This Town ⇢ Draco Malfoy

NINE

N I N E

Draco walked to class, Zinnia at his side. Their hands were intertwined, people whispering around them as they walked. No one expected such a modest display of affection from the Malfoy, but then again, no one expected it to be with the girl that everyone was scared of due to her looks.

"Good morning!" Luna Lovegood chimed, oblivious to all the shocked students around her. No one was staring completely, but they all looked and thought, if not whispering to their peers.

"Good morning, Luna!" Zinnia replied, smiling at the kind, blonde girl. Luna was one of the few that was ever kind to Draco, even if he had to rudely talk to her. She was one of the few that could see the true side of anyone, whether that be her weird seemingly psychic powers, or purely her ability to assume optimism. Either way, it was welcome.

"Will Draco be joining us later to study?" She asked, turning on her heels to face Zinnia. Zinnia nodded, squeezing Draco's hands to hint him to not sneer. Nodding, Luna grinned even wider and turned around. "See you later!"

"Why are you making me do this?" Draco whispered, leaning closer to Zinnia so the people around couldn't hear. She laughed, loosening grip on his hand slightly. He couldn't help feeling as though this was wrong, all wrong. Malfoy's don't act this way, they act rough and stature, not like a lovesick school boy holding hands with a girl.

"Because you need help getting out of your shell and Luna is someone you can do that with. She's one of the few that's genuinely nice to me, we've become good friends." Zinnia answered, pulling him out of the crowd into a gap in the wall, right beside a window.

"Lovegood knows me well, we have talked before. I know what you mean, but I don't want to sit in the library being rude as I can be to her. Even if she knows I'm lying, I can't come out of my-" He looks around as if his father was watching. "Shell with others around."

Zinnia kissed him briefly, her lips sending life to his body. He could fully feel his lips when she kissed him, he could feel her hand in his where is should be numb. She brought sparks with her touch, bringing life and feeling back to his life.

"You win this round." Draco smirked, knowing he just agreed to go with to help Luna. When she kissed him it was like he was being drugged, drunk off of his emotions chemicals. Zinnia knew this, using kisses these past few days since their first to get her way with small things.

"Draco, one thing you need to know about women, we always win."

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Draco tapped his fingers anxiously, Zinnia's arm wrapped around his waist under his robe. No one could really see it that way, causing no teachers to force them apart. Truth be told, Draco was nervous to see Luna. She had been so kind to him and possibly having to fake being rude to her broke what heart he had.

"Stop being so nervous, it's Luna after all." Zinnia remarked, kissing his cheek lightly. Draco blushed a light, red color, his eyes shining just a little brighter.

"Hello Zinnia, hello Draco." Luna stated, sitting down across from them at a table in the library. It was later, but not before curfew. Most students were in their common rooms, but some lingered around the books. Occasionally, a teacher would stride past, raising an eye at Draco. Most were surprised by his sudden unannounced proclamation of love.

"Hello Luna, how was your day?" Zinnia asked, taking out her own quill and parchment. Draco's job was finding books for research, their topic was magical creatures. Since he had most likely spent the most time around the books, given his grades and all, he was the likely candidate.

His thoughts began to spiral out of control, his stomach tightening the more his mind raced. Nausea was beginning to consume his body, his already pale complexion becoming even whiter. "Malfoy, what the hell are you doing?" A voice asked, the tone angry and teasing.

"What?" Draco asked, really wishing he had left when he began to feel sick. Glancing upwards, he was met by the face of Blaise.

"What are you doing with these two, people?" He asked, sounding completely disgusted. Draco swallowed anxiously, willing himself not to get sick.

"Helping. I know, big shock for you Zabini, someone helping another. If you knew what's good for you, you'd walk away." Draco threatened, speeding through his words. Blaise chuckled, rolling his eyes at his roommate.

"The word's out you're dating the beast. How's she in the sack?" Blaise laughed, reaching out to touch Zinnia. Draco grabbed his arm, squeezing his hand around his wrist.

"Don't you even dare or my-" Draco began to sneer, stopping in his tracks. Blaise grinned, pulling his arm away.

"Your father will hear about this? Your father talked to me, he wishes you didn't live. But he wants an heir, so you'll do. His words, not mine. Anytime I was nice to you, I was wrong. You're nothing but a fake, heartbreaking, heartless son of a b-!"

"BLAISE ZABINI! SAY THAT WORD AND HAVE DETENTION!" The librarian yelled, silencing anyone that was present this late. Blaise turned dark red, lowering his voice to no more than a whisper.

"You deserve nothing. Enjoy the beast." He winked, purposefully pushing Draco aside to walk past. He stormed out, leaving Draco distraught.

Silence swallowed the three at the table, Luna slowly writing her part of the assignment. "I don't think you're a beast, Zinnia." She stated, smiling at the Slytherin girl.

"I'm not a beast, I know that. It hurts to hear but I've heard it so much it means nothing to me. Draco, are you alright?" She replied, turning to face her knew boyfriend. Sweat covered his body, his breath increasing.

"I need to-" Draco began to say, darting from the room. He ran to a bathroom, throwing up. Pain swelled in his body, mental and physical. Footsteps pounded down the hallway, most likely belonging to Zinnia. Or maybe Blaise had come to finish him off. Either way, he knew that his life had only just begun to fall downhill. Everything up to this point had merely been a warm up.