Chapter 10: The Question

The castle was quieter than usual that evening. Most students were tucked into their common rooms or still in the library, and the corridors smelled faintly of warm stone and candle wax. I was walking toward the library when I saw him. Draco Malfoy. Waiting near the end of the corridor, hands tucked into his pockets, shoulders squared. My heart skipped. Twice. “Melody,” he called softly as I approached. “Hi,” I said, trying to sound casual, though my stomach was doing summersaults. He shifted, awkward in a way I had not seen before. “Can we… talk?” I nodded. “Sure.” We walked together, slowly, down the near-empty corridor. The castle felt like it was holding its breath. Draco stopped near one of the tall windows overlooking the courtyard. Moonlight spilled across the stone, silvering the edges of his hair. He looked at me, and for a moment, the confident, arrogant mask was gone. What remained was careful, vulnerable, and completely unguarded. “I-” he began, then stopped. His hands twisted in his pockets. “I’ve been thinking.” I waited. “About… us,” he said finally, his voice low, uncertain. “About how things have been lately.” He looked at me like he was searching for the right words. “And… I want to be more than… whatever this is.” I blinked. “You mean… friends?” “No,” he said quickly. “I mean… I want you to be my girlfriend.” The words hung in the air, sharp and sudden and impossible to ignore. I stared at him, heart hammering. “You… want me to be your girlfriend?” “Yes,” he said, leaning just a little closer. “If you’ll have me. I don’t expect anything. I just… thought it was time I asked.” I could feel a grin tugging at my lips despite the nerves and the disbelief. “Draco Malfoy… you actually asked me out?” “Yes,” he said again, and this time there was a small, almost shy smile. “I did. So… what do you say?” I laughed, breathless, and felt tears threaten again, but this time they were not sad. “Yes,” I said softly, my voice steady. “I’ll be your girlfriend.” Relief and something warmer passed over his face. He stepped closer, brushing a strand of hair from my face. “You won’t regret it,” he murmured. “I don’t think I will,” I said, smiling up at him. The moonlight spilled over us, quiet and still, as if Hogwarts itself had paused to watch. Because sometimes, threads of bloodlines and history and rivalry can twist unexpectedly, and a quiet corridor in a quiet castle can hold the start of something new. I slid my hand into his. And for the first time in a long time, everything felt like it was exactly where it was meant to be.