The Dragon in The Ice Fortress- Draco Malfoy

40

The fire crackled softly in the Slytherin common room, casting long shadows against the stone walls. I sat down next to Draco on the plush green couch, the warmth from the fire seeping into my skin. There was something comforting about sitting beside him, despite everything that had been happening. Despite the weight of the choices that hung between us, the secrets, and the undeniable darkness that had begun to consume him.

Draco leaned back, his eyes reflecting the flames, and for a brief moment, he looked like the boy I had first fallen for. The one who could be playful and charming, the one who made me feel seen, even in a place as cold and unforgiving as this.

"Long day?" he asked, his voice casual, but there was an edge of curiosity there, as if he already sensed the turmoil churning inside me.

I nodded, trying to keep my tone light. "You could say that. Classes are becoming a blur lately."

Draco chuckled, leaning his head back against the couch. "Tell me about it. Potions with Slughorn feels like a never-ending lecture on things we'll never need." His voice softened as he glanced at me. "But then again, you've always been better at handling that than me."

I smiled at his attempt to lighten the mood, and for a fleeting moment, I let myself forget about the dark cloud hanging over us. I let myself enjoy this—being with him, just the two of us, like old times. But the tension between us was impossible to ignore. The pull of the darkness, the pull of him—it was too strong.

"You know," I began, my voice quiet, "it's strange how everything's changed. A year ago, none of this—" I gestured vaguely around us, "—seemed possible. And now... now it feels like we're on the edge of something we can't stop."

Draco's jaw tightened, his fingers brushing against mine. His touch sent a familiar warmth through me, but it was tempered by the cold reality of what he was becoming. He was slipping further into the abyss, and I knew that if I didn't make a choice soon, I might be pulled down with him.

"It doesn't have to be that way," he said, his voice a little firmer now, though I sensed the underlying hope in his words. "We can still figure this out. Together."

I looked at him, searching his eyes for something—some part of him that still cared about more than just the darkness, more than just survival. And in that moment, I saw it. It was faint, but it was there. A flicker of the boy I once knew, the one who wasn't consumed by ambition or fear.

But that flicker wasn't enough.

I had made my decision.

"I've thought about it," I said softly, my voice barely above a whisper. "And I've made my choice."

Draco's eyes darkened, and I could feel the tension rise between us. He knew. He could sense it in the way I spoke, the way I looked at him. But he didn't press me, didn't ask for the details. Instead, he leaned forward, his hand reaching up to brush a strand of hair from my face, his touch lingering longer than usual.

"Are you sure?" he asked, his voice low, almost cautious. There was no malice, no anger—just a quiet resignation that told me he already knew my answer.

I nodded, my throat tightening. "I am."

Draco's gaze flickered, and for a moment, I thought he might pull away. That he might shut down, retreat into the coldness that had become his shield. But instead, something shifted in him. The walls he had so carefully constructed began to crumble, and he looked at me with an intensity that made my heart ache.

He didn't say anything else. He didn't need to.

Without another word, I reached for his hand, my fingers curling around his. I stood, pulling him up with me, and for a moment, we just stood there, our eyes locked. There was no more pretending. No more illusions of what could have been.

"Let's go," I whispered.

Draco hesitated for only a second before nodding, his expression softening. He led me through the quiet halls of the Slytherin dormitories, his grip on my hand firm but gentle. When we reached his room, he pushed open the door, and we stepped inside, the weight of everything we weren't saying hanging heavily in the air.

The room was dimly lit, the soft glow of a single lantern casting long shadows across the walls. Draco closed the door behind us, and for a moment, we just stood there, staring at each other. The silence between us was thick with unspoken words, but neither of us dared to break it.

Instead, I stepped closer, my hand reaching up to cup his cheek, my thumb brushing softly against his skin. His eyes fluttered closed at the touch, and I could feel the tension melt away, replaced by something deeper, something more raw.

He opened his eyes, and in that moment, I saw everything—the boy he had been, the man he was becoming, the darkness that had taken root inside him, and the small, fragile part of him that still wanted to be saved.

But I couldn't save him. Not anymore.

Without another word, I pressed my lips to his, the kiss slow and deliberate, filled with all the emotions we had kept bottled up for so long. His hands found my waist, pulling me closer, and I felt the heat of his body against mine, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat echoing in my chest.

We moved together in a slow, deliberate rhythm, each touch, each kiss, a silent goodbye. There was a desperation in the way he held me, as if he knew—just as I did—that this was the last time. The last time we would be together like this. The last time we would share this closeness.

We undressed slowly, savoring every moment, every touch, as if trying to etch this memory into our skin. And when we finally came together, it was with a tenderness that belied the storm raging around us. It was a moment suspended in time, a brief respite from the chaos that threatened to tear us apart.

As we lay tangled together in the aftermath, the room quiet and still, I knew that this was it. This was the end. I rested my head on Draco's chest, listening to the steady rise and fall of his breathing, the soft thud of his heart beneath my ear.

He brushed his fingers through my hair, and for a moment, we just lay there, wrapped in the silence, in the knowledge that this was the last time we would ever be this close.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice barely audible in the quiet room.

I didn't respond. There was nothing left to say.

Because no matter how much I wanted to hold on to this moment, I knew that when the sun rose, everything would be different. I would leave, and Draco would be lost to the darkness. And this would be nothing but a memory.

As the first light of dawn began to creep through the window, I closed my eyes, savoring the warmth of Draco's body against mine, the weight of his arm draped over my waist. And as sleep claimed me, I made a silent promise to myself.

This would be the last time I would see Draco Malfoy. The last time I would let myself be pulled into his world.

Tomorrow, I would leave. And I would never look back