I stood straight at the entrance of the Slytherin common room—a few steps forward—as I stared at a figure of a person sitting on the couch, facing the fireplace. His platinum blonde hair and lack of response made it obvious who it was. Malfoy. Did stayed back?

I cautiously took a few steps towards the couch as he sat in a black jumper and sweats, with his back completely against the couch — he had a glass of which was probably alcohol in his hand as he twirled it around. My hands went for the edge of the couch as he slowly moved to face me, tilting his head as he stared at me intensely, eyeing me completely as I questioned his intentions. "It's ironic that even on break we find a way to be near each other. Hilarious," He spoke as I rolled my eyes.

"You're drunk."

"I don't know, am I?" He joked as he made a funny face looking my way, I took a deep breath. The day just kept getting longer by the minute.

"Clearly," I spoke as I sat on the arm of the couch. I eyed the bottle as it was more than half empty. He was drunk, and I was the only person there.

"Do you want a drink?" He asked, picking up the almost empty bottle and pointing it towards me.

"I don't drink." He gave a pouty face as I almost snorted looking away, not giving him the satisfaction of his comedic behavior.

"You're boring, Young."

"Such a nice compliment Malfoy, keep it up." I slid down onto the couch as I conjured a duvet, putting it around me as it brought warmth to my body.

I should've gone to my dorm room, instead, and relaxed in my bed but instead, I chose to sit here, and he sat on the opposite side of the couch, drunk. Though I didn't want to be alone out of all the people I'd rather be with right now, he would be on the bottom of the list. He turned his body towards me as I felt him shift on the couch, still facing the fireplace. "Why did you come back to Hogwarts?" He asked.

"I could ask you the same thing," I replied as he took a second before replying again, inching forward.

"I never left, but you did. So why did you come back?" I've seen Malfoy drunk before, but I've never seen him be this talkative and forward like this. Our conversations didn't last more than five minutes without it turning into a screaming match with Blaise or Theo pulling us apart at the end. "Family. What about you?"

"Something like that," he said as he rolled his wrists, stretching his arms out. I didn't know why whenever I was around him, I was always open. It scared me how comfortable I was with him while talking about my personal life. It was terrifying in a way. I threw my head back onto the couch, comfortably resting as I felt myself almost falling asleep. The warmth of the fireplace as I was wrapped in a thick duvet with a person I hated just a little less at the moment on the other side of the couch, drunk.

I'd rather be here than at home.

"Are you really going to fall asleep right now?" He questioned as I almost let out a groan, feeling my head feel heavy as I picked it up to look towards him.

"It's been a long day," I said, giving him a minute to process, "of course I'm going to sleep, I'm tired. Did you have something else in mind?" He laughed as he looked down, with a faint glitter in his eyes as he laughed a little too hard at what I said. That wasn't supposed to be funny?

"No, do you?" He asked as I looked at him in disbelief.

"No, the requests are closed." I threw my head back again as I sunk into the couch, relaxing my shoulders, and closing my eyes.

"Have a drink with me," he said as I rolled my eyes, "just one." He insisted as I opened my eyes, staring his way as he moved the bottle forward.

I debated for a minute as I looked at him.

"I'm only agreeing because I could use a drink."I pointed a finger toward him as I moved closer to him. He poured the remaining amount of alcohol in the bottle into the glass, handing it to me after.

It took me a minute before I took a sip, the burn of the alcohol ran through my body as my eyes squinted a little. We drank in silence as he looked at me for some sort of answer.

"Fine, it isn't that bad." He smirked, his signature smirk.

"I'd say I told you so, but I'm being nice."

"Nice? You should drink often." I looked down at my drink as he shifted towards me.

"So you're saying that you may like the other version of me as well?" He talked as his presence felt closer. I hadn't realized the use of my words until he talked. Better, I said to him. No, I'm just overthinking this.

"You know what I meant. Don't twist my words. You're still an arrogant arsehole."

"I'm only just repeating what you said." It's like the cockiness within him stays no matter what, he always wants to be right. I might have also unintentionally smiled at his comment unknowingly not knowing what may it cause.

"Is there not anyone else you could torture?" I asked him as he rolled his eyes, facing the fireplace as the light from the fire reflected upon his eyes, making them glow. I always loved eyes, the way they could say a million words, the way they could speak a whole conversation between two people, the way eyes were always naked.

"Probably, but I am choosing you."

I liked eyes. I love them. There was something about how his eyes would watch you. Like a real-life siren where you'd be told not to look them in the eye, but you couldn't help it, beautifully manipulative.

"So you chose to fuck with me? Now, that's something we need to elaborate on." I pointed out as his face shifted back to me. "As well as the fact you hate that I won the first-year duel."

"I annoy you because I enjoy seeing you flustered."

"No, you probably annoy me because your father probably called you out on it. As well as the fact that I won the duel. I remember Dumbledore calling our parents — "

"Don't talk about my father." His tone was harsh and cold as he looked my way. I tilted my face looking at him slightly as I narrowed my eyes at him, confused.

"Malfoy we're just having a conversation you don't need to — "

He angrily placed his glass on the table in front of us as he looked at me, his face closer to mine, his emotion-filled eyes staring right at me. "Just don't fucking mention my father, don't be so infuriating," he said furiously as I scoffed, getting a hold of his attention even more.

"You know what, here I thought for once we could have a normal conversation — like a decent conversation — even if we aren't sober, just a conversation where we don't argue. I don't know about you Malfoy, but you aren't the only one with issues."

I paused to clear my thoughts. I had a long fucking day and there was something in me that had clicked, and it was like emotions were oozing left and right from me, and out of all the people, it happened in front of Malfoy.

"So I'd appreciate it if you for once try and not be an areshole and act like a normal human being — "

He had moved forward with full force, connecting his lips with mine. For a moment, everything around me had frozen, and it was just the two of us in a dark room within this moment. The thing that took me by surprise was the fact that I kissed him back, catching him by surprise as well.

My reaction was immediately placing my hand on the back of his neck as he delicately cupped my face. I inched forward as the kiss deepened, but before it could go any further, the realization of what was happening hit me and I pulled away. I looked up at him as his chest rose heavily, up and down. I shouldn't have done that, I was so stupid, why did I do that? Why did he do that?

"You can't just kiss me like that." My hands turned into a fist as I tried to express my rage. No, it wasn't rage, it was completely something else. Something new. It was disbelief. I got up from the couch immediately as he parted his lips to say something.

"Fuck—Young I didn't mean to—"

"No, just don't," I spoke as I turned around, going up to the girl's dormitory. I quickly went up the stairs as every single thought ran through my head. I wanted this day to end already and as each moment passed, it just seemed to get more complicated. I closed the door of my dorm as I pressed my back against it.

I didn't know how to process what had happened a couple of minutes ago as the memory was fresh, replaying in my head. I traced my lips, still feeling his lips on mine, allowing myself to feel his essence on me. He smelt sweet but balmy, floral with an edge, like orchids mixed with musk. This was the closest I had been to him in the six years I had known him, it was weird but—I don't know.

He was a dumb-witted fuck. Yes. That's what he was. An idiot. A total fucking idiot. That stupid fucking idiot had kissed me. I hated him—no I despised him—I despised his soft touch against my cheeks, I hated the way his lips felt against mine and I hated how addicting he felt. No—no—no—what the fuck had happened. Why the fuck would he do that, that arsehole.

I pushed myself off the floor as I practically threw myself onto my bed, burying my face into the pillow, trying to erase every memory of today, including him. I was comfortably in bed when I suddenly felt a tingle around my ankles, something against it as I jolted up. It was Kami.

Kami was the cat I've had for the last six years at Hogwarts, my spirit animal, my friend. I tried to introduce Kami to Crookshanks, but they never got along.

I patted her head as she walked around in a circle, finding a comfortable position for herself as she sat next to me. I sighed as I went back to bed, kicking my shoes off. I wanted to pretend that this particular day didn't happen, erasing all of it from my head. Falling asleep was one of the best parts of the day, it was a  safe place, my haven. I'd snuggle into the duvet as happy as a cat in the sunlight, ready for the world of dreams to come to me.

It was the middle of the night when I felt uneasy. My throat is dry and sore, every organ in my body begs for water. There is a pain at the back of my head that threatens to grow into a powerful migraine, a sure sign that dehydration isn't far away, I barely drank water anyways. Also, one of the dumbest things I did.

I swung my legs off the bed as I realized I hadn't changed from the dress I wore as I practically snuck out or ran away from my own house. I rubbed my eyes as a dark layer made my vision blurry for a split second. I turned back to see Kami sleeping peacefully as I stumbled getting up from bed to go downstairs. I twisted the doorknob of my room as I slowly went down the stairs, pushing my hair back.

I wasn't paying attention to the fact whether Malfoy was in the common room or not, I was simply going downstairs to get a glass of water. I reached to the table that had platters of fruit and jugs of water as I poured some for myself into a tall glass of water. I practically drained the entire glass within seconds as I poured myself another one.

It was at that moment when I suddenly heard small whimpers that caught my attention. At first, I thought I was hearing things considering I had just woken up, and it was the middle of the night. I looked up as I realized Malfoy slept on the couch. I arched a brow as I heard the whispers grow louder, as he was murmuring something that wasn't clear to me. I placed the glass of water as I walked toward him.

He had his head laying on the arm of the couch as his face twitched from what he was probably dreaming in his head. He was sweating even though he was freezing down here, his face had droplets of water which concerned me. There wasn't anyone here besides me as I quickly went around the couch and sat beside him. His hands were cold as I realized he was having a nightmare.

"No — I won't let them do anything to you," he muttered as I looked at him curiously. "Just stay away from her," He talked again as I looked around the room trying to figure out if I should just get up or do something. "I won't let them—No — get away from her." His tone rose in a matter of seconds as it almost scared me but nothing I haven't seen before in my life.

"Malfoy," I called for his name as I shook him, trying to wake him up. "Malfoy," I called for him out again as his body was shaking terribly. Fuck. I took a deep breath as I moved closer trying to get a hold of him. "Mal — "

He suddenly jolted up as it almost made me fall off the couch from the sudden reaction. He looked towards me as I had my hand on my chest from the sudden scare as he wrapped his arms around me. I didn't know how to react, I wasn't sure if he was even awake now. I remember Neville telling me how Luna would sometimes sleepwalk at night. "I won't let them hurt you Mother — I won't."

His arms were so tightly wrapped around me that I barely had time to process what came next, but I did what I'd want anyone else to do for me.

"I'm okay," I said as his shaking calmed down but was still there, I could feel his cold arms wrapped around me. "Look at me," I spoke as I pushed him back to face me. His face was drenched in sweat as his pupils were dilated, the pure fear on his face.

"You're fine, everything is fine okay?" His eyes stared into mine, not moving at all. I didn't know what or how affection was, I never received it for the most part of my life, I always moved away from it, reasons I hated cuddling. Every time my mother tried to even touch me I would move away, the word affection wasn't in my dictionary, but I knew how to give it to others.

He cupped my face as I was hesitant about the feeling. "I won't let them hurt you," he said as I drew confused.

"You're fine. I'm fine." Listen to me.

He nodded as he fell into my chest. I gulped as I sat there not knowing what to do or say, I was confused and just—confused. I turned around as I grabbed the duvet that I had left here earlier, wrapping it around him, so it could keep him warm. His arm was still around me as it didn't budge when I tried to remove it, so I let it stay here. I pressed my back against the couch as he slept on my chest.

My hand rested on his back as I toyed slightly with his hair and then removed it immediately as I cringed at what I had just done, making a disgusted face in silence.

Amelia would've definitely enjoyed this. I remember her pouring Veritaserum into a bottle of alcohol to play truth or dare among all of us but that never happened, the bottle is still somewhere in my room.

I rested my head back as I closed my eyes, waiting for the next day to come already and just praying about the fact it would be normal.

—