joelle | d.m

46 | every lifetime

March, 1995.

She was drawing away from him.

Draco told her those three words and she was pulling away from him. He'd scared her. He scared her and he hated himself for it because she was so quiet and distant with him now.

An entire week went by and not one out of those seven days did she spend the night with him in his dorm. He had even offered to sleep in hers if the dorm was the issue, but she insisted he sleep in his big bed.

It felt too big now that she hadn't slept in it with him.

Like now, as Draco sat in History of Magic with Joey sitting next to him, he could feel the energy pouring from her and it did not feel right.

He didn't know how to explain it, but her energy was so off. Perhaps the whole aura around her. It felt off. It didn't feel the same and it was his fault.

It also didn't help that a good handful of people went up to her to ask how she was after nearly dying. They wanted details and everything. It all irritated her.

She didn't like when a lot of people paid attention to her, nor did she like when she was the talk of the school—first being selected champion and now nearly dying.

When he noticed the sudden change in her behaviour after he told her those words, he didn't think it was smart to bring it up again, so he just never did. Then a week flew by.

It was awfully hard to try and comfort her and be there for her after her near-death experience when she was always putting an obvious distance between them.

She would busy herself with homework and reading and work. He barely saw her anymore because she was always busy with something. Usually, she would do that something with him right next to her, but all of a sudden she needed to do them alone.

He wasn't blaming her for anything at all. He just wished she'd talk to him.

It actually fractured his heart when she froze after he told her he loved her. Not because she didn't say it back, but because he could just see in her eyes that she had taken two steps back without him.

Or was it that he took two steps ahead without her? Whichever one it was, they had fallen out of their easy rhythm.

He didn't regret saying it, no. He wanted her to know he loved her. He just hated that he scared her.

"Malfoy." A hand gently shook his thigh.

Snapped out of his thoughts, his stare moved up to see his girlfriend standing next to him. Her book bag was over her shoulder, all packed.

"Yes, precious?"

"Class is over," Joey told him quietly.

"Oh." Draco was now noticing the students leaving the classroom.

He quickly packed up his own stuff before he walked out of the classroom with Joey. There was a gap between them. Her arm wasn't brushing his. They weren't holding hands.

"Can I walk you to Potions?" he asked softly as his head turned to her.

"I'm gonna go use the bathroom," she told him whilst they walked down the corridor.

"Okay. Do you want me to com—"

"You go to class," she insisted with a faint smile.

"I can wait for you—"

"I need to change my tampon," she cut him off again. "You just go to class. I can find my way to Potions."

He offered her a weak smile. "Okay."