Chapter Three: Destruction of Love

That was the very first day I saw Draco, but I prayed it wouldn't be the last. Weeks turned to months until one day I finally approached Draco after a potions class one day.

"Draco?" I asked, unsure of what I would say to him. He paused for a minute and turned around to face me. "Have you... Have you been avoiding me?" There. I finally said it. "Before I was sorted into Gryffindor, I thought we could be... friends." He just looked at me for a minute.

We stood there until we both realized we were going to be late for our next class. "Listen Krystal..." Draco began. "I do want to be your friend. But... you're in Gryffindor. It would be really hard to even try and besides... you're friends with... Potter." He told me with a disgusted look on his face. I shook my head as if to ignore the fact that he was insulting Harry.

"Draco! Puh-lease!" I said in a sarcastic voice. "Just because of my friends and the house I was placed in, you'd rather not be friends with me at all? Look at me and tell me that's true." He looked up at me. He really was gorgeous. I knew it then. I know it now. I'll always know it. But somewhere... sometime... I forgot.

"Okay Krystal... let's try." Draco finally said, smiling. I was beaming with joy.

Draco was merely a crush. And, after a few months, I got over him. I no longer liked him as anything other than a friend. Oh, I knew he was gorgeous and I knew that he could have any girl he wanted. To my surprise, for four years, he didn't have one. It was only months into my fifth year when my feelings for Draco arose yet again. It just so happens that Harry and I had been dating for three months already. Harry had asked me to date him after the sorting ceremony in our fifth year. We watched all the first years get sorted and afterwards, we snuck up to the common room before any one else. We were all alone and he told me that he knew he wanted to be more than friends. Then he asked me. I, of course, said yes. I don't think anyone in their right mind who knew Harry like I did would say no. Harry was an amazing boyfriend. He was always so kind and loyal. He was very honest, as well. He'd tell me the simplest of things but coming from him, those things would seem incredibly romantic. I knew there would be nothing better. I knew how much I liked Harry and I felt that Harry thought the same of me. I'm not sure if I had loved him at that point, so early in our relationship. I think I first realized I loved him when I thought I had lost him.

As I said though, those romantic feelings for Draco were coming back, slowly... but I felt the change. At first it was nothing. I just had realized how attractive he was, which everyone knew about him anyway. He and I had been friends for too long for me to think anything of it. One night, however, I had a dream. I dreamed that Draco and I were dating and it turned Harry jealous. In the end, somebody died. I didn't find out who. I only knew that it was one of them. I awoke screaming in a cold sweat. Hermione, a wonderful friend since my third year, and Roxeanne, who I had become best friends with immediately, came over to my bed when they heard me scream. I told them all about it. Roxeanne found it funny that I was dreaming of Draco while Hermione, who was much more worried at the thought, warned me about the dream.

"Next time, tell me immediately. Dreams can mean things you know!" Hermione said nervously. Hermione had brown curly hair with natural blonde highlights. She was, well, somewhat of a nerd. Then again, we were all friends with Harry, which made us pretty popular. Of course, that's not why we were friends with him. Hermione was the bookworm of our group. She was rather pretty but could be stuck up at times. She thought she was right all the time and if you argued with her about it, it would take a long time before she'd ever admit that she was wrong.

"Oh lighten up Hermione!!" Roxeanne said, rolling her eyes. I knew that Roxeanne wasn't exactly best friends with Hermione. Once they got into a fight because, even though Hermione was just told of how much Roxeanne liked Harry, Hermione went and hooked up with him one summer. Now that I was dating Harry, Roxeanne tried to convince us that she didn't like him anymore... we knew better. "You'll frighten her over a dream! Don't be ridiculous! Dreams may mean something but neither Harry nor Draco are going to die!! Understand?" Roxeanne almost shouted, her eyes flashing from Hermione to me. I deeply wanted to believe her but something told me there was worse to come.

"Alright, if you say so Roxeanne..." Hermione was unsure though. I could tell. I couldn't fall back to sleep after that. I just kept thinking about Draco and Harry from my dream. The main reason I couldn't sleep, however, was because I didn't know who died. I needed to know!! What if Harry died?! I'd be crushed! And Draco!! Oh, Lord, I didn't want to even think about it. Unbelievable amounts of pain seemed to be drawn towards me at that point. For a week afterwards, sobbing in bed was part of my schedule and I ended up crying myself to sleep every night.

After that, everything went back to normal. I got over my dream, convincing myself that death would not come to either of them. Not so early in their lives. And everything was wonderful again...

"Draco!" I laughed. He grabbed me from behind. I knew it was him. Of course it was him. He does the same thing every day. I couldn't help but laugh out as he wrapped his arms around my stomach. "Hey!" I shouted. "You know I'm ticklish!" I told him as I turned to face him. "I have to go to class... YOU DO TOO!"

"What? No goodbye kiss?" He joked.

Without realizing exactly what I was doing, I turned back, ran over to him and gave him a small peck on the lips. I backed away and paused for a moment as I watched as Draco's eyes widened. My own eyes widened as I realized that I had never done that before. I have never done more than hug Draco in our five years of friendship. I cleared my throat quickly. "See you later, Draco." I watched as he gave me a nod and I walked in a daze to my next class.

As I approached the classroom, I was so completely wrapped up in my own thoughts (trying to convince myself that a small kiss to Draco meant nothing) that I hadn't noticed Harry standing there waiting for me. "A bit distracted today?"

I jumped at the sound of his voice. "Harry!" I gasped. He stood there and showed me that smile which I had grown to love these past few months.

"Hey!" He finally said and gave me a hug. Ah, I fell perfectly into his arms. Harry, who was now quite a few inches taller than me, leaned down and gave me a perfect little kiss. It was completely innocent, yet amazingly romantic. That's what I loved about him, I believe. How he could be so childlike and still be the most romantic person I knew. When I was around Harry, all thoughts of Draco and the innocent kiss cleared out of my mind. Only thoughts of Harry appeared in my mind then and that was all I wanted to see.

"Come on. We're going to be late for Potions and Snape will throw a fit. You know he'll do anything to take points from Gryffindor." I told him as we walked into the classroom.

"Mr. Potter! Ms. Montague! Will you be spending this class out in the hall, or can your relationship wait about an hour?" Professor Snape hissed at the two of us. I felt my face turn bright red as I hurriedly got into my seat. I looked over to Harry, who's face was white, always being intimidated by Professor Snape. I let out a small giggle but hushed myself as Snape looked at me through the corner of his eyes.

It was the end of the lesson and we were cleaning our cauldrons when Draco tucked a not under my notebook.

Dear Krys,(what? Since when does Draco call me Krys? Only Harry calls me that... Okay, then!)

I don't know what happened before. I know that we've never kissed. Not even a kiss like that - I still feel weird about it. You most likely think I'm being stupid, but please, write back. I'll talk to you later.

Draco

I wrote back to Draco telling him to meet me after class. I looked at him after he read it and he simply shook his head, implying No.

I was determined to find out why Draco didn't want to meet me, so I followed him. Yes, I felt guilty at first, but looking back, it was probably one of the best decisions that I made that year. Draco finally stopped in an unfamiliar corridor in front of a girl. I didn't recognize, and didn't want to be seen, so I stayed behind one of the walls peeking over every few seconds to see what they were doing.

"Draco!" She said. She sounded almost angry. "What happened?! You didn't do what I asked!"

"What do you want me to do?! I'm NOT going to hurt her! She's one of my best friends and nothing you can say or do will ever change that, Bridget!"

The girl made a devious face. "You know she doesn't feel the same way about you." I was shocked and enraged.

"You're a liar and I want nothing to do with you! Understand!?" Draco screamed. I could hear how shaky his voice was at the time. I wanted nothing more than to go and comfort him... but I knew I couldn't.

"Very well... no need to shout Draco, darling. Remember - I'm just trying to protect you. I know that you feel much more for Krystal than friendship. You'll do well to remember that." And she walked away down the opposite corridor from where I was standing.

I watched Draco kneel down to pick up the books he had been carrying from before. I wanted so badly to run to him, so I did. "DRACO!" I yelled, running down the corridor. He looked up at me in shock.

"Krystal?!" He asked. "Krystal! What? What are you doing down here?!" He asked. I stopped running when I reached where he was and I knelt down to him.

"Draco," I began. I didn't know what to say. He just sat there staring, and I did the same. We continued on like this until I couldn't take it anymore. "Draco... who WAS that?"

"Oh." He said in a melancholy voice. "So you did see..."

"Of course I saw! I- I heard your voice and came down this way." I quickly lied, not wanting to tell him that I followed him.

"That was Bridget - or so you might've heard." He told me, without even looking up.

"I heard a lot of things... Some I know aren't true Draco." I said, taking my hand and turning his face to look at me. "Others I weren't quite sure... you - well, you know what I'm talking about."

"Which do you know for a fact aren't true?" Draco asked cautiously.

"Draco! You KNOW you're my best friend, right? I... I love you, Draco." I told him. I didn't know what I was saying. I just wanted him to be comforted and... that's what came out. I- I didn't mean it. I couldn't have meant it... I was dating Harry... but still...

"I love you too, Krystal." He said, finally looking into my eyes. "But, I think I love you differently." He told me shaking his head. He knew I didn't LOVE him as anything other than a friend. I sat there with my jaw wide open for a few minutes. What was I supposed to say? Draco loved me? He truly loved me? WHAT?!

"Draco!" I said, taken back. "I- I don't know what to say." Draco shook his head at me.

"I don't expect you to say anything. After all, you are going out with Potter." He explained.

"Draco - I may be dating Harry, but I will always care about you. You're so important to me. I will always care for you, no matter what kind of relationship we have." I tried to reassure him of that, at least.

"Oh come off it Krystal!" Draco shouted. I jumped back, surprised to see him acting this way. "If I was so bloody important to you, you wouldn't be going out with HARRY POTTER but you'd be going out with me!! Do you know how long I've had these feelings?! Much longer than I'm sure you'd expect and it's about time you know. I DO love you Krystal and I always have... always. You know what? Bridget was right." And I watched him storm off, not paying attention to me calling after him.

"Draco!" I yelled as I picked myself up and started after him. "Draco please! Come back! Just listen to me!" He ran off in the opposite direction and I was left in the unfamiliar corridor... alone.