Draco's Hufflepuff | Unfolding

Thirty-One: Admiration

**

Sunday, 26th May, 1996

It was officially our last full day together, and the air around us fully matched up with how we both felt about it. We were quiet, sharing lingering, forbidden glances. Knowing that in twenty-four hours, we'll be sharing our last meal together, getting ready to greet all the other fifth years, and welcome them all back.

Sipping on a cup of tea and nibbling on some buttered wholemeal toast, I looked across at Draco, who kept looking at me up and down. I wanted to say something to him, but I wasn't sure what. It was as though all words had escaped my brain. I shot Draco a small smile, and he even returned it.

Ever since I woke up, I had an odd feeling in the pit of my stomach. I looked over at Hannah's neat and crisp bedsheets, it will be my last night of being alone in my dorm room. I wasn't sure how to feel about it.

As I got changed into a mustard long-sleeved t-shirt and matching floral pinafore dress earlier in the morning, I glanced down at the owl my parent's had written to me a few weeks ago and was hit with a twinge of guilt. I had been so busy with Draco that I hadn't even given my parent's a second thought. It just added to my weird anxiety. I made a mental note to myself to write a reply in the next couple of days.

**

Draco and I were sat by the elm tree in the sunshine, students all around us catching up on homework, talking, relaxing. In in the distance, there were some boys playing a few games of friendly Quidditch. There was nowhere in the castle we could be alone, not really.

"Draco, when everyone is back tomorrow, how much do you think is going to change between us?" I asked him, picking at the grass,

"How do you mean, Parsons?" Draco cocked his head,

"I don't know, I'm just thinking... it's going to hard to go back to not being with you all the time. I guess I've just gotten used to it just being you and me," I said with a small shrug,

"I know, I feel the same way. But I'm not going to go back to being a cunt to you, I don't think I could even if I tried, but we can stay friendly, can't we? Nothing has to change in that respect, no matter what our friends think," Draco said,

"It will be the first time we'll ever be friends. We went straight from you hating me to what we are now- whatever that is. I just wish they could stay like this forever, I miss Hannah and the other girls, I really do, but I just wish I could hold onto you a little longer," I said, trying to force myself to sound as if I were okay,

"Please, don't think it's going to be easy for me to stay away from you, because it isn't, Parsons," Draco said, and it sounded like he was being genuine,

"I just wish we didn't have to stay away from each other," I said, biting on the inside of my cheek,

"We'll always have these past few weeks to look back on when we're old and boring. I never would have thought this would have been the outcome of these eight weeks, but I don't regret a single thing," Draco said, discreetly holding my finger for a moment,

"I don't regret it either, Draco. You're always going to be a big part of my life, you know, even though it'll be a secret," I smiled at him softly,

"As long as neither one of turns on each other, that's the main thing. We'll have each other's backs, right?" Draco said, nodding reassuringly,

"I would never turn my back on you, I didn't before, and I certainly wouldn't now. Draco, you are so special, and I hope the next girl you end up with sees you the way I do," I told him honestly,