Chasing Butterflies {A Draco Malfoy Love Story}

Chapter 1: Dead Inside

Well... I must admit, this is my first attempt at a Draco Malfoy love story. I tried to keep him as close as I possibly could to the real him without making him too much like him, if you know what I mean. After writing The Adventures of a Death Eater, I realized that I hadn't really had Malfoy in there enough to my liking. No, the stories aren't related in anyway, albeit a few of the same characters. This story, believe it or not, all came in a dream to me. =)

I do not own Draco Malfoy, or any of the other Harry Potter characters or locations. Those all belong to the amazing J.K. Rowling. I only own a few of these characters, and you'll recognize which those are without my telling.

Enough of my blabbing, and here's the first chapter.... Oh. And the song quotes in the beginning usually match up somehow with the chapter. Music inspires me, and I often use it when I write. =)

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"I guess I'm dreaming again..." –Crushcrushcrush, Paramore

Audrey strode down the stairs towards her dormitory. It was the start of her seventh year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. To be honest, she was shocked she made it back to the school for her final year. Her life had been a whirlwind of chaos for some time now; she was hoping Hogwarts would provide some kind of normalcy.

With Lord Voldemort taking over the Ministry of Magic, life at Hogwarts this year was bound to be a lot different. The former head of her house had been promoted to Headmaster. Audrey was unsure of what other changes laid ahead for Hogwarts. She was sure Severus Snape had a whole sheet full of new rules and regulations for them, none of which would probably be any good.

She sat down on the black leather couch in the Slytherin common room, and glanced around the dark room. It seemed quieter, emptier than before. A lot of students weren't coming back- Audrey couldn't say she blamed them. Things had gone downhill in the past few years. Audrey sat her trunk down with a thud. She did not bother to unpack; she had no reason to. The night was done- the Great Feast had ended along with the annual sorting. Audrey remembered the day seven years ago when she had been sorted into Slytherin. All she wanted to do was get a good night's sleep to prepare her for the next day's classes.

The first few days had passed without incident; all of her classes went by like normal. Audrey had, however, taken notice to the absence of the school's most notorious trio- Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger- not to mention her Quidditch captain, Draco Malfoy. Audrey had decided to spend that night with her best friend Krystie down at the lake. Krystie was a Ravenclaw, so the two did not always get to communicate.

"How have your first few days been?" the blonde girl asked.

Audrey shrugged. "Boring and quiet. This year's going to be that way; I can just tell. Normally by now I've started Quidditch practice."

Krystie seemed puzzled by that remark. "Why haven't you?"

"Malfoy isn't here," Audrey seemed almost disappointed by that. "I don't know where he is. It kind of worries me."

Krystie raised an eyebrow. "Why? He's so arrogant and rude. It's quieter without him here. Seriously, just enjoy the peace while you can."

The brunette frowned. "It's not the point. He is our captain. We don't have another seeker like him; if we find someone else we don't stand a chance."

"Still." Krystie skipped a rock across the lake. "Who needs 'em?"

Audrey sighed, leaning against a tree. She desperately wanted to change the topic. It bugged her when people who didn't know her captain talked about him like that. Then she thought of it. "How's Fred?" she asked. She thought if she asked about Fred Weasley, Krystie's long-term boyfriend, she could get her friend's mind away from bad-mouthing her teammate.

"He's really good," Krystie replied, smiling. "His business is doing well. He and George are raking in thousands of Galleons."

Audrey faintly smiled. "That's good to know." She honestly didn't care how well the business was; she was just glad her friend was happy. Or at least that's what she liked telling herself.

"He writes me almost every day," Krystie added, a smile still upon her face.

Audrey barely nodded. She often wondered what it was like to be in love; she never truly been. Audrey couldn't help but be envious of her friend's relationship. Krystie was so happy and content, it was almost too depressing for Audrey to even be around. She hated being alone. One of the few people she had to confide in was Krystie. Audrey wondered why she hadn't been swept off her feet yet, why she couldn't be happy.

"AUDREY!"

Audrey snapped out of her thoughts to see Krystie pointing out across the lake. "What?"

"Isn't the sunset beautiful?" Krystie wondered aloud.

Audrey looked at all the oranges, pinks, and purples in the sky in front of her. It was extremely beautiful- but why did it make her feel so nauseous?

"It's so romantic," Krystie continued. "I wish Fred could be here."

That's why. Again with the lack of romance in her life. Audrey hadn't had a boyfriend in at least two years, let alone any random hook-ups. She had buried her face in her schooling after her last break-up. No, she decided things would change soon. Only she didn't know when or how.

Audrey watched the sunset vacantly, the colors blending lazily together in her vision. She couldn't focus on much of any one thing. She eventually quit paying attention to the sky and closed her eyes. Audrey tried to get comfortable against the tree, but nothing she did could make it comfy. When the light disappeared, Audrey stood up, stretching briefly.

"Well, Krystie," she started, "it's late. I should probably head in. I'm thinking I need to have a meeting in the morning."

"A meeting? What for?" Krystie asked.

"Quidditch," Audrey answered quickly. "I need to figure out what to do about Malfoy's position if he's not here."

Krystie shrugged. "Mmkay. Meet again soon? We really need to hang out more often."

"Very true, but it's hard with class and what not," Audrey yawned. Her mind was already trying to shut down for the evening. "Not to mention the fact that my house looks down upon friendship between us and students of other houses."

"I suppose so," Krystie muttered in agreement. "Good thing we don't care about that."

Audrey nodded. "I'll talk to you later." With that, Audrey left her friend down by the lake and began her journey back towards the castle. She climbed down the steps to the Slytherin dormitories in the dungeons. Upon reaching the girls' dorms, Audrey changed into her pajamas and climbed into bed.

That night she hardly slept at all. She tossed and turned for hours with only one thing on her mind. Where was her teammate? And why hadn't he bothered to return?