At the End

x

A/N: Hello guys! I know I'm super late, but Happy New Year!! I've been feeling so undermotivated to write but then I looked at my reads. Thank you so much for staying with me for soooo long(cuz I barely post) Whenever I decide to come back though, I have my exams next week. Anyways-

                                                                               *******

The music seemed to blur into the background as I took another sip of my drink, trying to enjoy the party despite the gnawing feeling in my chest. Caleb had been chatting with some of the other Ravenclaws, and I found myself wandering the room, half-listening to conversations around me. The drinks had been flowing freely, and the more I sipped, the more my head seemed to swim. It wasn't like I was drunk, not really, but I could definitely feel the warmth spreading through my limbs and the fuzziness in my thoughts.

I laughed at something a girl nearby said, even though I hadn't fully caught the joke. Caleb had mentioned something about enjoying the party, and I had tried to take his advice, but it was harder than I thought. Draco's words echoed in my mind, his cold, layered tone lingering like an aftertaste, leaving a strange knot in my stomach. Every time I thought I had let it go, his face—his eyes—would flicker back in my thoughts.

I found myself looking for him again, though I wasn't sure why. Maybe I wanted answers. Maybe I just wanted to see if he was still watching me. It was a feeling I couldn't quite shake, like a pull in my chest that refused to be ignored.

Then, my eyes landed on him.

Draco.

He was across the room, talking to a group of Slytherins, his posture still as perfect as ever. But when his eyes met mine, the connection between us felt like a physical thing—sharp, electric, almost painful. My heart skipped in my chest as I looked away quickly, heat rising to my face, but I couldn't stop myself from sneaking another glance.

And then he was moving, cutting through the crowd with a purpose, heading straight toward me.

I froze, my breath catching in my throat as he stopped in front of me, his usual mask of indifference in place. But there was something in his eyes—something unreadable—that made my pulse race.

"You've had enough, haven't you?" he said, his voice low and smooth, the words coming out almost like a command.

I blinked, struggling to process what he was saying. "What? I'm fine."

His gaze flickered down to my half-empty drink. I hadn't realized how much I'd been drinking. How much I'd let myself slip away from the present, away from the things I'd been trying to ignore. "You're not fine," he replied coolly. "You're drunk."

I wasn't drunk. I wasn't! I opened my mouth to protest, but it came out more like a sluggish mutter. "I'm... I'm not drunk."

His lips twisted into a half-smirk, but his eyes were unreadable. "Doesn't matter," he said, cutting me off. "You're coming with me."

Before I could react, he was already turning, grabbing my wrist with a grip that was firm, but not unkind. "Wait—what?" I stammered, trying to pull back. "I'm fine! I don't—"

"Shh," he interrupted, glancing over his shoulder to make sure no one was watching before pulling me through the crowd. "Trust me, this isn't up for discussion."

I stumbled slightly, my head still swimming, but Draco was persistent, guiding me out of the common room and down the hallway with a sense of urgency that made my heart race. I barely had time to process what was happening—what he was doing—before we were outside, the chill of the night air hitting me like a splash of cold water.

I stopped, finally regaining some clarity as I tugged on my arm. "Draco, what the hell?"

He didn't answer right away. Instead, he turned to face me, his expression a mix of frustration and something else I couldn't quite place—maybe concern? But before I could try to decipher it, he let out a sigh, his eyes softening just a fraction.

"I didn't want you to do something stupid," he said quietly, his voice more gentle than I'd ever heard it.

I blinked, taken aback by the sudden shift. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He sighed again, raking a hand through his platinum hair as if he didn't quite know how to explain himself. "You're not like this, Y/N. You don't... you don't need this. You don't need to escape, or whatever it is you're trying to do." His voice softened even more, his gaze locking onto mine in a way that made my chest tighten.

I swallowed, trying to gather my thoughts, but they were tangled, too hard to focus on. "I'm fine, Draco. Really. I just... I just needed a break. I don't need you to babysit me."

His eyes hardened again, the softness vanishing. "I'm not babysitting you," he snapped, his tone sharper now. "I'm looking out for you."

I opened my mouth to argue, but something in his voice made me pause. There was no sarcasm, no mocking, just a raw sincerity that cut through the haze of the alcohol. For a moment, I couldn't think of anything to say.

Draco shifted uncomfortably, his posture softening again, though he still didn't let go of my wrist. "Look," he muttered, "I'm not good at this... but I just don't want to see you make a mistake. Not because of some stupid party."

I felt a strange pang in my chest, something I couldn't explain. Part of me wanted to argue, to push him away, but another part of me just... wanted to be understood.

For a long moment, we stood in silence, the cool air settling around us. Finally, I spoke, my voice quieter than I intended. "I didn't think you cared."

Draco's eyes flickered with something like surprise, but he didn't respond right away. Instead, he slowly let go of my wrist, his hands hanging by his sides. "Maybe I do," he said after a beat, his voice barely above a whisper.

And just like that, everything shifted.

The weight of his words hung in the air, heavier than anything I could have imagined. The party, Caleb, the tension between us—it all seemed irrelevant in that moment. I wasn't sure where we were headed, but for the first time, I wasn't sure I wanted to fight it. 

                                                        

 - 

                                                                                           -Nora<3