99 ways to say I love you- Draco Malfoy

No.1

It's like I can't help looking for you in a crowd

Emily can't help herself from scanning the hall as she sits next to Hermione. It's embarrassing to admit that she had purposely picked a seat that faced the Slytherin table, but it was true.

She is barely paying attention to Ron and Harry who sit opposite the girls, both talking quietly about Harry's interaction with the dementors on the train. Hermione stressing internally about the escaped murderer and Emily is aware she should be too. And yet...

It wasn't like she even knew where she stood with Draco Malfoy. The pair had been best friends their whole lives due to their parents close friendships, her father a death eater alongside Lucius Malfoy. They had grown up in large mansions next door each other, together almost constantly. They were practically married off at the age of 11 and when she had dropped his hand in the large crowd and bounded off to the sorting hat for the first time she had no idea all of that was about to change.

The hall fell silent when the hat shouted Gryffindor. Everyone staring. Everyone aware this wasn't supposed to happen. Professor Mcgonagall had gently pushed her towards her new house. She was vaguely aware of the Weasley twins jumping up in loud cheers and the rest of the Gryffindors following their lead. Even then her eyes had scanned for Draco but he refused to even look at her.

He had so desperately wanted too but he was scared. He was scared someone would notice he had tears in his eyes. Scared what his parents would say. Scared what her parents would say. And as he stared at the floor he realised in that moment that all of it was right. She would have never been too scared to look at her best friend.

She was shunned from her family. They didn't write to her. They didn't ask after her. They didn't want anything to do with her. Draco was aware that she had spent the summer with the Grangers after first year and he had never seen her go home since.

He had never worked up the courage to speak to her again. She had made friends with her enemies and he wasn't even aware he broke her heart when every time he would torment them he still wouldn't look at her. She was equally unaware the only reason he didn't was that looking at her made him want to cry, want to mourn the love he had lost. So instead they watched each other from a far.

And then it all had changed.

The chamber of secrets had been opened in their second year. He had been sat in the great hall when he had noticed Hermione Granger run into the hall, tears streaming down her face. She had spoken in a broken sob to Ron Weasley and Harry Potter and they had all left the hall again. All with looks of sheer horror. It wasn't until two hours later the whispers reached him.

Emily Davies had been petrified.

Draco had felt his entire world stop. Felt his heart drop. Felt his stomach flip. Felt his eyes water as he blinked rapidly trying so desperately to not cry.

He had waited outside the hospital wing everyday until he was certain her friends were gone before sneaking in and holding onto her cold hand. He had expected she would never find out, however, Madame Pomfrey had told her.

She had flashed him a smile from across the hall as she was hugged tightly by the Weasley twins and he had smiled back. The first interaction they had shared in two years. She had decided in that moment she wanted Draco Malfoy back in her life.

She had approached him on the platform but by the time she was close enough to call out his name, planning on thanking him for visiting, Narcissa Malfoy had wrapped her arms around her son and it was too late. He had watched over his mother's shoulder as Molly Weasley had wrapped the girl in a tight hug before Fred had slung an arm over her shoulder and she was leaving the platform with the Weasley family.