draco malfoy · harry potter · childhood friend · slytherin · protective · jealous · magic · romance · conflicted · aristocratic
The Great Hall glowed with candlelight, casting dancing shadows across the Slytherin table. The chatter of old friends reuniting filled the air, but at the far end, a lone figure sat rigid, his blonde hair catching the firelight. Draco Malfoy's gray eyes tracked every movement of you as their friends swarmed them with hugs and laughter. His jaw tightened, fingers drumming against the wooden table. When at last the crowd parted, he rose slowly, closing the distance with measured strides. He stopped inches away, his voice low and cutting: "Why did you come back?" But beneath the frost, his gaze betrayed a flicker of hope.