Home [Draco Malfoy x Reader]

chapter thirty-one

Class was dismissed. ___ seemed to move in slow motion as she went back to her desk to gather her things. She picked up her bag and put the strap over her shoulder. Before she bent down to pick her books up from under her chair, a hand was lifting the heavy weight of her bag off of her.

"___," Draco said softly. "Are you all right?"

"Why wouldn't I be all right?" she asked thickly. She swallowed and looked back to see Moody pacing across the front of the class. She looked back down and hurriedly grabbed her books. "Let's just go."

"___," Draco said. He reached for her books, but she pulled them close to her chest and quickly walked out of the door. He followed at her heels. "___, stop!"

She was already rushing down the stairs. Draco jumped a couple of steps to catch up with her. Before she made it halfway down, he smacked his hand against the stone wall beside her head, capturing her in place. She jumped back and looked up at him.

"Draco, please, let's just go," she whined. "I don't want to be here any longer than I have to be."

"Did you know?" he asked. "Did you know that was how they died?"

"No," she answered. "Maybe. I... I thought about it, but I was twelve, Draco. I didn't want to know!'

"Then how did he?" he asked.

"I suppose everyone knew," she mumbled. "Dumbledore could have told him before he came to Hogwarts. There could be a million explanations! I'm sure word got around, too. I just... can't imagine why he would use it against me."

Draco clenched his jaw. His eyes flickered to the side, where Moody was starting to limp down the stairs. ___ cowered against the wall, ducking her head down and letting her hair fall around her like a curtain. Draco leaned closer to her to give Moody room and hide her from him.

Moody stopped by Neville Longbottom, who was responding to the lesson just as well as ___ was. As Moody mumbled to the boy, Draco grabbed ___'s hand and dragged her to his right side. He wrapped his arm around her waist and quickly walked her down the stairs. They were gone before Professor Moody could look for her.

//

"Are you okay?" Draco asked. He took her hands in his and rubbed them. "Talk to me."

"I'm fine," she murmured.

It was the end of the day. Students were filing in to the Great Hall, eagerly awaiting the ceremony of drawing names for the Triwizard Tournament. Draco was sitting next to ___ on a set of bleachers. She had been silent all day, talking as little as she could get away with.

"You're not fine," Draco mumbled.

"I am," she insisted. She looked up at him and forced a smile on her face. "Really, Draco. I'm okay."

"Who does that guy think he is, anyway?" Goyle grumbled as he turned to face Draco and ___ from his spot on the bench in front of them.

"He wasn't thinking at all, the git," Draco said. "Or he thinks too much of himself. Maybe my father could put the one eyed freak in his place."

"I told you that I was fine," she said. She leaned her head into his shoulder and shut her eyes. "And I am."

"Then smile," he said softly.

She felt his nose brush against hers in a feather light touch. She giggled and her eyes fluttered open. Immediately, she was staring down at his lips as they touched hers gently, not quite closing around each other in a kiss. Draco chuckled.

Blaise made an audible gagging noise. Crabbe and Goyle guffawed, which earned each of them three swift kicks in the backs from Draco. His face burned red with anger at his three friends. As for Pansy, she tried to hide her jealousy, but ___ could read it clearly on her face.

"Sit down!" Dumbledore yelled. "Sit down, please! Now the moment you've all been waiting for, the champion selection!"

___ straightened up in her seat and crossed her legs. The fires around the room dimmed. She couldn't contain her smile when Draco took her hand in his and kept them on her lap.

Dumbledore approached the Goblet of Fire. Cautiously, he placed his hands on either side of the giant cup and then stepped back. The blue flames flickering at the top shone red for a brief, roaring minute, before spitting out a piece of parchment out of the top.

Dumbledore reached up and caught it. First, Viktor Krum was called. Draco and his friends clapped wildly, jumping out of their seats and smirking as the tall boy jumped down from the bleachers and took his spot at the front of the Great Hall. As soon as the applause died down and everyone took their seats, Draco's hand was back on ___'s lap.

Next, Fleur Delacour's name was called, resulting in a roar of applause from each of the three schools. Then, Hogwarts. Cedric Diggory - the boy you had met at the end of the summer - took his place at the front of the Great Hall. His friends were ecstatic. ___ found herself smiling, genuinely happy for the nice boy.

"Excellent! We know have our three champions!"

Before the students could applaud, the Goblet's flames roared to a red life again. Dumbledore flinched, his eyes curious and confused as another small piece of parchment flew out of the top. He swallowed and grabbed it.

"Harry Potter," he mumbled. He looked up. "Harry Potter?"

"Bloody hell," Draco said under his breath. The entire room was utterly silent as Harry rose to his feet and started towards the front of the Hall. "Leave it to Potter to find a way to cheat out the entire school."

"How did he get in? He's only fourteen!"

"He cheated!"

"Who does he think he is?"

___ glanced to the where the Gryffindors were sitting. Even Ron and Hermione had looks of surprise on their faces. She shook her head and looked down. If Harry had done it on purpose, and she couldn't imagine why, his friends didn't even know.

"He won't last ten minutes," she heard herself whisper.

Draco snickered. She grinned. As his friends laughed at her comment, he proudly wrapped an arm around her shoulder. She leaned into his hold, uncaring of the glares she was receiving from a few of the students.