❃
𝑴𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆 𝑪𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒆
"Nice outfit, Weasley," Theo shouted from our table as he walked in wearing a brown strapped cap, Gryffindor quidditch sweater and tight trousers.
"Quidditch uniforms always look better on Slytherin boys," Daphne said, looking at Blaise.
"Thanks for that," he answered slyly, planting a kiss on her cheek.
Draco had arrived twenty minutes late, per usual.
"I wish you could've played this year, Draco. I know how much you loved being seeker," I sighed, taking another bite of my breakfast, making sure the others weren't paying attention as I talked to him. They still didn't know we'd made up.
"At least I can sit and watch Blaise with you," he said quietly, giving me a small smile.
He truly missed quidditch. It was a part of him.
He hadn't touched his food, either.
"Hey, eat. You'll feel better," I smiled.
"Don't quote Lupin, that's what he told you after your boggart-"
"I'm being serious, Draco."
He shook his head, taking a small bite of toast.
We made our way to the quidditch pitch, taking our seats as Blaise stood in the field with the rest of the team. The match swiftly began, snow falling softly to the grounds as the quaffle was thrown into the air.
"Yeah, Blaise!!" We all screamed as he caught it, watching as it made it's way through the Slytherin team, headed straight for the goal; but Weasley blocked it.
And he blocked it well.
"I thought you said he was shit when you watched tryouts, Theo?" Daph huffed, adjusting her coat.
"He was! He could barely hold on to the bloody broomstick,"
"Good job jinxing us, Theo," I rolled my eyes, the stands full of Gryffindors roaring as they made shot after shot, Weasley defending their goals almost perfectly.
Too perfectly.
"We're fifty to nothing, this is absolute bullshit," Pansy yelled, "Why stand out here in the freezing cold to watch us fucking lose?"
I huddled against Draco as the game continued, the gusts of cold wind making me shiver.
"Are you cold?" he whispered down at me.
"Just a little bit," I smiled softly, watching another Slytherin goal get intercepted.
"Come here,"
"But I thought-"
"Just- come here," he stood behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist as he inserted his hands into my coat pockets.
"Better?" he rested his head on my shoulder.
"Much better," I smiled softly, "although I didn't really expect you to be much of a person for public display of affection."
"Oh please, nobody's paying any attention. Besides, your cold. I'm not gonna let you freeze to bloody death."
The game ended when Potter caught the snitch. We'd lost.
I slept in Draco's room that night.
We didn't do anything.
He just held me.
I was so exhausted.
I think the fear that my Father might be back by Christmas break was weighing me down. Even the screams of the crowd at the quidditch match were too overwhelming. I much preferred Draco's quiet snores as his thumb absentmindedly drew circles on my back, sending me into a peaceful sleep.
He couldn't be with me in the mornings, but I understood. He'd leave me a note and some breakfast. He finally felt motivated to make something in his life seem normal.
He was trying.
And despite my lonely mornings, every small gesture he made was enough.
December 20th
Pansy insisted on sneaking us into Slughorn's Christmas Party.
We'd walk in with Naevah, who was bringing Neville, and Blaise who was bringing Daph. She said we'd blend right in as long as we dressed up.
I was bored of studying, so I agreed.
We chose light colors, so we wouldn't stand out. My dress was a cream coffee color, Pansy's lavender.
"We look preppy," she said with a smug expression, staring at us in the mirror.
"You guys look fine, come on. We've got to go," Daph pulled us out, taking Blaise's arm as we walked through the halls to the sixth floor of the castle. The ceiling was lined with paper lanterns as we approached Slughorn's office.
We entered with ease, taking wine glasses full of eggnog from the food tables, which were lined with gorgeous arrangements of fruits, ice creams and baked goods.
"Look at Loony Lovegood's outfit, so many ruffles," Blaise chuckled.
"I think she looks pretty," Pansy elbowed him, taking another sip of her drink. "I heard Potter asked her here."
𝑵𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓'𝒔 𝒑𝒐𝒗
Maybelle was unaware of Draco Malfoy's current whereabouts.
He'd unveiled the cabinet in the room of requirement once more, dust clouding the air as he threw it's red and white paisley covering onto the ground.
He'd managed to open it last week; now it was only a matter of how well it will function.
The boy placed a smooth, untouched green apple inside, closing the delicate door which was covered in a silver patterning, rusted over from the years it had sat alone untouched.
"Harmonia nectere passus."
The apple was gone.
Draco repeated the spell twice more.
When the door opened, he saw.
The apple rolled in his hands as he gazed in wonder at the bite that had been taken out of the fruit.
𝑴𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆 𝑪𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒆
"That's a sight," Pansy snorted as we watched Hermione scuffle away from Cormac, who was pulling her under the mistletoe.
"I almost feel bad for her," Blaise smiled.
She ran underneath the window curtains, Potter following closely behind her as Cormac searched the room for his date.
"Where's Theo, by the way?" I asked.
"Couldn't make it, he has a cold,"
"Just take some cough potion," I argued.
"You know he hates it, says it tastes like goblin piss," Pansy exclaimed.
Snape suddenly walked into the room, approaching both Potter and McGlaggen.
"This can't be good," I whispered.
"Oh shit, Theo would've loved to see this," Blaise began to laugh, Cormac spitting his dessert all over Snape's shoes.
"Bloody disgusting."
As soon as the real fun had begun, the room went dead silent, Filch's shoes scurrying on the floor as he dragged in a very pissed off Malfoy, wearing a black suit, his hair slicked back.
"Take your hands off me, you filthy squib," he spat, trying to shuffle out of his grasp. His eyes met mine, his demeanor immediately softening.
"Professor Slughorn, sir. I just discovered this boy lurking in an upstairs corridor. He claims to have been invited to your party-"
"Okay, okay, I was gate-crashing. Happy?" he seethed, unable to take his eyes away from me as I stared at him in confusion.
Snape approached him.
"I'll escort... him out," Snape chose his words carefully, taking a quick glance at our group.
"Certainly. Professor."
Potter began to follow the two of them into the corridor, the party commencing once again as Slughorn began to converse with his students.
"I'm going after him,"
"May don't, what if something bad happens?" Daph grabbed my arm, holding me back as I placed my glass down on a nearby table.
"That's the point."
I removed my heels, tip toeing down the corridor as I hid behind a nearby column.
I felt a hand grab my wrist.
"Christ, Potter, you scared the living shit out of me," I breathed, trying to quiet myself.
"Shh, they're coming," he exclaimed, holding a finger to my lips.
Footsteps shuffled down the hall, Draco's silhouette coming into view as Snape's cape followed shortly behind him.
"Maybe I did hex that Bell girl, maybe I didn't. What's it to you-" Draco was cut off as Snape pressed him against the wall in anger, beams of moonlight flickering on the corridor's walls.
"I swore to protect you. I made the unbreakable vow-"
"I don't need protection! I was chosen for this, out of all others, me," Draco seethed back, "I won't fail him-"
"You're afraid, Draco. You attempt to conceal it, but it's obvious, let me assist you,"
"No! I was chosen, this is my moment," Draco sped away, Harry pulling me further behind the column by my waist so he wouldn't see us.
"What was all of that?" Harry whispered, turning me around.
"I have no idea," I lied, beginning to walk back to the party.
"Maybelle, why are you with him?" he asked.
"Excuse me?" I said in surprise, turning myself back towards him.
"I heard the things he said to you that one morning when you stormed away. How do you stay with someone like that? Why would you do that to yourself?" he asked quietly, his green eyes illuminating in the moonlight.
"There are some things in this world you will never understand, Potter. You have people to guide you. In our friend group, we only have each other. Maybe you'd understand why we are the way we are if you were raised by abusive death eaters that force their ways of living on you. We have to forgive each other, or we'll have no one left. We don't get a choice," I seethed, turning to go back to my friends.
"One more thing," I turned, him still standing there speechless, "lay so much as a finger on me again, and it won't be Draco you have to worry about."
"Are you alright, May?" Pansy asked, my cheeks red in anger.
"I'm fine," I swigged down the last of my drink, "nothing happened."
The truth is Potter wouldn't just blame this all on Draco, he'd find a way to pin it on me.
Harry Potter's mother's love had been enough to protect him that night; even still, Narcissa's unconditional love for her son wouldn't be enough to save him from The Dark Lord.
I'd become so desperate I'd turned to praying.
Every night before I would sink into a deep slumber, I would pray.
Not only for me, but for him. That he'd stay safe; not only physically, but mentally. The things he was going to see would rip him apart from the inside out. Getting caught in his crossfire was my main concern.
I didn't know if I believed in anything; if there was anything out there at all.
I prayed anyway, hoping someone, anyone could hear me pleading to keep my friends and I safe, despite knowing in my heart we were fighting for the side of evil.
A sliver of forgiveness would be enough.
❃
𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓 𝒗𝒐𝒕𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒅𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒊𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒓𝒚 <3
~ 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚞𝚙𝚙𝚘𝚛𝚝, 𝚒𝚕𝚢