Late Blooms | Draco Malfoy

Chapter 5

Draco sat on the edge of his bed, the night was unusually quiet. His mind was still buzzing with thoughts of the evening. He hadn't expected it to go the way it did with her. He ran a hand through his hair, feeling the weight of years and experiences, wondering if he'd made the right decision by even showing up to the date.

17 years. It loomed in his head, almost like a taunt. He sighed, staring at his phone, debating whether to text her. She was different. Easy to talk to. She didn't seem fazed by the age gap, though he knew that could change. But tonight, for the first time in a long while, he felt lighter. Almost like he wasn't carrying the past with him.

Before he could second guess himself, he grabbed his phone. His fingers hesitated above the keyboard, but then he typed out a message.

"You know, I've been thinking..."

He stopped, backspaced. Too vague. Too awkward. He needed to keep it casual, confident. Like the man he used to be, before life became... complicated. With a quiet laugh at himself, he started again.

"I wasn't sure what to expect tonight, but I had a better time than I thought I would. You're full of surprises."

His finger hovered over the send button for a moment, then pressed it before he could change his mind. Seconds ticked by as he stared at the screen, wondering if maybe this was too much, or worse not enough. Then his phone buzzed.

"I had a great time too."

Draco smirked, feeling the tension lift from his shoulders. Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all. With that, he leaned back, his thoughts on next meeting already forming in his mind.

"I'll admit, I don't usually get nervous about these things."

"Oh? Could've fooled me. You seemed cool as ever."

"Years of practice. But honest to Merlin, you threw me off."

"Really? I must be more charming than I thought."

"Charming doesn't even begin to cover it. You've got this way of making me forget the world's spinning around us."

"Smooth. I reckon, practices paid off."

"You know I don't do those often. Only ever done those in my teenage years. You're a bit of an exception."

"An exception, huh? I like the sound of that."

"I'm serious. You're not like anyone I've met in a long time. You... just amaze me."

"I'll take that as a compliment. Maybe you brought out the best in me."

"I could say the same. I felt more alive tonight than I have in a while."

"Well, you're definitely more fun than I expected. I thought you'd be... I don't know, a little stiff."

"Stiff? You wound me, Y/N. I'll have to show you just how wrong you are about that."

"Is that a challenge, Malfoy? Because I don't mind being proven wrong..."

"I'll make sure you are, trust me. Next date, you'll see a whole different side of me."

"Who said there'll be a next date..."

His stomach churned seeing that text. He clearly wasn't expecting that.

"Did I fuck up there by any chance?"

"Pulling your leg, tehe. Now I'm intrigued. When are we doing this?"

"Scared me there, woman. How about next weekend? If you're not too busy being charmed by other 'older' men."

"You're the only older man on my radar, Malfoy."

"Good to know. Then it's a date. I'll make sure it's unforgettable."

"Can't wait. But for now, I guess I should let you get your beauty sleep. Don't want you looking tired for our next date."

"Beauty sleep? I don't need that. But you'll see soon enough just how well I handle late nights."

"I'm counting on it. Goodnight, Draco."

"Goodnight, Y/N. Dream of me."

"You wish, old man."

As Draco set his phone down on the nightstand, a feeling he hadn't experienced in a long time crept up on him and that was relief. It wasn't the typical rush of adrenaline he used to get after a successful social encounter, or the calculated satisfaction that came from a well executed plan. This was something deeper, something quieter.

He leaned back into the pillows, letting out a slow breath. The banter with Y/N replayed in his head, her quick wit, her confidence, it was refreshing. And despite the 17 year gap that normally he expected to hung between them like a shadow, it had barely crossed his mind during their conversation. That in itself was unexpected.

For the first time in a while, Draco felt... younger. Not in the naive, reckless way of his teenage years, but in the sense that things didn't feel quite so heavy. He didn't have to be the version of himself that the world expected. Not with her. She didn't seem to care about his past, his responsibilities, or the weight of his name. She just saw him for who he was now.

And she didn't mind. More than that she liked it.
He couldn't remember the last time someone had made him feel that way. Exactly. No one did.

As Draco closed his eyes, a small, genuine smile tugged at his lips. He found himself looking forward to whatever came next, a rarity in his life. It wasn't just the idea of seeing her again. It was the feeling she left him with. The feeling that, for once, the future didn't seem quite so daunting.

For the first time in years, Draco felt like he was stepping into something new and didn't get a bad feeling about it. Didn't mind one bit.