Home [Draco Malfoy x Reader]

chapter forty-eight

The end of the school year was approaching fast, and through the anticipation of the final task came the stress of ending the year with passing grades.

___ and Draco took turns tutoring each other in classes they needed a bit of help in. They were both very intelligent, but ___ was better with Herbology and Muggle Studies than Draco, who tended to excel in Potions and Charms, as his knack for casting spoken and unspoken spells alike came in handy.

Defence Against the Dark Arts was more of Draco's strength, especially with ___ not trusting her teacher with anything after that first day of class. After he had made her cry in front of everyone, she shut herself off from him, never participating in class and choosing to do her work silently in the back, relying on Draco to help her understand more after class.

"Read the second paragraph of page twenty," he said.

It was a sunny spring afternoon. Classes were over for the day, and Draco was helping ___ review for a test in Defense Against the Dark Arts. They sat beneath the leaves of a tree, using their robes as blankets underneath them. They sat with several inches between them and a few books scattered around.

It was a foreign book she held in her hands. One of the newer lessons for students in the course. As Draco pointed to the passage on the page, she began to real aloud:

"The Killing Curse, as most wizards and witches have come to call it..." she trailed off, swallowing thickly.

"Darling," Draco spoke calmly. He reached over and placed a hand on her knee. "You don't have to force yourself."

She shut her eyes. She wanted to learn, she wanted to succeed, but the thought of the green light surging through her father's body sent her into a pit of terrified despair. A single tear plopped down on the page.

"I think that's enough studying for today," he mumbled.

He snatched the book from her hands and slammed the cover. As a third year Slytherin walked by, Draco slammed the textbook into his chest. The kid blinked up at him.

"Take that back to the library," he ordered, jerking his head in the direction of it. "Go on."

The kid mumbled quietly and stalked off. Draco rolled his eyes and turned toward her again. He frowned in concern and reached forward to cup her cheek in one of his hands.

"___," he said gently.

"I just thought I was ready," she said. "I know it takes time. But... every time I read it, or hear it... I think of what I'm missing."

"That's completely understandable," he assured her. He spotted his friends across the courtyard. They waved him over, calling his name. "C'mon, I'll walk with you to dinner."

"No, it's okay," she said, gripping his upper arm. "Go with your friends. I'll meet you there."

"You sure?" He quirked an eyebrow.

"Absolutely," she said. "Make sure Goyle doesn't take all the dessert, yeah?"

Draco chuckled. "I'll be sure to save you some."

"Thank you," she said, flashing an amused grin.

He gathered his books quickly and rose. Before he stalked off, he leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to her lips. She blushed and smiled as she watched him walk off.

Alone in her spot, she took her time to gather her books. She noticed a pair of shoes entering her field of vision. Squinting against the sun, she looked up.

"Ron," she said in surprise.

"Uh, hey," he mumbled.

"You're talking to me," she muttered coldly. "I'm surprised."

She got to her feet. Ron sighed and grabbed her arm, keeping her in place. She furrowed her eyebrows and shook her head as she waited for him to speak.

"I'm sorry, okay?" he mumbled. "I've been an absolute git. Hermione called me out for it."

She raised her eyebrows. His lips pursed into a tight but real smile. She felt the walls she had built to keep him out crumble, and she felt her own smile crossing her lips.

"I knew Granger was smart," she joked.

Ron smiled. "So you forgive me?"

"Sure," she said.

"Excellent," he said, blinking in shock. "Really excellent. Uh, you're still dating Malfoy."

"Yeah..."

"Great," he said, but his smile was forced.

"I know you hate him," she said. "So do Ginny, George, and Fred, but that doesn't stop them from talking to me."

"I know," he said. "Malfoy is just... hard to take."

"Well, he's sweet to me," she said. "And he makes me happy."

"Well, that's great," Ron said. "Really, it is."

She nodded and looked down. "I have to meet him for dinner, actually. I'll see you around, yeah?"

"Yeah," he said quickly. "Absolutely. Maybe you can get away from him and sit with us at lunch sometime."

"That sounds great, Ron," she said. "Thank you." She began to back away. "So I'll see you."

He waved. Before she turned around, she flashed another grin and waved her hand in return. He watched her go.

There was a new found skip in her step as she walked into the Great Hall.