Draco returned to the dorm room that morning, a heavy tension hanging in the air. He silently gathered his belongings, a palpable distance between him and Theo. Unable to bear the weight of the unspoken conflict, Draco decided it was better if he stayed at Blaise's, at least for the moment.
The room was eerily quiet as Theo, seated on the edge of his bed, his fingers fumbling with the buttons of his uniform, observed Draco's every move. Draco remained focused on his task, intentionally avoiding eye contact. The silence between them grew thicker, suffocating any chance of communication.
As Draco finalised his packing, the atmosphere became almost unbearable. Without uttering a single word, he left the room, forcefully slamming the door behind him, the sound echoing the unresolved tension. Theo sat on his bed, ran a frustrated hand through his hair, exhaling a deep sigh that carried the weight of unspoken words and unresolved emotions.
Over the next few days, a palpable gulf persisted between them as they consciously steered clear of any form of contact or communication. Draco constantly surrounded himself with his circle of friends, purposefully sidestepping any interaction or acknowledgment of Theo's presence. Draco went back to his usual seat in class. Despite sensing Theo's intense gaze fixed upon him throughout class, Draco made a deliberate choice to dismiss it, almost as if Theo had become invisible in his world.
Theo was wrong. He thought he didn't care. His certainty crumbled like fragile sandcastles, swept away by the tide of unexpected emotions. He reclined against the wall, the ember of his cigarette casting a dim glow in the empty room as he exhaled a sigh, watching the smoke dissolve into the night beyond the window. His thoughts, a chaotic whirlwind of conflicting emotions.
The persona he had meticulously crafted—uncaring and detached—crumbled as he found himself entangled in an unfamiliar web of emotions. His past engagements in others' relationships had been effortless, devoid of emotional entanglement. Yet, the events involving Draco and Pansy stirred an unexpected turmoil within him.
A subtle yet persistent sense of guilt crept into his consciousness, growing with each passing moment. He pondered the perplexing question of why this particular situation had unsettled him. Each passing moment seemed to fuel the intensity of this unfamiliar turmoil, making it impossible for him to escape its grasp. Theo reluctantly acknowledged the undeniable truth: Draco's antics, once an annoyance, had carved a space within him. His absence now left an unsettling void, a testament to an unexpected connection that he was reluctant to admit existed.
Theo lets out a resigned chuckle when he finally realised that he had begun to miss him.
A week slipped away, each day stretching the chasm between them wider, leaving Theo increasingly restless with each passing moment. Not a single word passed between them, not even during the subsequent nights of detention served under the stern gaze of Professor McGonagall.
Whenever Theo caught sight of Draco, a pang of irritation surged within him. It was bewildering how Draco appeared unfazed, laughing among friends, revelling in Friday night revelries with fellow Slytherins, and dutifully attending quidditch practices and games as though nothing had changed. It agitated him that the fact that he was utterly distraught by now and Draco seemed to be just fine with it all. He yearned to reconcile, to address the discord with Draco, yet his pride stood as an impenetrable wall, triumphing in the internal conflict whenever he contemplated reaching out.
*****
That night marked a breaking point. Theo reached a threshold of patience, an impatience that spurred him into action. The weight of waiting became unbearable, and he couldn't delay the inevitable any longer. A sense of urgency overtook him, and he realised that he needed to confront the situation head-on. The decision crystallised within him, a resolve that propelled him to seek out Draco and finally engage in the conversation that had been postponed for too long. He took a few deep breaths and did a quick body shake to loosen up his muscles before he held his hand up and knocked on Blaise's door.
YOU ARE READING
Just Friends
FanfictionTheodore Nott is a quiet and reserved boy that usually can be seen alone in a corner with a book in his hand. Draco Malfoy, the arrogant, narcissist and boisterous boy who can always be seen walking around with a smug look on his face with his croni...
