A Heavenly Betrayal (Draco Malfoy Love Story)

Terror In Hogsmeade

It’s with mixed-emotions that Maria stepped onto the Hogwarts Express to return to Hogwarts. She was eager to leave her brother’s boring apartment – her prison cell – but wasn’t too sure how she would handle being around... him... again. As soon as the train came to a halt, she darted out and hastily trotted all the way to her dormitory. She didn’t even bother going back down for supper; she just went straight to bed, but not without thinking ‘There goes the Davies syndrome again…’ Only this time, it was different.

The following days did not pass flawlessly as Maria had so desperately wished. She had finally decided, ignoring the gruelling complaints of her heart by locking it away, to forget about everything and move on. She was going to stick to her choice, however painful and however impossible: she had to. Nonetheless, she soon found it was easier said than done. Whenever she saw him, her heart would leap from its hollow, forgotten cavity and burst into life, as it used to. Then the pain came; sharp, excruciating... because she knew it was wrong.

Malfoy made it obvious that he wanted to talk by the way he skulked around, his greyish eyes wide, expectant. He even once tried to corner her, and nearly succeeded; luckily, Cho Chang was passing by and Maria feigned having to tell her something very important about Quidditch. On top of things, there was a Hogsmeade trip arranged for Saturday. The last thing she wanted was for Malfoy to invite her to go with him, because she knew she just wouldn’t be able to say no. Inexplicably, the more she forced herself away from him, the more it physically hurt to see him, to be near him. ‘You already made that mistake once, don’t fall for it again.’ She always had that same argument ready, and she was determined to see it through.

On his side, Malfoy had gotten Maria’s message with surprising accuracy. By the end of the week, he had, against his own will, stopped ‘chasing’ her. He decided he would simply go on with the plan she had thought up for him. People often stared at him, and he wondered whether the gaping hole in his chest that burned and festered every second of every day was that apparent. Merlin, he missed her… But he understood, and respected her choice, however unbearable. It was for her good. He knew it; he welcomed it. Her safety came before everything else, and she was finally out of harm’s way. Who was he to try and pull her back into it, regardless of how he felt? As long as she was safe and happy, nothing else mattered. However, he had to convince himself that her happiness would come in time.

Out of nowhere, a memory suddenly flashed inside his head, causing his brow to contort slightly despite the presence of other students. It was the night she had tried to teach him how to ice skate. They had collided with each other and ended up in each other’s arms. Although rather clumsy, it had been perfect. Her golden-brown hair cascading over her shoulders, her warm body tight to his, her delicious breath on his face, her surprised yet contented expression, her beautiful sea-coloured eyes, the reckless feeling that took over his heart… Realizing what it meant, Malfoy closed his eyes and hastily chased the thought away. But the damage was already done.

Leaving a troubled week behind, Saturday finally came, and as promised, Malfoy woke up before the sun rise and brought one of the Vanishing cabinets all the way to the Shrieking Shack. It had been quite a hassle, since he didn’t want to use magic, by fear of being traced. He managed to make it back to his dormitory before most of the students had gotten up. He quickly slipped back between his bed sheets, pretending to sleep - as if he ever got some sleep these days... He, ironically, had no clue that today held a Hogmeasde outing: he hadn’t been very up to date on the social goings. In fact, the last time he had spoken to someone had been two weeks ago... and that person was Wormtail. He shivered at the thought.