Everlasting (Draco Malfoy x Reader)

Cedric's Kindness

By this point, you reached everyone else, and thus the two of you split off without another word. Catching up with your friends, you made your way to the castle, and you were more than excited to see it yet again. Not much happened that evening either - it was rather at the sorting ceremony that you sat at the Slytherin table. You sat with Cassius Warrington, the Slytherin's chaser, whom you befriended to a decent standard towards the end of the previous year. He was one of the first people to congratulate you after your victory, and thus the two of you got along well to a decent standard. Malfoy was not fine with this; he wished for you to suffer as you experienced your life at Hogwarts, and to see you get along with a Slytherin was something he'd never wish for you. Thus, you assumed this was the cause of his constant glancing over. You'd made eye contact with him multiple times throughout the entire ceremony, and every time, the two of you awkwardly looked away as if nothing had happened. You were not an awkward person, therefore the awkwardness of eye contact with Malfoy in such a way was rather intimate, and it was odd to feel so nervous.

"You're a third year, you can come to Hogsmeade now, can't you?" Cassius asked.

"Yes, I can."

"Then, we should go sometime." He said, smiling at you, ignoring the ceremony. You turned to him as he sat on your left side, therefore behind you as you faced the ceremony.

"Yes, lets. It must be beautiful."

"It's very nice during winter when the snow is there."

"I'll definitely have to check it out," you said smiling kindly, causing Malfoy's blood to boil more and more with every sense of enjoyment you had.

"Potter," you heard none other than Cedric's voice call you over from his table, which happened to be next to yours, allowing you to turn around to him. "Football match tomorrow?"

"Bet."

"Do you want to come to the Hufflepuff common room tonight?"

You were slightly taken aback by the sudden invitation, but it's not like it would be your first time there. You'd spent many days with Cedric in the Hufflepuff common room, only you weren't expecting it to happen so soon and so late. Nevertheless, you were a person who preferred adventures over sleep, thus it sounded appealing.

"Sounds good."

When the ceremony came to an end, you got up off your seat and immediately followed Cedric out of the hall with his friends. Just before you took your final leave, your eyes met Malfoy's once more through the crowd. He looked - what's the word - frustrated. Yes, you were doing too well. You were getting along with everyone else too well. You were too happy. This bickering with Malfoy, as pathetic as it was, made you happier than you could have foretold, for it made you feel at home. He enjoyed it too; he enjoyed being your muse, being your enemy. This was indeed why you knew he would never go to such lengths, for whilst he was a pussy, he had to spare you because annoying you was the best thing that had happened to him. And vice versa.

"How was your summer, then?" Cedric asked, smiling down at you as the two of you walked through the halls.

"Honestly? Terrible. I considered jumping off a bridge like four times."

"Why so bad?"

"My family is quite abusive, if I'm honest."

"Who do you live with?"

"My aunt and uncle. My aunt, Petunia, was my mother's sister. They are two very different people, I believe. I think my mother was a great person. My aunt isn't, though."

"Can't you escape somehow?"

"Escape? Cedric, I'm not even fourteen yet."

"Yes, fair point. What do you mean by abusive, anyway?"

"Well, sometimes Harry and I get starved, sometimes pushed, sometimes locked in, sometimes hit. We're slaves in the house too."

"[F/n], that's not okay at all. Why don't you stay with me next summer instead?"

"As much as I appreciate the offer," you said, smiling, "I could not leave Harry."

"Well, if you change your mind, let me know."

The two of you, and some of his friends behind, finally arrived at the Hufflepuff common room. Walking in, the vibrant yellow hit you and made you feel ultimately cosy. The atmosphere of the Hufflepuff common room was immaculate - the gentle haze, the yellow lights that mimicked the sun, the wooden floor and walls, the fireplace. It was all so homely.

"I love this common room."

"Really?" Cedric said, smiling at you, as he took his robes off. Throwing his robe back onto a sofa, he followed behind you, taking your Slytherin robe off and throwing it on top of his yellow robe. "It's warm in here."

"Yes, thank you."

"[F/n], will you be playing as seeker still this year?" One of Cedric's friends, Addis, asked.

"Yes."

"Good. I'm trying out for seeker this year, so when we play, I can beat you."

"I mean, you can try." You said with a challenging smile.

"I'll bet anything."

"Have you seen me play?" You scoffed. "Don't do that to yourself," you said, confidently whipping your hair back.

"Bold," he grinned.

"Alright, stop pestering her." Cedric said with a smile, stepping in front of you slightly and blocking your view from the other boys.

And that night, you sat with Cedric and his friends in the Hufflepuff common room, speaking for hours and giggling, catching up on your summer. You did not, sadly, have much to say, but it was pleasant to listen to the stories of others. When it came to you, you tried to avoid the topics much and when Cedric noticed how uncomfortable you'd gotten at speaking about the Dursleys, he quickly changed topic. When you returned to the Slytherin common room, it was long past curfew - already half past midnight. Cedric offered to walk you, but you refused and said you enjoyed nightly walks on your own. Especially since the Slytherin common room was rather far away, and the dungeons were quite a scary place, but you weren't too bothered.