Draco's Hufflepuff | Emerging

Forty-Seven: New Year's Eve

**

Tuesday, 31st December, 1996

I was sitting with Draco with my Muggle curlers in my hair and a skin brightening and moisturising face mask on. Draco kept looking over at the green paste hardening and I could see that he was trying not to laugh.

The infamous Malfoy Ball was due to begin in just under three hours and the more time went on, the more nervous I was beginning to feel. So, I decided to distract myself and make a start on getting ready.

Earlier on, Draco was asked to help prepare the downstairs, but he of course refused to. I didn't have it in me to even want to encourage him to go, insisting that I'd be okay, because we both knew that would be a lie.

Draco seemed just as on edge as I did, maybe not outwardly so, but he was very jumpy, and every slightly loud noise made him sit up straighter. So, I was more than happy to have him stay with me.

As he was writing in his journal sat in the armchair underneath his window, I painted my toe and finger nails black. I knew I could have just waved my wand to colour them, but I liked doing it the Muggle way.

**

Coming back from the bathroom with a very clean and smooth face, I saw Draco had closed his diary up and was standing up by his chest-of-drawers. I hugged him from behind and he relaxed into me, which made me grin to myself.

"I still have it, you know. I kept it," Draco said cryptically and out of the blue,

"You kept what, Draco?" I asked, moving to stand beside him,

"Do you want to see something really embarrassing and pathetic?" Draco exhaled a breath of air out of his nose.

He then opened the top-right drawer, which was filled with all sorts of stuff, mainly empty potion vials and pieces of parchment. I bit down on my bottom lip with eager anticipation.

Draco took a deep breath and handed me two pieces of parchment from near the bottom. They were still crisp and completely flat, as though they had been very well looked after.

"I swiped them whilst you weren't looking. I didn't how things were going to be between us once we left for our summer break, so I wanted something to remember you by, just in case you didn't want me anymore," Draco confessed, a tiny slither of vulnerability running through his tone,

"Oh, Draco-"

"I know, I know, I'm a fucking pussy – a right fucking joke," Draco interjected, tutting and rolling his eyes at himself,

"No, that is so incredibly sweet and thoughtful. I love that you kept them," I beamed at him, before looking back down at the parchment.

He had really kept the parchment we had played noughts and crosses on, as well as the piece we played hangman on the last day of our fifth year. My heart swelled as I looked at the slightly faded black ink.

I felt tempted to tell him about the drawer I have at my parent's house filled with memories of him, but something was stopping me. I was relieved that I wasn't the only one to hold onto things to reminisce over, however.

I wrapped my arms around him sideways and rested my head against his chest, feeling safe in his embrace, his fingertips slowly caressing my skin, tiny sparks of electricity shooting through my veins.

**

It was definitely getting louder downstairs, and I was in the bathroom opposite Draco's bedroom. He was already dressed in his three-piece all black suit and styled his hair to perfection.