the one | h. potter

10. worried

As soon as I step back into Malfoy Manor, I hear the shuffling of feet and panting breaths.

"Liz? Liz!" I turn around and Draco is running. He runs towards me and pulls me into a crushing hug.

"Draco, what happened? Is everything okay?" I ask.

Draco releases me and grabs my arms. "Where did you go?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Where did you go, Liz? I was worried about you!"

"You were- what? Worried about me? Why?"

"I was worried about you because I didn't know where you were," Draco answers, like it's obvious. "You can't just disappear like that."

"I did not disappear. I'm allowed to go wherever I want, thank you very much."

"But I was so worried..."

"You're not my dad, alright?" My voice is so loud it echoes through the grand hallway.

"Where were you?"

"I don't have to tell you."

"I just want to know! Liz..." Something in his voice makes me want to explain myself instead of storm away.

I sigh loudly and meet Draco's eyes. "I was at a friend's house."

"You don't have any friends."

"Funny joke. I happen to have a job, and I've made friends with people there. Could you believe it?"

"Who?"

"Why do you care?"

"Liz..."

"Fine. I went to a coworker's house and met up with some work friends for dinner. Happy?

"What work friends?"

Draco probably thinks I'm lying and that I've been out on a date, which isn't what I was going for. "With my training group. With Katie, you remember Katie, right?"

"You're stalling. Who else?"

"I'm not stalling. I was out with Katie, Ron, Harry, and Hermione."

Draco is silent for a moment. "You- what?"

"Do I need to repeat that?"

"No, no I understood you the first time," Draco says, looking conflicted. His right arm is on his forehead, as if this conversation is giving him a headache. "So let me get this straight. You were out with your training group, which coincidentally consists of three people I strongly dislike?"

"Well, Hermione actually went back to Hogwarts for the year. She only joined us for dinner. So two."

Draco glares at me. I can almost hear his brain process the information, and after a minute, his expression morphs into one of anger.

"You told me you were going to stop ignoring the one, right? Cause it hurt?"

I swallow hard.

"So that's why you broke up with me? So you can go fool around with the chosen one?"

"It wasn't fooling around! We just went for dinner! We weren't even alone!"

"So you don't deny it?"

I sigh. "Draco, that's not how it is, I told you."

"Did you ever even love me?" he asks. 

I try to answer as truthfully as possible. "Of course I loved you Draco. I still do, but not in the way you want me to love you. I know I'd be happy with you, but-" I close my eyes.

"But what?"

"I've found the one, my soulmate, and I can't just ignore that. I'm sorry."

Draco stays silent for a minute. "So I should just move on then?"

I nod. I've got nothing left to say, and Draco stays silent, so I head up to my room.

Plopping down on the bed, I close my eyes and replay some moments of the night. 

Photographs of my mother on the mantelpiece, drawing my wand at Andromeda's throat, my hand on Harry's, his chest pressed against my back. Our conversation where I nearly admitted I fancied him, and when Hermione admitted she could tell I did. 

I'm so drained that I close my eyes and fall asleep without meaning to.