Chapter 22: Fractured trust

The corridors were louder than usual, filled with laughter and hurried footsteps as students moved between classes. I was halfway down the hall when I saw them. Draco stood near the stone wall, his back tense, his jaw set in clear frustration. Pansy Parkinson was far too close to him, her hand pressed against his chest, her voice low and sharp. I slowed instinctively, my heart beginning to pound, though I did not yet understand why. “Pansy, stop,” Draco said, his voice firm. “This is not happening.” She laughed softly, the sound bitter. “You cannot pretend forever, Draco. You were never meant to be with her.” Before he could move away, before he could say another word, Pansy grabbed his robes and kissed him. It happened in seconds. Long enough for my breath to catch. Long enough for my chest to feel like it had been split open. I froze. From where I stood, it did not look like resistance. I did not see his hands push her away. I did not hear his voice tell her no. All I saw was Pansy’s hands on him and her lips pressed to his. Something inside me snapped. My vision blurred instantly, but these were not the quiet, aching tears I had cried in the library. These burned. They fell hot and fast, fueled by anger, betrayal, and a pain so sharp it made my hands tremble. I turned away before they could see me. I did not run. I did not scream. I walked, each step heavy and unsteady, my heart pounding in my ears. Every thought screamed the same word over and over again. Liar. My nails dug into my palms as I pushed open the nearest door and stumbled into an empty classroom. The moment it shut behind me, the tears came harder. I sank into a chair, my shoulders shaking as sobs tore from my chest. He had looked me in the eyes. He had held me while I cried. He had promised me we would face everything together. And now this. My breaths came fast and uneven, my chest tight with rage and hurt tangled together so tightly I could not separate them. I wiped angrily at my tears, furious with myself for letting them fall. I was not weak. I was hurt. I was angry. I pressed my hands to my face, shaking as memories replayed themselves against my will. His voice in the library. His arms around me. His promise. All of it felt poisoned now. I did not want to hear an explanation. I did not want excuses. Whatever the truth was, the image of that kiss was burned into my mind, impossible to erase. Somewhere down the corridor, Draco’s voice echoed faintly as he shouted Pansy’s name, sharp and furious. I flinched. If he came after me, I did not know if I could look at him without breaking all over again. The tears kept falling, not from sadness alone, but from the deep, aching wound of betrayal. From the anger of loving someone who had just shattered my trust. And as I sat there, shaking and breathless, one thought echoed louder than the rest. I would not let him see me cry again. I did not stay hidden for long. The tears slowed, then stopped altogether, leaving behind a cold, steady fire in my chest. I wiped my face with the sleeve of my robe, forcing my breathing to even out. My eyes were still red, my hands still trembling, but something inside me hardened. I would not run. I stood, straightening my shoulders, lifting my chin. Whatever Draco had to say, whatever excuse he thought would fix this, he was going to hear me first. I stepped back into the corridor. Draco was there almost immediately, his face pale, his eyes frantic as they locked onto mine. Relief flashed across his expression for half a second. “Melody,” he said quickly, stepping toward me. “Thank Merlin, I have been looking everywhere for you. You did not see it the way it looked. I did not-” I did not let him finish. Every step I took toward him felt heavy, deliberate. Students nearby slowed, sensing the tension, but I did not care. My heart pounded so loudly I could hear it in my ears. “You do not get to explain,” I said, my voice shaking but loud enough to cut through the hall. He stopped in front of me, confusion and panic mixing in his eyes. “Melody, please. Pansy cornered me. I tried to push her away. I swear to you” The image flashed in my mind again. Her hands on him. Her lips on his. The way it had looked like he let it happen. The anger surged. Before I could second guess myself, before fear could stop me, I raised my hand and slapped him. The sound echoed sharply down the corridor. Gasps rippled through the students around us. Draco froze, his head turned slightly to the side, his cheek already flushing red. His eyes widened, stunned, not angry, just hurt and shocked. My hand burned where it had struck him, but my chest felt like it could finally breathe. “How could you,” I said, tears spilling again, but my voice was fierce now. “After everything you said to me. After you held me and promised me you loved me. You let her kiss you.” “I did not let her,” he said hoarsely, finally turning back to face me. “Melody, I swear on everything I am, I did not want that. I pushed her away the second you left. I was trying to get to you” “Do not,” I snapped. “Do not swear. Do not promise. I saw it, Draco. I saw you.” His hands clenched at his sides, his voice breaking. “You saw one moment. Not the truth.” My chest ached so badly it felt like it might cave in. I shook my head, stepping back from him as if his closeness burned. “I trusted you,” I whispered. “And you broke that.” The corridor felt too small, too loud, too full of eyes. Draco took a step toward me, reaching out, but I flinched away. “Do not touch me,” I said, my voice cracking. “Not right now.” The hurt in his eyes nearly shattered my resolve, but I forced myself to turn away. As I walked past him, my tears fell freely again, not weak, not quiet, but sharp and angry, fueled by heartbreak and betrayal. Behind me, I could hear Draco say my name, his voice breaking as it followed me down the hall. I did not stop. Because loving him had never hurt like this before.