Meant for No One but Each Other

Danica had made a point to practically live in the library for the last few weeks. She couldn’t bear to even see Neville, since he had his own point of looking at her with hurt and hard eyes. She couldn’t even look at him without feeling despair fill her, and yet she couldn’t resist as well. She knew se deserved it. She deserved this feeling.

After all, Danica had always subconsciously been aware of Neville’s feelings for her, and yet, she had always somewhat encouraged it. She knew she couldn’t lose Neville and so she had let him continue believing there was a chance or that she might have feelings as well. And she felt horrible for it. She was hurting everybody. It was because she loved both Draco and Neville. They were two different sides of the spectrum and she knew she needed both. On one side, there was the loud self-centered, arrogant asshole who somehow opened up with her, and on the other was the cowardly, hidden talented, quiet and loyal best friend. She had always known she couldn’t have both forever, but she had always tried to keep it as long as she could.

“Hi,” a voice pulled her out of her thoughts. She saw Hermione standing above her. “Can I um sit here?”

“Sure.”

Hermione sat down. “So how are you?”

“Um I’m fine,” Dani said.

Hermione flushed, knowing she had overstepped her bound. “I was just asking because Neville is a mess and when I asked him what was wrong he told me he lost his best friend.”

Danica winced at hearing that. “Is that all he told you?” She felt even more guilty when she knew he would not tell people why he wasn’t talking to her anymore. He would never do that to her.

Hermione shook her head. “You don’t have to either, but I just thought I’d make sure you were okay.”

“He told me he loves me,” she said quietly. “He told me I had to choose between him and Draco. He can’t be my friend anymore.”

“Oh I’m so sorry Danica.”

Dani tried to smile slightly. “It’s not like I didn’t expect it never to happen. I knew it would one day, but it still hurt, you know?”

“Yeah. Danica do you love Neville?”

“I love Draco,” she sad without hesitation.

“Yes I know, but I don’t think love is black or white. I think you can love them both.”

She sighed. “I think I do, or something close to love. But it doesn’t matter.”

“Because you’re with Draco.” It wasn’t a question.

“How much do you know about us purebloods Hermione?” She didn’t know why she was talking to Granger about this, but she needed to talk to someone. Draco and Neville were definitely not an option, and Hermione seemed genuinely concerned for her. It felt nice to have a girl to talk to.

“Well I know you breed a lot,” she flushed slightly.

Dani couldn’t help but chuckle. “I’m not talking about your beloved Weasleys, who are pretty much an enigma when it comes to purebloods.”

“Not much then,” Hermione admitted.

“The rest of us can’t reproduce as often as them. That’s why there’s also only one or at the most two children in all the other pureblood families,” she explained. “It’s probably because of all the inbreeding. I mean, in the old days, it was to keep money and power within families, but now it is to keep the blood status as pure.”

“Neville’s a pureblood too,” Hermione reminded her quietly.

“Yes but he’s as much a blood traitor as the Weasleys,” she said. She noticed Hermione wince. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine,” she smiled. “I understand.”

“Even more than that, we purebloods are arranged,” she sighed. “We do not choose our spouse. They are picked for us.”

“So Draco is your intended?” Hermione asked.

She nodded. “Since we were born, Draco and I have known we were meant to be. Don’t get me wrong though, I love Draco truly and deeply, as I know he does as well.”

Hermione seemed to stifle back a cough, which confused Danica, but she didn’t question it. “I never understood, you know?” Hermione said quietly. ‘Why you loved Draco.”

Dani sighed. She knew not many would. “He’s not the same with me as he is with everyone else. I know you all see him as an arrogant asshole, and okay I know he is, but with me, he’s not always such. He loves me with all his heart and he would do anything for me, as I would for him.”

“Are you sure about that?” Hermione asked quietly.

This confused Danica even more. Granger was acting extremely weird. “Why would you ask me that?”

Hermione flushed. “I um I just want to understand better.”

Danica sighed, agitated at herself for always jumping to the worst conclusions. “Yes I am sure.”

Hermione nodded slowly. “But you love Neville as well.”

“I don’t know. I think I do, but that may just be a response to losing him. He seems to think I only love Draco because I was taught to.”

“Is that what you think?”

“In a way, yes. In the beginning, Draco and I were always thrown together. I learned quickly that I could rely on him for anything as he did with me. And we became the closest of friends, and that turned to love. And now, it’s not because I have been taught to love him. I love him because I do, because I want to.”

“But you and Neville became close friends very early as well, right?”

She smiled, remembering the first time she and Neville had met. They had become friends instantly. “No one understands why or how we became friends. We just did.”

“And now you don’t understand why or how you fell in love with him,” she said quietly. “I know it’s not my place to tell you what to do Danica, but I have to say, Neville would never, ever betray you.”

“Either would Draco,” she said firmly.

Hermione fidgeted at that. “Just be careful, okay Danica? I can only imagine how hard this is for you, and I don’t want you to get even more hurt.”

Danica nodded slowly, confused by her words. “Thanks Hermione. T was nice talking to you about this.”

Hermione smiled and got up. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a lot of studying to do.”

“Don’t you know everything already?” Danica joked.

Hermione groaned. “Not even close, though I am a few lessons ahead in everything. I’m actually looking up things for Harry.”

“Oh the Trwizard Tournament,” she remembered. “How is he doing?”

“He’s being Harry of course,” Hermione rolled her eyes, but smiled. “It would just be a lot easier on all of us if Ron just forgave him already. It clearly wasn’t Harry’s doing that he got into it.”

With that, she left her to sit at another table. Danica sighed and turned back to her textbook, though she couldn’t really concentrate anymore. Draco was supposed to come visit her soon so they could study together. But her thoughts remained now on Neville.

---

Draco Malfoy had never been so terrified in his life. He was scared of Granger telling Danica what she had seen. He knew how Danica would react, and he knew he had a reason to be scared. It would be the end of his life. And since neither of them could ever change their fate, she would not be able to leave him. Their whole life together would be a battlefield. And he loved her. He knew he had made a few mistakes, and not treated her with the reverence of which she deserved, but he was going to change. Now that he thought about it, he didn’t even now why he had even begun anything with Pansy. He knew she was just after his money and his name, and yet he still fell into her trap. But that was going to change. He just prayed that Granger would keep her mouth shut for once. Bu he knew the little know it all would never. And the thought of her terrified him. He contemplated bribing Granger for her discretion, but he knew she would never buy into that.

He saw her in the library, at their usual table and wearily made his way over, standing for permission. She smiled when she saw him. He was surprised. Did she not know? “Hi,” he said, sitting down and swiftly kissing her on the cheek.

“Hey,” she grinned at him.

Draco noticed Granger watching them from the next table. “Problem Mudblood?”

Hermione quickly flushed and buried her face n her textbook. Danica sighed. “I wish you wouldn’t use that word.”

“What’s wrong with it?” he demanded.

“It’s distasteful,” she made a face. “Besides, I kind of like Hermione.”

“You’re on a first name basis with her?” he asked, panic starting to hit him.

She rolled her eyes. “It’s just a name Draco. She’s nice enough. Just has some weird ideas. She came to talk to me before you came.”

“What did she say?”

Danica just shrugged. “She just asked me how I was doing and all, but it was weird and out of no where. I mean, we’re not on bad terms but it was getting a bit personal think. She asked about you.”

He fought down a gulp. “Oh? About what?”

“Oh nothing, just wondering about our relationship and all,” she said. “But did you hear about Weasley and Potter?” He shook his head, knowing he had to change the subject to avoid suspicion. “Apparently there’s discord in Potterdome.”

“Is it because of the whole Triwizard thing? I mean, honestly, an idiot could have predicted that Dumbledore’s favorite would be in it. He always finds a way through rules that apply to everyone but him.”

“Ron’s just jealous as usual,” Dani rolled her eyes. “I mean, wouldn’t you be if you were Harry’s best friend?”

Draco made a face of disgust. “I would never belittle myself to be friends with that.”

She laughed. “He’s not so bad Draco.”

“Oh are you and Potter such good friends now?”

She flushed slightly. “No, I mean he’s okay, but I don’t hang out with him. But the few times that we’ve been together, he doesn’t seem so bad.”

Draco rolled his eyes. “Yes I’m sure he’s perfectly pleasant.”

She sighed. “I was just saying Draco.”

He immediately felt horrible. He was making her feel bad when he had already hurt her so deeply, which she seemed not to know about – yet. He didn’t count his stars just yet. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly.

She smiled. “It’s alright.” She turned back to her textbook.

“No it’s not,” he took her hand. “I’m a git.”

“Yes you are, but I forgive you,” she joked. “Now can you please explain this spell to me? I just don’t get it. And no jokes about how I’m supposed to be in Ravenclaw, or so help me I will sneak into the Slytherin dungeons and kill you while you sleep.”

He smiled but only felt guilt flow through him. He was undeserving of her, especially after his betrayal. He half wished she would find out so he could pay the price. But Draco was still a Malfoy and self-perseverance was a part of him. He half contemplated bribing Granger for her silence, but he knew she would never agree. She hadn’t told her yet, but nothing was stopping her from saying something later on. Those Gryffindors and their honor, she would have all those damned qualities. And so he silently prayed that just this once, the know it all would keep his mouth shut.