Silvermade || Draco Malfoy x Reader

Chapter 72 - The Reality of the Matter

I sat there, unblinkingly, just like the rest of my friends did.

"Oh." Draco said blankly. "Did I just say that out loud?"

All five of them nodded their heads, except for me. My ears were still ringing from what Draco said, and my mind still juggled his words, trying to make sense of it, and trying to process how I should react.

Was it a joke? Was it some kind of overreaction? An expression? Or was he being serious?

But before I could even get any kind of clarity, the bell rang, signalling the end of lunch. Quicker than everybody else, I stood up and left our table.

All the way to the Arithmancy classroom, my heart was pounding nervously, but at the same time, my rational thinking is forcing me to manage my expectations. After all, there is a large chance that Draco must've just blurted that out thoughtlessly, and with no sincerity at all.

When the rest of the students that also took Arithmancy arrived in the classroom, Draco was evidently making a beeline towards me, but I wasn't ready to face him yet, so the moment I spotted Hermione, I grabbed her and stuck with her the whole time. Even after Arithmancy, I stayed with Hermione during Free Period, and the whole of Ancient Runes.

"Why are you suddenly clinging to me?" Hermione asked as we got out of the Ancient Runes classroom.

"I'm actually using you as a shield." I said, my eyes trained on Draco as he walked away with another scowl on his face upon seeing that Hermione was still with me.

"A shield?" Hermione raised an eyebrow confusedly. "Against what?"

"Against who is the proper question." I said. "I'm avoiding Draco, and he'll never approach me if I'm with you."

"Why are you avoiding him?" She asked. "Are you two fighting again? So soon after you just made up?"

I shook my head. "It's not because of a fight this time."

Hermione chuckled. "I thought he got mad because you marvellously humiliated Astoria Greengrass."

"When you told Harry that you'll deal with it, none of us imagined that you'd do that." She continued. "It's brilliant — absolutely brilliant."

"Draco didn't get mad at me, but I am avoiding him in connection to what I did to Astoria." I explained.

Hermione stared at me, a bit puzzled. "I'm not following."

"Well, you see..." I blushed in embarrassment. "Pansy, Daphne, Blaise, Theo, and Dean were showering me with compliments at how I handled Astoria."

"But Draco stayed quiet." I continued. "So, I asked if he didn't have any compliments for me."

"And?" Hermione asked. "What did he say to make you avoid him?"

"He said..." I trailed, then took a deep breath. "He said — 'I think I just fell in love.' "

Hermione stopped in the middle of the corridor and stared at me for what seemed like a full minute, and then after that, she started squealing.

"Oh My Fucking — Merlin!" Hermione exclaimed shrilly. "Y/N!"

I frantically shushed her. "Hermione! Calm down!"

"Calm down?!" Hermione exclaimed with wide eyes. "Why are you telling me to calm down, and not squealing with me instead?!"

"Malfoy just told you point-blank that he's in love with you!" Hermione was now shaking my shoulders.

I sighed. "It probably means nothing."