Word Count: 390

Challenges: L4: Office of Misinformation: Trio Era fic / Easter Egg, Watercolour day 3: Childhood Sweethearts

The Possibility of Forever

She stroked her fingers through Draco's blond hair, the motion as relaxing to her as it was to him. He liked having his hair played with. She didn't—people touching her hair just made her want to fight—but she didn't mind doing it for him, especially when he was stressed.

Which he was.

He hadn't said anything, not yet, but she knew him. They'd been dating for years, been friends for even longer, and she knew every inch of Draco Malfoy. Inside and out. She always would, she suspected, even if life drew them apart.

"Pans."

"Hmm?" she looked down at him to see grey eyes looking up at her and she suddenly knew what he was about to say. She knew what had made his shoulders tight, what had stopped the smile reaching his eyes. She knew what he was about to say and she didn't want to hear a single word of it.

"My father wrote to me last night."

"Uh huh."

Don't say it, don't say it, don't say it.

"They couldn't… an agreement wasn't reached. He's approached—"

Pansy shook her head. "Not today."

"Pans."

"I know, Draco. I know. I just… just for today, can we just… be us. I don't want to think about the future, I just want to be… us. Now. Today. Can we do that?"

He sighed, but closed his eyes again. "Yeah. Yeah, we can do that."

Later, he would tell her why an agreement couldn't be reached on their betrothal. He would tell her if it was his own father or hers that was at fault. He would tell her that he'd always love her, but they'd known this was a possibility. And he would marry another girl, no matter that he didn't love her, because that was his duty.

Later, she'd find out if it was her father that had refused her hand in marriage. She'd pout and scream and cry in private, and put a brave face on in public. She'd wait to find out who her father had chosen for her hand. She'd dress in white and even though she knew she'd never love anyone but Draco, she'd do her duty.

But for today, just for today, they could be them. Teenagers in love, like any other, wrapped up in each other and the possibility of a forever.