How does Draco feel?

**DRACO'S POV**

The library was quiet—just how I liked it when I actually intended to study. Selene, of course, was already there, flipping through her book, her quill tapping lightly against the table. I smirked to myself. She always had this focused look on her face when she studied, like she was on a mission to conquer the world. I pulled out the chair across from her and sat down with a dramatic sigh.

"Good morning cotton candy," I greeted, watching as she rolled her eyes but smiled anyway.

She always rolled her eyes when I called her that, but she never told me to stop. I had long suspected that she secretly liked it. Maybe she didn't, but I wasn't going to stop either way.

We buried ourselves in books, occasionally exchanging sarcastic remarks, though I caught myself watching her more than I should. The way she absentmindedly twirled her quill when she thought, how her lips parted ever so slightly when she concentrated—it was ridiculous how fascinating she was. I forced myself to look at my book again. Ridiculous, Malfoy.

And then Divination happened.

She had been acting strange all morning, but I didn't press her about it. That was until we sat across from each other in class, and she looked... victorious. Like she had won some invisible battle. I narrowed my eyes.

"You're acting very odd," I pointed out.

"No, I'm not," she said too quickly, shaking her head.

I smirked. "Got carried away by my charm, or did you fall in love with me finally?" I teased, dramatically placing a hand over my heart.

Her eyes widened in absolute horror, and for a second, I thought she was actually about to admit something. My heart might have stopped. But then she just scoffed.

I laughed. "It was sarcasm, slow down."

Except it wasn't. Not entirely.

I had always been drawn to Selene, but lately, it was unbearable. Maybe that's why I tried to make her jealous. Maybe that's why, as we walked to Care of Magical Creatures, I made sure to walk ahead with Sree and Pansy, letting them linger around me. I even let Pansy hold onto my arm for a bit, but my eyes kept flicking back to Selene, waiting for some reaction.

And I got it. The way she narrowed her eyes, how she tightened her grip on her book—it was subtle, but I knew her too well.

Kenny, Blaise, and Selene were whispering behind us, probably laughing at something. I turned around and called out, "Walk faster, Granny."

"Coming right up, Grandson," she shot back.

The look on Sree's face? Worth it. Even Pansy seemed surprised that Selene could get away with that and I wouldn't even be mad.

Then Buckbeak happened.

I don't know what possessed me to challenge a bloody hippogriff, but I was annoyed with the way Potter was getting all the attention. I had to do something. Anything. And so, I did the dumbest thing I could've done—mocked the creature.

One second, I was talking; the next, I was on the ground, my arm searing with pain. The moment I heard Selene's horrified gasp, my pain seemed a little less important. But then she laughed. They all did.

"It's killed me! It's killed me!" I wailed dramatically.

I wasn't actually dying, obviously. But why not use the moment? Hagrid rushed over, and Hermione was yelling something about it being just a scratch. And then Selene, my supposed best friend, giggled.

"Don't forget the will," she joked.

Kenny and Blaise burst into laughter, and even I couldn't help but let out a small chuckle through my exaggerated groans of pain. Meanwhile, Pansy and Sree were fluttering around me like over-concerned house-elves.

"Don't worry, Draco," Pansy cooed. "We'll take care of you."

Yes, well, I'd rather have Selene laughing at me than Pansy treating me like an invalid.

The hospital wing was a disaster.

Kenny, Blaise, and Selene showed up, pretending to be all serious, but I knew them better. The moment they sat down, Kenny leaned over and whispered, "Dracy baby got almost killed by a chicken."

That was it. They collapsed into laughter, and even I, as much as I wanted to sulk, couldn't stop myself from grinning.

Selene clutched her stomach, wiping a tear from her eye. "Sorry, but you were hilarious."

I gave her a fake pout. "You lot are the worst friends."

She ruffled my hair, which I normally would have swatted her hand away for, but right now, I kind of liked it.

Night fell, and the hospital wing was dimly lit. The others had left except for Selene. She stayed.

She always stayed.

We talked about everything and nothing—classes, pranks we should pull, how I'd get back at Buckbeak (I was joking. Mostly).

Then, as she got up to leave, she leaned in and pressed a light kiss to my forehead. It was something she did sometimes, and I should have been used to it, but this time, it felt different. I felt different.

"Sorry, but you were hilarious," she murmured with a soft smile, her fingers brushing my hair lightly.

I felt my breath hitch slightly. I wanted to tell her not to leave yet. I wanted to grab her hand, pull her back, and make her stay longer. But I just smirked and forced out, "Of course I was."

As she turned to go, I caught a glimpse of Pansy and Sree lingering outside the hospital wing, both wearing identical looks of jealousy. Normally, I would have been smug about it. But I wasn't. Because the only person I wanted looking at me like that was already walking away.

And that's when I knew.

I, Draco Malfoy, was utterly, hopelessly, and stupidly in love with Selene.

SELENE'S POV

I entered my dormitory and changed into pajamas. It had been a long day, a rather memorable one too. I was still giggling about Draco and his arm when my eyes suddenly fell on Sree. She was sitting on her bed, staring blankly at the floor, her arms wrapped around her knees. She looked genuinely hurt, and despite everything, I still considered her a friend. The least I could do was check on her.

Kenny, sensing the tension, quickly suggested, "I'll just go grab some late-night snacks with Crabbe and Goyle, yeah?" She shot me a look, one that said don't start a fight, before hurrying out. The door shut behind her, and the silence between Sree and me thickened. I took a deep breath, then sat beside her.

"Look," I started softly, "I understand that you might like Draco, but you're turning into Pansy without even realizing it. I thought we were friends, Sree. The least you could do was keep your eyes off of the guy that I lo—" I caught myself, my voice breaking slightly. "Liked."

She lifted her head, and for a moment, I saw something flicker in her eyes—was it regret? But then, to my surprise, she smirked. "Yeah, I realized that." The sarcasm in her voice was sharp enough to slice through the tension.

I felt a pang in my chest. "Excuse me?"

"You're acting like a complete psycho," she said, rolling her eyes as she swung her legs off the bed. "You're so obsessed with him, Selene. It's pathetic. You parade around acting like you're different from the other girls who like Draco, but you're just the same. Except worse, because you think you deserve him more."

I stood up abruptly. "That is not what this is about. It's about you, Sree. You're supposed to be my friend! Friends don't do this to each other!"

"Oh, please," she scoffed, standing up to face me. "Since when have you ever really cared about me? You always make everything about you and Draco. Every damn conversation somehow circles back to him. You treat Kenny and me like background characters in your little romance story! Maybe I just got tired of being second to Saint Selene!"

Her words hit me like a curse to the chest. I felt my stomach twist. "That's not true," I whispered, shaking my head. "I always cared about you, Sree. I—"

"Oh, get over yourself!" she snapped. "You walk around acting like you're so much better than Pansy, but at least she owns up to being a jealous, desperate girl. You? You hide behind this fake I'm-so-good act, when really, you just don't want competition." Her eyes narrowed. "You never wanted a friend—you wanted a cheerleader."

I stumbled back a step, as if physically struck. My throat tightened, my breath coming unevenly. "You really think that?" My voice was barely above a whisper now.

She folded her arms. "I know that."

A lump formed in my throat. Tears burned behind my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. "Then why did you even pretend to be my friend all this time?" My voice cracked at the end, betraying the emotions I was trying so hard to suppress.

Sree didn't answer immediately. For a moment, just a moment, I thought I saw hesitation—guilt, even. But then she shrugged. "I guess I just got bored."

I choked on a breath, my vision blurring. I turned away, my back to her, because if I looked at her any longer, I would break apart right in front of her. "I can't believe you," I murmured, voice barely audible. "I defended you. I trusted you. I thought you were my friend, Sree."

Kenny burst into the room at that moment, holding a handful of chocolate frogs. "Alright, I got—" She froze, taking in the scene before her. Her gaze darted between Sree and me, immediately sensing the tension. "What the hell happened?"

I let out a shaky breath, blinking rapidly to keep the tears at bay. "Nothing. Just realized I never had a friend to begin with." My voice wavered, and before Kenny could say anything, I grabbed my pillow and stormed out of the dormitory.

I didn't know where I was going, but I knew I couldn't stay there any longer.