the crackling fire. Eventually, I broke the silence.

"So, how are you?" I asked. But I cursed myself for the second time that night; How could I ask such a mundane question to the boy who, sitting across from me, was still wearing bloodstained clothes. 

To my relief though, he laughed. "Better now that I'm with you. I missed you." 

My heart did a mini summersault and he must have noticed what h'd just said because he diverted his eyes and added, sheepishly, "Missed all of you guys." 

I took the opportunity he set up, regardless. "I missed you too," I said sincerely. 

His green eyes moved back to mine and lingered. He opened his mouth to speak when a rough hand abruptly grabbed his shoulder from behind, shaking him. 

It was Ron. "OI MATE, EXPLAIN!" The red-head yelled, urgently.

My moment with Harry, if it could even be considered a moment, had passed. 

Ron forced me to scooch over to the side of the chair, oblivious to my look of disappointment at having been interrupted. He squished me up again the arm rest uncomfortably and I rolled my eyes which, again, he of course didn't notice. 

If only he had stayed upstairs with the first years a little longer, I thought to myself rather grumpily. But it was Hermione, not Ron, that was the conscientious one. So, naturally, she was the one who was still upstairs, probably still talking about where to find further resources on everything a new Hogwarts student could possibly need to know. 

Ron had his hands on his knees, leaning forward to focus on Harry who took a deep breath. I tried to scooch him back over to his side to give myself more room, and leaned forward too, listening intently.

In a hushed voice, Harry explained where he had been. He started from the beginning so that I'd understand: On the train, Ron and Hermione hadn't taken his concerns of Malfoy seriously. And I can't lie either - Malfoy being a Death Eater just seemed a little too intense to be true. But upset with Ron and Hermione, Harry left their compartment with his invisibility cloak and snuck into the Slytherin's.

I shifted a little anxiously in my chair at this point in the story, realizing that if what Luna said was true, Harry would have heard Malfoy talking about me. Harry's eyes didn't seem to meet mine during this part of the story either, but I couldn't be sure what that meant. 

Hermione then came down the stairs, her bushy brown hair bouncing up and down as she stopped in front of us, her back to the fire. She took a look at all of us at the edge of our seats and frowned.

"Ron," she said his name accusingly. "You need to start taking your duties as prefect more seriously. There's no way you gave all the first years all the information they needed to know."

Ron leaned back in his chair looking irritated at being scolded. He opened his mouth to defend himself but Hermione had already rounded on Harry

"And where have you been?" she exclaimed with an incredulous look.

"Oi lunatic," said Ron, waving his hand up in the air to get her attention back on him, "he was explaining all that before you came in here with wands blazing." 

Hermione settled down near the fire and Harry started again. We all listened in shock as Harry explained Malfoy's assault on him. Ron cursed the Slytherin with rather foul language and Hermione threw a pillow at him in attempt to quiet him because some of the younger Gryffindors, who were too excited to go off to sleep, had turned around to stare.

We sat in silence for a moment, all unsure of what to say. 

Harry got up slowly and broke the silence, announcing that he was tired and going to bed. Ron got up and joined him, clapping him on the shoulder, then wiping his hand on his pants embarrassingly after realizing he'd gotten Harry's blood on his fingers. 

The two said goodnight to Hermione and I as they made their way to the stairs that led to the boys' dormitories. 

Harry took a look at me before taking the first step up, and Ron did the same with Hermione, who unfortunately didn't notice.

"So he likes you, huh?" she said, her eyes on me with an amused expression. 

For a split and embarrassing second, I thought she meant Malfoy; I forgot she didn't know about what Luna had said, and Harry didn't actually confirm this part of the story.

"Harry, you mean?" I asked.

"Well it's obvious isn't it?" she asked shaking her head at me, smiling. "And besides," she said, looking even more amused now, "he talked about you all summer. Was bit annoying actually," she finished with a grin. 

I blushed. "He did?" I asked. 

She nodded. "You guys are cute together," she stated, standing up to head off to bed as well. I smiled back at her, feeling more happy now than I had all day.

"Good night, 'Mione," I said.

"Good night, Bella, she replied.

I was alone in the Gryffindor common room now. The fire had died down, making the faintest of crackling sounds. 

I had long liked Harry, but I felt like he never fully reciprocated. Now though, maybe things had changed. Hermione was rarely wrong. I took a deep breath.

I was happy to be home.