tell me you love me (cedric and draco)

one

I can see the thestrals now.

I run through the wall with my cart, late, my body shivering as I do so. I quickly move out of the way for my mother, who comes through the wall, seconds after I do. She offers me a small smile and starts walking fast, very intent that I am not late. Though I usually am late. It's not my fault, really. I just get distracted a lot, much to my mother's dismay.

My mother is a quiet woman, though very fierce, married to my father, a very loud man, also very fierce. Sometimes, I don't know how they even got married, considering they're literally polar opposites. But they really love each other, they really do.

My parents met at Hogwarts, both Ravenclaws. My mother came from a pureblood family while my father came from a muggle one. It's easy to say that we don't associate with my mother's side in any way anymore.

I myself was sorted into Gryffindor, which came as a slight shock to my parents. Though, I will be honest- there's no way I'm smart enough for Ravenclaw. All those riddles to get into their common room? No thank you. I can barely remember the passwords to the Gryffindor common room that only change every few months.

I come back into focus from my thinking after running my cart into my mother's back, causing her to take more steps so she didn't fall. "Sorry," I say sheepishly, heat creeping into my cheeks from embarrassment.

"Never mind that," she says, brushing off the back of her pants, slightly irritated. She's told me countless times to stop daydreaming, though I wouldn't exactly call this daydreaming. More like thinking.

"-else you will be late, my dear."

I don't ask her to repeat herself so I could hear what she fully said, knowing that a lecture was bound to come with it. Instead, I simply follow her lead, picking up my pace as we rush down the platform. I assume she said something about hurrying, since we were practically running and probably looked very entertainingly funny to bystanders.

I step onto the train carrying Peck, my owl with me. I look at my mum, seeing her looking at me proudly, sending me off to another year at Hogwarts. "I love you times two," I tell her.

"I love you times two," she repeats, waving goodbye as the train starts to move, slowly at first, then gaining definite speed. The last look I get of her is of her beaming at me, maybe even wiping a tear away from the corner of her eye. I roll my eyes good naturedly, knowing she was dramatic. But, when she is standing in a crowd of other parents, I can always make her out, even in a swarm of other adults, all waving tearful goodbyes to their own children. It's something about her energy, I believe Luna would call it. It makes her glow.

I shoulder past the few kids that are standing in the hallway. One kid in particular wouldn't move. This didn't surprise me, as anyone would recognize his ridiculous hair and fancy attire, always standing like he deserves respect. Yet, he'll never earn mine.

"Malfoy," I sigh.

He turns around and smirks at me, slowly raking his eyes up and down my body, giving out a low whistle. "Have something to say to me there, Miller?"

I smile sweetly at him and say, "get the hell out of my way, Malfoy."

"Or what?" he smirks, cocking one of his eyebrows.

I push past him anyways, making sure to kick his shin on my way around him. "Oops. My apologies, Draco," I say with mock sincerity, smirking.

I hear him only whisper "Bloody hell," before I continue down the hallway, looking into each cabin I see until I reach the one I am looking for, and smile. I slowly open the door and all the faces inside turned to me.