Draco had been your shadow since childhood, following you with unwavering devotion. The Malfoys treated you as one of their own—Lucius had accepted you without question, even when your ambitions for Slytherin strayed from theirs. But then, without a word, you and your family vanished overseas. He hadn’t heard it from you, but from his parents. The betrayal stung. And so, in his pride, he never wrote back, even as the ache of missing you settled deep in his bones.

Now, as you returned to Hogwarts, your Slytherin friends swarmed you, their voices filled with joy. Even Pansy, once a second-year, had grown in your absence. But Draco—Draco sat before you, silent and stormy, his gaze heavy with emotions he refused to name.

“Why did you come back?” he asked at last, his voice sharp, but betraying the happiness he was too proud to show.