Y/N x Draco Malfoy (Enemies to Lovers)

Pain

Draco's POV

The echo of my father's heavy footsteps filled the grand halls of Malfoy Manor, each one louder than the last. I stood in the center of his study, my back straight and my face carefully blank, though my heart raced. I knew what was coming.

"What in Merlin's name were you thinking?" Father's voice thundered through the room, his cane slamming against the polished floor. His cold eyes bored into me, and I swallowed hard, keeping my expression neutral.

"I don't know what you mean," I said, my voice calm despite the storm brewing in my chest.

Lucius scoffed, his lip curling in disgust. "Don't play dumb with me, Draco. Running off during the chaos, ignoring your responsibilities. And for what? That girl?"

I stiffened at the mention of Y/N. My silence only fueled his rage.

"You're a disgrace," he spat, his words venomous. "Chasing after a half-blood while the Dark Mark hangs in the sky. Do you have any idea what people will say about this? About us?"

"She has nothing to do with this," I said quietly, my fists clenching at my sides.

"Everything about this has to do with her!" he roared, his cane swinging before I could react. The blow landed on my ribs, sharp and stinging, and I sucked in a breath but refused to cry out.

"You are a Malfoy," he hissed, his voice low and dangerous. "And you will act like one. You will end this foolish infatuation with that girl. She is beneath you—beneath us."

I didn't respond. What could I say that wouldn't make things worse? I braced myself as the cane came down again, striking across my back this time. The pain burned, but I bit my lip, forcing myself to stay silent.

"You will cut ties with her," he continued, his tone icy now. "Or you will face consequences worse than this." He turned sharply on his heel, his cane clicking against the floor as he walked toward the door. "You're lucky I don't disown you entirely. Fix this, Draco, or I will."

The door slammed shut behind him, and I was left alone, the room heavy with silence. My chest heaved as I let out a shaky breath, my body aching from the blows. I sank to the floor, curling up in the corner of the room where the shadows hid me from the grandeur of the manor.

The pain in my ribs and back was nothing compared to the ache in my heart. My father's words rang in my ears, each one cutting deeper than the strikes of his cane.

How could he expect me to let her go?

I thought of Y/N, her laugh, her smile, the way she looked at me like I was more than just a Malfoy. Like I was just Draco, someone she cared for, someone she believed in.

I rested my forehead against my knees, my fingers gripping my arms tightly. I hated this place, hated the expectations, the suffocating pressure to be something I wasn't.

I closed my eyes, and her face came to me so clearly it almost hurt. Her eyes, filled with worry and love. Her voice, calling my name.

"Please be alright," I whispered to the empty room. "Wherever you are."

I didn't know where she was or what she was doing, but I hoped she was safe. I hoped she wasn't thinking about the chaos or the Dark Mark or the riot.

And selfishly, I hoped she was thinking about me.