𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 '𝟗𝟔 ; 𝐝. 𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐟𝐨𝐲 ✓

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧

9:12 am
June 3, 1996

Just like a few days prior, the sun blinded my eyes. That was back when me and Draco were nothing. I felt large, cool gusts of wind flowing roughly over my body, and I soon realized that I hadn't shut the window last night when I returned from the woods. Groggily, I wandered up to crank the window shut. As I stared out into my backyard, the woods caught my eye another time, and for the first time, what I had done had registered in my brain.

I cheated on Ron.

I was a cheater.

I was a filthy, lying, nasty cheater.

My heart began to throb as I forced myself into remorse for my actions last night. The shame and guilt I felt was far worse than any I had ever felt in my life. Even the fact that I cheated wasn't it, I also lied to Draco, which was something I'd also have to deal with later. Do I tell Ron? No. I couldn't. He would be crushed. But I'm sure he'd rather hear it from me rather than anyone else. As if on cue, my mother barged into my room, panting.

"Estelle," she shouted breathily, "Ron is at the door. He came with some flying car. Why is he here?"

I immediately winced at the news, regretting to accept the fact that I needed to tell him. "I'll take care of this, mom."

I paced down the halls in a cold sweat, knowing my reputation was over. No one could ever recover from cheating, but I there was no way that I could lie to him. I shuffled down the staircase and hesitantly open and closed the door behind me, looking at Ron standing in the front courtyard.

"Have you gotten none of my letters?" He growled angrily. I backed into the door, leaning my back on it and taking a deep breath.

"Ron. We can't be together, I'm forbidden to be with you." I said blankly, staring into his furious eyes, now growing even angrier with this news.

"I loved you!" He screamed, stepping closer to me and clutching both my shoulders tightly. "I loved you." His angry expression scared me, but I kept my blank face to show no fear. His grip tighten on my arms and he started violently shaking me, my expression still blank. "I loved you."

"No you didn't. You never loved me." I shot back coldly, sneering at him with evil eyes.

And right there, after a few moments of hesitation, I said it. "I cheated."

Ron clutched even tighter, his expression dropping, but then became filled with anger once more. "What the fuck did you just say?"

"I said I cheated on you."

"You," he growled, "...you cheated on me? With who! Who's better than me?" He began to shout, making me flinch. His warm breath gave me goosebumps, but not the kind Draco gave me. The shivery goosebumps. The goosebumps you received when you were absolutely horrified.

I think our argument was very audible, as I felt the presence of someone walking up, but I was too scared to glance since Ron was so angry.

The blond emerged from the shadows. He stood behind Ron and mouthed to me "It's okay" before Ron whipped around, staring at Draco coldly. He pressed his wand up to Draco's neck. I gasped loudly, however, Draco didn't even bother to flinch. He gazed down at he wand to his neck and back at Ron. "You don't scare me, Weasley." He grumbled, grabbing Ron's wand and snapping it in half with the flick of his fingers.

Ron backed up, evidently scared of Draco and I slowly striding towards him. "What did I ever do to you, Estelle!?"

" That's your fucking problem, Ron." I blurted sternly. "You don't know what you do to me. Every day these past two years, you've beaten me down until I was just about nothing. And I've sacrificed my whole life's work, just for it to be ruined by you bringing down my success. Now I want you to walk to your car, and never speak to me or come around here again."

He swallowed hard, evidently holding back his tears that began welling up in his eyes. "Fuck you, Estelle. Fuck you." He choked, stumbling backwards to the car poorly parked in the courtyard. I held my wand up to threaten him. He instantly flew away out of fear.

Draco watched with clenched fists as Ron left, gazing back down at me when Ron was out of sight. "Why was he here?"

I shrugged quickly, prying open the door to go inside, Draco following behind me.

My mother had a concerned look across her face as she waited in the main room with my father, who had a stern and solemn expression on his face.

"He's insane." Draco belted, looking my father directly in the eyes, slowly rubbing my back. "Psychotic."

My father emerged from his seat on the sofa and approached Draco and I. He held out his hand, Draco firmly grabbing it. They looked eachother deeply in the eyes. "Thank you, Mr. Malfoy. Thank you for protecting my daughter." My father gushed, shaking Draco's hand.

The blond nodded swiftly, and was soon headed back to his home. My father gently embraced me, and comforted me, as I was mildly traumatized by all the screaming that Ron had done minutes before.

Draco wanted the best for me. He wanted to keep me safe more than anything. And he was the one I trusted to keep me safe no matter what.