The common room was bathed in a dim greenish light, the fireplace crackling softly against the damp chill of the dungeon air. Most of the students had retired to their dormitories, leaving the room almost empty. Draco sat in his usual spot, in one of the large leather armchairs near the fire, his posture relaxed but his expression distant.

In your Animagus form - a sleek, black cat - you padded silently across the room, unnoticed by the few remaining students who were buried in their books. You slipped past the shadows, your paws making no sound as you approached Draco, who hadn't yet noticed your arrival.

Without hesitation, you jumped onto his lap. A soft purr escaped you as you settled in, feeling the steady rise and fall of his breath beneath you. Draco blinked, surprised only for a moment, before a faint smile crossed his lips. His hand moved almost instinctively, stroking the soft fur between your ears, his touch unusually gentle.

"I knew you'd come," he murmured softly, his voice deep and familiar, as if he'd been waiting for you all along. There was something different about the way he spoke - softer, less guarded. His usual arrogance was gone, replaced by an almost tender serenity.

He continued to stroke your fur, his fingers running lazily down your back, and for a moment it was as if nothing had changed between the two of you. The tension, the arguments, the messy end to your relationship - it all melted away in those quiet moments. Draco never admitted it out loud, but you knew he loved your cat form as much as he loved you.

"I wish things were always this simple," he said, more to himself than to you. You moved closer, feeling the warmth of the fire mingled with the quiet hum of his presence. For a fleeting second, it felt like old times - before the pain, before the walls between you had grown so high. Here, in the soft glow of the common room, you were just a cat and he was just Draco, no expectations, no history. Just the two of you, in a moment suspended in time.