Chapter 1
A new day and the continuation of the terrible stay at Hogwarts, if only Draco could use his Slytherin ways to get out of this hellhole. But with Lucius in Azkaban none was possible. Truth be told the mornings with being spat at or hexed on weren’t the problem (they were very much deserved) rather green eyed, messy hair Harry – no git and his red hair girlfriend was. Everywhere he went they were there with a “hi Malfoy!” and all he could do is nod and move on till a few minutes later he’d be interrupted with a “bye Malfoy!” He hated himself for feeling such a way, the little flutter that’d bloom in his heart whenever potter would say that and the smile. The roller-coasters it’d pull in his stomach. He’d spend all night tossing in his bed thinking about it, analysing every tiny detail and eventually coming to the conclusion that he is doomed. He didn’t even know when it all started, was it potter choosing to save him from the fiendfyre or was it him speaking on his behalf on the trial but deep down he knew the feelings were always present (just not understood or accepted), ever since he first showed in his glory as the chosen one to Hogwarts.
“Boy you need to stop sulking, everytime I see you; you are staring off into the forest like a child from hogwarts who died before every stepping foot in quidditch.” Blaise interrupts him and draco winces. “And before you say anything draco, it’s not your fault people died.” He gives him a stern gaze.
“A lot did. I should have been in Azkaban.”
“If that could keep potter out of your mind and sight then sure, I would have dropped you myself but apart from that you don’t deserve it. Getting curses every morning that you don’t dodge is more than enough.” He finishes looking around hoping not to spot any peeking faces in case of an ambush.
“You saved the chosen one didn’t you darling.” Pansy pops from beside like a cat almost scaring the boys. “Without you everyone would be dead.” Just then a passing Hermione and Ron pass by with Hermione shouting “Hi guys!” and Ron smiling sheepishly beside as the trio stare not moving an inch.
As they pass by the three groan in despair. “Are we that unwelcomed that the saviour trio has to greet us every morning!” Pansy scowls loudly.
“The Weasley didn’t even want to be here.” Blaise grimaces kicking a stone far into the forest.
“His brother died because of me.” Draco huffs as blaise smacks his head harshly.
“Ouch!”
“Well deserved.” Pansy says fixing his hair.
“Molly Weasley literally hugged you and Arthur Weasley patted you, that’s more than you can ask for” Pansy and draco share a well knowing look. “And maybe you know what it’s because of the granger, maybe she’s too loud for him.”
Now its pansy’s turn to smack blaise. “Please if anything he’s too loud for her!”
“Exactly! They don’t deserve each other!”
“Neither do we!” Pansy almost screams. “I will get married to draco and you to some girl in France. Narcissa is sending owls to your mother every week with potential candidates.”
“How do you know that?” Draco asks curiously not wanting to spend a single second pondering on what pansy said prior to that.
“My mother of course.” She crosses her arms. “We are our family’s heirs, it doesn’t matter what we want boys, we have to do this.”
“Also, this way we won’t rub our bad luck on the three.” Blaise continues kicking more stones.
“Not like we ever had a chance.” Draco says continuing to gaze off into the forest unaware of the soft thumping of Ginny Weasley.
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The trio is sitting under the shade of a tree as hermione studies and harry, ron try to choke on this butterbeer potion. “Where did you even find that?” hermione rolls her eyes.
“Dean and seamus ofcourse.” Ron responds as a lot of the potion slips out his mouth and hermione almost gags.
“I cannot believe there was a time I was attracted to you.”
“Hermione, I was all you ever had or might I say all you ever will have. Let’s make a pact - by 30 if we are single, lets hit it off.” And he winks at her.
“Uggh like this you will never capture his attention.”
“Speak for yourself, pansy was staring like you asked for her kidney! I told you that you cannot be loud mione, you have to be sophisticated. I am wizard I know.” His eyes drift beside hermione’s to see a raging ginny approach and he quickly dives behind harry using him a as a shield. “It’s the chosen one! Ginny, you cannot hurt him!”
Harry shrieks as Ginny snatches the beer and pours it on top of all their heads. “Ginny!” hermione screams getting up.
“What’s the matter with you!” Ron says agitated. “It was so hard to get my hands on these!”
“You owe us an explanation!” Harry demands wiping off his glasses.
“I owe you three nothing! And I am done pretending Harry! I love Luna and if you three can’t be with your lovers, it’s not my job to stay with you. The pact be damned.” She crosses her arms rudely as harry looks on confused.
“What’s the matter Ginny?”
“I overheard the slytherins.” The trio looks confused. “The three.” And their pupils dilate anticipatedly and Ginny feels bad for a second.
“Say it quickly!” Ron shrieks grabbing her.
“Stop acting like a woman.” Ginny swats his hands away. “I was on my way to you know stalk Luna but I over heard pansy saying and I quote “I will get married to draco and you to some girl in France. Narcissa is sending owls to your mother every week with potential candidates.” And then I stormed here.
“Ginny you should have stayed maybe Parkinson would have said “Pranked you” or something.” Ron says in agitation.
“Really ron?” Ginny looks at him expressionless.
“It’s over guys, I told you its not good enough, just because we feel this way doesn’t mean they are entitled to as well. Pansy and draco were always together and I guess always will be. We should be happy with their choices.” Hermione claims sadly as Ginny pats her back soothingly. “Thankyou Ginny, if anything – at least we know now to stop greeting them and annoying them, it meant nothing to them.”
“I don’t know mione. Draco and I, the moments we shared, it cannot be one sided. Some of it must be reciprocated maybe just as friends.” Harry says in denial looking into hermione and ron’s eyes trying to persuade them.
“Harry mate that’s bad, being friends and knowing you don’t have a chance. We have already gone through so much.” Ron disagrees as the rest nod.
“Harry my approach was harsh but just because you won the battle doesn’t mean you can win this too, not everything works out for everyone. Maybe its best to let draco be with someone he wants to be and produce heirs.” She almost gags on that statement.
“I battled Voldemort! The pureblood tradition is way beneath that!” Harry says in denial. He knows the rest can’t and never will understand the feelings he possesses. He himself doesn’t know exactly but he knows every morning he thinks of him and every night he dreams of him, the times he wakes up early just so he can sit across him in the library, the times he arrives late in his favorite classes just to be paired with him, the times he gathers all his strength to utter a word or two for him to not even look at him, the times he dresses himself every morning so he can imagine himself looking good beside him.
“Harry just because you feel a certain way doesn’t mean draco has to feel that also and I know you think pansy and draco aren’t right for each other, neither do we.” The rest nod. “But what can we do?” Hermione offers him a sympathetic smile even though she wants to go back to her room and cry in the embrace of her books.
“Yea mate, just because we are doesn’t mean they are also, if anything during the fiendfyre, I doubt draco or blaise remember us going for them specifically, they just wanted to be saved.” Ron smiles painfully as the butterbeer drips from his hair.
Ginny groans rubbing her head. “You guys! I am sorry, I shouldn’t have. Blaise and pansy were literally your awakening and draco, all harry knows is draco but its not right. We can’t force them or live our lives in the hopes that someday.”
Harry scoffs. “I guess you are right ginny, we all can’t have everything but I haven’t had anything yet. Story is old but it’s the truth. My parents died before I could even remember their faces and since day one I m battling monsters, demons and bloody hell Voldemort! Can’t I at least have one thing in my life! I don’t want the money, I don’t want the fame!”
“Harry, you have us and I am sorry that’s not enough but what can we do? Force him to love you? Have him leave his pureblood traditions and force him into a relationship with you because trust me as the chosen one you have a lot of power and as a former death eater, he barely has anything! He has lost all the money he possessed, his mother is far and barely sees him because he reminds her of his father who is rotting in Azkaban because we chose to not speak on his trial. So why would draco Malfoy leave everything for you but if that’s what you want then you shall have it. The world wouldn’t care anyways.”
"We weren't asked to speak in his trial Ginny and its not like we had anything to say in his defense." Ron retorts.
“He could love me; I’d be better than pansy.”
“He’s not gay harry.”
“Harry please let’s stop. You can’t hurt yourself like this. If anything, you can as usual block as many curses as you want aiming towards him but you see him every morning, we all see them, none of them acknowledge us so let’s stop.” Hermione almost pleads as a tear escapes her eye and that’s his weak spot. He nods swallowing the heavy weight resting in his throat. From tomorrow he shall stop being obsessed with draco malfoy.