Weakness.

It was a word Draco Malfoy wasn't familiar with. He wasn't weak, not to the public eye. He held himself to be someone strong, someone who wouldn't break or soften for anyone or anything. Everyone believed it, they always did and always will. Draco even convinced himself the same thing, that he was the strong and tough guy he wanted so badly to be.

He built a barrier with electric fencing and barb wire, keeping everything and everyone away from the soft, sensitive, part of his heart that was neglected horribly over the years. He was proud of himself for it too, while it wasn't hard, it was a small thing he took pride in. He liked the idea that others saw him as someone tough rather weak, he liked that he didn't have a weakness for others and that he'd built the fence so strongly.

Then Evie walked through it so easily, not even being bothered or pained by the electric shocks and sharp ends it gave off. She'd walked though, found the spot he couldn't let anyone see or feel. But she did, so easily no matter how hard he tried to make her stop. It was natural for her to do so, the way she'd hold him and make him feel wanted and loved... it gave him a weakness that others couldn't.

Draco wanted to hate the idea of it, he did for a while. And then Evie would hold his face or laugh at the way he'd pick on first years, then he couldn't be angry for her breaking through. Others knew better then to say anything about it, though it was a weird sight to see him without that dangerous fence up, it always returned when Evie would leave.

Though no one knew or cared too, Evie was the same as Draco. She had a wall up as well, one that hated the idea of letting anyone see who she was. She didn't want anyone to see her  vulnerable and weak. And that's what she loved most about Draco, she could express that with him because he understood her. He didn't comfort and tell her it would be okay like everyone else, he made her feel normal and hole. She knew what it was like for someone to knock through your fence so unexpectedly because he'd done the same thing to her.

"What?" Draco found himself asking as he looked at Evie oddly, feeling her fingers rub across his left check as the two laid side by side on the ground, their study session failing as she pulled him back to look up at the sunset before it fell to a stary night sky.

"Do you wanna go to the Yule ball with me?" her voice was confident yet soft as she cupped his checks with a smile.

Draco laughed at her slightly with a odd look, "Who else would I go with?"

Evie and Draco weren't together long, only two weeks in and somehow it felt like they'd been together for decades.

"Just checking." she admits with a small smile, letting his face go as she turned to the sky again, holding his hand instead, "If you could name the moon, what would you name it?"

"Draco." Draco said with a small nod as Evie looked at him in disbelief, "Great name."

"You're pathetic." she laughed as he joined in with her, "I'd name it Denton."

"Denton? Why such a odd name?" he found Evie rather odd most of the time but he didn't mind it, though he knew his tone seemed more judgy and snappy toward her at times, he's been sure to let Evie know it wasn't her, only a habit.

"Comes from a english origin meaning happy home." Evie said as she felt him look over at her, "The moon is my true home."

"You'd burn all the way up there." he spoke as if she didn't know, a hum along with his words, "The stars would get you."

"That's how I hope I die." Evie said as he snapped his head to her with a crazy look, "Burning to death by a beautiful star, a honorable way to go."

Draco felt lost at words as he just shook his head in disbelief at her odd sense of words. Evie filled the silence moments later, "You know your name is a star constellation."

"Must be why you like me." Draco said, Evie nodded in agreement as he scooted close, "Show me."

Evie smiled widely as she looked at the constellations before she pointed the one out, "Right there. It looks like a small box and then a line, then a U."

Draco found it quickly, he wasn't a stranger to astronomy, "Isn't it the other way,"

"No, though it's known to trick the eye and make others believe it's flipped the opposite way." Evie said as she smiled, resting his hand on her stomach as she pointed up again, "Then there's Lecerta, it's small but it's my favorite."

"That one?" Draco questioned, following her gaze to the small squiggle in the sky, "Bit weak for your liking."

"Seems weak but would be the strongest of them all." Evie said as she looked to him with a smile, "Your turn, tell me your favorite."

Draco breathed out as his mind raced of the ones he knew, his eyes following as well before he clicked, "That one."

"Scorpius, figured you'd like that one." Evie said as she took notice of the one he liked.

"Whats that suppose to mean?" he found himself asking with a odd expression.

"Means it just looks like you'd like that one." Evie laughed as he gave her a annoyed expression but grinned anyways, feeling her press a gentle kiss to his check as the two fell back again. Draco rubbed her sides gentle when she hovered above him slightly to kiss his forehead then his nose.

"I need to take you to my parents." Draco said quickly as Evie looked at him with wide eyes, "You'll want to meet you."

"Already?" Evie didn't mind moving a bit fast, especially not with him. But she knew all about Narcissa and Lucious, she met them when she was a child but never again after her parents stopped letting her come to Slytherin gathering for being sorted into Ravenclaw, "I met them when I was ten, isn't that okay?"

"That was five years ago." Draco said as he noticed the worry look across her face, "Don't worry, it'll be fine."

Draco should have took Evie to meet them the first day they started dating, because now he had already grown so attached to her. If the pair hadn't approved, he couldn't help but wonder who it would hurt more. Even now, it was still a wonder if the Slytherin or the Ravenclaw felt more pain from their break up.

Evie really did like Harry, he was everything she wanted and needed in a partner. She hated herself for feeling as though she was leading him on, stringing him behind her and making him walk slowly until she could finally bring her self to let go of the platinum locked Malfoy boy who wasn't nearly as good person as Harry was, a trait she always told herself she wanted her person to be. Evie got lost in thought and guilt on her way to a meeting the next night, so lost she hadn't felt a pair of hands wrap around her tightly, blinding her with a bag.

Draco smirked to himself alongside Theo, standing in Umbridges office while Goyle and Crable went to track down Hermione Granger, ready to bust whatever her and Potter had been up to. Umbridge was proud of her small group, so proud she wanted all of them to be in her office when she punished the Granger girl if she decided not to speak.

"Couldn't find her." Goyle said as he kicked the door open, a body thrown over his left shoulder, kicking and punching violently.

"Got something better." Crable smiled widely as Goyle threw the body into the chair, yanking the pillow case off her face to reveal and red faced Evie. Dracos smirk fell as his chest caved in rather then puffed out confidently like it was before.

"Oh, what do we have here?" Umbridge asked in a sweet, nail scratching voice as she set her tea cup down to circle her desk slowly, "Evie Adderly, is it?"

"Why am I here? I didn't do anything." Evie defended herself, a snappy nature and tone of voice. Any other day Draco would be proud, but today he wasn't, not with what he knew was gonna come her way sooner or later.

"Oh, no, of course not, dear." Umbridge said as she flattered one of Evies fly away hairs around her tomato red face. She reminded Draco of the time she fell asleep on his shoulder and woke up embarrassed, third year, "Would you like some tea?"

Evie hesitated, holding her willpower before caving in, "Do you have cinnamon stick and vanilla extract?"

Umbridge stared at her oddly as Evie flattened in the chair with a sigh, "No thank you, I would like to go back to my dorm."

"But you weren't heading for your dorm." Goyle spoke confidently, hoping Umbridge would praise him for doing so, "Completely opposite way."

"Ah, well, where could you have possibly been heading to then?" Umbridge asked with a hem hem at the end that made Evie feel as though her ears were bleeding. Before the honey blonde answered, she took the time to look around at the few Slytherins around her. Pansy, Theo, and Blaise wouldn't look at her but their were clear signs of guilt in their eyes. While the three didn't particularly like Evie, mainly because she preferred to have Draco to herself most days, it wasn't fair she was here when it was suppose to be another.

Evie eyes landed on Draco as he stared back at her, no expression across his face as her eyes went back to Umbridge, "T-the kitchen, late night snack, you know how it is?"

"Hem." Umbridge said as she leaned against her desk, her pink outfit blinding Evie in the slightest, "You wouldn't mind answered a few questions then, would you?"

"Like what?" Evie asked, she opened her mouth to say something about her zodiac sign but shut it quickly when she'd remembered Umbridge gave her detention for it last time.

"Your friend... Harry Potter." Umbridge said as she nodded to Evie who flushed and looked into her lap, "He's been awfully sneaky lately, can't you agree?"

"I wouldn't say so." Evie said with a slight shrug, not bothering to look up, twirling the friendship bracelet Cho had gotten her last year when they were closer.

"No?" Umbridge asked as she leaned down some to try and encourage Evie to look up, "You'd tell us if something was going on that non of us knew about, wouldn't you?"

Evie didn't say anything. What good would it be to kiss up to the woman? Evie was hoping Draco would get her out of this, he had many times when she'd get in trouble with Snape.

"Perhaps a little something will help clear your mind." Umbridge said as she circled her desk again. Evie sighed in relief, thinking as though she'd just have to write lines again, becoming rather use to the burning feeling she would get.

But Evie was wrong.

The Adderly girls heart thumped when she saw a black switch pulled from under her desk. Maybe it was a coincidence, maybe it wasn't. But she could help but think...

"That looks horrible, Eve." Draco said as he looked at the gash across Evies eye after he snuck into her dorm after overhearing Cho and Lavender telling Padma and Parvati that Evie wouldn't leave her room, "What happened?"

He knew something was up when Evie freaking Adderly wasn't talking.

She was looking down, red faced in embarrassment. The mark looked fresh, from this morning if not sooner, like someone had smacked her hard across the face with a stick or their wand even. Evie wanted to hold his hands, reaching for them as he let her have them.

"What can I do?" Draco asked as he got closer to her in worry, "Is someone hurting you? I can-"

"It's my dad." Evie finally said as her big, round eyes found his much smaller ones that had their pupils blown, "Before I left this morning, he got upset with me."

Draco didn't know what to particular say, he understood in a way. While Evies father was physically violent with her, Lucious's was mentally toward Draco. He would bet that's why they clicked so fast, because they were so similar in ways no one would ever know about. Because he was lost of words, he'd only been able to pull her close to him with a kiss to the forehead.

Evie slammed Umbridges door as she left, blood from her hand, dripping on the Hogwarts hallways as she tried to hurry away.

"Evie! Evie!" Draco called after her as he tried to run after her, tripping on his robs slightly as he hurried for her, "Evie!"

"You stay away from me." Evie spoke angrily, not bothering to turn back to look at him. He could tell by the way her voice was that she was crying, whether it was because she was in pain or because the situation reminded her of home, "I never wanna see you again."

"Evie, Evie, please." Draco begged as her caught her arm and had her turn to him. He was right, she was crying with red puffy eyes and beautiful, shiny tears rolling down her rosy face. Her hand was holding a pool of blood, the sight alone pained him.

"Why would you let her do that to me? You could have said something!" her voice was loud, not because she was meaning to but because she couldn't hold back her loud sobs that echoed horribly. Draco took a step closer, a little too quickly as she flinched, making him pause.

"Evie, I wouldn't hurt you." he spoke in a low tone, in shock and broken that she thought he might.

"No, you'll just let others, right?" she asked angrily, her tears wouldn't stop rolling. He'd rather her yell and even hit him rather then cry and look as sad as she did, "You know that I- You know that's something that terrifies me! I told you, Draco! I told you that's what he used to hit me with! And you told her!"

"I didn't-" Draco began, he was running out of excuses, "I didn't mean too, it wasn't supposed to be for you."

"But it was!" she was yelling now, letting her hand push his away from her, staining his milky skin of her scarlet red blood, "It was me, and you just sat there! You let her hit me! Three times! With that thing of everything else in the world!"

Draco hurt, and he usually didn't. But Evie was what he'd consider his first lover, the first girl he'd kissed, the first person that understood him, the first girl he cared about in that way. This hurt him, and he was to blame for it.

"It's your fault." Evie said as she whipped her eyes with the back of her hand, "It's your fault and I never wanna see you ever again!"

"Evie, Evie." His voice broke as he hurried after her, too late as she ran down the stairs quickly and as far away from him as possible. Because she meant what she said... she loved Draco, but she never wanted to see him again.

"Evie, please stop crying." Hermione begged as she helped clean Evies wound on her hand, using magic to help but went with the muggle with this horrible of a gash.

"I'm sorry." Evie apologized as she tried to stop crying which only caused her to chock. Ginny gave a sad look as she patted Evies sore eyes with the soft Kleenex.

"Don't apologize." Hermione begged her again, "This is not your fault, non of it! That woman! That boy!"

Evie let out a sob as Hermione listed on, Ginny gave the Granger girl a look as Hermione went back to tending to her wound gently.

"Evie, don't be upset, I know it hurts but Hermione is good at this." Ginny tried to reminded her as Evie shook her head and sniffled in a gross way that neither of the girls cared about right now.

"My heart is hurting." Evie said, her voice was scratchy and sad as she looked to the youngest Weasley with large, sad eyes, "I can't believe he'd do that to me."

"He's a cruel boy, the worst of the all, you can do so much better." Ginny went on, pushing her own jealously aside for the Adderly girl to be there for her in this moment, "You're completely out of his league."

"Thank you." Evie said with another sniffle before a whine left her mouth and she began to cry again, "It's like- Like- When- how can you love someone who just keeps hurting you over and over again?"

"I wish I knew." Ginny admits with a longing look in her eye, one Evie didn't catch because her vision was so clouded.

"Dry your eyes now." Hermione said as she quickly dabbed Evies sobbing eyes and seized her shoulders tightly, "Now stop crying over someone who does not deserve you, you're so much better then him despite what you think."

"Am I?" Evie asked in disbelief as Hermione nodded quickly and whipped her eyes more when a single tears fell.

"You are, and you know it deep down. I can see you're hurting horribly bad right now and Ginny and I will be there for you, but i'm not gonna let you waste your time crying get someone like Malfoy." Hermione spoke with disgust when she said his name.

"Especially Malfoy." Ginny repeated with a crazy look.

"Especially Malfoy!" Hermione spoke again as Evie laughed, sniffling and rubbing her eyes.

She was silent for a moment, "Thank you, both of you."

"Of course." Ginny said as Evie pulled the two Gryffindors into a tight hug, one that would lock a friendship between the three for all of eternity.

•

kylie speaks

YO WHY DID
WE ONLY GET
ONE COMMENT
LAST CHAPTER?!?

anyways... this hurt.
i feel like evie has a lot
of trauma to unpack from
her previous relationship
bc draco had put her through
so much without realizing it
and i'm gonna get into so
much that went on more and
more into the story which will
all kinds revolve around how
harry treats her so much
better and differently but also
having his own trauma and
issues that he needs to unpack
with her as well but how they
are both so scared of trusting
the other fully, title drop
is gonna happen in half
blood prince btw and i'm
gonna have a hugeeeee
plot twist in that one.
x