DRACO MALFOY

I sat on the edge of my bed, the noise from the others in the next room barely registering in my mind. My quill hovered over the page of my leather-bound journal, the ink threatening to drip as I hesitated.

I hated how much I thought about her—Victoria. She was everywhere, even when she wasn't. Her laugh, the way she carried herself, the maddening sway of her hips that seemed designed to torment me. And that scent... Merlin help me, the scent of her from the Amortentia still lingered in my mind, as intoxicating as it was infuriating.

I scribbled onto the page, my handwriting jagged and hurried.

She's always in my head, and I can't get her out. It's pathetic, isn't it? Malfoys aren't supposed to be this distracted by anyone. Especially not someone like her. But every time I see her, it's like I can't breathe properly. And then there's Theo...

I paused, tapping the quill against the edge of the inkwell. Theo would lose it if he knew. He was my best mate, but he was also her twin. I clenched my jaw, the frustration boiling under my skin. It wasn't supposed to be this complicated.

He'd never understand. He thinks I'm playing games, but he doesn't know what it's like. How could he? He doesn't see her the way I do. She's—

"Draco."

The sound of Theo's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. My hand jerked, leaving a dark streak of ink across the page. I quickly slammed the journal shut and turned to find Theo standing in the doorway, his arms crossed and an unimpressed look on his face.

"What do you want?" I snapped, trying to keep my voice steady, though my heart was racing.

Theo raised an eyebrow, stepping into the room. "What are you writing?"

"Nothing," I said quickly, shoving the journal under my pillow.

He snorted, clearly unconvinced. "Right. Because you always look like someone just caught you stealing when you're writing nothing."

I glared at him, trying to deflect. "Don't you have a party to get back to?"

Theo didn't budge, his eyes narrowing slightly. "What's going on with you, Malfoy? You've been acting... off."

"Off?" I repeated, scoffing. "I don't know what you're talking about."

He leaned against the bedpost, his gaze sharp. "This isn't about Victoria, is it?"

My stomach dropped, but I forced myself to smirk, hoping to throw him off. "Why would it be about her?"

Theo's expression darkened, and his tone turned serious. "Because I've seen the way you look at her. And I swear, Draco, if you're messing with her—"

"I'm not messing with her," I interrupted, my voice harsher than I intended.

Theo stared at me for a long moment, then shook his head. "Whatever you think this is, end it. She doesn't need your games, and I won't let you drag her into whatever this is."

He turned to leave, but not before throwing one last warning over his shoulder. "Stay away from her, Draco. I mean it."

As the door closed behind him, I let out a frustrated breath, running a hand through my hair. I glanced at the journal under my pillow, but I couldn't bring myself to open it again.

Theo didn't understand. No one did. And maybe that was for the best.

VICTORIA NOTT

The morning light filtered dimly into the common room as I tried to shake off Daphne's relentless questions. She had been badgering me since breakfast, her curiosity reaching new, irritating heights.

"Victoria, you're terrible at lying," Daphne declared as we walked back to the dorms. "You can't just drop off the map last night, act weird all morning, and expect me not to ask questions. So, what happened with Draco?"

I sighed, my patience fraying. "Nothing happened, Daphne. Drop it."

"Fine," she huffed, but the mischievous glint in her eye told me she wasn't done.

As we reached the hallway outside the boys' dormitories, Theo caught us, looking a little harried. "Victoria, have you seen my Charms textbook? I swear I left it in my room, but it's gone."

I shook my head, and Daphne immediately perked up. "Let's check your room. Come on, Vic, let's help him look."

Theo gave her a skeptical look but nodded. "Sure, whatever. Just don't touch anything that's not yours, alright?"

We followed Theo to his room, but as soon as we stepped inside, my attention was drawn to the messy pile of books and parchment on Draco's desk across the room. Daphne noticed it too, her grin widening.

"While we're here..." she whispered, dragging me toward the desk.

"What are you doing?" I hissed, glancing over my shoulder to make sure Theo wasn't watching.

"Just curious," she replied nonchalantly, flipping through a pile of papers. "Let's see what secrets Malfoy's hiding."

"Daphne—"

Before I could stop her, she pulled out a small, leather-bound book. She opened it to the first page, her eyes widening. "Oh my God, Vic. It's his diary."

My heart stopped. "Put that back right now."

But Daphne was already flipping through the pages, her eyes scanning the words with growing interest. She stopped suddenly, her mouth falling open.

"What?" I asked, trying to grab the book from her.

She turned the diary around, showing me the page. My name was scrawled in Draco's sharp handwriting, followed by a string of confessions that made my stomach twist. He had written about me—how I was constantly on his mind, how I drove him insane, how he hated and craved the way I unsettled him.

"He's obsessed with you," Daphne whispered, her voice a mix of shock and amusement.

I barely had time to process what I was reading before a furious voice cut through the air.

"What the hell are you doing?"

We both froze, spinning around to find Draco standing in the doorway, his expression a mix of rage and disbelief.

"Draco—" I started, but he was already storming toward us.

"You went through my things?" he growled, snatching the diary out of Daphne's hands. "Are you completely mental?"

"Relax, Malfoy," Daphne said, trying to brush it off. "We were just—"

"Get out," he snapped, his voice low and dangerous. "Now."

Daphne raised her hands in mock surrender and backed toward the door, shooting me a look that said, Good luck.

I stayed rooted in place, unsure of what to say as Draco's furious gaze landed on me.

"You too, Victoria," he said, his voice cold. "Get out."

For a moment, I considered arguing, but the intensity in his eyes left no room for negotiation. I turned and followed Daphne out of the room, my heart pounding in my chest.

As soon as the door slammed shut behind us, Daphne let out a low whistle. "Well, that was fun."

I glared at her. "What were you thinking?"

She smirked. "That was worth every second. Did you see his face? He looked ready to explode."

I couldn't argue with that. But as we walked back to our dorm, I couldn't shake the feeling that I'd just crossed a line I couldn't uncross. I feel bad but I shouldn't.

DRACO MALFOY

As soon as the door slammed shut, I tossed the diary onto my desk, running a hand through my hair in frustration. My heart was still pounding, and not just from anger—humiliation burned hotter in my chest.

They'd read it. She had read it.

I leaned against the desk, staring at the closed diary as if it were mocking me. Every thought I'd scribbled in there about Victoria—how she consumed my mind, how I hated how much I wanted her—was now laid bare for her to see.

I was furious, yes, but beneath the anger was something far worse: embarrassment. She knew now. She really knew. There was no hiding it anymore, no pretending I didn't care. And the worst part? A small, masochistic part of me liked that she knew.

I wanted her to know how she haunted me, how her laugh echoed in my mind, how the sway of her hips drove me to the brink of madness. But not like this. Not in front of Daphne bloody Greengrass, with her smug little grin and prying eyes.

I sank into my chair, rubbing my temples. I shouldn't have yelled at her. It wasn't her fault Daphne dragged her into it. The look on her face when I snapped at her—confused, almost hurt—had gnawed at me since the moment they left.

Why do I always mess this up?

I wanted to talk to her, to explain, but what would I even say? "Sorry for yelling, but I'm completely obsessed with you, and now you've seen proof of it in my own handwriting"? That would go over well.

Still, the idea of leaving things like this didn't sit right with me. I hated how cold I'd been, hated the thought of her thinking I was angry at her when the truth was, I was just angry at myself.

With a frustrated sigh, I leaned back in my chair, staring at the ceiling. I needed to figure this out. I couldn't let this be the last thing between us. Not after everything. Not when she was the one person I couldn't get out of my head.

***

The rest of the day was unbearable. Every time I caught a glimpse of her in the corridors or the Great Hall, my chest tightened. She avoided my gaze, and that only made it worse. The more I thought about it, the more I realized I couldn't leave things like this.

I needed to talk to her, and I needed to do it somewhere private. Somewhere we wouldn't have an audience of nosy friends ready to pounce on every word.

By the time evening rolled around, I'd worked myself up enough to corner her. I found her walking alone down a quiet corridor, heading toward the library. My heart was pounding, but I didn't let myself hesitate.

"Victoria."

She turned, startled, her expression shifting from confusion to guarded. "What do you want, Malfoy?"

"Come with me," I said, keeping my tone low.

Her brows furrowed. "Where?"

"Just trust me," I muttered, glancing around to make sure no one was watching.

I didn't give her a chance to argue, taking her by the wrist and pulling her down the hall. She huffed but didn't resist, though I could feel the tension radiating off her.

When we reached the prefect's bathroom, I muttered the password and pushed the door open, pulling her inside. The room was warm and quiet, the soft glow of candles reflecting off the enormous marble tub.

"What is this about, Draco?" she demanded, crossing her arms. Her use of my first name caught me off guard, but I quickly shook it off.

"I need to talk to you," I said, shutting the door behind us. "Without anyone else around."

She raised an eyebrow. "So, dragging me into a bathroom was your brilliant plan?"

I ran a hand through my hair, trying to find the right words. "Look... about earlier. I shouldn't have yelled at you. That was out of line."

She tilted her head, clearly skeptical. "You're apologizing? That's new."

"I mean it," I said, meeting her eyes. "Daphne had no right to go through my things, but I know it wasn't your idea. I was angry, and I took it out on you. I shouldn't have."

She blinked, her expression softening just slightly. "Okay. Apology accepted. Was that all?"

"No." I hesitated, then took a deep breath. "Meet me at the Astronomy Tower tonight. After curfew."

Her eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"Because there are things I need to say to you," I said firmly. "Things I can't say here."

She studied me for a moment, her expression unreadable. Then, to my relief, she nodded. "Fine. But this better be worth it."

"It will be," I promised, though I wasn't entirely sure if I was convincing her or myself.

As she turned to leave, I felt a strange mix of anticipation and dread settle in my chest. Tonight, I'd finally tell her everything. One way or another.

VICTORIA NOTT

Later that evening, as the dormitory began to quiet down, I paced the length of my room, chewing on my thumbnail. I hadn't told anyone about Draco's invitation to the Astronomy Tower—not even Daphne—but now, as the minutes ticked closer to curfew, I felt like I might burst if I kept it to myself any longer.

Daphne was sprawled across her bed, flipping through a copy of Witch Weekly. She glanced up as I let out a frustrated sigh. "Alright, out with it," she said, tossing the magazine aside. "You've been acting weird all day. What's going on?"

I hesitated, then sat down on the edge of her bed. "Draco asked me to meet him at the Astronomy Tower tonight."

Her eyes widened, a slow grin spreading across her face. "What? Malfoy asked you out under the stars? Merlin, this is better than the soap operas my mum listens to."

"It's not like that," I said quickly, though my cheeks burned. "He said he wants to talk."

Daphne raised an eyebrow. "At the most romantic spot in the castle, after curfew, just the two of you? Sure, Vic. Totally casual."

I groaned, burying my face in my hands. "This is exactly why I didn't want to tell you."

"Oh, relax," she said, nudging me with her foot. "I'm not judging. In fact, I'm going to help you."

"Help me how?"

She hopped off the bed and walked to my wardrobe, flinging it open with a dramatic flourish. "By making sure you look irresistible, of course."

"Daphne—"

"No arguments," she said, already rifling through my clothes. "If Malfoy's finally grown the guts to say whatever's been simmering between you two, you might as well look amazing while it happens."

I sighed but didn't stop her as she pulled out a soft, emerald-green jumper and paired it with a sleek black skirt. "This," she declared, holding them up. "Green for Slytherin, but subtle enough to say, 'I didn't try too hard.'"

I laughed despite myself. "You're ridiculous."

"And you're welcome," she said smugly, tossing the outfit onto my bed.

As I changed, she leaned against the doorframe, watching me with a thoughtful expression. "So, what do you think he's going to say?"

"I don't know," I admitted, smoothing out my skirt. "But whatever it is, it feels... important."

"Well, if it's Malfoy, it probably is," she said with a wink. "Now go knock him dead."

I rolled my eyes but couldn't hide the small smile tugging at my lips. Despite her teasing, I was glad Daphne was here. Her confidence was infectious, and I needed all the courage I could get.

As I slipped out of the dormitory and into the dimly lit corridors, my heart thudded in my chest. Whatever was waiting for me at the Astronomy Tower, I knew my life wouldn't be the same after tonight.

***

I hesitated at the top of the stairs, my breath catching as I saw him standing there, waiting. The way the moonlight bathed him, highlighting the sharp angles of his face and the almost ethereal glow of his pale skin, was unfair. He was beautiful, infuriatingly so, and it made my chest tighten in a way I couldn't explain.

"Victoria," he said softly, his voice breaking the stillness. His gray eyes locked onto mine, intense and unreadable.

I stepped closer, my heart pounding. "What is it you wanted to say?"

He looked down for a moment, his jaw tightening, as if searching for the right words. Then he lifted his gaze, and the vulnerability there startled me.

"I can't stop thinking about you," he said, his voice quiet but firm. "It's maddening, and I hate it. But I also... I don't want it to stop."

I froze, the words settling over me like a weight I didn't know I was carrying.

"I know I've been a complete arse," he continued, stepping closer. "And maybe I don't deserve it, but I needed you to know. You drive me insane, Victoria, in ways I can't even explain. And I don't think I want to fight it anymore."

Before I could stop myself, my hand reached out, brushing the stray strand of hair that had fallen into his face. His breath hitched, and his eyes darkened, something shifting between us.

"Draco..." I started, but his name came out as a whisper.

And then he closed the distance, his lips crashing against mine. It was everything I didn't know I wanted—soft and fierce all at once, like he'd been holding back for too long and couldn't anymore.

For a moment, I let myself melt into it, my hands gripping his shoulders as his fingers tangled in my hair, gently but harsh. The anger, the confusion, the tension that had been simmering between us all dissolved into the kiss, leaving only the electric pull of him against me.

When we finally broke apart, his forehead rested against mine, his breath uneven. "Tell me you feel it too," he murmured, his voice raw.

I looked up at him, my heart racing, and for the first time, I didn't fight it. "I do."