As the Leaves Change Color So Does Your Love

For the next couple of weeks, I saw Malfoy almost everywhere. I had told no one about my attack and although I was planning to, there was so much schoolwork I had completely forgotten about it. It was as if he was watching me, making sure I didn’t say anything to anyone. Snape hadn’t approached me either and rather ignored me, which was strange. He himself said Dumbledore was in on it.

I also had forgotten about Slughorn’s meeting. In the event of things, I didn’t remember it until a full week later, when I had gotten another invitation.

The first trip to Hogsmeade was almost here and Johan had approached me, asking whether I’d like to accompany him to the small town. He said he’d show me around and give me a tour. Knowing I wasn’t doing anything else that upcoming Saturday, I willingly accepted the invitation.

The morning of, I pulled on a cream cashmere sweater, some jeans and boots, and headed down to the entrance hall to meet up with Johan. We were planning on having breakfast in Hogsmeade so I decided to skip the meal at Hogwarts altogether.

As I spotted Johan talking to an Asian girl with black, straight hair, I started making my way over to him. Not realizing where I was going, I tripped over someone’s cat and went flying. Awaiting the crash, I instead fell into a pair of strong arms, knocking the person over as well. Looking up, I saw it was Malfoy.

“Watch your step,” he said quietly.

I had expected him to be angry or even hostile after our last encounter. But his voice sounded pleasant, for once.

“I-I’m sorry,” I mumbled, unable to look him in the eye.

His thumb prodded my chin up, so that my eyes came in contact with his. His silvery eyes were fierce, but they showed a sign of gentleness.

“No, I’m sorry,” he whispered, even quieter than before.

While I ogled at him, wondering what the bloody hell someone had done with his brain, he pulled us up off the ground.

“You tried to kill me,” I hissed, finally coming back to my senses.

“I didn’t know what else to do.”

Without replying, I started walking away, taking in what he had just said, but he pulled me back to face him.

“One more thing.”

“What?”

“I like it when you call me Draco.”

And then, he walked out on me, leaving me as clueless as ever. I had tried to forget my near death experience over the past weeks, but now it came rushing back to me.

Still, I felt sympathy for Malfoy like the first time around when I had heard him talking about Voldemort. He was desperate. He didn’t know what to do. And knowing that I should’ve told someone, I just couldn’t. He was only a teenager, like me. He could have several restrictions that prevented him from leading a normal life. Maybe Voldemort had his family and was threatening him to do whatever he needed to do.

No, that wasn’t right. My parents had told me something about the Malfoys. They were the first to come over to our side when Lord Voldemort had disappeared, but at some point, they were on the Dark Side. And by any means, they were still on the Dark Side, since Voldemort was back in power now.

“Hey, there,” I looked to see Johan walking towards me, driving all lingering thoughts about Malfoy out of my mind.

“Hey,” I said, shyly.

Instead of his usual Slytherin robes, he was dressed in a black long sleeve muscle shirt, some light, straight-legged jeans and Converse. He looked adorable as ever with his black hair and brilliant eyes. I also noticed how his sculpted muscles were visible through his shirt, but that was expected. He was one of the Slytherin beaters. Slytherin. That reminded me of Malfoy once again.

“Aren’t you good friends with Malfoy… since, you know, he’s in the same house as you and all? Come to think of it, you guys sleep in the same dormitory.”

He suddenly looked uncomfortable, as if he didn’t want to talk about it.

“We talk now and then,” he started and I waited for him to finish but he didn’t add anything onto those five words.

Without further ado, we listened to McGonagall’s speech about Hogsmeade rules and then started out the long walk to the village. Soon enough, a number of medieval age buildings came into view. With all the autumn leaves scattered about, it looked like a fictional land out of books. All the houses seemed like replicas of those Christmas town toys and here and there, shops brightened up the appearance of the place. With Johan by my side, it seemed as welcoming as ever.

“Let’s go?” He beamed at me. “Come on, I have to show you Honeydukes and Zonko’s and Three Broomsticks and-“

“Okay, okay, I get the point,” I interrupted, chuckling as his excitement. His eyes were full of delight and I could feel his enlivened aura rubbing off on me.

Swiftly, he clasped my hand in his, intertwining our fingers and started pulling me towards the first shop. As if it were the simplest thing to do. I looked at him and when he saw me watching him, he came to a halt.

“If it’s alright with you,” he said, pulling his hand out of mine, so just our index fingers were linked together.

I thought about it for a minute. This gorgeous, amazing, nice and helpful guy wanted me. Or at least he was showing signs of wanting me and there was no way I could refuse. If I didn’t have feelings for him just yet, that was no reason to turn him away. I could eventually grow to like him. There was no way I couldn’t. He was so unlike Malfoy. Oh, God. Not him again.

Without a second thought, I interlaced my fingers through his once again and gave his hand a small squeeze. He smiled and seemed happier than ever.

Together, we wandered around Hogsmeade until nightfall, when we finally decided to head back to Hogwarts.

At the entrance hall, we had to part ways due to the fact that the Slytherin common room was in the dungeons. Johan gave me a warm hug, wrapping his strong arms around my narrow waist. With a quick peck on my cheek, he was gone, leaving me in stunned silence. I touched the place his lips had touched my cheek, as it was still tingling.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a familiar platinum head pass me without a word into the dungeons. It didn’t matter that he didn’t say anything to me now. He had before. And he hadn’t been rude, like he always was to me.

It was then that I realized that although my day had been just about the best at Hogwarts yet, it wasn’t only because of Johan.

Draco had played a part in it as well.