Love used to be just a word | Draco Malfoy

- SEVENTEEN -

His eyes were scanning my face, obviously trying to detect whether I was lying or not. Draco took a deep breath before he reached his right hand out to my face, wiping a tear away with his thumb. I just stood there awkwardly, not entirely sure what to say after my last words. For the first time in a while I wasn't able to read the expression on his face.

Malfoy took a few steps towards the castle before stopping again, turning his head to look at me. "Are you just going to stand there, or are you coming?" he tried to sound tough, but I could hear the softness in his voice. This was Malfoy's acceptance of an apology. "Yeah, almost curfew," I agreed as I smiled at him.

The walk was mostly quiet, although I didn't mind it as much as before. The thing he asked me right before we went back inside surprised me, though. "Why would you lie for someone who left you behind?" He looked genuinely confused, not even entirely sure if it was okay to ask that question. "It's complicated," I answered thoughtfully. Although Malfoy seemed to accept my half-answer to his question, I still felt the need to explain further. "I just didn't want him to fuck up something that could be a good thing eventually."

I left Ginny's name out of any of my answers. A part of me still didn't trust Malfoy enough to tell him anything. It wouldn't be safe for anyone to know she was his girlfriend anyway and this was something I would definitely never tell anyone. "So you let it fuck you up instead?" he didn't sound belittling or disgusted, more like he was impressed. "He's my best friend," I said with a small smile as I averted my gaze to the ground.

"I'm really sorry you got caught in the crossfire," I muttered as I looked up to stare in the eyes of the young man in front of me. "For some unbeknownst reason I don't seem to mind," Malfoy admitted a little puzzled as he studied my face for a few long seconds. I wasn't sure how to react to his comment and - with what seemed like a smile - he walked inside the castle leaving me behind.

xxxxx

12th of October, 1997

Ink spread across the parchment as my feather moved smoothly from one side to another. In the far back corner of the library I was sitting on one of the larger windowsills, working quietly on an the paper for Charms we needed to turn in at the end of the week.

"Color me impressed, you're actually good at something." I jumped slightly at the sound of a voice behind me, spilling the small bottle of ink everywhere. Cursing underneath my breath I was reaching for my wand until the voice spoke again "Tergeo," the ink siphoned back into its bottle and I finally turned around.

Malfoy was leaning with his shoulder against the wall, a smirk spreading across his face while he stared down on me. "You scared the shit out of me," I said accusatory, the smirk on his face only getting more prominent. "I was under the impression Gryffindors didn't get scared, with your bravery and all." Malfoy moved and with one swift step he took a seat on the opposite side, facing me. He tucked in his right leg and positioned his foot on the windowsill while leaning back against the wall. He seemed oddly at ease around me after what happened and for some reason I found that comforting.

"Everyone gets scared sometimes, it's a natural instinct to dangers around you to keep you alive," I huffed a little annoyed, turning my attention back to the Charms paper. "So I'm a danger to you, huh?" "If you keep scaring me like that, yes. My heart might give out, you know?" I smiled in return as I looked at him for a split second from underneath my eyelashes.

"I'd rather have your heart give out due to something else," his voice darkened slightly as his leg brushed against mine, the smirk back on his face. "Sod off," I laughed while rolling my eyes at him, trying to ignore the fluttering feeling in my stomach.

"Both of you out - now!" Madam Pince, the librarian, stared at us with pure anger on her face. We'd been too loud, especially for the library, and Pince really hated anything and everything except for her precious books. Look at one the wrong way and she'd ban you from entering the library for a week. "We'll be qui-" "Out!" she interrupted me.

With force, I slammed my Charms book shut on purpose and a gasp left her lips as if she was offended. "How dare-" "I'd tread carefully if I were you. Fooling around in the dungeons after midnight wasn't the wisest choice," Malfoy remarked as he stood up, looking down at her. Other students were looking at the scene with curiosity while Madam Pince turned bright red in the face. She moved her arms around, mumbling flustered words I couldn't understand. I giggled, grabbing the rest of my stuff. "Let's go."

"Did you really see her fooling around with someone?" I asked curiously as we made our way out of the library onto a corridor on the first floor. A small laugh escaped his lips before he answered. "That's a nightmare I'd rather not relive, but yeah, with Filch." His face turned into one of disgust "Gross," I agreed with the same disgusted expression. There were rumours of Pince and Filch going around the school for quite a while now, but I never expected those two to actually get together. Let alone fool around on school grounds, which was against the rules, and they both loved enforcing rules upon every student they encountered.

Seems like rules get broken by everyone every once in a while.

"Sucks that I'm not able to work further in the library though, I really need to finish this assignment," I sighed, pulling the Charms book closer to my chest. "That happened because you're too loud," he said, rubbing his left ear, which was coincidently the side I was walking on. "You're the one that interrupted me while I was busy!" "See? Loud," he retorted with a smirk. "Ugh, you're impossible," a smile found it's way onto my face. Bantering with Malfoy as usual made me feel alive again after a few miserable days and I noticed how much I had missed it. Missed him. I clenched my jaw as I pushed the last thought back down my brain. Malfoy looked at me with an expression I couldn't read before speaking.

"We're getting lunch in Hogsmeade. That way you have somewhere to work, and my ears will get a break since the food will keep your mouth shut."