Love and Potions

Chapter Four: Draco

Sunday

A letter from my father arrives during breakfast in the great hall. I excuse myself, taking the letter back to my dorm and dreading what's inside.

When I reach the common room, I scan my eyes around the room, making sure no one is present before slicing it open with my letter opener--a gift from my father--and taking out the letter.

       Draco,

       I expect you'll be coming home for Christmas break. I do hope that you have a girlfriend by now, you are a grown man and should find a wife soon. Please bring a girl with you when you visit. I expect you are still at the top of your classes, am I correct? Your mother sends her love.

       -Father

I crumple the parchment into a ball, my father's writing disappearing beneath the folds, and throw it into the rubbish bin.

I feel like screaming, but I can't. The walls are too thin here and all the other Slytherins would hear.

How the fuck am I supposed to get a girlfriend in two months, much less a girl my father will approve of?

My father has been destroying my life ever since I was old enough to walk. I used to put up with it purely out of fear but I'm stronger than that now. I won't put up with his ridiculous demands anymore.

Except I have to. I don't know what my father would do to me if I didn't follow his demands. My father's favourite punishment has and always will be the cruciatus curse. It doesn't leave any marks therefore it's impossible to prove if it has been used. The first time he used it on me was when I was only eight years of age.

I had a few tutors at the time to prepare me for Hogwarts. I messed up a particularly difficult potion and my father dismissed the tutors for the rest of the day. Once they were far enough away to not hear my screams, he used the curse on me. My mother wasn't home that day so she was unaware of what my father did to me. She never has known because my father has kept it from her. I suppose he knows that she wouldn't allow for it.

My hands run through my hair on their own accord. The only thing that will calm me down is arguing. I need to find Thomas. It gives me great satisfaction to annoy her. Especially when her brow creases when she glares at me, the freckles on her nose wrinkling when she scrunches it.

She isn't in the common room and when I knock on her dorm, Parkinson opens it.

"Where's Thomas?"

"Why? What are you going to do to her?" She gives me a suspicious glance. Parkinson is obsessed with me, but she will always prioritise Thomas over me. I don't think Thomas realises that though.

"I just want to talk with her."

 "Sure, like you did a few nights ago and last night and I found her crying in her bed."

"What? I didn't do anything, I swear it. I brought her to her dorm because she was crying, she didn't tell me why. I don't know why she was crying last night though."

"Fine, I believe you. But I'm still not telling you where she is. She doesn't want to see you right now."

"Why?"

"Why? Because you made her feel stupid, you fucking arsehole. She told me about your tutoring session yesterday and how you treated her." I curse under my breath. I can't believe I made her cry, I didn't even think I was being that harsh. I need to talk to her even more now.

"Please, I need to see her." One thing about Parkinson is that she always gives in eventually. I know she likes me but I don't like her that way. I might as well use her crush to my advantage.

"Please, Pansy." She blushes when I say her first name.

"Fine, she's on the quidditch field."

"I didn't realise there was practice today."

"There isn't. She's flying by herself I think."

"Bye Parkinson." She gives me a sarcastic smile before slamming the door in my face.

When I reach the quidditch pitch, I don't see Thomas at first. I look up to the heavens and see someone on a broom swoosh by. The wind created from the broom ruffles my hair.

"Thomas!" I shout above the whooshing noise. "Thomas, can we talk?" She starts flying towards the ground and lands flawlessly. I expect her to walk towards me, but she turns and walks away at a brisk pace. She's in full quidditch gear, leather pads strapped to her forearms and knees, leather gloves on her hands. Her cape billows behind her as she runs.

I jog after her, trying to catch up. She begins to run and I quicken my pace to a full on sprint. By the time I catch up to her, I am panting, out of breath. Damn, I need to work on my endurance.

I grab onto her wrist and pull her back facing me. She yanks out of my grip and begins to run again, this time faster.

"Bloody hell," I mutter. I race after her and when I reach her this time I grab both her wrists, keeping a firm grip. She lets go of her broom and it falls to the ground with a quiet thump. She struggles but doesn't escape my grip.

"Let me go, Malfoy!"

"Just listen to me!" She pulls harder away from me. Sweat is glistening on her flushed face.

"I want to apologise. I didn't realise that I was making you feel stupid." She narrows her eyes at me in accusation.

"You talked to Pansy, didn't you?" I don't respond, I know my face gives away everything.

"You know what, Malfoy? Fuck you!"

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" I smirk at her and she flushes, most definitely embarrassed that I used her words against her.

"That's not what I meant, you arse, and you know that!" Her anger turns the tips of her ears red.

"Okay, okay. Sorry." I sober up and apologise again. "I am sincere though. I didn't mean to make you feel stupid. You're actually pretty brilliant, you just need to focus more in class."

"Well I can't really do that while you're bullying me, can I?"

"I'm not bullying you, just teasing is all."

"That's what bullying is! It's teasing or mockery that hurts someone's feelings! You make me feel like shite all the time so don't say that you aren't bullying me!" Her outburst shocks me, I didn't realise she felt that way.

She takes advantage of my moment of surprise and pulls free. She grabs her broom and runs away. I don't go after her.

In another life

I would make you stay

So I don't have to say you were

The one that got away

The one that got away