Love used to be just a word | Draco Malfoy

- SIXTEEN -

11th of October, 1997

It was Saturday and I'd been gone from Hogwarts all day, just roaming around the ground with Ignis. He enjoyed being outside and was currently jumping around trying to catch bugs I couldn't see. Once he even marched up to me, showing the spider he'd caught with pride. I smiled as I imagined Ron standing next to me, freaking out over the spider while Harry and Hermione laughed at him.

But they weren't really there.

xxxxx

Later that day I eventually moved up to Hogsmeade for an enormous pint of Butterbeer. I was sitting in the far-left corner on my own, gazing at the different people entering and leaving the Three Broomsticks. Some looked happier than others. It dawned on me that Madam Rosmerta had a hard time to get around as well. It wasn't as crowded in the pub as it used to be, especially for a Saturday. People were becoming too afraid.

About half past eight in the evening the door opened again and apparently, I'd missed dinner. That was fine, I hadn't been hungry anyway. My heart dropped as I noticed the young man I'd been avoiding for the past few days walking in and I felt myself shrink in my chair. Malfoy's hair was even messier than before – his eyes empty – it was obvious he was exhausted.

He mumbled something at the bar and before I blinked, he had a pint of Butterbeer as big as mine. The only difference was that he downed it within a minute and ordered a second. Rosmerta didn't seem to mind, customers were scarce and he was paying well. After the second one he gulped down, he ordered a third one and finally moved towards a table to sit down.

Draco was sitting only two tables away, too deep in thought to notice me. My hands were shaking, that's how nervous I felt with him in the same room. An invisibility cloak would come in handy now. "Would you like another one?" I almost jumped out of my chair when I heard a voice beside me. Madam Rosmerta smiled her genuine smile at me and I nodded quickly – hoping he hadn't noticed me.

I was wrong.

As I stole a glance his way, I caught Malfoy staring at me. We just kept on staring at each other, until I broke eye-contact as Madam Rosmerta gave me the new Butterbeer. His eyes never averted from my face, I could still feel them burning on the side of my face. The alcohol wasn't helping with my clouded thoughts. I wanted to talk to Draco, but I couldn't get my body to stand up after what had happened.

"I don't fucking care, Blackwood. We both used each other, that's the end of it."

His voice echoed at the back of my head and I finally looked back at him again. The Gryffindor inside me gave me the bravery to stand up but just as I was about to walk over to him, the little bell rang, and the door opened. In walked Pansy, all dolled up and looking cute. I could've known. My eyes found his one last time while Pansy was looking around in search for Malfoy.

My cocky, arrogant self would've sat down either way, but that girl was nowhere to be found today. I fucked up – I deal with the consequences. "There you are!" her voice squealed as she practically ran over to him. Lucky for me, the Parkinson girl hadn't seen me, and that was my cue to leave.

I opened the door, only to walk into a hard chest. Bloody hell, when can I just stop running into people? "Blackwood," Zabini sounded amused as he stared down at me. "Zabini," I answered his greeting, feeling a little off. The door fell shut behind me and I wanted to walk off, but Zabini held my gaze.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Back to Hogwarts," I replied as I moved away from him in an attempt to leave. Blaise grabbed my arm and pulled me back. I yanked my arm away from him and glared, but Zabini seemed unimpressed. "Why don't you join us?" he asked – he seemed oddly calm and collected this time. Quite the change from the last time I ran into him.