'•° 𝑬𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍 || 𝘋𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘰 𝘔𝘢𝘭𝘧𝘰𝘺 𝘹 𝘺/𝘯'•°

𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑇𝑤𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑦-𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑒

I listened to his words, trying to understand. 'But is that really a reason to hate someone? Other than your Slytherin side, I know there's more to that, Draco.'

He turned to me, his expression softening. 'You don't understand, do you?'

'I'd like to try.'

'It's not just about the fame. It's about the pressure. Harry has always been the chosen one, the one who has to save the wizarding world from dark forces. I hate Harry because he stands for everything my father despises. But me? I'm just expected to follow in my father's footsteps, to be... ' he cuts off.

'To be something I'm not. And I don't want that. But I have no choice.'

I could see the pain in his eyes as he spoke, and I felt guilty for bringing up such a sensitive topic. But I also knew that this was a chance for us to have a real conversation. I suddenly felt a surge of empathy towards him. 'Draco, you don't have to follow your father's path. You can make your own choices. You can be better than that.'

I could hear the bitterness in his voice, and I couldn't help but sympathize with him. 'I understand what you mean. I may not have parents, but I struggle with finding my own identity and following in their footsteps.'

Draco's eyes met mine, and for a moment, I saw the vulnerability and loneliness behind his tough exterior. 'We all have our own struggles. You still have your parents, you get to have everything you want, and you have friends,' I said softly, trying to comfort him.

Draco shook his head. 'It's not the same. My parents only care about their reputation and their pureblood status. They don't care about me. And as for friends , I consider Crabbe and Goyle , even tho they act more like henchman. That's it'

'And you have me too,' I tell him, giving a genuine awkward smile.

The wind rustling the open book beside me with the sound of flipping pages and the short grass beneath me. He finally looks at me. I know that I might not like to be friends much with Draco, but I want to let him know he can count on someone whenever he needs it. Maybe this time, he won't be so mean as he used to.

I nodded in agreement and reached out to brush my fingers against his hand. It was a small gesture, but it seemed to catch him off guard. He instantly pulled his hand away and looked embarrassed, his cheeks turning a shade of pink.

'I'm sorry,' I said quickly, putting my hands together, not wanting to make him feel uncomfortable.

He shook his head, still feeling embarrassed. 'It's fine. I just...I'm not used to people being nice to me.'

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Draco Malfoy, the arrogant and cold-hearted bully, had opened up to me. I felt a sense of understanding and connection with him that I had never felt before.

I saw something in his eyes, something that I couldn't quite put my finger on. They seemed almost soulless, like a dementor, but at the same time, they had a glimmer of light deep in them. Not a sparkle, nothing extravagant, just a simple light that caught my attention.

'You know, I think I owe you an apology,' I said suddenly, breaking the silence once more.

Draco raised an eyebrow. 'For what?'

'Judging you before getting to know you, and basically for making my bird peck you too hard that day---' I genuinely giggled to myself. He looked at me with a sincere expression. 'The meaning of a bet is to trust, in order to have friendship and maybe..I should start so too'

In that moment, I realized that our houses, our backgrounds, and our differences didn't matter. We were slightly the same, under the same light in different places.

He looked at me, his eyes searching mine for any sign of insincerity. But then, he smiled. 'You know, you're not so bad. For a Gryffindor, that is.'

I chuckled. 'And you're not so bad for a Slytherin.' Accidentally punching his wounded arm, holding the pain in, whether to soothe it or let it hurt.

'You really need to stop doing that, Luminhood!' Clutching his right fist and hitting it on the ground because of the pain.

We both chuckled, and for the first time, I saw Draco as more than just my greatest enemy. He was a person with his own struggles and vulnerabilities, just like me.

'You know, I always thought of Crabbe and Goyle as your lackeys. But you said you considered them friends,' I asked

Draco paused for a moment before answering. 'Well, Crabbe and Goyle have been by my side since we were kids. But they're more like bodyguards than friends. As for Blaise and Pansy...Blaise doesn't do friends, even though we get along. And Pansy, well, I've known her ever since we were kids. She was my childhood friend.'

I nodded, understanding his words. 'No wonder she's always clingy to you most of the time,'

'She's like that. But she's not all bad. She's been there for me in some tough times' . By the looks of it Pansy is another person with Draco considering being her first friend.

I stood up from the ground, brushing off the dirt from my robes. Malfoy still sitting on the ground, looking up at me with a hint of hesitation in his eyes ,maybe because of the open conversation we had. I just hope he doesn't regret it. I was ready to leave with books, But just as I turned to walk away, he grabbed my wrist, stopping me in my tracks.

'Wait' he said, his grip tightening on my wrist.

I turned to face him, raising an eyebrow in question. 'What's the matter?' I asked, trying to hide the sudden flutter in my stomach.

He looked unsure for a moment, as if debating whether or not to say something. Finally, he spoke, his voice barely above a whisper. 'When will I see- I mean, when will we do this again?'

I couldn't help but tease him. 'Miss me already, Malfoy? Though we were enemies,' I said with a small smirk.

He stood up, letting go of my wrist and facing me. 'Will you stop being annoying for once, Luminhood?' he said with a hint of frustration in his voice.

I couldn't help but roll my eyes. 'You annoyed me my whole life in Hogwarts. It depends, are you going to stop calling me by my last name and actually use my first name?'

He hesitated for a moment before finally relenting. 'Fine. When will we do this again, Y/N?' he asked, using my first name for the first time in so many years.

A surge of happiness at hearing him call me by my name. It was something so simple, yet it meant so much to me. 'We will soon' I replied with a smile, before turning and walking away to meet up with the rest.

What had changed in Malfoy to make him suddenly call me by my first name. Was he starting to see me differently? Or was it just a spur of the moment decision? Either way, I couldn't deny the flutter in my stomach at the thought of doing this with him again. For the first time in a long period and I didn't know that a simple name change could make such a difference.

° ☾︎☆ °

°~||Chapter Ends here||~°