Falling For You-Draco Malfoy x Y/N

17- 𝑨 𝑪 𝑪 𝑬 𝑷 𝑻 𝑨 𝑵 𝑪 𝑬

–𝐀𝐂𝐂𝐄𝐏𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄–
𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍

the air around us feels thick and heavy, like the world is holding its breath, waiting for something to happen. draco's arms are still wrapped around me, his presence both comforting and overwhelming. i can feel his heartbeat steady against mine.

the echo of hermione's words is still lingering in my mind.

'he's going to hurt you, and when he does, i won't be there to pick up the pieces'

i want to believe her, but i also want to believe in draco—what we have, what we've been through.

i pull back slightly, just enough to look up at him. his eyes are filled with something i rarely see—vulnerability, hope, and a hint of fear. he's afraid of losing me. and that thought sends a wave of warmth through me, even as my mind races, unsure of what happens next.

,,are you sure?" i ask softly, my fingers brushing against the side of his face. ,,that they'll never understand?"

draco's gaze shifts to the ground for a moment, his jaw tight as he struggles with the words. ,,i don't know," he admits, voice low. ,,they don't see me, y/n. they see the same boy from before. the one who was cruel, the one who... used to believe that blood status mattered. but i'm not him anymore. not with you." he looks back up at me, and i see the sincerity in his eyes. ,,i don't know how to make them see that, though. how to make them understand that i'm not the person i was, that i can change."

the weight of his words presses on my chest, and for a brief moment, the world feels still. i take a deep breath, trying to steady myself. ,,they don't have to see what i see. you don't owe them anything."

,,but you deserve to be surrounded by people who see the real me." his voice cracks, and i can hear the frustration, the guilt that still clings to him, even after everything.

,,you are who you are now," i whisper, my thumb tracing the line of his jaw. ,,i see you, draco. the person who you are, not the person they think you are."

he swallows hard, his lips pressing together in a thin line as if he's trying to hold back whatever emotions threaten to spill over. ,,but what if they never see me like you do? what if i lose you because of my past?"

i reach up, cupping his face in my hands, forcing him to look at me. "you won't lose me, draco. no matter what happens with them. i choose you. all of you. not just the parts i like, but the parts you're still working on, the parts that are messy. we all have our challenges, but i'm not going anywhere."

i see a flash of relief in his eyes, but there's still a flicker of doubt there. he's still fighting something inside himself—something darker that no one else can see. i don't know how to fix it, but i know that being here for him, showing him every day that i'm not going to give up, is all i can do.

the silence stretches between us again, and this time, it's not so heavy. it's peaceful, even, with the soft rustling of the trees around us and the distant sounds of the castle in the background. i close my eyes for a moment, just letting myself breathe in the warmth of his presence.

when i open them, draco is looking at me, his expression softer now. he reaches up, brushing a strand of hair out of my face, and his touch sends a shiver down my spine. ,,you're so much more than i ever thought you'd be," he says quietly. ,,when i first met you, i didn't know what to think. you were always so strong, so beautiful, so smart, so... everything i wasn't. and now, i don't know how to feel about us."

i smile, a little bitterly, but it's more from the ache of everything we've been through together. ,,you've changed too, draco. in ways i didn't expect. i never thought i'd be standing here, in love with you. but i am. and maybe that's enough."