L O Y A L; [d.m.]

| D I A G O N A L L E Y |

~ Draco Malfoy~

I felt sick to my stomach. Honestly I'm probably overreacting, but my palms were sweating and my legs were like pumpkin jelly when Kat walked down the staircase. She was wearing a striped jumper under some demon overalls and in all honesty, I've never seen someone look more stunning than she did now. Her raven hair was in two braids and she pushed her bangs out her eyes with the fold of her finger.

I wanted to die.

"Do you always wear a suit?" She asks, her nose scrunching in the air as she pokes my arm. It's on fire. "We're just going to get some paper, not going out with the minister." An infectious smile spreads across her face as her green eyes light up the room.

"Mum always said to look your best," I sneer, trying my best to hide the knots in my stomach. "Don't know who I might run into down there."

"Oh, well next time we go to Hogsmeade, I'll wear my gala gown to match you," she giggled as her fingers tugged on the hem of her sleeves. "You ready?"

"You know, I never asked how we're getting there. I just assumed we're flying," I say, swinging my arm that isn't tucked inside my pants pocket freely. We were walking beyond the courtyard.

"We've can't be on Hogwarts grounds when we apparate so the Three Broomsticks should be far enough."

"So it's true you can apparate?" I quiz her, my brow arching. "What else is true about you, Turnwell?"

"I've been apparating since third year," she shrugged. "Guess it's one of the perks of being Dumbledore's..."

"Granddaughter," we say in unison. She half laughs as her smiles slowly disappears. I nudge her with my elbow. "So you can do complex potions and apparate. What can't you do?"

"Well I've never mastered a summersault or being able to lick my elbow but when I do..." She waves her finger at me. Her American accent is still strong even after being over here for three years.

"Let me know," I smile. And it isn't some fake smile that I put a facade on for my friends and parents. This is a true smile. After all these years, I regret not being nice to Kat all along. She makes me feel safe.

But the task lingers in the back of my head. I'm wasting time being around Kat. I need to fix the bloody cabinet so my duty to the Dark Lord is done. My family and my life are on the line.

Kat makes walking that line exhilarating. I want to laugh like her. Have no cares like she does. I want to live life with my face in the sun and cry happy tears when I see my favorite flower.

I can't. I'm a Malfoy. I have obligations. I have a task to complete. I have a reputation to uphold and my father's legacy to keep intact.

I would have pushed away Kat and her warmth and light until the task is complete, but I need the reassurance that I'm not alone in this world. That there are people like me out there. People that are in a room full of people screaming and no one hears them. People who are alone.

And Snape wanted me to play nice with Kat. Said it would benefit me more than I know. The only benefit I'm getting is a distraction from that fucking cabinet.

Kat's beige sweater turned dark green in my mind. Her pale skin burns bright against the Slytherin green. She would look so beautiful....sexy in one of my sweaters.

Stop it Draco. Pull yourself together.

We reached the outer road of Hogsmeade when Kat turned to me, green doe eyes looking at me with urgency. "Honestly," she says, "this is should be good. Grab my hand, and don't let go."