a snape and a Malfoy

THE PROPOSAL

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The next morning in the Great Hall, Cera's mind was still reeling from the confrontation. She had tried to focus on her breakfast, but the air around her felt thick with tension. It didn’t help that she had chosen to sit with Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley—a decision that had only escalated Draco's anger. She could feel his piercing gaze from across the room as he sat with his fellow Slytherins.

Hermione nudged her gently. "Are you alright, Cera? You seem... distracted."

"I’m fine," Cera said, forcing a small smile. "Just... a lot on my mind."

Harry, sitting across from her, looked up from his plate, concern etched on his face. He had been watching her closely since she had joined them. "Cera, if there’s anything you need to talk about—"

Before Harry could finish, he stood up abruptly, surprising everyone at the Gryffindor table. The chatter in the hall died down as students turned to see what was happening. Harry took a deep breath and, in front of the entire school, looked directly at Cera.

"Cera Snape," he began, his voice clear and unwavering. "I know we’ve only known each other for a short while, but you’ve become someone very important to me. I was wondering... would you—would you go out with me?"

Cera's heart stopped. Time seemed to slow as hundreds of eyes turned to her. She could feel the weight of the moment, the stares of her peers, and most importantly, the burning gaze of Draco Malfoy from the Slytherin table. She had no feelings for Harry—at least, not in the way he clearly felt for her. But the words she had exchanged with Draco the night before echoed in her mind. She was angry, hurt, and confused. The fight with Draco had left her in turmoil, and Harry’s sudden, unexpected proposal only added to the storm inside her.

But instead of following her heart, she found herself nodding.

"Yes, Harry," Cera said softly, her voice barely audible above the murmur of students. "I’ll go out with you."

A wave of applause erupted from the Gryffindor table. Hermione and Ron exchanged shocked glances, but quickly joined in the congratulations. Across the hall, however, Draco’s face had turned pale. His eyes were wide with disbelief, and before anyone could say anything, he stood up, knocking his chair over in the process. Without a word, he stormed out of the Great Hall, his plate untouched.

Cera’s stomach churned with guilt, but she forced herself to smile as Harry took a seat again, his face flushed with happiness. She couldn’t shake the image of Draco’s retreating figure, though. This was not how she had imagined things going.

---

Later that afternoon, Cera found herself wandering the empty corridors of the castle, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts. She knew she had made a mistake. Agreeing to date Harry had been a knee-jerk reaction, driven by the argument with Draco and the pressure of the moment. But now, she was trapped in a situation she didn’t know how to fix.

As she turned a corner, she nearly collided with Draco. His expression was cold, but his eyes betrayed the storm brewing beneath the surface.

"Well, well, well," Draco sneered, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "If it isn’t the new couple of Hogwarts. Congratulations, Snape. I never thought I’d see the day when you’d fall for Potter’s heroics."