just for you (years 3-5)

chapter 7

i search the common room, but draco is nowhere to be seen. odd. i go into my dorm, trying to think of where he could have gone. then an idea comes to me. quickly, i change into a sweatshirt and put on a jacket, my hat, and gloves, and rush out of the slytherin dorms.

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"figured i would find you here" i shout up to draco from the bottom of the quidditch pitch. he flies fairly high above me, too distracted with practicing to have noticed me walking in.

"y/n?" he says in confusion, looking down and almost losing balance. he regains stability and then dives downward, coming to rest on the grass, "shouldn't you be in hogsmeade?"

"town's overrated" i shrug, trying not to make a big deal of me staying behind for him. unfortunately for me, draco loves the opportunity to tease people.

"oh c'mon" he smirks, "you were crazy excited for the trip. talked my ear off all week about it" he rolls his eyes a little as he throws the quaffle up and down in the air, "don't tell me you stayed back..." he pauses, waiting for the ball to land back in his hand before finishing his sentence, "for me?" he raises an eyebrow, now looking me dead in the eye

"that's absurd" i laugh, taking the ball from his hand, "i stayed back for my own sanity" we begin to toss the ball back and forth as we talk, "you think i could stand the rest of our group without you to make fun of them with?"

"that's a fair point" he laughs, dropping the ball to the ground by his feet.

"besides" i say, "you should be glad i'm saving you from spending the day with all the first and second years" he nods, grabbing his broom from the grass.

"you know how to fly?" he looks over at me, pointing to a spare broom lying in the grass by the box housing the bludgers.

i nod, "i can manage" i lift up the broom, mounting it. he smirks a litte, perhaps i look like a fool. i haven't flown since we were required to in our first year. well, actually since-

my thoughts are interrupted by the sounds of draco shooting into the air. he hollers as he soars towards the sky, a smile on his face. i follow suit, willing myself to stay on this broom as i zoom after him.

"is that your definition of managing?" draco chuckles, coming to hover next to me above the stadium, "you're not half bad"

"really?" i smile

"not bad at all actually" he shrugs, tossing the quaffle in his arm to me without notice, but i catch it with ease, "impressive"

"my dad taught me how to play before he-" i stop, "i mean, when i was younger" i clear my throat, passing the ball back to him. i see him look as though he wants to ask more, but thankfully he doesn't. i don't know if i'm quite ready to open up to him about my family just yet.

"you should play here" he passes the ball from a greater distance, and i still complete the pass.

"don't get ahead of yourself, malfoy" i laugh, doing a little loop as i throw the ball in his direction, "i'm not that good" i see draco raise his brow a bit, "and if i'm on the team, who will be your cheerleader in the stands?"

"cheerleader?" draco says

"it's a muggle thing" i sigh. i always forget how uneducated he is about those things

"oh" he says, with a slight tinge of disgust in his voice.

"it's just girls who cheer for the ones playing sports" i shrug, "you know like, lead chants, scream your name, stuff like that"

"i see" draco throws the ball, hard this time, you have to fly up quickly to catch it, but you reach out your arms just in time to grab it between your hands, "i'm sure pansy would be glad to take over as my..." his face contorts, as though the word is painful to say, "cheerleader" i cringe at the idea of it. like she needs an excuse to fawn over malfoy.

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we play for awhile longer, racing each other around the arena and tossing the quaffle back and forth before we tire ourselves out, flying down to the grass and laying down, out of breath.

"you know i haven't played in years" i say after a moment of silence, turning my head to look at draco beside me. he's still staring up at the sky.

"oh, yeah?" he says, his breathing still a little heavy

"yeah i stopped when.." i hesitate, but only for a moment, "when my dad left"

this seems to get his attention. he turns his head sideways to face me. i try and place the look on his face, i've never seen him look like that before, but i believe he's trying to express concern.

"i don't know" i take a deep breath, "i think it's because he's the one that taught me... it felt wrong to play without him"

"where did he...go?" draco says quietly

"he was sent on a mission for the ministry- he was an auror for the major investigation department- about two and a half years ago, right before i left for hogwarts" i look back up at the sky, not being able to keep eye contact with draco while i speak, "it was supposed to last a year and well" i laugh a little, "he hasn't come back yet" i sit up a little, leaning back against my elbows, "and the best part? no one knows where he is. not my mom, not my grandparents, none of his brothers, not even the ministry! well, if the ministry does knows they sure as hell aren't telling us" i sigh, looking down to my hands. on my ring finger i wear a small ring with a golden snitch on it. my dad gave it to me after i won my first quidditch tournament when i was six. a small smile manages to work it's way onto my face.

"wow that's-"

"awful?" i mutter, sitting all the way up, "tell me about it"

suddenly i can feel warmth radiating next to me, and i know draco's moved closer, "y/n i'm" i can hear him take a shaky breath. this must be odd for him, he's so used to insulting people all the time, "i'm sorry to hear that" i look over my shoulder at him to see him biting his lip slightly, looking awfully nervous.

"it's alright" i look back forward, "sorry to unload all of this on you i know you're not a very.... touchy feely person"

he chuckles a little, "you could say that" i feel his hand on top of mine and i can't help but shudder, surprised by the sudden contact, "but we're still... friends" he once again pauses, clearly having difficulty being open with me, "and i'm here to talk, you know?" i look to him and he's smiling at me. an actual, genuine smile. from draco malfoy.

"thank you, draco" i smile back for a moment before i turn to look at the pitch, while his hand slides off mine.

"tryouts are this week" he says. i can hear him standing up behind me and packing up the quaffle, "you should come if you're.." he pauses as the box clicks shut, "comfortable"

i nod, standing up as well, "i think i will" i walk over to him, helping him carry the things towards the storage area, "i don't think he's coming back anytime soon... if at all" draco inhales sharply as i say that last bit. i often forget that to me, thinking that my dad may never come back is second nature, but others seem to find the subject unsettling the first time i speak of it, "i've wasted enough time not playing as it is"

draco nods, lifting the box up onto a shelf and then looking to me, seeming to not know what to say, or what to do with himself.

"food?" i question

"yes please" he exhales loudly, a smile coming back to his face. i laugh a little and wave him on, us walking side by side back to the great hall together to get some lunch.

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this one's a lot to take in hahha. sorry that i'm posting this late! i had a friend over all day yesterday. going to try and post chapter 8 later today as well to make up for it!! any questions/suggestions/feedback leave in the comments below! hope you all enjoyed this chapter and thank u for the support :)