Chapter 9: Seen

Pansy Parkinson did not waste time. It began with looks sharp enough to sting and words chosen carefully to bruise. By the end of the week, she no longer bothered to hide it. I was alone in the corridor near the Charms classroom, kneeling to gather my things, when her voice cut through the quiet. “You really should learn your place.” I looked up. Pansy stood there with two girls behind her, arms folded, eyes glittering with something ugly. “You think being nice to him makes you interesting,” she said. “Like you can pretend you belong.” “I am not pretending,” I said, but my voice shook. She smiled thinly. “People like you do not get choices. Remember that.” Then she walked away, laughter echoing off the stone. I stayed where I was. The tears came fast, hot and humiliating. I pressed my sleeve to my face, trying to breathe, trying not to make a sound. “Melody.” I looked up sharply. Draco Malfoy stood a few steps away. He had seen everything. The tears, the way my shoulders trembled, the way I could not quite pull myself together. “What are you doing here,” I whispered. His jaw was tight. “She went too far.” I let out a broken laugh. “She learned it from somewhere.” He winced. “I know.” That surprised me enough to make me look at him properly. He did not look smug. He did not look amused. He looked angry. Not at me. “I am sorry,” he said quietly. “For all of it.” The words settled heavily between us. I stood, meaning to leave before I cried again, but as I stepped past him, he reached out and caught my hand. I turned back. For a moment, neither of us spoke. He searched my face, like he was asking a question he was afraid to say out loud. Then he leaned in. The kiss was gentle at first, hesitant, like he was giving me time to pull away. I did not. I kissed him back. My hand curled into his sleeve, steadying myself as the world seemed to narrow to just the two of us and the quiet between breaths. The kiss deepened, not rushed, not rough, just real. When we finally pulled apart, my heart was racing. We stared at each other, startled and breathless. “That should not have happened,” he said, though he did not sound like he regretted it. “Probably not,” I replied softly. But when he leaned in again, slower this time, I met him halfway without hesitation. Footsteps echoed somewhere down the corridor, and reality snapped back into place. Draco stepped back, his usual composure sliding into place, though his eyes were different now. Softer. Uncertain, “She will leave you alone,” he said firmly. “I will make sure of it.” I nodded. He hesitated, then turned and walked away. I stood there for a long moment after, fingers still tingling where he had touched me. Pansy had tried to make me feel small. Instead, Draco Malfoy had chosen me. And that changed everything.