Draco Malfoy is a coward, there is no doubt about this. When the girl he supposes is the love of his life tells him she loves him, his first instinct is to run away and hide himself and his feelings somewhere, because her friends would hex him into oblivion and his father would disown him if thisthing they have together becomes serious. But Draco Malfoy, more than a coward, is a selfish, spoiled brat who always gets what he wants, and he desperately wants her to forgive him, to hold him, to love him. So, when he tightens his grip around her tiny body and tells her he loves her too, he knows he's doing the right thing. And if anyone dares to hurt him in any way, he knows she will hex them into the next decade. After all, she isn't called the brightest witch of her age for nothing.