just for you (years 3-5)

chapter 6

i'm waiting in the common room studying with daphne. pansy went up to the room already, thank god. she would only complicate things. the boys were all in the great hall after dinner, but soon they enter the common room. i pat the couch next to me, making eye contact with draco. i see him smile a little as he takes a seat.

"i'm sorry about earlier" i whisper to him, leaning closer so the rest of our friends can't hear me over their own conversations.

"it's alright" draco squirms in his seat, taking a deep breath, "i understand where you were coming from"

"really?" i lean away from him, surprised

"i mean... kinda" he shrugs, "i guess it really was all my fault in the end" he avoids my gaze, looking awfully embarrassed of himself

"wow" i smile, "draco malfoy admitting guilt? i'd never thought i'd see this day"

"no need to rub it in" he smiles, hitting me in the shoulder.

i talk to him about his day, while everyone else talks about something that happened in their transfiguration class. as it gets later and later, the group thins out.

"i'm going to head up to the dorms" draco says, as the last of the other boys is leaving too. shit, i think.

"can you come back after you change?" i say and he looks back down at me, "i... i need help with potions again" i stutter out, seeing blaise still looking back at us.

"oh" he nods, "yeah sure i'll be right back" he smiles at me and then turns around, jogging after blaise towards the boys dorms.

i scramble, thinking of what to do next. maybe i won't have to use the veritaserum after all. i would feel a lot less guilty if i didn't have to use a potion on my friend. i hold my hand over the vial in my pocket, looking at draco's half full glass still on the table. i sigh. i just can't bring myself to do it. i'll have to convince him to write his father himself.

"i'm at your service y/l/n" draco hops over the back of the couch, landing next to me. i look over at him, now in pajama pants and a baggy grey t-shirt.

"okay..." i bite my lip, thinking carefully about how to proceed, "i don't actually need help with potions"

he laughs, "just wanted to spend more time with me?" he smirks

"no" i laugh back, crossing my arms and turning to face him, "it's about... buckbeak"

draco lets out a loud sigh, turning away from me, "this again?"

"look i just..." i place my hand on his shoulder, getting him to look at me, "if you think that what happened was your fault" i pause, checking to see if he seems receptive to what i'm saying. he's looking straight into my eyes, clearly listening to what i'm saying, "i think you should tell your dad" i let out the last sentence slowly, knowing he may not take it well.

"let me get this straight" he leans back, crossing his arms and tilting his head, "you want me to write my father, that he contacted the ministry for nothing?" he raises his eyebrows, "you've met my father, right?"

i nod, moving slightly closer to him, "i know, i know. but... if buckbeak gets executed, that'll be on your conscious"

he scoffs, "i can deal"

"but i can't" he looks up at me, "i would feel awful, draco. like i didn't try hard enough to get you to write to him" draco looks down, holding his hands together and cracking his knuckles. i look at him, waiting for him to say something.

"okay" he clears his throat, looking back at me, "i'll do it" he nods, reaching over to your bag, searching for a quill and paper, "but don't tell anyone i've gone soft" he chuckles, "i'm only doing this for you" he scowls, keeping his face stern.

i smile, snaking my arm behind him and giving him a small hug, resting my head on his shoulder, "thank you" i say quietly. i can see him smile for a moment, but it doesn't last long.

"okay, okay" he shrugs, signalling for me to get off, "hug me one more time and i'll stop writing" i laugh as he leans over the table, beginning to write a letter to lucius explaining the actual events that occured in our care of magical creatures class.

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the next morning i awake before the bell. today is the day of the hogsmeade trip and i couldn't be more excited. no one else is awake yet, so i quietly grab the veritaserum vial, tuck it into my pajama pants, and slip out to the door. i make my way to dumbledore's office, reciting the password harry used yesterday. luckily, it works.

"hello?" i question as i walk through the doors.

"miss y/l/n?" dumbledore says from his desk

"hi professor i-" i stumble towards him, still slightly thrown off by how friendly and simultaneously intimidating he is, "i wanted to return this" i place the vial down on his desk

"did you not find a use for it?" he questions

"i was able to convince him myself" i smile proudly, "thank you though, sir, for trying to help"

he nods, "of course miss y/l/n" he tucks the vial away in his drawer, "i am glad you were able to get him to write. the ministry contacted me this morning that they will no longer be coming to execute buckbeak"

"really!" i exclaim, "oh well that's just fantastic!" dumbledore smiles at my excitement.

"yes, it is excellent news" he chuckles, "now you best be going, don't want to be late for hogsmeade" he sends me away with that, and i'm giddy the whole walk back to the dungeons. i walk past the great hall to see if hermione, harry, or ron are in there to tell them the news, but they must still be asleep. i remind myself to tell them on the trip. i walk into the common room with a smile on my face, saying a quick hi to blaise and pansy who are on the couch, before going to my room to get ready.

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sorry this is a bit shorter of a chapter. i didn't want to start writing about the hogsmeade trip and have to cut off in the middle so i figured i would save it all for the next chapter. hope you all are enjoying! :)