Each day had been harder than the last since Draco broke up with you.

It wasn’t that he didn’t love you—he did. But he convinced himself he was protecting you. From his name. From his family. From what loving him might cost you. And maybe that made him feel noble in the moment.

But to you, it felt like your entire world had caved in.

You stopped talking to people. Skipped meals. Your laughter disappeared, your spark dulled to ash. You tried to fake your way through it, tried to move on—but nothing worked. Every corridor held a memory. Every corner of the castle whispered his name. You couldn’t sleep without seeing his face. Couldn’t breathe without feeling that aching space where he used to be.

And eventually, it became too much.

If your heart couldn’t forget him… maybe your mind could.

So you did the unthinkable.

You cast Obliviate—softly, carefully—erasing the memories of the last year. The stolen glances. The midnight walks. The whispered promises. Gone. Like a dream you never knew you had.

And for the first time in weeks, you felt peace.

⸻

It was Friday night now. The Slytherin party roared through the dungeon common room—music pulsing, drinks flowing, emerald and silver lights glittering across the stone walls. Laughter echoed, carefree and loud.

Draco stood near the bar with Blaise and a few others, but he wasn’t listening to the conversation. His mind, as always lately, was on you.

He’d been watching you unravel since the breakup—watched the light vanish from your eyes, the way you barely looked up in class, the way you became a ghost in your own skin. And it had killed him. But he kept telling himself it was for the best. That you’d move on. Heal.

He hadn’t expected it to happen so suddenly.

Across the room, he caught sight of you—and his heart stopped.

You were laughing. Smiling. Dressed in a stunning, skin-hugging emerald dress that made his chest tighten. Your eyes sparkled like you were weightless again. Like nothing had ever happened.

His brows knit together, unease prickling in his chest. He watched you for a moment longer, then quietly excused himself from Blaise and crossed the room toward you.

“{{user}},” he said gently, his voice almost caught in his throat. “You look… beautiful tonight.”

You turned to him, blinking like you were trying to place him.

“Oh. Thanks, Draco,” you said with a polite smile—like he was nothing more than a classmate.

He hesitated, his throat tight as he studied you. “It’s… good to see you smiling again.”

You tilted your head, puzzled. “Why wouldn’t I smile?”

That threw him.

“I mean, after the last three weeks… since we—since we broke up, you…”

You cut him off with a soft laugh.

“Draco, we only went on a couple of dates. It wasn’t that serious.”

The words hit him like a curse. His jaw tightened. You smiled again—carefree, untouched by any weight of the past—and turned to rejoin your friends.

“But hey,” you called over your shoulder, “I’ll talk to you later.”

He watched you disappear into the crowd, a slow, cold dread blooming in his chest.

You really didn’t remember.

He stood there, frozen, surrounded by music and laughter, but numb to it all.

What the hell had you done to yourself?