"Shit. Your life is more complicated than I thought... and I didn't think it could get any worse."

I rolled my eyes at Daphne's words, her then sipping her drink across from me at the Three Broomsticks.

Since I'd unfortunately (and unintentionally) been neglecting her and I could tell in her personality that she was getting irritated with me, I promised her we'd head to Hogsmeade for a girls' day. Currently, the two of us were taking a break from devouring some snacks I'd bought for us to catch up on our lives. Admittedly, she did seem a bit tense at first, but noticeably loosened up throughout the course of our discussion.

"You thought being in an arranged marriage was a piece of cake?"

"Not when you were forced to break up with the person you actually loved," I huffed.

"Loved," she echoed.

"Huh?"

"You're speaking in past tense."

A small smile crept its way onto her lips, and when I finally understood her insinuation, I felt my cheeks become red with a blush. Luckily we were alone, nobody else from Hogwarts was in the shop. Otherwise, I'd be terrified of anyone overhearing our conversation.

"I have to, we broke up after all."

"I think you're suddenly referring to him in past tense because you've got someone else you're hopelessly crushing on," she giggled, clearly just trying to embarrass me further.

"Daph! It's nothing like that. And don't call it a crush; that's so juvenile."

"Juvenile when you're already married to him? Yes, I agree."

"I didn't say that I'm crushing on him, nothing of the sort, get it right," I rolled my eyes.

"Right, because daydreaming about a boy who's been nothing but good to you for weeks upon months so much so that you're praying he'll kiss you isn't—"

"Can you shut up? God, I'm regretting even telling you now," I choked out, partially true but also with a hint of a laugh, as I knew she was only doing this to irritate me.

That was confirmed by the giant smile she now was donning, grinning ear to ear and laughing at how embarrassed I was.

"Come on! If I told you I was having these thoughts about someone else, you'd be doing the same. Remember when I had a crush on Adrian Pucey fourth and fifth year? You wouldn't let me live it down."

I wanted to be more annoyed, but laughed as well once I remembered how I tortured her endlessly over it. Teasing her, trying to set them up, even convincing Theo to somehow make them "bump" into each other.

"I suppose. But like I said, I'm not... obsessing over the guy, I just felt like he could have kissed me there."

"Could have? Or should have?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Daphne!" I chuckled, throwing the crumbs of a cookie I just ate at her, which she giggled as she tried to shield herself from.

After her fits of laughter died down a bit, she looked at me. Not necessarily in a serious way, but the joking for her was mostly over, I could tell.

"Maybe this whole thing doesn't have to be as complicated as it seems. This could be an... opportunity?"

I narrowed my eyes, a bit confused at what she was referencing.

"I'm just saying, y/n. You deserve to be happy. Especially if you're with this guy for life; it's not worth feeling miserable over forever."

"I could always divorce him," I shrugged.

I hadn't really entertained the thought, but when she said "forever" it was just the first thing that came to mind. I didn't even mean it, it was just a sort of snappy response.

"And get disowned by your parents, sure," she nodded. "I'm serious, though. There's no reason to beat yourself up about being attracted to him."

"I didn't say—"

"Shh, I'm not finished," she interrupted. "Try to let yourself be attracted to him. Even if it's not love right now, it could be. There must be something there if you wanted him to kiss you."

"A kiss doesn't mean I'm madly in love with him."

"But you could be. Maybe not today, but I think you need to give Draco more of a shot."

"How have I not given him a shot? I married him, didn't I?"

She rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean. I don't think you've been taking his advances seriously, and the poor guy needs a break from competing with your ex-boyfriend who honestly never stopped being your boyfriend."

As much as I wanted to argue with her for that snide comment about Cedric, she was right. It's how I got in this mess in the first place, so I couldn't complain. But Draco's advances? I didn't see him writing love notes or dropping roses at my doorstep.

"I don't think Draco's been overly romantic. He has his... moments, ones that are more personal than others, but it's not like he's confessed his love for me and I'm rejecting him."

Daphne scoffed. "If you don't think that boy has been putting in effort, you're delusional."

"You're right in that he has been there for me a lot lately, especially with the whole Theo thing. It's been kind of nice having him there, but I wouldn't say it's crazy."

"That's another thing I wanted to bring up. Don't you find it odd he's turned his back on his best friend in the whole universe for some girl? He won't even sleep in their dorm room till he's made amends with you. That doesn't sound like the actions of a guy who is 'just friends' or doesn't feel something more for someone."

I actually had considered that; I thought it was strange that Draco was so protective of me when it came to Theo and Blaise, additionally. He had no business in shooing them off when they neared us in the common room or in class, other than maybe what Daphne was suggesting.

That combined with the fact that Draco had vocalized he missed having his friends around, I felt some guilt building up. I had been feeling guilty anyway, but now not for myself. I was disappointed that I had jeopardized their friendship because Draco had taken my side.

Not only that, but... she was right. About everything else he's been doing, anyway. The surprise game times, picnics and food specialty ordered, his newfound excitement for prefect work, all that in combination with his general attitude which was completely different than a few months ago. I swore, he hated me just last year, and now he had admitted he cared for me.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "I think for once... just this once, you might be right. Not completely, but right about something."

A satisfied smirk rested on her face. She sat back in her chair and crossed her arms.

"I'm right about a lot more than you think."

———

Daphne and I loitered around Hogsmeade for hours, it seemed. All the while she seemingly had a goal of forcing me to somehow realize my feelings for Draco, whatever those may be.

I found it a bit nauseating at first, but she suggested that I need to do something for him. "Meet him in the middle", as she put it. Just so he knows that I care about him too, and he doesn't have to feel alone if he actually does have romantic feelings for me.

Nothing big, necessarily, but if Draco had been doing all these things but hadn't explicitly stated that he was interested in me, it must be because he was scared I didn't feel the same. That was her logic, anyway.

We agreed it would have to be something he'd actually appreciate, not just getting him some tacky gift that he'd pretend to like, since he already has everything in the world. As such, it meant doing something that would make a difference to him.

That was how I found myself outside his and Theo's dorm room. The one that Draco no longer stayed in, as long as Theo and I were fighting.

I knocked nervously, wondering if Theo would even be there. It was well into the evening, so he might've been with Blaise or out doing something else.

I heard a "come in" from his voice; he must have been expecting someone. Still, I did as instructed and opened the door to find him half dressed, in just a pair of dark black pants and no shirt. His back was turned to me as he buttoned his pants.

"What is it, Blaise? I thought you weren't coming till late—" he turned around to see me, not Blaise, standing in front of him. "What the hell, y/n?! Can't you see I'm not dressed?"

I fought the urge to roll my eyes, knowing I was doing this for Draco. I had to swallow my pride and apologize. As much as I missed Theo, I probably would've waited for him to come around if I wasn't doing this so Draco could get his best friend back.

"You said to come in," I stated matter-of-factly.

"I thought you were Zabini," he sneered. "Now, mind telling me why you're in my room?"

I sighed, mentally preparing myself for the argument that might ensue if I went about this incorrectly.

"Theo, we're best friends," I exhaled, "and I don't want to see us fight anymore."

He placed his hands on his hips, putting on display his bare chest. I noticed he had a shirt sprawled out on his bed, but it must have slipped his mind once I came in. I always knew he was tall and skinny, but without a shirt, he was gangly too. Like he hadn't quite filled out yet, his limbs were long and lanky and chest lacking any muscle. That didn't make him bad looking; in fact, he was the opposite. Theo could never be anything but handsome. But it made me less intimidated, which I found solace in.

"You can fix that. Whenever you stop acting like an adulterer, we can be friends again."

"Adulterer? Really Theo?" I had to stop myself from sounding too annoyed.

"Fine," he huffed, "cheater, having an affair, whatever you wanna call it. I've told you time and time—"

"Please don't be upset with me," I cut him off, "I'm apologizing for Draco's sake."

"Draco?" he scoffed, "since when do you care about his feelings?"

I grimaced at that, but he was right. Only now did I start to realize my feelings for him that went somewhat beyond friendship and dabbled in the romantic.

"Well, it's for me too. I miss you, Theo. But I'd be lying if I said that this was easy, or I wouldn't have waited for you to crack first, so I'm doing this for Draco. I can't drive a wedge between you two."

After I told Theo I missed him, I noticed his demeanor change the slightest bit. Before he looked angry and somewhat tense, but he seemed to soften his facial features. His forehead wrinkled less and eyes widened.

"Again," he breathed out, but this time less with less animosity, "since when have you started caring about what Draco thinks?"

"Ironically, since about the time you started being an asshole," I forced a chuckle, hoping it would alleviate some tension. I quickly realized that wouldn't work. "I'm serious, though. In these past couple weeks Draco has really been there for me. We've... evolved."

"Evolved how?" he raised a brow.

I sighed. "I don't think I can tell you until we're on good terms again. It's... kind of personal. Trust me in saying that I don't want anything to make him unhappy, and right now, he's missing you and Blaise. I can't keep you away from each other."

Theo paused for a moment, running a hand through his hair. It was unruly and curly, like he'd just woken up or perhaps rubbed it dry with a towel. He sat down on the edge of his bed, and I hesitantly moved closer so that I was standing in front of him.

"He knows he can move back in, right? This is still his room. He doesn't have to stay away on my behalf."

"It's not that," I shook my head. "He genuinely misses you guys. Crabbe and Goyle... he outgrew them a long time ago. They can't hold a candle to you and Blaise."

He smirked slightly, scoffing a little. "He always said that."

I smiled small, matching his facial expression. "It's true. You guys work better together. As much as I've loved having him around lately, I can't steal him from you forever."

"I thought he wanted nothing to do with me?"

"Until we get over this spat. He hasn't liked how you two have been less than polite to me since the Slug Club."

"Y/n, I can't go back on that. I'm sorry that we've been assholes, but as long as you're with Cedric—"

"I'm not with Cedric anymore. Never really was, but... it's completely over now."

"W-what? Like, done-done?"

I smiled, noticing the glint of hope in his eyes. "Yes," I chuckled. "Done, finished, capped, concluded—"

"Okay, okay, I get it, no need to bust out the thesaurus," he chuckled. "But, how? When? Why didn't you say anything?"

"It's a long story," I shook my head. "Actually, it was the night of the Slug Club I told him we can't do this anymore."

His eyes widened. "You mean... after Blaise and I..."

"Yes," I nodded, "it was right after that. You two were the worst company that night, but you did push me into breaking things off."

A wash of something, probably remorse washed over his face. I'm sure he was happy at the end of it all, but knowing Theo and his big heart, he must have felt a little guilty for having treated me so poorly even after I finished with Cedric.

"Then why didn't you say anything? Blaise and I would've backed off if we knew—"

"I didn't want to give you the satisfaction. I was angry and didn't want you to think your harassing worked."

"Y/n... I can't tell you how sorry I am. For being a dick, first of all, but for doing it so long..."

"You didn't know," I raised my hand to place on his shoulder comfortingly. "I can't say I'm okay with it, but I'll forgive you since I didn't tell you."

"I could've found out," he shook his head, "I didn't see you two hanging out anymore, he must have told people, I could have just figured it out—"

"Hey, shh, don't worry about it. If you want to let bygones be bygones, I'm fine with that."

A weak smile appeared on his lips. "I'd like that. I have to admit, I've missed seeing your face around these parts. I've needed someone to scam answers off for arithmancy."

I punched his arm jokingly as we both laughed, slowly returning to our normal selves. "I've missed you too. A lot, actually. It wasn't the same seeing you and not being able to tell you everything."

He raised an eyebrow. "Tell me what?"

"We've got a lot to cover."

———

After forcing Theo to keep it a secret (at least until anything further happens), I quickly yet thoroughly updated him on everything in my life, particularly that about Draco.

He was utterly ecstatic, not only because I'd finished with Cedric but also that I was willing, or at least had some interest, in getting to romantically know Draco. He, like Daphne, was convinced that if I was willing to kiss him that night that it must mean something, whatever that something may be.

Blaise eventually ended up coming to the dorm and noticed we were together; as such, I gave him a much more brief version of the story. I wasn't quite comfortable telling him everything, but knowing that Cedric and I were done satisfied him. The two of them apologized numerous times for their bad attitude, and as much as it was horrible how they treated me, I couldn't really blame them. They were just being good friends.

Seeing as it was evening, we made the decision to all go down to dinner together. Walking down with them felt a little strange after about two weeks of animosity between us, but once we got chatting, it all felt normal again. Nobody outside of our house (save for a few Slug Club members which I doubt cared) really knew about our feud, so I was glad that there weren't many eyes watching us as we sat at the end of the table together.

Not many eyes, except for Draco once he walked in. He and I had been sitting together, sometimes with Daphne or whoever else wanted to for the evening, since the whole ordeal started and I could tell he was majorly confused.

At first, I could tell his protective guard went up when he saw us together. He might've thought they were giving me attitude again, but once he saw that we were actually laughing and having a good time, he seemed to calm down a bit. Still cautious, but less direct and argumentative.

"What's all this?" Draco asked, taking his seat next to me and across from Blaise and Theo. "I'm gone for two seconds and you've all made up?"

"Let's just say that we've worked it out," Theo smiled, sending a wink my way which caused Draco to furrow his brows.

"Just like that? Your two weeks of harassing are over with?"

"They apologized," I assured Draco, reaching out to grasp his forearm comfortingly. For the first time, I noticed the sparks I felt when our skin touched. It made me want to pull back, but it would've been too obvious; I had to play it cool for the time being.

"Y/n is being modest," Theo interjected. "She was actually the one who apologized to me, then Blaise. We only did so after she made the first move."

Draco shifted his gaze between the two of us. "You did... what? They've been the ones doing wrong and you're the one who makes amends? That's not right—"

"Draco, it's fine," I cut him off. "I did it to make peace, finally."

"Why would you want to do that? It doesn't sound right for you to be forced to apologize after what they've done."

I noticed that Theo and Blaise were exchanging looks between themselves which allowed for a slightly more private moment between Draco and I. It wasn't perfect, however, so I lowered my voice to a hush so only he could hear.

"I did it for you."

He looked taken aback, confused and silently pleading for an elaboration, which I gladly gave him.

"You've been saying that you miss having them around. I couldn't be the reason you and your friends are apart."

His eyes bore into mine. "Y/n, I would've picked you over them anyway, that wasn't necessary—"

"Yes, it was necessary. They're my friends, too, but you couldn't get caught in the middle. After everything you've been doing for me, I couldn't let you lose something like that."

A small smile grew on his lips. He looked down at my hand still on his arm before returning my gaze.

"It must not have been easy for you."

"I can't say it was, but it was worth it. To see you happy... that's why I did it."

"Th-thank you," he slightly stuttered shaky words.

"Don't thank me, Draco. It's just something you do when you... care about someone."

His eyes widened, with a slight glint in the bluest parts of the irises. The end of his lip tugged up in a smirk, but not a malicious one. It looked like it was some sort of satisfaction, a state of being content. I swear, I could've almost caught the sight of his pale skin turning the lightest shade of pink, but that was gone as he leaned in close to my ear.

"That means more than you know," he whispered with a sensuosity that made me almost melt right in front of him.

While I was still dealing with the effects of his words, I wasn't prepared for the physical gesture he gave next. He brought his long and nimble fingers up to move a few strands of hair behind my ear before pressing his lips to my cheek in a soft kiss.

Merlin, I was putty in his hands.

It was short lived, but I could feel the lingering feeling of the shock waves he sent throughout my body from both his voice and kiss. If we weren't in the Great Hall, I don't know what I would've done.