The Malfoy ring sat on his desk, looking just as depressing as he felt. For a week, it sat there, untouched, unworn by the woman who was supposed to have both it and his heart. It had appeared there after she left Hogwarts, left him. He had walked into his bedroom—stunned by the knowledge that he really had fucked it up, he really had lost her—only to see it sitting there. A symbol that this truly was over, that they really were over.

With a sigh, Draco slipped on the ring. He had left it alone first out of denial, then out of the wish that he could give it back to her when he apologized. But he hadn't been able to apologize. She was gone—to where he did not know. He'd gone to all of her classes, spoken with her friends, visited her dorm countless times (pissing Aria off each one). But Astoria wasn't anywhere. She wasn't at Hogwarts. And while that worried him—because of course he wanted her to be safe and well—it also disheartened him. How was he supposed to apologize and win her back if she wasn't here for him to do so?

The ring felt wrong on his finger. There was a time many months ago when the opposite would have been true, when he wouldn't have been able to imagine himself not wearing his family crest. But that was before everything. Before Astoria, before their love, before their relationship. Before he ruined it all by being a coward.

Draco Malfoy the coward. Potter would be laughing if he saw him now.

Draco set the ring back down on the desk. Perhaps there would come a day when his heart wouldn't ache and he could wear it again but that day wasn't going to be today and it probably wouldn't be for quite some time.

He began to walk down the quiet corridor. It was one of the first warm days of the year so most students were outside, either in the corridor or by the Black Lake. His own friends were having a smoke session on the shores but he hadn't felt like joining them. He hadn't felt like doing anything, not when his mind was so utterly consumed by her. Her smile, her laugh, her raven hair, her bright green eyes, her heart-shaped face with high cheekbones, her dresses, her. He missed it all. He missed who he was with her, too. A better man who was kinder to muggleborns and actually somewhat admired muggles. Now he was just nothing.

After several minutes, Draco found himself standing in front of the door to the Room of Requirement. It seemed only fitting, he supposed, that his legs would drag him here. It was the last place he saw Astoria, the last place he held her and kissed her. The place where they made love to the sweet sounds of violin. The place where he last felt happy.

Suddenly, the door opened. Curious, Draco walked in only to find it looking completely different than before. That's odd, he thought. I was certain that the room would have used this as an opportunity to gloat. Or remind me where I fucked up.

Only it didn't. There was nothing in the great stone room except for one thing.

A mirror.

It was an ancient, ornate thing with golden edges and clawed feet. The top of it read, "Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi."

"Strange," Draco muttered to himself. "Why is there a mirror here?"

And then it hit him: this was the famed Mirror of Erised. The mirror that showed not reflections of the face, but reflections of the heart. Perhaps his would show riches or Draco holding his father's cane.

But when he walked up to it, Draco was a little surprised to see nothing. Only himself. Until...

There she was. His Astoria. With her black hair curled and her lips a soft red, she placed one hand on his shoulder and smiled into the mirror. He knew it wasn't real and yet he couldn't help but look back anyway to double-check that she wasn't there. He was a little bummed to see that he was still alone. Actually, he was more than a little bummed to see it.

The reflection of Astoria waved before stepping back to reveal a smiling blonde boy who looked just like him except for a pair of bright green eyes that matched her own. "We love you," her soft voice whispered to his reflection, kissing her hand before waving again. The little boy waved too and then suddenly, they were gone just as quickly as they came.

Draco felt empty. He felt like a part of him had been violently ripped out of his chest, leaving him with this debilitating sadness that he hadn't yet learned to control even now, over a week since Astoria left him the corridor. A week since he felt like the light in his life had gone out, leaving him with a darkness that hovered, darkness that he couldn't see his way out of. Not without his light.

The reflection was not only a reminder of all that he desired. It was also a reminder of all that he had lost.

He could still hear the words she said to him. They haunted him, sounding fresh as if she were standing right behind him, repeating them in his ear with a voice that brought another onslaught of pain over him.

I loved you, Draco. But sometimes love isn't enough. You should know. It wasn't enough for you to pick me... I'm the sister you want but not badly enough to do anything about it. I'm the sister who you fuck on the side before taking the other one—the one you're really in a relationship with—on a date while I was just supposed to sit at home and wait for you to decide when you actually want to be with me...Get out. I don't ever want to see you again. We're done... I never want to see you again. We can be in-laws but that's it. We're done... I was never really your love, was I?

Each one of those haunted his mind over and over and over. They followed him to his classes, frequented him in the dead of night when he was stuck in the dark, lonely bedroom. The bedroom where she was supposed to be. His Astoria. The love of his damn life that he stupidly lost by choosing his damn reputation over her.

Why did he do that? Why did he ever choose anything over her? His family, his reputation, his status, his fortune. All of it paled in comparison to her. She was his everything and yet he didn't treat her like she was. He supposed he didn't blame her for leaving; he would have done the same. But there he was now, regretting every choice he made up until that point. Loving Astoria was the only thing he had ever done right and yet somehow, he went wrong on that too.

He should have begged her to stay. He should have married her then and there, should have announced the engagement to the whole of Hogwarts himself. He should have gone to Daphne and taken his ring off her neck. He should have—

Daphne.

And that line of thought was exactly how Draco ended up marching down to the dungeons, storming past the terrified third years, brushing past a bewildered-looking Enzo who shouted, "Malfoy? Wait up! Where are you going?"

It was exactly how he ended up in front of her dorm.

Draco didn't bother to knock, pushing open the heavy wooden door with a vengeance. But before he could storm over to her, before he could take the chain that held his mother's ring off of her neck and apparate back to Astoria, she stopped him.

"So," she drawled, twirling a strand of blonde hair around her finger. "You've finally come to tell me that you're in love with my sister."

Aw, poor Draco. Also, ooooh a cliffhanger. What do you guys think will happen next? Are you liking the story so far? Let me know in the comments! Have a good day my luvs x