REQUIREMENTS | DRACO MALFOY

36 | All Three

But it was the wrong thing to say.

Quicker than I could blink, I felt Harry's hand wrap around my wrist, pulling me harshly towards him. I winced, the feeling of his nail digging into my skin.

"How long has this been going on?" He scowled, his voice rough, "how long?"

"Harry, you're hurting me!"

"How long? Just tell me!"

Draco had never touched me like that. He never hurt me. Seeing Harry in this way gave me the answer I had been trying to solve for so long. Harry didn't care when it came to how I felt, yet Draco did, even before we really knew each other. Draco held his temper in front of me.

He may have gotten pissed in the beginning, but he never, ever, hurt me.

"Ten months!" I shot back, "is that what you want to hear?"

Harry let go of my hand quickly, realization flashing over his eyes. There was no going back, there was no changing things, and there was no chance he could ever win me back now.

He let out a string of curses, slamming his hand onto the metal lege of the astronomy tower and placing his head in his palms. He was angry, but I didn't sympathize for his reasons.

"Out of all people," he muttered, "you chose Draco?"

Something about those words seemed oddly familiar—like a warning of such, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

"Loving someone isn't a choice, Harry," I said, my arm stinging from where he hurt me, "though I wouldn't expect you to know that, considering you only saw me as your side-piece this whole time."

"Right. Yeah, brilliant," he looked up with a scowl, "now you're playing the victim?"

"And you're not?"

"And you are?"

"You're my best friend," I said, narrowing my eyes spitefully, "I have always been clear about our relationship, showing you I'm hesitant and uncomfortable, yet you always pull stunts in front of half the school to show them that you've got a girlfriend."

He scoffed, "stunts?"

"I am not something you can use, just so the Chosen One doesn't look like he can't score a girl!"

"That's not why I like you!"

"Yeah, because you don't like me," I spat out, "you only think you do, because people have pressured you into it!"

I didn't give him a chance to respond, before I decided to let it all loose. Stomping up to him, I slid up the sleeve of my shirt to show him my arm. It was already starting to bruise from where he had gripped too hard, a deep red flush marking where his fingers were.

I'm just going to say it, I'm pissed.

"I don't care if you like me, or if you're my best friend, or some stranger I met five minutes ago," I said, my face burning with emotion, "if you actually cared about me, you wouldn't have hurt me!"

When he saw what he had done, I saw fear flicker across his eyes. He didn't mean to do it, but it was too late.

"[y/n]," he mumbled, "I'm so sorry...."

Harry had a temper.

I knew him for long enough to know that, and I knew he was regretting everything at that very moment, but it wasn't enough. Ten months of pent up emotions, hiding the truth from the world because of him, overflowed me to brim. I couldn't contain it anymore.

"You don't get to say you're sorry to me," I continued, "I stood by you, regardless if I was with Draco or not."

"[y/n]..."

"I've supported you, helped you, and I have always been your friend when you needed it most, regardless of how it affected my life," I hissed, "yet you can't be here for me now?"

Harry was silent.

"You can't be there for me, when it hurts you."

The deafening silence coming out of the boy's aura was enough to tell me that he got the message. He knew what I said was completely true, and now that I wasn't afraid to tell it to him straight, things were going to change.

For the better? I don't know.

I don't care.

I continued, "Draco has always been there for me, and even though we aren't perfect, whenever I need help he's there."

Harry didn't say a word.

"So I don't need you anymore," I said, striding away from the boy, "goodbye, Potter."