Letters To A Friend (Draco Malfoy Fanfiction)

XII.

Weeks passed after returning from the holiday, and I found myself slipping deeper into the routine-only it wasn't like before. There were no Quidditch practices, no strategy meetings with the team. Not after what they did last year. Kicking me off without a second thought. I still feel the sting of it, the bitterness settling in more as time goes on. And I avoid them every chance I get, dodging familiar faces in the halls and ignoring their whispers when they pass.

It's better this way, I tell myself. More time for my studies, for everything else that matters. Like Occlumency.

Learning in secret, practicing late at night when the dormitory is quiet. Clearing my mind, trying to master the art of keeping my thoughts safe, locked away from anyone who might pry.

I'm still pretending. Still walking into Umbridge's office after every class, feigning loyalty as I deliver false reports, sometimes I have to tell some truth so she wouldn't be suspicious of me. Each time, my heart races, wondering if this will be the moment she catches on. The pink walls and her sickly sweet voice haunt my thoughts long after I leave, but there's no turning back now. I've made my choice. Hermione was right-it's the only way to protect the DA.

Yet, as each day passes, I feel more isolated. More... detached. The gap between me and the rest of the world widens, and I find myself pulling away even further. My studies keep me occupied, and the few friends I had left in Hufflepuff don't seem to notice how distant I've become. Or maybe they do, but I'm too far gone to care.

I sit alone in the library now, or in quiet corners of the castle where no one can find me. And when I see my old Quidditch teammates in the halls, I keep my head down, pretending not to notice the uneasy looks they shoot my way. They don't matter anymore-at least, that's what I keep telling myself.

And then Valentine's Day comes. Not that it's anything to look forward to. The castle is buzzing with excitement, people exchanging gifts and secret notes, but it all just feels like noise to me. What makes it worse is that it's the first Hogsmeade visit of the year, and everyone seems to have a plan except for me.

I decide to go anyway, if only to clear my head and get away from Hogwarts for a few hours. The idea of sitting around while everyone is off having fun feels unbearable, so I take the chance to escape, heading straight for the Shrieking Shack.

It's quieter here, just how I like it. A group of curious third years is huddled nearby, pointing and whispering about the old legend of the place. I stay back, far enough to avoid their questions but close enough to still see the shack in the distance. The weather is cold, the wind biting at my face, but it's a welcome distraction from everything else.

I pull my cloak tighter around me and sigh, feeling the weight of the past few weeks pressing down on me. Hogwarts feels more suffocating by the day, and despite everything I try to tell myself, I can't shake the loneliness creeping in.

Lost in thought, I don't notice the footsteps approaching until I hear someone's voice behind me.

"Didn't think I'd find you out here."

I turn quickly, my heart skipping a beat, and there he is-Zabini. His expression is unreadable, as always, but there's something almost curious in the way he's looking at me.

"What, surprised I'm not in the Three Broomsticks with the rest?" I reply, trying to sound indifferent, though I'm not sure I succeed.

He shrugs, stepping closer. "Maybe a little. But you never were like the rest, were you?"

I scoff lightly, shaking my head. "Not sure if that's a compliment or not."

He chuckles, his eyes briefly glancing over to the Shrieking Shack before settling back on me. "What's got you hiding out here, then? Trying to avoid the Valentine's madness like the rest of us?"