the daughter of severus snape

Chapter 18: Dueling Club

"Hey. Daphne and I broke up," Dray says. My heart hurts for him. He deserves to be happy. A tiny bit of me is happy though. "You already screwed it up?" 

"What can I say? My heart's somewhere else..." I pat his shoulder, trying to comfort him.

"It's okay. You'll find someone else," I say. 

"I don't want to though, Bells. This girl has all my heart. I can't imagine a future without her."

"Sometimes things don't work out. That's what I thought I had with Percy. I was wrong," I say.

"Did you really?" I think about it. I thought that I would be with Percy forever. But now that I think about it, we're too different from each other. "Well. We could have made each other happy. I was happy until the end. But, we were so different. I loved him so much. I could have given him everything; I wanted to give him everything. But I don't know if I was in love with him."

"What about Potter?" He grumbles. But I know he's genuinally asking. 

"I don't know. I think I'd like to give him all my heart. I'd love a future with him. I can imagine it all, Dray. Me marrying Harry Potter. We have one girl and one boy. We live in a nice house. My Dad comes to see us every weekend. Me and you work together. You're the Godfather. I can imagine all of that with him."

"But do you want that?"

"I don't know, Dray. We're young. It doesn't really matter now. I like him a lot, though. I hope it'll work out." I lie a little. Dray's right. I don't want that life. What I had with Percy feels more real than what I have with Potter. But I'd like to fall in love with Potter. I put my head on Dray's shoulder. "Why can't things be as easy as it is between us?" I ask.

"It would if you'd let me marry you." I blush but don't say anything.

"I need to go," He says abruptly. Then he does that. He goes.

---- 

3 months later

It's now December. I'm in the Gryffindor Commons. I snuggle closer to Harry. "You're so warm," I say.

"You're so cold, babe. What's up with that?"

"Have you met my father?" We laugh. 

"He knows about us, right?" Harry asks. I fidget with my hands.

"He suspects..." Harry looks at me, the grin wiped off of his face.

"You didn't tell him? Bella. We've been together for 3 months."

"I know. He just doesn't really like you. No offense. I will never understand why, but it's true." Harry nods. "Stay with me." 

I frown. "What?"

"At Hogwarts, babe. You don't need to go to the Malfoys," He says. Not going to the Malfoys's manor just feels wrong. "I'll think about it, okay?" He nods. I go back to the Slytherin Commons. I see Dray. "Hey," I say, smiling. We haven't talked in a while, but we never stopped being friends.

"Hey Bells. Mum's wondering if you're coming," He says. I sigh.

"I dunno. Potter wants me to stay here," I admit. Dray looks frustrated.

"I thought we could hang out, but if you'd rather be with your boyfriend that's fine with me." I can't leave him alone for the entire break.

"You wanna stay too?" He shakes his head.

"Potter would not be the only reason why. It would be my first Christmas with my Dad. And.." I look around, "the nightmares are back." It's almost been an entire year since I got abducted. Dray holds his head in his hands. "I'm such a dick. Bella. I am so fucking sorry. I. I'll make it up to you. I should have thought about you. You know what? I'll stay too. I don't think I could handle my parents right now."