This imagine was requested by Barry_Allen012!
House: Slytherin
Blood Status: Pureblood
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Third Person POV:
Sixteen-year-old Draco Malfoy sits on his bed in silence, not moving a muscle. Something heavy's on his mind and he can't shake it. He was so excited before for this. He thought it was going to finally be his time, the time to reinstate his family's name onto the pedestal of glory, but something's stopping him. The opportunity for greatness and everything he's ever wanted to be is right there in front of him, but no. It can't be.
"I can't do it..." Draco mouthes to himself, massaging his left forearm. He drags his sleeve up carefully, revealing the snake and skull burned into his skin, black as night. "I thought I could, but I can't... I can't believe I got myself into this mess! I wasn't thinking straight and now I can't protect her..."
A subtle knock comes to the door of his bedroom. Draco covers up his marking and uses one of the four posters on his bed to hoist himself up.
"Come in," he says solemnly. The doorknob turns and the wooden door creaks open. In walks his mother, Narcissa Malfoy.
"It's time to go to King's Cross, Draco. Are you ready?" she asks her son softly. Draco draws in a shaky breath.
"Yes, Mother," he replies, his voice meek. Grabbing his trunk, Draco drags it out of his room for the sixth year in a row, but the weight of the trunk doesn't feel the same. It's different this year. There's something more. This year he's carrying the weight of lies he will tell and the darkness that goes along with the mark on his arm.
~~~~~
King's cross is as busy as ever. The new first years are bustling by with their parents, showing off their wands and pets to one another. Draco is in the middle of it all, staring at the entrance to a train car, carrying a leather bag in one hand. A luggage man takes his trunk from him and loads it onto the train. His mother looks to him, worried.
"Draco...," she says softly. "Please be safe this year."
Draco turns to his mother. Her face is pale and sulky. Her eyes quiver slightly and shine, but not as they used to.
"Yes, Mother," Draco replies. "I shall see you later."
Narcissa Malfoy nods, almost crying as her only son steps onto the train car with the weight of the world on his shoulders.
"Draco?" she calls out one more time. Draco turns around and faces her from the door of the train. "Please take care of yourself. I don't want you to get hurt. Since your father... left, you're the only person I've got. Please... promise me."
"I promise mother," Draco says quietly.
Down a few train cars, y/n y/l/n waves goodbye to her parents, her father scowling into nothingness. Her parents turn away as she steps onto the cars.
"Don't disappoint us, y/n," her father says harshly. Y/n sighs as they apparate away without a simple 'goodbye' to their daughter. brushing off the disappointment, she heads into the train, looking for her friends. She passes by the Hufflepuff third years and a pack of Gryffindors. The Ravenclaws are all hugging each other, happy to see one another. Finally, she enters the second to last cabin. There sit her friends like they have for years. Millicent and Pansy are chatting quietly, Crabbe and Goyle are mumbling to each other, barely making eye contact while Blaise is telling everyone about his summer. The only thing out of place is Draco. He's staring out the window as the train leaves the station, his face expressionless. Y/n goes over and takes the empty seat next to him.
"Hey, babe," she says softly, taking his cold, pale hands in hers, kissing his cheek lovingly. He leans towards her, a dazed expression on his face, weakly kissing her lips back. "Are you okay, love? Your hands are really clammy."
"Yeah, y/n. I'm fine," he responds. Y/n pauses for a moment hesitantly, doubting Draco.
"Are you sure?" she asks.
"Yes, babe," he finally responds looking into her eyes. "I'm only tired."
Y/n nods and rests her head on her boyfriend of two years' shoulder, gently drifting off to sleep until their arrival at Hogwarts.
~~~~~
Things have not been going well for Draco Malfoy. It's been nearly four months since the start of term. The vanishing cabinet has been mending painstakingly slow and with the weeks slowly rolling by, Draco's been getting less and less sleep every night. He's been slowly falling apart for weeks now, distancing himself from his friends and school work. The more he works on the cabinet, the less sleep he gets, the less he turns in homework assignments, landing him in detention more and more. He's no longer the Slytherin Prince. He hasn't given off the glow that resonates power and pride for over three months. The Slytherin Prine has been dethroned and stripped of his power. Everyone knew it so they deserted him and eventually, Draco's former glory was forgotten. Everybody moved on. Everyone except y/n.
Y/n was still concerned for Draco, despite him being out of the picture for weeks. He was still her boyfriend and y/n wasn't ready to say goodbye unless he directly said he wanted to end it. She'd sit with him during meals, even if he said nothing to her. She would be there to support him no matter what, but he never seemed to recognize it.
Today is no different. Draco sits alone at the Slytherin table, sipping a cup of tea, his eyes glazed over. Y/n joins him, seeing that the circles under his eyes have grown.
"Draco...," she pleads. "Talk to me... We haven't spoken in months."
Draco makes eye contact, the pain glistening in his eyes helplessly. He can't say anything or he'll risk her safety and well being. He lowers his gaze to his cup and takes another drink. Y/n's heart sinks.
"Draco, I'm your girlfriend... What's going on?" she says. "I implore you. Talk to me! I'm here for you!"
He shakes his head and stands up.
"Please don't walk away again...," she sighs. "I can see you're hurting. I know you. We've been together for years."
Draco steps out of his seat and starts to head out of the Great Hall.
"Don't shut me out!" she shouts, following him into the corridors. Draco breaks into a run, dashing into an empty bathroom. Y/n follows him in, not caring about Slytherin's house points anymore. She rushed towards him and cups his cheeks tightly with her hands, forcing him to look at her. "Don't push me away, Draco Lucius Malfoy! Don't think I don't see that something's troubling you! I've been worried for months! You aren't the same! Tell me what's wrong and maybe I can help! I don't want to see you like this anymore... Where's the Draco I fell in love with?"
"Y/n...," Draco sighs. "I-I'm sorry... I-I don't have an excuse for treating you like I have..."
"What's been going on?" she asks, removing her hands from his face. "I've known you for year, Draco. You have a reason for everything."
"Are you sure you want an answer?" Draco asks and y/n nods. "Please don't run away when I show you..."
Draco grasps the left sleeve of his uniform shirt and yanks up sharply. She turns his forearm up for y/n to see, the skull and snake sharply contrasting against his pale skin. Draco starts to shake as y/n stares at it.
"Why didn't you say anything, Draco?" she asks.
"I-I don't know... I wanted to protect you... If you knew, he'd come after you," Draco gulps. He shoves his sleeve back over his marks and takes y/n by her waist. "I love you, y/n. More than I can possibly say. I didn't want to lose you. I thought If I distanced myself you'd be safe... I just ended up hurting you..."
After a moment of silence, y/n smiles.
"It's alright, Draco, really," she replies, pulling up her own sleeve. An identical Dark Mark is branded into her skin, too.
The floodgates of stress, worry, and guilt in Draco's mind have been opened and all that's left is relief. Draco wraps his arms around y/n's waist, savouring the closeness he's longed for since the end of summer. Kissing his lips fully, y/n wraps her arms around his neck. They part reluctantly but look into each other's eyes.
"Please don't keep anything like this from me ever again, Draco," y/n whispers. "I was so worried."
"I vow, y/n. I won't," Draco replies. "Keep each other safe?"
"Of course my love," y/n replies confidently. "No matter what."
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A/N: this imagine was 1,449 words long! Thanks for reading! the next chapter to come is an original request by crniandeo! See you then!
- Soiea