Y/N x Draco Malfoy (Enemies to Lovers)

Buckbeaks Sentence

Y/N's POV

Oliver stood across from me, his eyes searching mine, frustration and tenderness mixing in his gaze.

"Y/N, I know there's something you're not saying," he started, his voice almost a whisper but steady. "You say you're over him, but sometimes... I can't shake the feeling you're still torn."

The honesty of his words struck something deep within me. For a moment, all I could do was stand there, my hands clenched tightly together, the familiar ache in my chest resurfacing. He was right. No matter how much I tried to push it away, the sting of Draco's indifference lingered, a shadow I couldn't escape.

"I want to move on, Oliver," I finally said, looking up at him. "I really do. And I thought I had, but sometimes it just...hurts. I wish it didn't." The vulnerability in my voice surprised even me.

Without a word, Oliver pulled me close, wrapping his arms around me. For the first time, I let myself fully break down, all the tears I'd been holding back spilling out as he held me, his hand gently rubbing my back in quiet support. I confided everything—the hurt, the confusion, the way Draco's behavior had left a wound I wasn't sure would heal.

As much as I cared for Oliver, the connection I had felt with Draco still haunted me, and a part of me was afraid it always would. Oliver, understanding even more than I'd expected, simply listened, his presence calm and reassuring.

"Y/N," he murmured when I'd finally stopped crying, "I don't want you to feel forced into something you're not ready for. I'll be here, however long you need."

A grateful smile spread across my face as I looked up at him. The warmth in his eyes reassured me, and even if my heart was still tangled in unresolved feelings, I knew how lucky I was to have Oliver in my life.

Later that Evening

To cheer me up, Oliver arranged for a quiet evening out. We wandered around the grounds, basking in the peaceful solitude, talking about everything and nothing. He brought me my favorite sweets, joked about Quidditch training, and even performed a few silly spells that had us both laughing until our sides hurt. Being with Oliver felt so easy, and I was truly grateful for him.

But even then, I couldn't help but notice the difference in my heart—how, with Draco, every moment had been electric, intense, and impossible to ignore. I tried to remind myself that those feelings had also brought a lot of pain, but it was a hard truth to swallow.

As we made our way back to the castle, we crossed paths with Draco and his friends in the distance. I felt Draco's eyes on us, sharp and unblinking, and as I glanced back, I could see the subtle tightening of his jaw. Pansy stood at his side, smirking in a way that told me she'd already noticed his gaze.

Draco's POV

Seeing Y/N and Oliver together was a punch to the gut, one I hadn't expected to feel as strongly as I did. I tried to look away, tried to push the feeling down, but it only grew worse the longer I stood there, watching them laugh and smile like nothing else in the world mattered.

"Looks like your little Gryffindor's moved on," Pansy sneered beside me, noticing my fixed stare. "Too bad, Malfoy. She's clearly out of reach."

Out of reach. Those words echoed bitterly in my mind. My pride had kept me from admitting the truth to her, and now, watching her with Oliver, I knew I'd lost more than just a passing fling. It had been so much more than that, though I hadn't been able to admit it, even to myself.

Turning away from the sight, I clenched my fists. I needed to do something, something that would prove, if only to myself, that I wasn't powerless in this.

Y/N's POV

The following day brought somber news to the castle: Buckbeak, Hagrid's beloved Hippogriff, was sentenced to death by the Ministry. Harry, Hermione, and I were furious; the whole trial had been unfair, nothing but an exercise in control for people who didn't understand the magical creatures they were judging.

That night, I found Harry in the common room, staring out the window, his hands balled into fists. I joined him, knowing we shared the same sense of helplessness and frustration, each of us dealing with our own forms of injustice.

"It isn't fair, you know?" Harry muttered, his voice tight with anger. "They didn't even give Buckbeak a chance. They just...decided."

I nodded, understanding exactly what he meant. "Sometimes, people just... don't care to see what's right in front of them." I paused, trying to steady my voice. "Or they push away the people who matter the most."

We shared a long, quiet look, each lost in our own thoughts. Harry's experiences with the Ministry's unfairness mirrored my own pain with Draco's indifference, though in a different way. We were both fighting battles that seemed impossible to win, and tonight, that realization felt heavy.

A Few Days Later

As the countdown to Buckbeak's execution grew shorter, the sense of dread only deepened. Draco's actions had led to Buckbeak's sentence, and though I hadn't spoken to him since the day in Hogsmeade, my heart twisted every time I thought of what he'd done.

During one of our quieter moments, Oliver and I found a spot by the lake, the sun dipping low over the water. He took my hand, his thumb tracing circles over my skin.

"I don't want to lose you, Y/N," he said softly, his gaze fixed on mine. "But I can tell there's a part of you that's still hurting. Just promise me you'll let me be here for you."

"I promise," I whispered, meaning it.

But as I lay awake in bed that night, my mind drifted back to Draco and the ache he'd left behind. No matter how much I wanted to move forward with Oliver, I couldn't shake the memories, the moments that had left such a lasting mark on my heart.

And as the shadows crept into the room, I couldn't help but wonder—if Draco had felt even a fraction of what I did—why he'd chosen to let me go.