Redemption.

Regret

Draco's POV.

Blaise Zabini and Draco walked down to their common room, talking, but Draco's mind had wandered off somewhere far away, lost in time. His fists were clenched.
They walked through the door and sat down on the cold leather couches by a fire. Draco felt good being here again, even though he still couldn't take off his mind the memories of the last time he was at Hogwarts.
Pansy Parkinson sat down on the couch beside Draco, who glided the furthest away he could from her. He didn't want to have her clinging to him on the very first day back. He needed to do things one step at a time. And he knew he didn't need that girl around him. She was trouble.
The first years walked in along with the prefect of the house, staring at the tall windows, with an underwater view of the lake. Some kids shivered, and they had every reason to for the Slytherin common room was a very cold place. Firstly because of the colours, silver and green, and secondly because of where it was in the castle. It wasn't the warmest place. They followed the prefect to their dormitories, and soon enough Draco, Blaise and Pansy were alone in the common room.

"Do you know what we could do?" Pansy told them.

The boys shook their heads, but Draco already knew what she had in mind. Blaise raised a brow as he leaned back in his armchair by the fire.

"Threesome," Pansy finally said.

"You wish," Blaise told her.

"In your dreams, Parkinson," Draco said.

Pansy leaned back, another few inches away from Draco, and got to her feet. She stood still, looking at them both, and scoffed as she stormed out of the room. Draco let out a sigh, relieved the pug had decided to leave on her own.
Silence fell on the room, and Draco let his head rest on the back of the couch as he stared at the high-ceilings.
Blaise jumped on the couch beside Draco and leaned in close, his elbows resting on his own knees. He cleared up his throat. Draco raised a brow.

"I didn't know she'd come back," Blaise said.

"She has, though. I thought she'd come back."

"What are you going to do about it?"

"I never should have told you about her," Draco sighed, shaking his head.

"Come on, mate. I'm your best-friend."

"I don't know what I will do."

"Do you love her?" Blaise asked him.

"Love? What are we, twelve?"

"You once told me you did."

"Maybe," Draco said, "and a week after she asked me not to find her, ever."

"Those were different times, and you know it."

Draco did know it was a different time. He was different. Things were different. His life was nowhere near the life he was living now. If only things didn't happen this way, he could still have been with Stiorra. There wasn't a day he didn't think about it. There wasn't a day he didn't regret it.

Draco had repaired the old vanishing cabinet he had found in the Room of Requirements. The Dark Lord wanted it to be done. The Dark Lord wasn't pleased with Draco. He had failed killing Albus Dumbledore twice, he had to act quickly. If he ever failed again, his parents would die. They were coming. He knew today was the day.
He walked out of the hospital wing, unbothered, trying to keep it together. No one had to know. No one could know about him. Draco was sure Harry Potter already knew about him, for he never minded his own business.
It was dark outside. Draco walked along the corridor, up until he found his way to the library. His heart lightened suddenly. Stiorra was there, sitting on a windowsill with the hood of her robe pulled up on her head. His heart suddenly clenched. What was he doing? He was torn apart. And he had no other choice but to do it.
There was no turning back. But he knew that if she ever found out about it, it would all be over. The mere idea of his relationship being over made him sick. He knew Death Eaters wanted Stiorra. She was the child from the prophecy his aunt Bellatrix Lestrange told him about. He didn't tell his aunt he knew her, for he was sure Stiorra would be dragged from a place to another, never to be saved.
Her face lit up when she saw him walking up to her. There was confusion in her eyes. Still she jumped in his arms.