A Slytherin Secret; Draco Malfoy

F O R T Y - S I X

Tw: small references to anxiety, self-deprecation

T H E  M A T C H

Elle's pov

—

Everyone stood silently, waiting for the tall, wide, wooden door to open. The sounds of the crowd grew louder and louder, followed by the muffled, soft voice of Luna Lovegood. She would be commentating on this game; she was, unsurprisingly, quite excited for the job.

Luna had said, and I quote, 'whatever McGonagall needs me to do, I will gladly do. Besides, it will be fun - commentating about my friends.'

I was undeniably proud of her, seeing her put herself out there like that made me extremely happy.

Sighing as I closed my eyes, I tilted my head side to side, feeling satisfying pops of relief. I rolled my shoulders and straightened my back, tightening my grip on the broom held firmly in my left hand.

After a few moments of serene silence, I heard soft sounds of distress coming from my right. I opened my eyes, glancing to the side. My eyes were met by Goyle; wringing his hands over and over again. I slowly rose my eyes to meet his face, a slightly panicked expression etched painfully across. "Hey," I said softly, attempting to be discreet. Goyle jumped a bit, his eyes darting to mine. Once he saw me, instant relaxation washed over him. "Hi," he responded, turning his head forward as he cleared his throat.

"Are you alright? Getting anxious?" I questioned gently, raising my eyebrows.

Goyle stared straight, his adam's apple bobbing up and down as he took in selective breaths. He gnawed on his bottom lip, peeking back at me from time to time. I could tell he was feeling uneasy - it wasn't a rare occurrence for Goyle.

Smiling softly, I reached up, placing a comforting hand on Goyle's shoulder. Goyle gave me a reluctant look in response. "It's okay to be unsettled Goyle," I declared warmly, patting his shoulder. "Trust me, there have been countless situations in which I was filled with anxiety and uneasiness. You don't need to feel ashamed."

Goyle stared at me for many seconds, then sent me a wide, genuine smile. He patted the top of my hand, sighing. "Thank god you're the team Captain," he said bluntly, shaking his head.

I chuckled quietly, looking over my left shoulder. Theo was chatting with Marcus a few feet away. After looking at Theo, I averted my eyes to the right, catching sight of Robin and Liv chatting with each other, a smile on Robin's lips as she gazed down at Liz.

Then, to my left was Blaise, standing about a foot away. He saw me looking, sending a half-smirk my way. I rolled my eyes, looking forward.

Suddenly, I realized how broken apart we all were, causing me to spin around hastily in worry. "Everyone, get in formation, please!" I said loudly, ushering them all to come closer with my hands.

And just in time too.

Precisely as everyone had gotten into their rightful placements, their subjective broom in hand, Luna's voice echoed through my ears once again.

"Now, " Luna's mystical voice boomed, causing me to take in a deep breath. "Let me introduce you to the teams of this match. Firstly, let's acquaint you with the first party: the Gryffindor team."

The crowd roared loudly with applause as I assumed the Gryffindor team emerged from their side of the pitch. Everyone around me started to become even more serious: their stances firm, faces stern and cold. Soon, Luna's voice emerged from the vociferation.