Meaning 'weighing scales' in Latin, Libra is often associated to Themis, goddess of divine law and order. An astrological constellation, Librans often struggle with self-identity and worth.

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Draco awoke in the hospital wing to darkness.

He stared at the stone ceiling, or at least what he could make of it. It was a minute before his eyes could adjust to the pitch black of the room. The steady tick-tocking of the large clock echoed through the eerily-still castle.

Suddenly, everything came crashing back all at once. The bathroom, Harry, the duel, blood... Angel. How long had he been out? He jolted upright. It was nighttime now, and the infirmary was completely empty.

He stepped down from the bed onto the cool floor, his legs wobbling a little, and he tried to steadied himself. Keeping his hands to the walls, felt his way out of the room. Then his stumble became a jog as he headed straight for the Astronomy Tower.

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The place looked darker and even more empty than usual, and he wondered if she was even there. He flung open the doors, climbing the steps two at a time.

Relief washed over him when he saw a huddled figure, bending over a book that lay open on her lap. Hhe watched her for a few moments. She didn't seem to realise he was there as she squinted at the pages, eyes and fingers moving across the paper in a desperate search for something.

Trying to maintain his composure, he walked over to her and sat down, startling her and breaking her attention from the book.

"Malfoy! What are you doing here? You should be resting! How- how are you feeling?" she asked cautiously, her eyes studying him urgently.

"I'm fine," he replied curtly, not knowing what else to say.

Her gaze lingered on him before she snapped the book shut. His eyes darted to it, just able to make out the title before she put it away. Healing Spells Vol III.

"Tell me what's going on, Malfoy," she begged. "Please. Why were you fighting with Harry?"

At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to spill his soul to her. "I- I can't... If I told you, you'd hate me."

"You almost killed me in our second year, Malfoy." Even her harsh laughter sounded somewhat musical. "On purpose, might I add. Yet, here I am, sat with you in this goddamn Tower almost every night for the past month. I don't think anything you tell me right now could possibly make me hate you."

"You will."

She heaved a great sigh and stood up. He saw the whole stack of textbooks sitting on the other side of her - Healing Spells I, II, IV.

For some reason, he recognised them as Susan's books. He had seen the Hufflepuff girl carrying them around. She must have borrowed them.

Without another word, she turned on her heels and left. Confused, he struggled to his feet again and staggered down the stairs after her.

She ignored his calls, walking so quickly he found himself increasing his strides just to keep up. They crossed the courtyard, then deeper into the castle, turning corners and pattering down staircases.

Finally, impatience got the better of him and he spun her around by her shoulders. "Don't ignore me!" he growled.

"What?" she snapped, scowling at him so fiercely that he felt compelled to take his hands off her.

"H-how did you find me there?" he stammered. "In-in the bathroom."

"Well, believe it or not, I see you, Malfoy," she began angrily. "You think no one does, but I do - I see you all the time. I see you sneaking around the castle, I see you skipping classes, Quidditch practice, dinner. You never eat, drink, or sleep.

"At breakfast that day, you just looked so upset. When you didn't come back, I followed you, thought you could use some cheering up. And instead, what do I find? You, lying in a pool of your own blood! Just tell me what happened. Please. How can I help you if you won't let me?"

If she knew, she would never let him do what he had to. Worse, she would follow him and throw herself right into harm's way. He just knew she would not let him do it alone. Hufflepuff loyalty and all that.

"I never asked you to do any of this," he said, hoping it would calm her down, but it only seemed to incense her even further.

"Yes, and I do it anyway, because that's what friends do!" she cried. "Friendship, ever heard of it? But judging by the people you choose to surround yourself with, you couldn't possibly know anything about that, could you?"

Her emphasis on the word 'friends' stung. "No, I wouldn't," he replied darkly, narrowing his eyes.

"You don't get it, do you?" she said in exasperation. "Do you know how worried I was? And Harry, the- the idiot! What was he thinking! I just don't understand why he'd attack you like that. I had to stand by and watch while you bled all over my robes! It was truly unbearable! I sat in that Tower for two nights, reading up on every healing spell ever! I thought you were gonna die, Malfoy!" She shoved him, and he stumbled backwards a little.

"You're so selfish!" she shoved him again. "You never think about anyone else but yourself. And you know what, I get it, I do. I pour my heart and soul to you and I've never expected you to do the same. But it hurts when I have to just stand by and watch you go through things alone. It hurts because I care for you. And I don't know, some insane part of me thinks that you care for me too, but I guess I was wrong." She let out a bitter laugh. "It's funny. You used to hate me, and I was so stupid to think it would be different this time. But that's is all I am to you, aren't I? A stupid, ditzy, Mudblood maggot who was pathetic enough to take you on an ego trip by oversharing and looking out for you and making sure you're alright. Look at you! You aren't even listening to me half the ti-"

Without thinking, he leaned forward, landing his lips clumsily on hers. He pulled apart quickly when he realised what he had done. Their faces were so close he could feel her warm breath against his cheek.

He expected her to push him away, to turn and run back into her common room. But she stayed where she was, her wide brown eyes searching his.

Hesitantly, he closed the distance once more and took her chin gently. When she did not resist, he kissed her again. Soft. Lingering. After a few seconds, he felt her relax and begin to kiss him back.

He reveled in the respite her lips brought him. Nothing was real in this world, nothing except him and her. Deeper and deeper, their mouths spoke wordlessly as he backed her up against the wall.

Time seemed to slow down, and the world grounded to a halt. Her lips were soft, and she tasted like red apples on a Spring day. Pleasure rose from his stomach, melting and spreading through his veins. His fingers tangled in her hair, bringing her closer.

She ran her hands over his chest, following the lapels of his black jacket upwards to wrap around his neck.

He could smell her skin as he traced her jaw with his thumb, feeling and memorising the contours of her face. Merlin knows how long he had wanted to do this.

The air was electrified, and their shared warmth intensified her sweet floral scent. He had never felt more at home anywhere else than here.

It was then he finally came to terms with the fact that he was completely, utterly, and irrevocably in love with Angel Dawson.

And for the first time in a long time, he felt loved back.

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Angel climbed into her bed and pulled the covers high up to her chin. It was now well past midnight but she was anything but sleepy. She thought about the look they had shared after the kiss.

His silver eyes were misty, looking at her with longing. She did not want to admit it, but when she looked back at him, she realised it was a shared sentiment, and this had surprised her. She had turned and fled back to her dorm.

What in the world had she just done?

She hadn't just kissed Draco Malfoy. She had kissed Draco Malfoy while she was still with Cedric. Betrayal was not a familiar feeling, and a sick discomfort twisted in the cavity of her chest.

She would definitely have to break up with Cedric now. The idea of keeping this secret while still continuing to see him felt almost scandalous. A mild panic rose within her at the thought of losing Cedric. He was a great guy, and he had done absolutely nothing to deserve this.

And what was she to tell him, even? Hey Cedric, my love. How are you today? Fine? Great, me too! By the way, I snogged Draco Malfoy last night, right after you told me to stay away from him.

Also, what did this mean about her feelings for Draco? The kiss had been completely unexpected, but when it happened, she had actually wanted to kiss back. The feeling he sparked in her was new and scary, like standing on the precipice of a cliff not knowing when she would fall, but the air up there was fresh and the wind, invigorating.

Or was this just her saviour complex talking? Was she just drawn to the thrill of danger and excitement he made her feel, or did she truly love him?

Yes, she decided. It was real.

She fiddled with the orb around her neck. In some ways, her dad had been right after all. It did not at all appear so, but there was humanity in Draco. She enjoyed being part of his world, even if it was just the smallest fraction of his guarded heart.

She had never thought about it before, but it suddenly came all at once, washing over her heart in waves. I love Draco Malfoy.

She would have to tell him. It did not matter whether they would get together or not, or whether he would even say it back. He needed to hear it, he needed to know that someone out there cares for him.

But the question of when or how she was going to tell Cedric still loomed. I'll think about it tomorrow, she instructed herself sternly, and finally drifted off into a fitful sleep.

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🖤

It was a particularly cloudy night out, and a thick white layer obscured the moon's light. This made the Black Lake even darker, tinging the Slytherin common room a deep green.

The furnishings and décor were grand in an old-worldly kind of way, and there was always an air of tension and stiltedness that hung heavily, whether the room was occupied or not.

Draco sat in an armchair, his mind swimming giddily from the memory and rush of kissing Angel. He had never felt anything like this before, and the thought of it made him smile to himself.

It was not her beauty or loyalty or naivety that had enraptured him. It was that with her, life was no longer black and white. She saw it in all its majestic shades of grey and embraced them with open arms. She was not annoyingly positive, just merely possessed a surprising amount of inner strength to take whatever came her way.

And what she had said was true. All those nights spent in that Tower, not once had she forced him to tell her anything he did not want to. Yet, he felt so wholly understood. She read his soul like an open book.

His entire life consisted of people who enjoyed telling him what to do. Never show weakness, always be the best, that his only loyalties lied with his family and the Dark Lord, and now, to murder.

Despite all that, she saw him. She observed quietly his habits, his expressions, his actions. It was why she never defended herself all these years or reciprocated his viciousness. It was not at all because she was weak and helpless, but simply because she understood why he did any of it at all.

It did not make anything right, but it did make him want to stop. Someone finally truly cared for him, and it made him want to live well - for her. He never wanted to make her feel hurt ever again. Only goodness and happiness.

But he remembered his task with a sinking dread. There was no chance Hogwarts would give Harry up without a fight, but what they did not know was that the Death Eaters were prepared. When that day comes, he knew which side he had to stand on, and there would be no way to keep Angel safe.

But if there was a way to deliver Potter straight to the Dark Lord, perhaps he would not even have to kill Dumbledore...

Giving up Harry Potter was a betrayal to Angel. But if he did not, they would storm the school and he would never see her again. Or worse, she could die. It was all so conflicting, and he wanted to tear at his hair in frustration.

With a sudden, deep sadness, he realised he was never meant for her. He has had his chances. There had been plenty of opportunities to befriend her, sit with her in the courtyards, take her to the Yule Ball, have adventures with her.

For five years, he had missed out on what was the most beautiful thing to ever happen to him, all because he had been too proud, too bigoted. Perhaps if he had known her earlier, he might not be where he was today. She might have saved him.

Dark light from the Lake reflected off the walls, casting eerie shadows that squirmed and twisted ominously. This is where I belong, he thought. Not up there in the Hufflepuff common room with its sunshine and chirping birds and friendly bustle, where people kept plants as pets and were considerate and kind.

She belonged to a whole different world, and the thought of joining her was blasphemous. She deserved someone who could protect her, laugh with her, and tell her good things, someone who could truly make her happy. Someone like Cedric Diggory.

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A/N:
Aaaah I loved writing this chapter so, so much!!! This is when their love really takes off, spreading its beautiful, glorious wings hurhur. I'm so excited for you to read the next chapter because it's only going to get even better for the both of them! xx