Pawns | A Draco Malfoy Love Story

Gryffindor vs Slytherin

I gasped audibly and awoke with a jolt. The noise that the girls in my room were making managed to startle me out of one of the worst dreams I'd had in a long time. Only it wasn't really a dream. 

I moved a trembling hand to my face and rubbed my eyes, moving my hair out of the way. Burned in the back of my eyelids was the image of my father, shaking and sobbing in our living room as he dropped the phone receiver to the ground, letting it hang on its cord. I desperately shook my head, trying to get the scene out of my mind, and with it, the echoing sound of my dad telling a 7 year old me that my mother was dead.

My eyes were red and my limbs weak. Ginny was fully dressed in her quidditch uniform but she was yawning excessively. She threw a thick sweater on my head and told me to dress up as she yawned once more, leaving the room to go down for breakfast. Her yawn was contagious and I stretched my arms out. 

On top of my restless sleep, I had stayed up very late yesterday as it was Halloween. The feast was amazing as usual and we all went back to our common rooms with full bellies and high spirits. We stayed up late, eating all the candy we could get our hands on and Nearly Headless Nick told us the best scary stories he could come up with.

I had drunk hot cocoa, laughing along with my friends, arm in arm with Harry almost the whole night. Despite sharing a great time with everyone, I felt incredibly guilty. No one knew where I had been only one night previously, and what had almost happened. I felt like an imposter sitting among the people that I should have been closest to. 

Worst of all, I wanted to go back to the Room of Requirement, but despite not being able to because of the holiday, I wasn't sure if Draco would even want me to come back anymore.

Needless to stay, I was forced to stay awake well into the night, hyped up on sugar and guilt alike, only to find no relief in my dream. I stayed in my bed longer than I should have before I finally found the energy to put on the sweater that Ginny had given me. I grabbed some pants and boots as well as a Gryffindor scarf and hat to support the team. 

By the time I had gotten ready and left, I knew there'd be no time for breakfast. I passed the Great Hall and saw that it was complete empty. I rushed out through the castle doors and jogged over to the pitch, the cheering getting louder and louder with my every step.

The people in the stands were mostly wearing crimson and green - a match against Gryffindor and Slytherin. I realized that this meant that Draco would be versing Harry as Seeker. I kept my eye on the players as I walked up the stairs of the stands where Hermione and the others usually sit.

I spotted Harry chasing after what could only be the snitch and tailing him was the Slytherin seeker, only it wasn't Draco. I found that kind of odd. I knew the he had "lost interest" and hadn't really been going to practises, but I didn't expect him to miss an actual game.

I moved through the standing and cheering people, muttering "excuse me" and "sorry" as I made my way over to Hermione who I spotted easily due to her bushy brown hair. She was staring up at the Gryffindor Keeper, Ron, and looked troubled yet happy at the same time.

"What's up?" I asked.

"You missed breakfast," she said.

"Yea, I was tired," I replied. "But I mean, how's the game goin-"

She cut me off. "Harry gave Ron the liquid luck," she said, looking panicked but excited.

"What?" I said, shocked.

She nodded and then put her fingers near her face, biting on her nail. "Over breakfast Ron was complaining about his nerves and Harry just gave it to him."