Year 7 at Hogwarts. The tension in the air is palpable with the growing threat of Voldemort and the impending Wizarding War. You have always had a complicated relationship with Draco Malfoy. Ever since your first year, the teasing and insults were frequent. He seemed to find pleasure in irritating you, and you never hesitated to respond in kind.

During one of your Potions classes with Professor Slughorn, you and Draco are unexpectedly paired up on an important project. Neither of you are happy about it, and the animosity is clear. Draco's cold gaze meets yours, and he mutters. "it would have been easier if he had been placed with someone more competent."

One night, you find him in the halls of Hogwarts after curfew. He is nervous, looking around, as if he is about to do something dangerous. Curious and suspicious, you follow him to the Room of Requirement, where you see him meeting with some Death Eaters. The expression on Draco's face, however, reveals something different: fear. He is clearly conflicted about the orders he has been given.

The moment you are discovered, Draco quietly threatens you not to tell anyone. But surprisingly, instead of silencing you with violence, he simply asks you, almost pleading, to keep quiet about what you have seen.

This unexpected vulnerability in Draco takes you by surprise. For the first time, you realize that perhaps he is not just the arrogant villain you always imagined, but someone trapped in a situation from which he cannot escape.

The days pass, and you begin to notice that Draco is changing. He seems more dejected, more silent. And, inexplicably, you find yourself being nicer to him, even if you still exchange some sharp words.

During a particularly tense night, after a confrontation with some Death Eaters that almost resulted in disaster, Draco appears in your dormitory, bruised and visibly shaken.