H I M ; Draco Malfoy

A F T E R P A R T Y

D r a c o

I started attempting to fix the vanishing cabinet when the school year started. Even before I broke up with Vinnie. My father thought threatening Vinnie's life would be fun so he'd do just that every single day when we were on school break.

I still don't know where nova is.

Mother said nova was sent away somewhere safer than here. They said the dark lord himself had threatened to end her life if they don't take her somewhere far from him. I don't believe them. I doubt the dark lord would hold back to killing her. Not unless they want something from her.

The time Vinnie told me we needed to talk was the time I forced myself to be rude. I know, me, forcing myself to be rude when obviously being rude is my natural behavior. I watched her tears flow down from her face but this time didn't have the guts to wipe it with my thumb and kiss her till she feels better.

I miss those days where we get to be vulnerable with each other. She's still vulnerable with me, I wanted to be the same to her. But I couldn't get my plan to make her hate me go down to the drain. The dark lord would kill her. And me.

I'm not afraid of death. If not for Vinnie, I would invite death to come over and take me from this hellhole I'm living in. Fortunately for me, I met someone I was willing to live for.

Astoria walked with me back to the Slytherin dormitory after the interaction with Vin. She held my hand and I snatched mine away from her when we were out of sight of Vinnie's.

"You're destroying yourself, Draco" she exclaimed while we walk. "You can't keep pulling off a facade you've been having to do so for weeks. And I can't keep pretending to be her replacement just so you can keep up your stupid bloody plan."

"Bear with me, Astoria." I look at her. She inhaled sharply and exhale while shaking her head. Her hand frustratingly combed her hair.

"I don't see why we have to keep doing this. I can just help you protect Vinnie, y-you're not just destroying yourself, Draco. You're tearing her apart!" Her voice went louder and madder.

"Do you think I want this? Do you I like witnessing her hurt because of me?" My eyebrows met and I felt another rush of blood rushing to my head making it heat up.

"No, I don't think that. I know you're also hurting, but Merlin's beard, Draco. You're not the only one getting stuck in this fucking mess—"

"Is this a bloody competition?" I cut her off.

"No!" She answer.

Silence emits. I tried to hold back my anger and frustration. I see her bite her inner lower lip and ran her hands through her brunette hair frustratingly once again. For a second I could've sworn I saw Vinnie in front of me.

"We're both not in the state to talk," Astoria exclaimed, breaking the silence. She patted my shoulder and went to head first to the dormitory.

"I love her" I said unknowingly, I heard my voice crack and my eyes welling up with tears.

"I know," Astoria replied. "I never doubted that. I'm sure she never did as well"

With that, she disappeared from sight. I made my way back to the south courtyard hoping that Vinnie was still there. She wasn't.

Fall is right about the corner and so students started throwing off party from houses to houses. I got invited by Lorenzo to attend the upcoming Ravenclaw party. He said Luna invited us. Him, me, Pansy, Blaise, and Astoria.

I didn't want to come. She's there. Ironic how I was so eager the other day and hoped that she was still at the south courtyard so I could clear up things, and now that I had the chance to bump into her I suddenly backed off.