My Father's Only Rule || DRACO MALFOY X SNAPE'S DAUGHTER

Chapter Sixteen: Finally

Christmas Day 1994 - The Yule Ball - Hogwarts

As I walked into the great hall, everyone stopped and stared at me. But I didn't know if they were staring at me because of how I looked, or because Cedric had just walked in with Cho Chang. I couldn't bring myself to look at them, and I knew Cedric would never look at me ever again. I wanted to enjoy the night. It seemed like everybody else was. But seeing Cedric and Cho so happy together made me sick. Seeing Jane and Blaise made me jealous. Seeing Draco and Pansy made me want to die. And it didn't help that I sat in my seat, watching all the guys not build up the courage to ask me to dance. I told myself I wouldn't cry. This was supposed to be fun. But as I sat alone, a single tear fell down my face.

"Hey," I heard a voice say. I turned around to see Draco, and he didn't look like he hated me. "Are you ok?" He sat next to me.

"Does it look like I'm ok?" I said.

"Oh stop crying," he said unsympathetically. But I knew him well enough to know that he wouldn't be checking on me at all if he wasn't a little sympathetic. "I didn't know you and Cedric broke up. I don't think anyone did, actually. Otherwise, I probably would have-"

"You would have what?" I said, cutting him off, anxious to hear.

"I probably would have told Pansy to forget it," he said.

"Really?" I asked. Did he still want me?

"Of course," he said. "You know, so I could be there for my friend." Friend. The word sunk into my heart. "Me and Pansy are just here as friends, and I think I hate her. I wish I could have gone with a friend that I actually like." Friend. He was stabbing me with that word. I sunk into my chair.

"You seem tense," he said. "Want to go for a carriage ride and cool off?" I looked up at him and smiled. Having Draco as a friend was better than not having him at all. He took my hand and lead me to the carriages outside. Pansy spotted us and raced after us.

"Draco!" she said. "Where are you going?" Then I turned around and she took a step back. "Where are you going with her?"

"Piss off, Pansy," Draco said, taking my arm. Draco helped me into the carriage.

"Where does this thing go, anyways?" I asked.

"Just around the grounds," he said. "I just thought you might want to get away."

"Thanks, Draco," I said. We were silent as the carriage took off.

"So what happened with you and Cedric?" he asked. "Or do you not want to talk about it?"

"I broke up with him," I said, looking out the window.

"Really?" he asked.

"Why? Does that surprise you?"

"Well, yeah. You seemed so happy. How did he take it?"

"I don't know. I haven't spoken to him since. But he seemed to move on pretty quickly."

"So why'd you do it?" I sighed. Why did I break up with Cedric? Because I'm in love with you, Draco.

"There's someone else," I said. His eyes widened. He knew. He didn't say anything. I adjusted in my seat and then looked at him. "There's someone else. He's got a really witty sense of humor, and he's one of my best friends. I think he was always in the back of my mind when I was with Cedric. That's why I broke up with him. I was mentally cheating." Draco didn't say anything. He couldn't say anything. But even if I was about to get rejected, I was going to make my move. "But things have been tense," I sighed. "I've been a bitch. I think he hates me. I haven't been nice to him. And I wish I could fix it." Draco looked into my eyes.