a snape and a Malfoy

End Of 2nd Year

The end of the second year at Hogwarts was nothing like the beginning. What had started as another term full of rivalry, Quidditch, and house pride had turned into something much darker. The tension between Cera Snape and Draco Malfoy had grown throughout the year. While Draco had started to develop genuine feelings for Cera, her rejection had left him conflicted and hurt. Though they remained friends, the weight of unspoken emotions lingered between them.

By the time the end-of-year feast arrived, the school was finally beginning to return to normal after a turbulent year. For Draco, however, things felt anything but settled.

---

The Slytherin table was quieter than usual during the end-of-year feast. They had been so close to winning the House Cup, but it seemed they would fall just short again. Draco sat silently, barely touching his food, his mind far away from the celebrations around him.

Cera, sitting a few seats down, glanced at him, her brow furrowed in concern. She had noticed the change in Draco since their difficult conversation earlier that year when she had told him that she had no romantic feelings for him and was prepared to break the engagement arranged by their families. Draco hadn’t been the same since, and though they still played on the same Quidditch team and shared classes, there was a distance between them that hadn't existed before.

Unable to take the silence between them any longer, Cera stood and made her way over to Draco, sliding into the seat next to him. “You alright?” she asked quietly.

Draco glanced up, his eyes dark and troubled. “Yeah. I’m fine.”

Cera frowned, clearly not convinced. “You’ve been distant lately.”

Draco shrugged, pushing his food around his plate. “A lot on my mind.”

Cera nodded slowly, her voice soft. “I get that. I didn’t mean to hurt you, Draco. I just… I didn’t want to lie.”

Draco looked away, swallowing hard. “I know. It’s just—” He cut himself off, unsure how to say what he was feeling. “It’s complicated. You’re my best friend, Cera. I don’t want to lose that. But I can’t help the way I feel either.”

Cera sighed, her heart heavy. She cared for Draco deeply, but not in the way he wanted. “We’ll always be friends, Draco. I promise you that.”

He nodded, though the words didn’t bring him the comfort he had hoped for. He wanted to believe her, but part of him was afraid that things would never be the same between them.

---

The next morning, Platform 9¾ was bustling with activity as students prepared to return home for the summer. Draco stood with his mother, who was chatting with some of the other Slytherin parents. Lucius Malfoy had already disappeared, leaving Draco in a foul mood. His father had been critical of his performance all year, and Draco knew the upcoming summer would be filled with more of the same—constant pressure to live up to the Malfoy name.

As he waited, he caught sight of Cera a little way down the platform, standing alone, her dark hair blowing gently in the summer breeze. She was waiting for her father, no doubt. Draco watched her for a moment, feeling the familiar ache in his chest.

Summoning the last of his courage, Draco walked over to her, hands in his pockets. “Cera.”

She turned to face him, her expression softening when she saw him approach. “Draco.”

For a moment, neither of them said anything. The weight of the entire year hung between them, unspoken but present all the same.

“I just wanted to say…” Draco began, struggling to find the right words. “I’m sorry for how I acted this year. I didn’t mean to make things awkward.”

Cera smiled gently, shaking her head. “You don’t have to apologize. I know it wasn’t easy.”

Draco swallowed, his heart heavy. “I just don’t want to lose you as a friend. You’re the only one who really gets me.”

“You won’t lose me,” Cera reassured him. “We’ll figure this out. We always do.”

Draco looked down, unsure of what else to say. The train whistle blew, signaling that it was time to board.

“I’ll write to you this summer,” Draco said, glancing back up at her.

Cera smiled. “I’ll be waiting.”

Draco nodded, turning to head toward the train. As he walked away, he felt a strange mix of emotions—relief that they had talked, but also the persistent ache of unrequited feelings.

---

As the train pulled away from the station, Draco sat by the window, watching as the countryside blurred by. The weight of his father’s expectations and the complexity of his feelings for Cera weighed heavily on his mind. The summer stretched out before him, uncertain and full of the pressures that came with being a Malfoy.

But there was also something else—a flicker of hope. Cera had promised they would remain friends, and that, at least, was something to hold on to.

Whatever the next year brought, Draco knew one thing: he couldn’t force Cera to love him. But maybe, just maybe, he could learn to live with that, and find his own way forward.