thirteen

                                    

                                          
At the end of the long hall stood his door, as Draco approached he felt his knuckles clenching tighter and tighter until he was standing and looking right at his name tag. Positioned on the door right in his eye line. 
                          
Potter
                          
"This is ridiculous" he muttered softly as he brushed his hand through his hair and started to turn away when he heard the door swing open. 
                          
"Malfoy-" Draco turned back to see Potter ushering someone out of his office. "Did you need something?" He leaned on the door waiting. Draco had considered forgetting the plan and turning around, he still has time to not make a fool of himself if he did. 
                          
"Yeah.." he nodded and walked back to the door. Harry stepped aside to let him in before shutting the door and returning back to his desk. 
                          
"So what did you need?"
                          
"Well... I.. have reason to believe there's a... threat to muggles.. well a certain muggle.." Draco choked out. Harry raised an eyebrow at him. 
                          
"What kind of threat? It can't be handled by other muggles?" He asked as he continued to do paperwork. 
                          
"Ex Death eaters.." Draco spat. Harry instantly stopped writing and looked back up at him. 
                          
"Ex death eaters, threatening a muggle. I'll need more information than that" he spoke. 
                          
"Potter can you just assign someone to watch her? Make sure she doesn't get killed." he snapped as his anger was rising. 
                          
"Well you can-"
                          
"I can't" 
                          
"What do you mean you can't?" Draco sat in the chair across from the desk and put his head in his hands. 
                          
"They threatened to kill her if she comes near me" he mumbled into his hands. 
                          
"Why would they-"
                          
"Because I've gotten close with her!" he stood up and yelled. "I care for her and they're pissed off that I care for a muggle" his breath was rapid as he put his hands on the back of his head. 
                          
"Who's pissed off?" Harry asked. He thought for a moment, wondering if bringing up Parkinson's name would get him into more trouble or not. But he wouldn't be the one doing the killing if it came to that, it would be some lackey of his. 
                          
"Other Pureblood families," he said simply. "Hate the idea that I could... end up with her." Each word he said felt like bile coming up his throat and burned him relentlessly. Admitting he cared enough about her that it could come to that point... if they were allowed the decency of having a relationship...
                          
Was terrifying. 
                          
"So you're... you're falling for a muggle?" Potter asked reluctantly. 
                          
"I never said falling Potter. You're insinuating that I lo-" he stopped and looked at him. "Just protect her," he said stopping his uncomfortable heart to heart with his once known rival. 
                          
"What's her name?" He asked shuffling through parchment 
                          
"Why-"
                          
"So I can assign someone to her. Her name?"
                          
"Evelyn Cooper" he said softly. 
                          
"Okay. I'll make sure there's someone watching her.. at least for a while... if we don't see any sort of threat we'll pull back. Understood?" Draco nodded. 
                          
"Thanks Potter." Harry nodded at him before he turned towards the door. He paused as his hand was on his doorknob and turned back to look at him one last time. "Can my... connection with her stay between us..." Potter was quiet for a moment as Draco's grip tightened on the knob. "I'm still struggling with the idea..."