Tumblr X Reader

Underneath the Armor (Draco Malfoy)

Fifth Year – Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Being a Slytherin at Hogwarts wasn't easy if you didn't fit into the mold that most people expected. The house had a reputation—cold, cunning, ruthless. And while some of my housemates seemed to thrive in that atmosphere, I didn't. Not entirely, at least. I didn't tolerate bullying. I despised the petty cruelty that some of them wielded like it was a badge of honor.

That's why Pansy Parkinson got on my nerves more than anyone else in the school. She was like a vulture, always picking on the weak to make herself feel superior. Her shrill voice grated on me almost daily, whether she was laughing at someone's misfortune or snidely insulting someone for a minor mistake.

"Hey, Y/N," Pansy called as I entered the common room one evening. "Looking a little rough today, aren't we? What happened, couldn't charm your way into a mirror?"

I glanced her way with a sharp look, unwilling to let her rattle me. I never did. "Pansy, I'd love to sit and chat, but I left my patience in a book somewhere, and I'm not in the mood to look for it."

Her face tightened, but I was already walking past her, ignoring her retort as I took my seat by the fireplace. The common room was dimly lit, the greenish glow from the lake outside casting eerie shadows across the stone walls. It was a comfort in its own way, the darkness. Not many people could sit comfortably in it, but I always could.

"One day, Parkinson, you're going to say the wrong thing to the wrong person, and it'll be the end of you," I muttered as I opened a textbook. I'd stick up for those who couldn't defend themselves, but I wasn't about to waste more of my energy on her if she wasn't actively hurting someone.

From the corner of my eye, I noticed Draco Malfoy sitting with his usual group—Crabbe, Goyle, and, of course, Pansy. But there was something odd about how he was sitting. He seemed distracted, barely engaging with his friends, his silver eyes fixed on something—or rather, someone.

Me.

I had seen him watching me lately, ever since the start of the school year. At first, I thought nothing of it. Draco Malfoy was notorious for staring at people. It was part of his persona, I guessed. But recently, it felt different, more intense. And frankly, it was starting to unnerve me.

I wasn't blind to the fact that Draco Malfoy was handsome—his sharp features and stormy grey eyes were impossible to ignore. But that didn't mean I was interested. Not in him or anyone else for that matter. Boys at Hogwarts were either too arrogant, too spineless, or just plain dull. I wasn't going to waste my time with any of them, no matter how many seemed to flirt with me or tried to catch my attention in the hallways.

But Draco... well, he was persistent.

It happened again the next day during Potions class. Snape had given us a particularly difficult assignment, and the classroom was filled with the smell of burnt ingredients and frustrated murmurs from the other students. I worked in silence, carefully measuring out the powdered unicorn horn into my cauldron, when I heard Pansy's voice—loud and obnoxious as always.

She was making fun of a Hufflepuff girl who had accidentally spilled her ingredients. The girl looked near tears as Pansy and Daphne Greengrass snickered at her, their voices dripping with mockery.

I snapped my book shut and walked over, standing between Pansy and the girl. "You've had your fun, Parkinson. Move along before I decide you're more annoying than usual."

Pansy blinked, taken aback. "Excuse me?"

I crossed my arms. "You heard me. Picking on someone who can't defend themselves? Really shows how insecure you are, doesn't it?"