Chemistry ; draco malfoy

t h i r t y

the days leading up to the weekend draco barely lets me out of his sight.

we're standing off to the side in care of magical creatures, seemingly in our own little bubble. his hand brushes against mine, just light enough for me to feel it, yet not bold enough for anyone else to notice.

draco cares for me, i know that much. for him, our 'relationship' is private, it's not anyone else's business. i appreciate it, even if it means that he's overprotective of me.

he wraps his arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him when he realizes who's beside me. flint. he pushes me along until i'm on the other side of him. his hand hovers on my hip as he stares down marcus, dracos signature sneer plasters itself on his face. i smile softly at the action, knowing that he'd do whatever he needed to in order to protect me.

i try to focus on the lesson. hagrid went out of his way to show us a baby abraxan today, they're one of my favourite animals. yet no matter what, i can't seem to focus. my mind keeps wandering off into places i can't control.

it's friday, meaning that dracos going back to the manor tonight.

ever since i ripped the hat off of dracos head we haven't talked about the future. i think he's scared, truly. he knows that bellatrix will use legilimency on him, exposing the nature of our relationship. i curl my toes inside my shoes in an attempt to ground myself. i can't let myself think about the unknown. the future is prewritten, i can't change it. slowly, i exhale, letting everything out. i can't let draco know that i'm scared. i can't be scared.

hagrid dismisses us with a booming goodbye, wishing us all a safe and happy weekend. if only he knew what was going on behind closed doors.

draco and i take our time walking back to the castle. we walk along the lake, draco kicks the occasional pebble.

"the manor may request your presence." he breaks the silence, peering at me out of the corner of his eye.

"okay." i nod my head, wanting him to know that i'm confident in my plan. "don't worry about it." i lean up on my toes to place a kiss to his pale cheeks. they're cold, like always.

the snows almost gone on the school grounds, there are puddles that linger between our feet. draco nods his head, although it seems that he's trying to convince himself more than hes trying to convince me.

"come on," i say, reaching my hand out to interlock our pinkies. the corner of his mouth quirks up into a smile as we make our way back to the castle.

i walk with him to his dorm, wanting to wish him goodbye when he leaves. we pass theo on our way up the stairs. his eyebrows shoot up to his hairline as he sees us walk hand-in-hand to the dorm, he shoots us a wink before continuing on his way. draco rolls his eyes and lets out a small laugh.

it hits me suddenly; i miss seeing him laugh. i miss when he was carefree.

i shake my head to clear myself of my thoughts. dracos door opens with a 'click' , he pushes the door open and motions for me to go inside.

"oh no, lady's first," i say, gesturing for him to go in. his eyes light up as he smiles. fuck he's gorgeous.

"fuck off," he chuckles as he talks, not meaning his harsh words. i smile up at him as i walk into the room. he shuts the door behind him and makes his way to his trunk.

"i don't really need anything from here," he admits, looking out the window into the lake. i come to stand by his side. his arms loop around my waist, pulling me flush against his chest. he lowers his head down, resting his chin on my shoulders.

"your chins pointy," i mumble, turning my head so that i can see him. he rolls his eyes at me and places a kiss to my temple.

"whatever happens this weekend, know that i feel the same way about you." i scrunch my face up in confusion.

"nothing bad will happen, draco," i try to console him, but i don't know if i believe the words i'm saying. he brings his bottom lip into his mouth to toy with it distractingly. seemingly zoned out he nods his head.

"i've got to go." he lowers his head down to press a kiss to the junction where my neck meets my shoulders. his arms unravel themselves from me as i nod, knowing that he's right. he can't leave her waiting.

"i'll walk you," i walk over to his dresser as if i own the place, grabbing out a black jumper from his drawers. his eyebrows are pinched, yet amusement is clear in his eyes. i shrug it on over my shirt, loving the way that it surrounds me.

we can't dawdle on our way to the floo, he's already later than he should be.

outside of dumbledore's office he brings his hand up to cup my chin. his thumb strokes my cheek gently, assuring me that everything will be alright.

without another word, he turns and opens the door, leaving me behind.

it's barely been twenty-four hours since draco left, and dumbledore's already calling me down to his office.

"i wouldn't summon you if it wasn't urgent, the malfoy's floo is rarely active, and they've requested your presence," his voice is deep and slightly scratchy from use. i bite my lip, unsure of what i'm going to be facing when i reach the manor.

"i'm sure it'll be okay, headmaster," i say as i make my way toward the floo. i scoop up the powder with my hand, i hear as some falls to the ground, leaving a dusty appearance.

"i'm sure it will be too, ms, tugwood-zabini." his smile is gentle, but it doesn't quite reach his eyes.

"malfoy manor," my voice shakes slightly as i drop the powder and am engulfed in green flames. 

once the smoke clears the flashbacks come flooding back. i haven't been here since the new years party. while everything looks the same, i can feel the dark magic seeping off of the walls. i struggle to catch my breath as my eyes meet hers. she's sitting over in the love seat, a sick smile dawning her face. her hair is just as wild as the pictures on the daily prophet show.

i swallow down my fear as i take a step forward, not wanting her to think that i'm weak.

"crucio!" is all i hear before im brought to my knees with pain.

—

a/n

i really need to thank everyone who's reading this! truly it means so much to me i can't even think about where to begin. weve made it to number one in fan fiction!
so thank you to everyone who's interacted with chemistry, it means the world to me :)