Draco's POV:

"Draky, will you help me with my Potions essay?" Pansy crooned to me Sunday at lunch.

"I guess, but it's got to be fast, I have my own homework to do," I told her, picking up my bag. She linked her arm through mine and led me to the library. Before we were about to turn into the library, she pulled me into an empty classroom. "Pansy, what-"

"We never get to be alone, Draky," she said in a sultry voice, pulling lightly on my tie and pushing me up against the door.

"Pansy, stop-"

"I know you like this," she purred and pressed her body up against mine. "I know you want this."

"I don't want this, Pansy," I told her forcefully.

"Don't lie, Draco," she growled while untying my tie.

"No, Pansy," I said angrily, pushing her off of me. Pansy has tried things like this on me before, and sure maybe a few times I let her, but I wasn't feeling it today.

"Why not?" she asked taking a step back to me.

"I just- I don't know," I told her, running a hand through my hair.

"Is it because of Samuels?" she asked in a dangerous tone. "I know you have feelings for her."

"Lizzie? Please, I wouldn't-"

"It is," she narrowed her eyes at me, "I knew it."

"It is not," I argued.

"I see the way you look at her, and ever since she let loose her secret, you've been so grumpy and unhappy."

"You're just as grumpy," I gritted, turning on my heel and storming out of the room.

Me and Lizzie? That's as unthinkable as Dumbledore and Trelawney. We are just friends. Not even that anymore. We are strangers. I would never fancy Lizzie. She's a mud- muggleborn.

Did I just stop myself from calling her a mudblood?

Yes, you did. You know how she never liked that word. Think about how angry she would be if you called her that while she was sober.

Why do I care how angry she would be? She's not my friend anymore.

But you wish she was.

I do not. She lied to me. For five years.

Because she knew how you would react if you found out. She was protecting herself. You can't blame her. She's a Slytherin for a reason.

She lied!

You called her a mudblood.

Because she is one.

Even so, you should apologize to her. She'll forgive you.

Even if I wanted to, she wouldn't forgive me. She's too proud.

Apologize.

She won't forgive me.

Apologize. It's worth a try.

She won't forgive me!

Prove me wrong.

Fine! I will. I'll apologize and I'll show you how she won't forgive me.

I angrily stormed back to the Slytherin common room. Lizzie better be there.

When I entered the cold room, everyone turned to look at me. I had unknowingly made a spectacle. I looked into each person's face in search of the one person I wanted to see right now.

I saw every color of eye. Green, blue, hazel, brown, black, but not grey. I huffed loudly.

Where was she? If she wasn't here, where else could she be?

I decided to try the library next, as I had not seen her at lunch.

By the time I had made my way all the way from the dungeons to the library, my mood had considerably cooled down. It wouldn't do me well to approach Lizzie and angrily apologize to her.

I pictured myself standing in front of her and shouting my apologies at her.

Searching through each bookshelf, I looked for grey eyes. Not silver grey. Stormy grey. Like a dark cloud. Like a rain cloud.

I found them in the furthest corner, staring down at a Quidditch book. When I saw them, I froze.

Was I actually about to do this? Was I going to swallow my Malfoy pride and apologize to a muggleborn?

Yes.

The dark, grey eyes found my lighter ones and, if it was possible, they darkened.

"Look, Lizzie," I began.

"I don't want to hear it," she stated back to me, simply.

"I- what?"

"I don't want to hear your apology," she said, clear as day, closing her book, "I don't want to hear it, because once I do, I know I will forgive you, and I don't want to forgive you."

"I just want you to listen to me, you don't have to-"

"No," she articulated. "Apology not accepted."

"I didn't even apologize yet!" I said angrily.

"I don't want to hear it," she said, standing up and starting to walk away. "Now, if you'll excuse me."

"I'm sorry!" I shouted at her back. She stopped, and turned around slowly. And for a second, I thought she was going to forgive me, but then she spoke.

"Apology not accepted," she whispered, and turned around without another word.

I clenched my jaw and watched her retreating figure.

I needed to get out.

I needed out of the castle. Now.

I ran through the corridors, knocking several students over. I ran all the way down to the Quidditch broom shed and I grabbed a broom. I didn't even care that it was a Cleansweep.

Hopping on, I launched myself into the air and soared over the grounds as fast as I could. The cold wind whipped at my face as I flew faster and faster.

Flying over the Black Lake, I leaned and dipped my hand into the freezing water, causing it to splash back up into my face.

The feeling of diving towards the ground and having my stomach lurch gave me such a rush of adrenaline that for a while, I forgot why I was so angry. All that mattered was the feeling of the air biting my face.

I flew around for an hour before I landed under a large tree at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. It was the tree that Lizzie and I used to study under, but it's leaves rested on the ground now instead of on the branches.

I sat down and leaned my back against the trunk.

Why was I so surprised that Lizzie had refused my apology? I knew she wouldn't accept it.

You shouted at her.

Because she had refused to even listen to me.

Do you blame her? Think about how she feels.

"Draco!" Someone called. "Draco where are you?" I looked up, wanting to see Lizzie looking for me, but seeing Blaise instead.

"Over here," I called back.

"What the bloody hell are you doing out here? You'll freeze," he said, hoisting me up onto my feet.

"Went for a quick fly," I replied, kicking at the broom.

"Quick? You've almost missed dinner." I suddenly realized that the sun had in fact set. We began to walk back towards the castle.

"Oh."

"Pansy sent me to make sure you didn't freeze to death," Blaise said.

We walked the rest of the way to the Great Hall in silence.

"I'll meet you back in the common room after you've eaten, yeah?" he told me, clapping me on the shoulder.

"Alright," I agreed. I walked into the Great Hall and saw that Lizzie was at the Slytherin table, scooping some sherry tart onto her plate. I sat down a few feet away from her. Far enough away not to make anything awkward, but close enough that she knew I was there.

Seeing as there was only dessert left on the table, I picked at some blueberry tart. Blueberry tart was one of my favorite desserts. I loved it almost as much as Lizzie loved sherry tart. I dared a glance down at her. She dipped her spoon down into the dessert and placed it into her mouth.

I missed her. I did. And I wasn't ashamed to admit it now.

She placed another spoonful into her mouth and looked around. Our eyes connected. Grey on grey. We stared at each other for a few seconds before I smiled a small smile. She blinked at me.

I knew something was wrong when her head lolled and she collapsed backwards out of her seat.