Cold Love || Draco Malfoy

5- Gentle and Soft

The crisp air of early October brought a refreshing change to Hogwarts. Golden leaves fluttered down from the towering trees, blanketing the grounds in warm hues of orange and yellow. Students hurried through the corridors, bundled in their robes, as excitement buzzed around the castle with Quidditch tryouts and upcoming Hogsmeade weekends on everyone's minds.

For Jessica, the days seemed to blur together. Between balancing her studies, managing Slytherin house politics, and working on the potions project with Draco, her mind was constantly occupied. But there was one distraction that she hadn't expected—Dean Thomas.

It started with small, casual conversations in the library. Dean had always been easy to talk to, with his laid-back attitude and warm smile. Unlike most Slytherins, who viewed the world through the lens of ambition and competition, Dean's perspective was refreshingly simple: be kind, be fair, and have fun along the way.

One afternoon, as she sat by the window overlooking the lake, a shadow fell across her table. Jessica looked up to see Dean standing there, holding a couple of books and grinning down at her.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked, already pulling out a chair.

Jessica smiled. "Go ahead. I could use the company."

Dean slid into the seat across from her, his gaze flicking to the notes spread out in front of her. "Still working on the potions project with Malfoy?"

Jessica nodded, though her expression tightened slightly. "Unfortunately. It's been... challenging."

Dean chuckled. "I can imagine. You're probably doing all the work while he sits there looking pretty."

She couldn't help but laugh at that. "Something like that."

For a while, they talked casually about classes and upcoming Quidditch matches. Dean was as enthusiastic as ever about Gryffindor's chances this year, though Jessica was more reserved about Slytherin's prospects. But it was the easy flow of conversation that drew her in—the way Dean made her feel like she could drop her guard and just be herself for a little while.

As the sun dipped lower in the sky, casting long shadows across the floor, the conversation took a more personal turn.

"You don't seem like the typical Slytherin," Dean said, his tone thoughtful rather than accusatory. "Not that I'm saying that's a bad thing, but you're different."

Jessica raised an eyebrow. "Different how?"

"Well, most Slytherins are all about ambition and power. But you... you seem like you care more about doing what's right, even if it doesn't fit with the whole Slytherin image."

Jessica leaned back in her chair, considering his words. "My father was a Ravenclaw. They say I'm a spitting image of my mother but have my father's heart. It's not easy to fit in when you don't see things the way everyone else does. But I've learned how to navigate it."

Dean's expression softened, and he leaned forward slightly. "Yeah, I get that. It's like everyone expects you to be a certain way, but that's not who you are deep down."

His words struck a chord with her. For so long, she'd felt trapped between the expectations of her house and the person she truly was. Talking to Dean felt like a breath of fresh air, like she could finally be understood without having to hide behind a facade.

Before she could respond, Dean's gaze lingered on hers, and the air between them shifted. The playful banter from earlier faded, replaced by a more serious tension. He reached out, his hand brushing against hers as it rested on the table. Jessica felt her heart skip a beat at the unexpected contact.

"Jessica," he said softly, his voice barely above a whisper, "I really like talking to you. I feel like we just... click, you know?"

She swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. There was something in his eyes—something genuine and sincere—that made her chest tighten. She hadn't expected to feel this way, not when her thoughts had been so entangled with Draco lately. But with Dean, things felt uncomplicated, honest.

Before she could second-guess herself, Dean leaned in slighlty. The distance between them closed slowly, and for a moment, everything else faded away—the worries about Slytherin, the tension with Draco, the constant pressure to live up to expectations.

Their lips brushed together in a brief, gentle kiss. It was soft, tentative, and yet it sent a wave of warmth coursing through her. When he pulled back, both of them seemed a little breathless, caught off guard by the intensity of the moment.

"Sorry if that was too forward," Dean said, rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish smile.

Jessica shook her head, a small smile tugging at her lips. "No... it was nice. Really nice."

But as much as she enjoyed the kiss, there was a flicker of doubt in the back of her mind—a doubt that had nothing to do with Dean and everything to do with a certain blonde Slytherin who had been occupying too much space in her thoughts lately.

They spent the rest of the evening talking, though the conversation occasionally faltered as they both tried to process what had just happened. Jessica appreciated Dean's company more than ever, but the conflicting emotions swirling inside her left her feeling uneasy. She wasn't sure where she stood with him, or even where she wanted to stand.

---

As Jessica made her way back to the Slytherin common room that evening, she couldn't shake the feeling of confusion that had settled in her chest. On one hand, Dean was everything she could want—kind, genuine, and uncomplicated. On the other hand, there was Draco—a tangled mess of arrogance, secrets, and tension that drew her in against her better judgment.

But for now, she pushed those thoughts aside. The potion project still loomed over her, and with her feelings getting more complicated by the day, she knew she couldn't afford to lose focus.

As she stepped into the dimly lit common room, she noticed Draco and Tahlia closely sitting by the fire. Tahlia giggling at something draco had said, before she glanced over at Jessica.

"Out a bit late, aren't you?" Tahlia's voice cut through the quiet corridor, her tone laced with a mix of curiosity and suspicion. "I saw you with Dean today. Is that who you were with?"

Draco gave her a puzzled frown as though he was trying to make sense of what he was hearing. It was clear he wasn't particularly fond of the topic.

"No, of course not. I just got caught up in the library. You know how it is," Jessica replied, trying to sound casual and nonchalant, though her mind was racing.

"Mmmm... no, I don't know," Tahlia said, her eyes narrowing slightly, turning back to the boy in front of her.

Jessica felt a twinge of annoyance but kept her expression neutral. "I've got to get to bed. Have a good night, Tahlia."

As she turned and walked away, Jessica couldn't understand her need to lie about Dean. It was nothing she needed to hide.

Maybe it was Draco's presence that had made her feel compelled to offer a false explanation. There was an uncomfortable awareness between them, an almost tangible tension that made her question her own motives.

Draco didn't acknowledge her departure, but there was a subtle shift in the atmosphere as she passed by. It was as if he could sense her presence even without turning to look at her. The air around him felt charged, a silent acknowledgment of her existence that spoke louder than words.

Jessica sighed inwardly. Things were only going to get more complicated from here.

A/N

Word Count: 1281