We're made into monsters

The Courting Yard

I was walking out of my advanced potions class back towards the dormitory when I saw Draco and Harry. Draco sat up high in a tree; his robe flowed along the branches around him and the sun hit his white blonde hair and cheeks giving his usual pale complexion some much needed blush. It reminded me of those days we used to play in the yard at his manor. When we'd race to climb to the top of a tree or just lie among the grass. I'd always loved trees and nature and greenery and he'd indulged me day after day. I guess the company had been worth the scalding he would get from his father when his clothes had grass stains all over them come nighttime. I cut away from that thought as Draco's eyes flew to Harry walking across the courtyard. Harry carried a pile of books that weighed down his arms and pulled on his cloak making it fit awkward. One moment Harry was struggling to carry those books and the next his arms quickly flew out to frame his sides, leaving the books without support. The pages flew everywhere which was strange considering there was barely a whisper of wind in the air. However, everything fell into place when I looked towards Draco with his outstretched wand and smirk. Harry seemed to notice too as he glared at Draco in the tree to his right. 

"what was that Malfoy?" Harry yelled as he flounced towards the tree. Draco just laughed as he gracefully jumped out of the tree; which wasn't surprising considering all the tree climbing we used to do when we were younger. He would always confidently jump right out of the leaves and land sturdily on his two feet. Meanwhile, I would sit up there freaking out, too scared to jump for fear of a broken leg. Draco would spend 20 minutes trying to talk me up to it only to eventually have me jump down to him with his arms wide. I smiled because despite what was unravelling in front of me, I had clearly trusted Draco more than myself. 

"Not my fault you can't carry some books Potter." Draco clipped as he swaggered towards Harry. Harry's eyes narrowed in anger for a few seconds until he put his hands into his robe pockets, tilted his head to the side and grinned. "I know what this is about." Harry said as Draco raised his eyebrows looking nonchalant. "And what might that be Potter?" Harry picked up one of his books from the ground and wiped the dirt off the cover onto his robe. "I saw the look on your face when I asked Y/N to the Yule ball, jealousy isn't a good colour on you Malfoy. Maybe that's why she doesn't like you. Although...I'm sure there's plenty of other reasons." Draco quickly whipped out his wand sending the book Harry was holding back across the grounds again. "She should be going with me!" he snapped as the wind became stronger. He'd clearly lost control of his weather spell. "Why would she ever go with a dirty Slytherin like you?" Harry shouted as he stalked straight up to Malfoy. The two boys pulled out their wands at the same time. Just when it seemed as if a duel was about to unravel Professor Snape interrupted the two boys. "what is this?" he slowly drawled. His voice made me feel like I had a heavy blanket draped over head. When neither boy responded Snape looked them up and down, assessing the situation. "A duel would not be wise boys" he said his top lip curling in disgust. As if merely speaking to them was an insult to his position. He quickly turned, robe flowing behind him as he walked back towards the Hogwarts building. 

I stormed across the courtyard over to Draco and his stupid tree. He stood eating an apple now leaning against the trunk with one foot. When he saw me coming towards him he winked.

Draco

Her hair blew in the wind away from her face leaving it bear for me to assess. It was beautiful and stern and coming straight for me. She was mad, at least I thought she was mad. Her face looked like it held fifty different emotions all at once. As she got closer and her face came into focus I had the strangest urge to run away. Not because of the way she stared at me, but because of the way I liked that she was looking at me, the way that her attention made me feel. She looked so fiery as she came for me. Just as fiery as she used to be when we were younger. I hadn't seen it in a very long time. Behind all that Gryffindor manner that fire still burned. 

Y/N

I thought I almost saw that spark of silver return to his eye as I came closer. The way he was looking at me turned my anger and frustration into something else that tingled up my lower abdomen bringing heat to my cheeks. He was so frustrating. I didn't know what I was going to say, but as I came to a stop directly in front him, thoughtless words escaped my from my mouth. "What the hell was that Draco? You don't talk to me for years and suddenly you think you can be mad about Harry asking me?" I said breathlessly poking his strong chest with my pointer finger. Being so breathless after such a small walk made me question what was truly causing the fast pulse through my body. He bent his neck down to look at me. His white blond hair fell to curtain around his face. Suddenly, he threw his apple into a tree nearby leaving mushed chunks on the ground. I didn't flinch, he didn't scare me. His eyes burned with anger and hatred and...desire? all at once. But despite all that, when I saw that bruise on his right cheek I couldn't help but reach my hand towards it. The moment I came close he gripped my wrist, tightly holding it for a few seconds and then releasing it to fall. I was so sick of him and his macho bullshit so I decided to walk away. I turned to walk away with my back facing him but before I knew it his hand was on my wrist spinning me back towards him. 

Shoving one hand into my mess of hair and bracing the back of my waist with his other, he lent down and kissed me. The smell of apple filled my senses and mouth and suddenly I was kissing him back too. I couldn't stop, I couldn't get enough. I didn't know if it could ever be enough. I shoved my body closer brushing against his and he groaned as he deepened the kiss between us. My back hit a hard surface, it was rough and scratchy and...a tree? A tree! Oh my god we were making out in the courtyard. I was making out with Draco Malfoy in the courtyard! I pushed him off me disconnecting the kiss and it felt like tearing my soul apart. But he was Draco Malfoy. A bully, a prejudiced bully who hates Gryffindors! He looked just as breathless and shocked as me. I could feel my puffy lips and red adrenaline pumped cheeks. He ran his hand through his hair as he looked at me assessing my reaction and probably sorting through his own emotions too. I didn't know what to say and he clearly didn't either. I looked around to see if anyone had seen us but everyone had gone to their classes after Snape had left. At that realisation I walked away to my next class without a single word looking like a mess and leaving Draco standing under his tree.