blurred lines [draco x reader]

10 ౨ৎ | a potion for a potion

Feeling dazed and embarrassed from the night before, it took all the strength you had to pull yourself from the comfort of your bed. The idea that you'd tried to get Cedric back through a love potion left you cringing. You expected Hermione to storm in any second to drag you to breakfast, but she never showed. With a sigh, you shrugged off the feelings as you made your way to the Great Hall. 

Thankfully, you made it through the day without spotting Draco once. He hadn't shown up to Herbology, and though you hoped it had nothing to do with you, it was hard not to feel responsible.

Finally, after classes, you returned to your dorm and collapsed into bed, too exhausted for dinner. That's when you noticed a heart-shaped container on your desk. Prying off the lid, you found an assortment of chocolates. It must be Hermione's way of apologizing for bailing on you this morning, you thought with a smile as you popped one in your mouth.

Just then, Hermione walked in, her face already set in an apologetic expression.

"Don't worry about it," you chuckled, eating another chocolate. "You were forgiven the moment I saw these waiting for me."

She looked at you, puzzled. "Those weren't from me..."

"Oh... well, they still made my day," you replied with a grin.

Hermione's eyes widened, and she slapped the chocolate out of your hand just as you reached for another. "Are you serious? You don't know who left those! Don't eat them!" she scolded, pulling out her wand and glaring at the box. "Revelio!"

"Hermione, I'm sure they're fine," you laughed nervously.

But her face had hardened. "I knew it!" she muttered, digging into her bag.

"What is it?" you asked, now genuinely concerned.

"A love potion," she said, finally retrieving a small vial of clear liquid. She handed it to you, her expression serious. "Drink this. It should counteract the effects."

With a frown, you drank the antidote as Hermione watched you with an air of disapproval. "Next time, maybe don't eat random things left in your room without knowing who they're from," she lectured.

As the antidote took effect, a sinking realization dawned on you. No one but Draco would have gone through the trouble of planting a love potion. He must've been getting his own revenge.

"Who would slip you a love potion?" Hermione asked, raising an eyebrow.

You shrugged with a nervous chuckle. "Probably some first years playing pranks."

But as the sun set, you were determined to find him. You couldn't exactly blame him for what he'd tried, considering you'd done it to him first. Still, you wanted to smooth things over. When the common room was quiet, you slipped out, making your way up the spiraling Astronomy Tower steps where you guessed he'd be. Sure enough, there he was, leaning over the railing, gazing at the stars.

"The chocolates were delicious, by the way," you said, making your presence known.

He whipped his head around, a smirk plastered on his face. "Ah, so you got my little gift, then? I didn't expect you to enjoy them so much."

"Don't flatter yourself, I drank the antidote already" you smiled.

His smirk faltered, a flicker of annoyance crossing his face before he forced it back into his usual cool expression. "Oh, did you?" he drawled, leaning casually against the railing. "Shame. I thought you'd enjoy a taste of your own medicine".

"Look, I just wanted to apologize. I never meant for you to be the one to drink it. Hopefully, we can both move on and put it behind us."

Draco arched an eyebrow, "Oh, really? Then who exactly was that potion meant for?"

"To be honest, I hadn't exactly worked that part out yet," you admitted.

He scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Please don't tell me this was all some desperate attempt over Diggory. Honestly, how pathetic can you get?"

"Someone like you could never understand Draco" you murmured.

"Oh, my apologies. I must be too caught up in the real world to bother with whatever fairytale you're living in." he scoffed back.

As you turned to leave, he continued on, still facing the stars. "And trying to make him jealous with a love potion? You do realize you'd have to keep giving the poor bloke doses every day just to maintain it. If you really want to make Cedric jealous, I'd suggest finding a guy who's actually into you".

You paused and turned to face him. "I never claimed the plan was smart or well thought out, okay? I was just feeling... sad."

A thought crossed your mind: Draco's reputation would definitely attract not just Diggory's attention but the whole school's. You turned to him with a pleading expression.

"No," he replied with a firm shake of his head.

"What? I didn't even say anything!" you shot back, feeling defensive.

"I know exactly what you're thinking, and it's not happening."

"Exactly what's not happening?" you pressed, feeling increasingly desperate.

"That I stroll around the castle with you pretending to be your boyfriend. It's downright pathetic," he scoffed.

"But it would work! With your reputation, I'm sure Cedric would—"

"Not going to happen." he interrupted.

You racked your brain for a counteroffer. "I'll... buy you a new broom for Quidditch!"

He raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "I don't take handouts."

"I'll do your Herbology homework for a month!" you pleaded, hoping to sway him.

"Are you still talking?" he smirked, clearly amused.

You let out a sigh, rolling your eyes with a chuckle. "Okay, okay, I get it. It probably wouldn't work in reality anyway." Feeling a bit embarrassed, you quickly decided to wrap up the conversation. "Well, thanks for not hexing me over the whole Love Potion fiasco. I should probably get going." He nodded, and you turned to head back toward the castle.

Getting over Cedric felt like an impossible task, a battle you weren't sure you'd win. Each day dragged on, a constant reminder of what was lost. Just when you thought you might be able to distract yourself, the ache would return, making it clear that Cedric was still occupying a significant part of your heart.

Just before your eyes drifted shut, a faint knock on your door broke through your heavy thoughts. Half-awake and slightly disoriented, you opened it to find Draco standing there, arms crossed. "Herbology homework, three months," he stated flatly.

You couldn't help but smile, despite the heaviness that lingered in your chest. Draco rolled his eyes, "don't make me regret this," he warned before turning on his heel and walking away with an air of nonchalance.

Watching him leave, you felt a strange mix of anticipation and apprehention. This year would certainly be interesting, and maybe, just maybe, it was the way back to Cedric.