friend zone ✦ draco malfoy

twenty-one

*draco's p.o.v.*

I apparated to King's Cross Station with my parents today because my mother wanted to see me board the Hogwarts Express for the las time. My mother had tears in her eyes and for the first time, my father showed some kind of emotion. It wasn't much but I can see in his eyes that he was proud of me. Proud that his son will be graduating soon. Before I boarded the train, my father said to me, "Son, if you graduate top of your class, beating out all the mudbloods and half-bloods, you'll make this family proud. Don't let down the Malfoy family name". Who is Lucius Malfoy without a speech on the Malfoy family name?

When I boarded the train, I entered the Slytherin compartment where I sat every year with the boys. Ivy was sitting by the window with a book in her hand and Theo sat right beside her. Her legs were laid on top Theo's lap and his hand caressed her thigh. She looked up from her book and smiled, giggling as his hand got further up her legs. That should be me touching her soft olive skin.

Everyone in this compartment has a partner. Pansy with Blaise, even Crabbe and Goyle has someone. I'm the only one here alone. What's new? Of course I'm alone. Of course I'm not good enough for anyone. Even after being a complete dick to Ivy, Nott somehow got the girl. He got the girl I want. I can't expect Ivy to want me back. How can she want a boy who runs away from his problems? A boy who is such a coward, he can't even tell her how he feels about her.

Each and every day, I've been slowly falling for Ivy Parkinson. Everything she does, forms butterflies in my stomach. The way she bites her bottom lip when she's invested in a good book, the way she pulls her hair up while brewing a difficult potion and tucking her hair behind her ear as it starts to slowly fall in front of her face. Her adorable dimples when she cracks a smile during the most inappropriate times or when she's nervous. The smell of her perfectly scented perfume and bergamot scented shampoo.

"Hey", Ivy said tapping my shoulder. "We're here"

I looked around the compartment and saw that it was empty, with only Ivy and I. I looked out the window and saw that we were at the Hogsmeade station. I've been so lost in my thoughts about Ivy, I didn't even realize that we've arrived at Hogwarts. Ivy got on the tips of her toes and took my bag off the luggage rack and handed it to me.

"Everything okay? You didn't talk the whole ride here", Ivy asked.

"Yeah, everything is fine..."

"Come", she said offering me her hand. "We're gonna to be stuck going back to London is we don't leave in a few seconds"

I took Ivy's hand and she dragged me out of our compartment and out to the carriages. She let go of my hand and got into the carriage next to Theo. When we arrived at the castle, we walked to the Great Hall for dinner and I sat in my usual seating arrangement, the seat next to Ivy with Theo on the other side of her.

"Are you mad at me for not responding to you owl?", Ivy asked, leaning over to me.

"No, of course not"

"I would've responded but I just thought that we'd talk on the ride here"

"It's fine. Thank you, again for listening to me"

"Don't mention it. I'm always here for you", she said placing her hand on my back. "It was really nice talking to someone who understands. I can't really talk to my parents or Pansy about things because they don't... they don't react the way that I want them to"

After dinner, I headed downstairs to my dorm room to unpack trunk and get a little reading in before I have to patrol the corridors with Ivy. I took my book out of my bag and sat on my bed with my back leaning against the headboard. Right as I took the bookmark out of my book, Theo walked over to me and sat down on the edge of my bed.