HARRY POTTER IMAGINES

Heart of Gold: Draco Malfoy X Reader

Silence coated the air between you and Draco as he walked you to your first class, Care of Magical Creatures. The cold January air nipped at your cheeks, but the blonde boy next to you didn't offer you any sort of protection. You could remember a time when at the first sign of winter, Draco would've insisted his cloak upon you, adding his green and silver scarf atop the red and gold one you already donned. Now, however, there wasn't even so much as an arm around your shoulders. It was almost as if he wasn't there at all. 

You reached for his left hand, which was almost hidden by the long black sleeves of his robe, but just as your fingers touched his, his arm flinched away. He glanced at you nervously before his eyes darted back to the ground, and you knew it wasn't a mistake as he didn't reach for you in return. A dull pain ached in your heart as you realized that there was no point in prolonging the inevitable.

"Draco," you began, the boy turning towards you again with those pale blue eyes which had once been filled with such love and liveliness. You looked at them now and saw nothing but a sea, void of any visible feeling. "I think we should break up."

"What?" he asked, obvious shock crossing his features at the sudden proposition. 

"I don't know why you look so surprised." You willed yourself to not roll your eyes- he had to have known this was coming. "Draco, you wont even hold my hand anymore. We never talk like we used to- in fact, you haven't said more than five words to me all morning. You've grown so distant sometimes I feel like we're not even together anymore as it is." 

"(Y/N)..." Draco sighed, seemingly battling an internal conflict with himself. "Please, don't do this."

"I'm sorry, Draco," you said, looking away from the hurting boy, not wanting him to see the dampness in your eyes. You glanced down to Hagrid's hut, seeing most of the students already congregated in the surrounding yard. "I really better be getting to class." 

You turned, walking a few paces until the boy called after you again. "At least let me explain, (Y/N)."

"Draco, really-" Your voice was hoarse, the lump in your throat affecting your words. 

"Please," he begged. Looking into his eyes you knew you couldn't refuse- the major part of you didn't want this to be happening, and your optimistic side hoped endlessly that the boy had a valid reason for being so cold to you. 

"Alright," you agreed.

"Not here, though."

Regardless of the fact that you knew you'd be missing a lesson, you followed Draco into the school, away from the fierce cold of the outdoors and into the familiar warmth of Hogwarts. Eventually, he led you to the Room of Requirement, wanting to make sure that no one would see or hear his confession to you. It was already dangerous enough as it was. 

"Care to explain now?" you asked, looking around the plain, empty room. Draco had asked for nothing more than a room where he could tell his secret. 

"I'm sorry for being so distant, (Y/N). I didn't want you to get hurt and I didn't want you to find out."

"Find out what, Draco?" You were worried now that you had asked for information you were better off not knowing. Had he been seeing someone else? Did he finally decide that dating a Gryffindor was too shameful? Hundreds of unpleasant scenarios crowded in your mind. 

Silence stretched between you once again, an uncomfortable sensation that you had grown all too familiar with. He bit his lip as you waited for him to say something- anything. 

The muteness wasn't broken, however, because all that Draco could think to do was show you. He lifted his left sleeve, and you felt the blood in your body run cold at the sight of the dark mark, a stark black outline against his pale forearm. The tainted skin stared at you and your stomach churned as you realized that anything would have been better than this.

Draco saw the look of terror on your face and knew it had been a mistake to show you his commitment to the Dark Lord. "(Y/N)-"

"How could you?" you asked, voice shaking, body filled with a numbing rush of adrenaline from the fear- how could Draco have taken the dark mark? How could the boy you loved have done something so awful?

"I didn't have a choice-"

"I'm sorry Draco, I can't be with you anymore."

The next moments were a blur as you quickly exited the Room of Requirement, heading up the the Gryffindor common room as fast as your legs would take you, wanting to put as much distance as possible between yourself and the boy before you broke down. Draco didn't run after you, knowing it was useless. He had lost you. 

____________________________________________________

Draco had finally gained enough courage to talk to you again three days later. You were sitting at the edge of the Great Lake by yourself, regardless of the cold weather- you had bundled up, needing to get fresh air and clear your thoughts somewhere you could be alone. 

You should've known the blonde boy would be out as well, doing just the same thing. And when he asked to take a walk with you, you decided to accept, knowing that you should've given him a chance to explain the other day. Now that your emotions had settled, you were ready to listen.

It was you who spoke first as you two began to walk the perimeter of the lake. 

"Why did you take it?"

Draco sighed, a slight cloud appearing in front of him. "I thought it was what I wanted. I knew it was what my father wanted. I don't know...I guess at the beginning of all of this, nothing could've made me happier than getting the dark mark. And now that I have it all I'm realizing is that it makes me miserable."

"How so?" you asked, looking up at the solemn face of the boy you thought you had known so well. 

"I don't want to be a part of this anymore. And it's only now, after bonding myself to the cause with his mark that I realize it. I just don't know what to do. I thought this would please my father-" his voice cracked and you realized that he was on the verge of tears. "I'm so scared. It's like nothing I do is right for him, I just thought this could change that."

"Draco, you should do things to make yourself happy, not your father. It's your life- you don't need to follow in his footsteps, no matter how much he makes you feel like you should."

"It's too late now," he said, sadness coating his voice. 

"Draco-"

"Take me back."

"What?"

"Please, (Y/N), I can't do this without you. You're all I've got at this point. The only thing that's worth living for."

"Draco, I can't do that," you said gently. 

He frowned, even though he knew inside that you would say no. Even so, the small glimmer of hope he did have was crushed, and it hurt him that his prediction held true. 

"Look," you began, stopping next to him and taking his hands in your own. "Draco, you are one of the sweetest people I know. In all the time that we were together you made me happier than I've ever been- being with you was amazing. And despite what everyone thinks of you, I know that you're a kind and gentle person- a person who will do the right thing. You've got a heart of gold, Draco, it just seems to be trapped in a bad place."

He nodded, taking in your words with gratefulness. His chest warmed at your compliments and he knew you were right- he wasn't a bad person, he had just made poor decisions. 

"After the war, if we're both still alive, maybe we can see what happens." You shrugged. "Who knows?"

"I won't let you die, (Y/N)," Draco promised. "If there's one thing I know, it's that I won't let that happen."

You smiled, his assurances only proving your earlier statement. You knew, deep down, that Draco was good.