𝐔𝐍𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐓𝐇𝐘; Draco Malfoy

I

When I was little, I was convinced that I was always supposed to fear the dark. To fear everything we couldn't see, because it was dangerous and oh, so terrifying. There were supposed to be monsters at the end of my bed, ghosts waiting for my foot to accidentally slip out from underneath the covers so they could grab it. But why?

Why are we so scared of everything we can't see? Shouldn't we be terrified of what we can see? What if our biggest nightmares are ourselves? The human mind is one dark place, there's no doubt about that. And mine is too, in many ways.

Draco fucking Malfoy, the pureblood Slytherin who doesn't give a damn about anyone. I guess that my father wished I'd grown up that way. To be like him. I can only laugh when I think about it. After all these years, I still can't tell where it went wrong. But somehow I became the thing I feared as a kid. I'm even worse than a monster— possibly even worse than the Devil himself.

And my childhood was rather strict, as far as I remember. I didn't spend much time at the Manor after I turned eleven and went to Hogwarts. That splendid castle resembled a prison at first. Forced to learn and forced to behave, just like my life at the Manor. But sometimes we meet our saviors at the most divine timing.

The minute that I got sorted into Slytherin, I sat down with my head resting on my hand and saw the most stunning girl that I've ever seen sit on that chair after me. The sorting head was muttering something about her ability to love and forgive— it called her by her name. Elena Norman. The bored expression on my face vanished like smoke.

Never, in my whole life had I seen someone that gorgeous. She reminded me of art. My eleven-year-old brain wasn't much yet— but certainly capable of understanding that someone like her was supposed to be loved and admired.

While my heart had started pounding into my chest, I was unknowingly crossing my fingers, muttering the words 'Slytherin, Slytherin, Slytherin' over and over in my mind. The sorting hat was talking about her complicated mind, a misunderstood mind. She seemed nervous. The beautiful girl was fiddling with the pink bracelet on her left wrist.

I wanted to talk to her, reassure her that everything would be alright if she'd sit with me and be my friend. I wasn't exactly known for being nice, but for her, I'd do hours of research to find out how to say the right things.

"Mm, I see.. lots of courage deep within, along with a good and pure heart. You want to achieve all of your goals, and you are loyal.. I see, I see.." The sorting hat spoke with its raspy voice, almost ready to make a decision. I closed my eyes hopefully, crossing my fingers even tighter.

"Better be, SLYTHERIN!" The hat yelled. I opened my eyes, a smile appearing on my face. I expected to have her be relieved as well, but she sighed instead, slowly making her way over to our table. I wondered why she wasn't smiling, I didn't understand.

I uncrossed my fingers and lowered my head to smile widely. Had he been there, my father would've punched me right in the face. 'Love is weakness, Draco. Do not ever get caught up in it', He used to say. And every damn time I wondered what was going on in his head after he'd made my mother cry again. Was it worth it, father?

The girl's head was hanging low as she sat down. I wanted her to sit next to me, but she didn't, she sat at the corner of the table, where no one else was seated. I didn't know how to approach her.

I knew that something was going on with me at that moment. I had never felt this way before, about anyone. I spent my first days at Hogwarts trying to gather up the courage to talk to her, but it never worked. She was just so stunning and inhumanly gorgeous, how could it be possible that she would want to talk to me?