after dusk - draco malfoy

xvii. | seventeen

THE FINAL FULL DAY AT HOGWARTS in the school year had arrived and I had never felt worse in my entire life. The past two weeks were hell. I had been ignored by Draco, Stella, Poppy, and even Tommy. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were all occupied doing their own thing so I barely had anyone to talk to.

Seamus would sit with me in the Common Room so I wasn't too lonely but our conversations always felt forced. I appreciated the gesture, though. I had tried to apologise to my friends, multiple times, but they just didn't want to hear it.

Fred and George didn't particularly ignore me but I had seen a lot less of them since the incident. In lessons, Pansy would sit with Draco, laughing flirtatiously at anything he said, trying to put her hands on him and any excuse she could. It made my blood boil. What made things worse was that he entertained it, even more, fuelling her to continue.

Hermione had noticed a few days after the argument that I had been sitting alone in all my classes, so she would kindly sit next to me. You'd think that sitting with her would motivate me to do my work but my mind would never stop racing. I always felt sick to the stomach when walking around school, getting the feeling that everyone was watching me - obviously, they weren't but it felt like they were.

It was the final lunch of my first school year at Hogwarts and I never felt more lonely. None of my friends were talking to me so I ended up just poking at my food, helplessly. People had sat at the opposite side of the table but I didn't take much notice as I didn't think that they would be wanting to talk to me.

I continued to poke at my eggs with my fork, trying to hold back tears. "You know, I'm sure that egg doesn't enjoy being brutally stabbed," a voice spoke. I looked up to see the twins beaming at me. I forced a smile, putting my fork down and straightening my posture. The two twins looked at one another and nodded.

Fred slammed a paper bag on the table, smiling at me. He pushed it across the table at me. I looked in it and it was full of sweets from Honeydukes. I knew they weren't the most well off so it made my heart flutter a little. "That's our apology for sort of ruining the end of your first school year at Hogwarts," George noted, pointing to the bag.

A smile made its way on to my face and I couldn't hold back the tears anymore. Only a few slid down my cheeks before I quickly wiped them away. "Guys, thank you," I practically cried out. "That is the sweetest thing anyone has done for me," I added on.

Fred winked at me, smiling brightly. "I hope that pun was intended," he told me, George nodding his head. It took me a few moments to catch on to what they were meaning. "Guess not. You need to brush up on your comedy before you come to stay with us or we'll have no choice to change you completely."

I shook my head at them, the smile still hadn't left my face. "Merlin forbid that," I laughed at the two. "You're both such bad influences," I told them, to which they agreed. After a while of chatting, the pair leapt across the table, gaining some attitude from Lavender Brown, which they paid no attention to. I was quickly engulfed into a tight hug from the two boys I had considered as older brothers.

Stella, Poppy, and Tommy arrived at the table but didn't even give me a second glance. I decided it be best to leave it for now, I would catch them on the train if I needed to so I could clear the air before summer had started - that would then give them the time and space for them to think.

After properly making up with the twins, I had decided I should try sort things out with Draco. I glanced around the Slytherin table, seeing him sitting with Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy, and Blaise. I told the twins not to wait up for me and I began walking over to the table. I had no plan of what I was going to say to him so I guessed I was just going to wing it.

I stopped at the table, just behind Draco and opposite, Pansy gave me the coldest death stare I had ever been given. That said a lot considering I had come from Beauxbatons. I cleared my throat and gained the attention of many Slytherin students. Draco turned around to see me playing with my hands, clearly nervous. "Can we talk?"

He raised a brow at me before glancing over to Goyle. "I don't know," he spoke, a smirk making its way on to his face but it wasn't the one I had become used to, it was the evil, cunning one from the beginning of the year. "Can you?"

He glanced back over to me and I rolled my eyes in frustration. "Are you going to come with me so we can talk things over, or not?" I snapped, gaining another glare from Pansy, but no attempt to stifle a laugh came from Blaise, Crabbe, and Goyle.

Crabbe shook his head at me. "Get the hint, Gryffindor, he doesn't want to be involved with a blood-traitor," he scoffed, continuing to shake his head.

I nodded my head and pressing my lips together in a tight line, trying to hold back my tears. "Right," was all I could manage to get out but that came out in barely a whisper, anyway. The other two boys started laughing and Pansy began pushing around her salad with a fork while watching me walk off, rather quickly.

A couple of tears had slipped out of my eyes and started to roll down my cheeks and I walked away. I wiped the tears but kept my head down. "Tas!" I heard Draco call from behind me but I completely ignored it, in fear they would make a fool out of me in front of the whole Slytherin table again. "Tasmin! Will you just stop walking away?" He snapped, grabbing my wrist as I tried to leave.

We were stood in the doorway of the Great Hall, many eyes on us at this point. I pulled my wrist out of his grip, not wanting him to touch me. I couldn't bring my eyes up to look at him. He took my hand and guided me a little way out of sight. I pulled my hand away the first moment I could. "Tas?" He called out, his voice faltering, slightly. "Please look at me."

I fought with every ounce of my will power to not look at him but it wasn't enough. My eyes were caught in his teary gaze. He placed a hand on my cheek, taking me back to the Black Lake. My whole body melted underneath the touch. I hadn't realised I was crying until Draco had wiped the tears from my cheeks and pulled me into a tight embrace.

I let everything out and cried so hard into his chest. I had never felt so wrong and so right at the same time. I felt at home again but everything still felt wrong. I had still been rather annoyed at him for the fight we had. I just wanted things to go back to how they were.

Draco placed a hand on the back of my head, playing with my hair, and he planted his lips on the top of my head. He rested his cheek on the top of my head, signifying the height difference between us. "That stupid argument we had," Draco spoke up, still resting on my head and playing with my hair. "It was just that. A stupid argument. I never meant for you to be so upset."

I pushed myself away from him, shaking my head. "You were literally just pushing my buttons in front of your friends to humiliate me!" I raised my voice at him again. He reached out to me but I backed away. "You sat there and let Crabbe insult me, you didn't even speak up."

Draco scoffed, shaking his head. "If you'd have waited for half a second longer, you would've been there for me telling him he was bang out of order," he snapped back at me, pointing back into the direction of the Great Hall. "You could make me choose between you and my friends over a thousand times and every single God damn time I would choose you," he yelled, grabbing my face but not in a violent way, as though it would register better if he did so.

"I'm sorry," I said in barely a whisper. "For everything," I started to shake my head, hoping the tears would go away. He exhaled sharply, pulling me into his chest for the second time.

He shook his head, although I couldn't see it. "You have nothing to be sorry for," he admitted, keeping me tight in his chest. "I was the one who acted like a complete prick. It's all my fault and I'm sorry," he told me, the scent of his robes making me feel safer.

He always made me feel safer.