BREATHE -draco malfoy

four.

They spent the rest of the term in a quiet friendship. It was the beginning of something monumental, they just didn't know it yet. They sat next to each other at the library, walked beside each other in the halls, not close enough to touch or look odd to their other friends. During classes, they met each other with coldness and never spoke, because they never regularly spoke before, and Ana was forced to watch him become an ignorant little bastard the second he came in contact with any of the other Slytherin boys. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had no idea what was going on. The shock of Draco and Ana at the Yule Ball had worn off and they never suspected that the two of them were friendly, even when Ana slipped away to the library for hours at a time.

Ana still met Draco's teasing with hostility and he was still mean to her, but in the seclusion of the library this meanness was met with eye rolling accompanied by smiles and soft giggles. Ana felt herself becoming true friends with Draco, and Draco grew to care for her, as much as he could. Ana found that, sometime during their blossoming friendship, she didn't hate Draco anymore. Not at all. In fact, he was softer with her, teasing her lightly and no longer making fun of her friends when she was around. This was quite the effort for Draco. But Draco found something in Ana that he didn't feel when he was with his other friends. The Slytherin boys were always calculated, uncaring, and cold. Anastasia was different. For the rest of the year, she was friendly to him, and Draco found it extremely refreshing, if not a complete surprise.

But with the ending of the year came tragedy. The night that Cedric Diggory died, Ana, Harry, Ron, and Hermione knew that things would never be the same. They felt a darkness creep over the castle. The walls no longer glowed with warm amber light and the cheeks of the young Gryffindors were no longer tinged pink with childhood innocence. Harry was tormented in his dreams by the color of Cedric's eyes. It didn't happen slowly; Cedric died all at once, and Harry saw it all. Darkness loomed over the castle like a quiet, outstretched hand. Even Draco Malfoy felt the shift, although he pretended not to care. He had different reasons for being nervous than everyone else. Voldemort had presumably returned and Draco shuddered to think of how his father's fate was intertwined with the Dark Lord's. He felt a small flame of anxiety building in his chest that was shoved deep down, hidden under snide remarks and his devilish glare.

The foursome walked off of the train at King's Cross together. Harry's aunt and uncle were there to pick him up, as were Ron's family and Hermione's parents. Severus Snape waited patiently by the edge of the platform for Ana to give her hugs and say her goodbyes.

"Promise you'll write," Ana told Harry. She knew this may be difficult for him with his aunt and uncle always looming over him. But Harry promised. Hermione did too, and Ron. Ana was struck by the familiar feeling that she always had at the end of the year: change was imminent.

Just as the three were walking away from Ana, she glimpsed Draco out of the corner of her eye. He was unmistakable in all black, his white hair styled neatly. Lucius Malfoy was standing next to him, ushering for an attendant to retrieve Draco's luggage. Ana noticed that Draco looked downtrodden and tried to catch his eye. It worked. Draco turned and saw her and walked over to her, his expression firm and unyielding.

"So I guess I'll see you in the fall, then?" Ana said, fake reservation in her voice. She had to keep up the banter between them or they would sink unwittingly into something deeper.

"That's up to you," Draco said quietly. There was a small line between his eyebrows and he looked over his shoulder at his father. But Lucius was talking to another father of a Slytherin boy, paying the two of them no mind.

"What do you mean?" Ana asked, her green eyes twinkling a little.

Draco slipped a piece of parchment into Ana's hand. Her breath catched as she skimmed over it. It was an address.

"Write to me," Draco said lowly. The comfort that had grown between Ana and him had shifted now that he was in the presence of his father again, faced with the prospect of going home. But it was still there, and he felt warmth just by talking to her.

"If you're lucky," Ana teased. But Draco didn't feel like being teased.

"Maybe you can come stay a week at the manor," Draco said, swallowing his pride in this offer to her. He hoped that she would take it, as being completely alone until September felt unbearable. And anyhow, he had grown accustomed, and addicted, to her companionship.

"Really?" Ana asked, shock clear in her voice. Draco nodded and Ana noticed the pleading in his grey irises. His father hollered to him and Draco turned, giving her a light smile. Ana was left dumbstruck. Draco wanted her to come over to his house? For a week? That's not what friends did, at least not this early on.

This was the first inkling that Ana got that Draco did not just want to be her friend.

---

Draco,
Against my better judgement, I've decided to write to you. Don't let it go to your head.

I hope your holiday is going well so far. I hope your father is treating you well.

As for your little proposal, as much fun as it would be to spend a week at your surely luxurious manor, I doubt your parents would be too happy about it. I am a half-blood after all. Don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort, do we?

I'm sure if letters could talk, this one would be stuttering. And I'm sure you'd be making fun of me. I don't miss that.

Ana.

---

Ana,
My holiday has been dull, hence the proposal. I assure you that spending a week in my manor would be luxurious for you, and don't tell me to stop being big headed. We both know you like that.

As for my father, he and my mother are going on a trip for the next month, not that my father really cares who I have over, and you wouldn't have to deal with him at all. Just me.

Stop your stuttering. A week alone with me is an honor I only give to those I like.

Draco

P.s. I don't miss you, too.

---

Dear Draco,
How is it that I can still hear your smugness through parchment? That's a new kind of magic.

I would have to ask Severus if it's okay with him, but since he's a very lenient guardian and you are his favorite student, it shouldn't be a problem.

Do you like me Malfoy? How embarrassing.

Ana

P.s. I don't miss your teasing either.

---

Ana,
Does July 10th sound good to you?

Draco

P.s. I do like you. And I do miss you.

---

Draco,
July 10th sounds wonderful. See you then.

Ana

P.s. I might miss you too. Don't be bigheaded about it.

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