Adored (Draco x Reader)

The Blizzard

Winter set in and your worries about your blood status bled in to the background as Hogwarts was enveloped in snow. You never saw snow at Ilvermorny. The climate wasn't right for it. The snow at Hogwarts brought with it a sense of peace and quiet that you didn't know was possible. You enjoyed it so much that you began to take carriage rides around the castle grounds in your spare time. You tucked up in the covered carriage with a blanket and a book, and let the Thestrals wander as they wished. You often nodded off against the wall of the carriage as the Thestrals continued along, lulling you deeper into sleep.

When you woke, you would return the Thestrals to their barn and feed them some fruit stolen from the dining hall. On your way back up to the castle, you would often stop by Hagrid's hut for some tea and biscuits. You enjoyed Hagrid's company very much. He seemed to you unendingly optimistic and that was never a bad thing to have around. This became a part of your new routine as you waited for christmas to arrive.

Hagrid had introduced the Thestrals in Care of Magical Creatures earlier in the semester. At first, you recoiled from them in terror, thus revealing that you could see them and therefore had also seen death. You, Harry, Neville, and Luna were the only students in class who could see the Thestrals. Their leathery wings disturbed you but most frightening was their skeletal faces. Harry, Neville, and Luna seemed less disturbed, probably because the animal was native to England and they had seen them before. Hagrid encouraged the four of you to help with the care of the Thestrals after class and even offered the four of you a bit of extra credit.

Hagrid saw your obvious discomfort with the creatures and encouraged you. "Don't be scared now." Hagrid patted you on the shoulder so forcefully that your knees almost buckled. "They're peaceful creatures, they are. Just got a bad reputation. It ain't their fault, really."

So you agreed to work to overcome your fear by feeding the Thestrals apples and carrots from Hagrid's garden alongside Neville, Luna, and Harry some afternoons after class. Neville, you discovered in the garden, had a knack for Herbology. Luna was soft spoken and winsome and completely unafraid of the Thestrals. She even patted their boney heads with affection. And Harry was actually quite pleasant. Ron Weasley distrusted you so much because of your friendship with Draco that you assumed Harry felt the same way, but this didn't seem to be true at all. Harry was polite and even apologetic for Ron's behavior.

Ron was so offended by your attendance at the Slytherin Quidditch match earlier in the semester that he confronted you in the common room. Red in the face, he said that you weren't a true Gryffindor and you ought to have spat right in the face of Godric Gryffindor himself. Fortunately, Ron wasn't someone you took too seriously.

You and Harry often walked back to the castle together after visiting Hagrid. You made polite small talk usually about your shared classes, Hermione, Quidditch, and the upcoming holidays. Harry skillfully avoided mentioning Draco and you did as well. All in all it was very pleasant and only sometimes a little awkward.

As Christmas break drew nearer, you were less focused on your studies. One snowy Friday afternoon you found Draco in a far corner of the library, it had become habit for the two of you to look for each other in the library, though you hadn't spent much time there recently. Draco had pushed a plush armchair close to one of the large windows so he could read and watch the snowfall. You began to push an identical armchair towards his spot by the window. Draco pulled out his wand and moved the chunky, overworn, chair across from him, angled towards the window just as his was without a word.

You sat in the chair with your legs folded underneath you and pulled out a novel. Draco held a book in his hands but didn't appear to be reading it. He was tense.