little potter | draco malfoy

thirteen.

delilah's fourth year

Lilah had learned about three unforgivable curses two weeks before hearing one for the first time. With Umbridge as her professor, the words were never uttered, and the written version was not even spelled out.

He spoke the word with such effortless clarity as if casting yet another simple spell. His cherry red wand extended confidently before him, the tip unwaveringly aimed at Goyle. A gust of wind swept through the air, but it did nothing to disturb the steadiness of his piercing gaze, which remained fixed on Lilah's tormentor.

Draco Malfoy looked confident as he moved his wand, wordlessly causing Goyle's grasp on Lilah to loosen as he tenderly pulled her to the ground. A smirk was on Draco's face as he looked rather pleased with himself.

Lilah's body continued to shake as she stood motionless in her spot. Draco used his wand to command Goyle to his knees beneath Delilah. His hand reached into the snow to pick up the yellow scarf recklessly thrown down earlier.

"Apologize," Draco hissed, his voice laced with venom. A sinister grimace crept across his lips, and his icy grey eyes narrowed with contempt.

Goyle's brows knitted together in a deep frown as he gazed down, his head drooping in defeat. "I am sorry."

Draco advanced forward, his lips curled as he looked down at the boy, "You're lucky I didn't do worse, Goyle."

With a swift flick of his wand, he cast a hex at Goyle, who gave a sharp grunt as the spell took effect, causing him to double over in pain. Struggling to regain his balance, Goyle stumbled backward, his eyes wide in anger. They darted between Delilah and Draco, searching for an explanation for this unexpected betrayal and the sudden alliance before him.

Delilah's foot took a step back toward Draco, feeling safe within his presence. "You're going to regret that, Malfoy," Goyle seethed, his cruel gaze shifted towards Delilah, "See you later, Potter."

They stood in silence, observing him halt on the old wooden bridge, his silhouette tense and brimming with a quiet fury that seemed to pulsate around him. Delilah's throat tightened as she gazed up into Draco's stormy grey eyes, filled with a swirl of concern and unease.

Caught in the moment, her instincts took hold, and before she could think twice, she wrapped her arms around him in a reassuring embrace, feeling the warmth of his body contrast with the charged atmosphere surrounding them.

Her arms encircled his torso, and she released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. As she gently eased back, a flicker of anxiety washed over her; had she crossed a boundary? She was acutely aware that Draco Malfoy guarded his personal space with fierce intensity.

In a heartbeat, Draco wrapped his strong arms around her, pulling her back against him as the world around them faded into a hushed stillness.
The air was thick with unspoken emotions, a fragile tension hanging between them like a delicate thread.

Delilah struggled to find the words she desperately wanted to say, but instead, tears streamed down her cheeks, glistening like tiny jewels in the dim light

At last, someone had come to her rescue. A wave of gratitude surged within her, compelling her fingers to clutch his coat tightly as if fearing he might vanish into thin air at any moment. Her cheeks were flushed, still warm from the tears streaming down her face, each droplet carrying the weight of her relief.

"You know," Delilah murmured softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "I do smile from time to time." She let out a breathy laugh. She let her hands fall, stepping back so she could see him.