friends with benefits - draco malfoy

chapter fifty

'you're going to be late' lucius said curtly, standing at the doorway to the manor. i glanced across the room, seeing mine and draco's glasses still standing on the table, like ghostly remnants of the most terrifyingly beautiful summer of my life. draco pulled his suitcase down the front steps, running back up them to get mine off me. 'i can carry my own suitcase draco' i laughed, earning a grin from him. 'i wouldn't be much of a gentlemen then, would i?' he took the suitcase from me, bounding back down the stairs to load it in the car.

'remember what i said' i whispered to draco as we neared the station 'let me talk to harry and the others first'. he nodded, jumping out of the car as soon as it pulled up outside the station to pass me my case. 'i'll see you at hogwarts, okay?' i looked around to check nobody was nearby, before reaching up and kissing his cheek. he smiled at me and i turned quickly, rushing off towards the platform. i got to the train early, but ron was already there. i saw him as soon as i boarded and i smiled, grateful that he'd managed to get us our own carriage. 'hey' i grinned, sitting down on the chair opposite him. 'hey y/n' he laughed excitedly 'i've been so worried about you. we all have. none of us seen or heard from you since umbridge discovered the DA meetings, we thought she must have knew you were there and done something to you'. i gasped, clapping my hand across my mouth 'i'm so sorry, i didn't think-' i was cut off by hermione flying in the carriage and pouncing on me, wrapping her arms around me. 'you're okay!' she yelled, smothering me.
'whell yheah bhut ih chant rheally brheathe' i choked out, her jumper smothering me. 'oops, sorry' she pulled back sheepishly. 'i wrote to you and you never wrote back' she said, sitting uncomfortably close on the seat next to ron and then sliding away awkwardly. 'did you send address the letters specifically to me?' i asked 'or my house?'.
'your house, why?'.
'oh, that's why. i kind of stayed somewhere else for the summer, i'll tell you when harry gets here'. as if on cue, harry burst into the carriage. 'ron, mione, you will not believe what i have to tell you'.
'y/n has something to tell us too' ron laughed 'you're all full of news'.
'y/n' harry gasped, noticing me and quickly hugging me, 'youre okay. what is it you wanted to tell us'. all three of them looked at me expectantly and i cleated my throat. 'well um, the reason i didn't get your letters is because i wasn't staying at home. i was staying somewhere else' i paused 'malfoy manor. i'm kind of dating draco malfoy'.
'what?' the three of them yelled in unison.
'so that's why he helped you when umbridge uncovered the DA' ron shook his head, 'unbelievable'.
'more unbelievable that she didn't tell us' laughed hermione 'this is huge'. i smiled back at her, turning to harry. 'so harry, what did you have to tell us?'. he went red, stumbling over his words 'erm- er- just how excited i am that i'm back with you all'. i bit my lip, pausing for a moment. that was definitely not what he was originally going to say. i took the hint, smiling at them all. 'well, i should probably go find draco, i'll see you all when we get to school'. they nodded at me, and ron jumped up to help me to get my bag out of the carriage door.

i walked down the corridor, eventually spotting draco in a carriage with blaise, crabbe, goyle and pansy. every one of them seemed to be chatting to him excitably, and he stared out the window looking as bored as i'd seen him all summer. i grinned, letting myself in the carriage and pushing my way on to the seat next to him, forcing goyle to squish down. 'hey' protested pansy 'how come she gets to sit next to you dracy'. she frowned as draco instinctively wrapped his arm around me, her mind clearly whirring until suddenly it clicked. 'you bitch' she spat 'you told me you weren't after draco'. on the end blaise stood up and slammed out of the carriage, scoffing and shaking his head. 'he's got the right idea' pansy said triumphantly 'nobody wants to be here now you are y/n'. she glared at me, standing up and storming out after blaise, the door slamming for a second time. 'you two might as well go too' draco sighed at crabbe and goyle 'there's no point them hating all of us'. they hesitated, clearly unsure. 'didn't you hear me? i said go' draco demanded and they jumped, standing up and following pansy down the trains corridor. 'i think my friends took it better than yours did' i whispered, kissing his neck gently. 'they're not my friends' he shook his head 'and even if they were, i would have lost them this year anyway. the more people i'm around, the more people there is in danger. you might as well join them'.
'stop it' i snapped, grabbing his chin and forcing him to look at me. 'how many times do i have to tell you this? i'm not going anywhere. now shut up and get some sleep until we get to school, so i can get some sleep too. that ball went on way too late last night for how early we had to get up'. i rested my head against his, feeling the gentle vibrations of the train gently enticing me into sleep.

-

we walked into the great hall and i felt draco squeeze my hand slightly tighter. i smiled up at him reassuringly. 'are you gonna sit with slytherin?' i asked, 'do you mind if i sit with my friends on gryffindor?'
'no i don't mind' he replied 'but i have something to say to ron first'. he hesitated for a second, before walking purposefully over to the gryffindor table. 'to ron?' i said puzzled, unsure as to what draco could be mad at ron for 'what draco, don't start a fight' i called, running after him and catching him just as he reached the table. he cleared his throat, causing the trio to look up at him. i kept my hand on his arm, ready to drag him away if i needed to. 'i just wanted to say' draco said 'thank you for helping y/n out when i got the DA uncovered, i should never have done that. i owe you one mate'
'you're welcome' ron smiled '...mate'. draco let out a small sigh, as though he was relieved they'd not bludgeoned him to death with the candle holder on the table. he nodded at them, turning and walking back over to slytherin, squeezing my arm as he left. i sat down opposite the trio, starting to load my plate with food. 'bloody hell, are you sure that's malfoy you're dating?' hermione laughed
'definitely a clone' ron replied knowingly, looking over at draco. he was sat sullenly on the end of slytherin's table, his chin rested in his hand, looking utterly miserable. 'still think he's a d-' ron started, before harry hastily kicked him in the leg. 'think he's a what?' i asked curiously, looking at harry for an answer. 'a dick' hermione said, surprising me. she almost never swore. 'harry thought malfoy- draco - was a dick'.
'he was' i laughed. i turned, looking at him again worriedly. 'i should probably go sit with him' i sighed, looking at them regretfully 'sorry guys'.
'don't be, go sit with your boyfriend' mione grinned 'we can catch up later'. she glanced at ron almost wistfully, while he munched on a chicken wing obliviously. 'see you guys' i smiled, crossing the hall to sit next to draco.

'what's with the long face' i demanded, sitting down next to him and threading my hand through his. 'i need to go work on the cabinet' he sighed, immediately attempting to stand up. 'oh no you don't' i protested, yanking him back down 'we just got here, it can wait until tomorrow. what's wrong, talk to me'. he looked at me, frowning. 'you shouldn't be with me' he whispered, looking back over at the gryffindor table 'you should be with someone like ron, or harry. they keep you safe, all the time'.
'draco, you keep me safe all the time' i sighed 'how many times do we have to have this conversation? i don't feel as safe with anyone as i do with you. i'm not going anywhere, so stop brooding and just enjoy the time we have together'. he smiled at me, but i could tell his heart wasn't in it. it was like i'd left the old draco behind at the car, and ran towards an empty soulless body. it was like the draco from the summer, that had laughed and smiled and lived was gone.