Chapter Text
The first rays of sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow across Draco’s bedroom. He stirred, blinking sleepily at the clock on his nightstand. It was time to get up. With a sigh, he pushed himself out of bed and began his morning routine.
Draco’s room was a testament to his artistic soul. Sketches and paintings adorned the walls, and his desk was cluttered with pencils, brushes, and tubes of paint. He quickly dressed in his uniform and put his tie on.
Made sure his platinum blond hair was perfectly made.
In the dining room, his family was already gathered for breakfast. His older brother, abraxas was engrossed in a conversation with their parents about his latest basketball game. Draco slid into his seat, offering a polite smile.
“Good morning, Draco,” his mother greeted him warmly. “Did you sleep well?”
“Morning, mother yeah, I did,” Draco replied, reaching for a piece of toast.
His father glanced up from his newspaper, his expression stern. “Draco, I hope you’re not planning to waste another day in that art room. You need to focus on something more practical not to mention you won’t be able to give us a grandson by being gay”
Draco’s smile faltered. “I have school, Dad. And then I’ll be working on my art project.”
Abraxas smirked. “Still hiding away in that art room, huh?”
Draco shrugged, used to his brother’s teasing. “It’s where I feel most at home.”
His father set down his newspaper with a sigh. “Art won’t get you anywhere in life, son. You need to start thinking about your future seriously.”
Draco nodded, trying to hide his frustration. “I know, father.”
After breakfast, Draco grabbed his backpack and headed out the door with his brother. The walk to Hogwarts was short, and he soon found himself at the entrance, where his friends were waiting.
Pansy, with her sharp wit and stylish clothes, waved him over. “Hey, Draco Ready for another thrilling day?”
Blaise, always the calm and collected one, nodded in greeting. “Morning, Draco.”
Theo, the quiet and thoughtful member of their group, gave a small smile. “Hey.”
Draco smiled back, feeling a sense of comfort in their presence. Despite the challenges he faced at school, he knew he could always count on his friends.
brother, Abraxas, chatting with Tom Riddle, the captain of the Slytherin basketball team. Draco never understood why so many girls were infatuated with Tom. Sure, he was undeniably handsome—the very definition of attractive—but he was also an arrogant prat who thought he was everything. Everyone, including Abraxas, seemed to worship him, practically licking and kissing his shoes.
Tom’s sister, Brittney, often joined Draco and his friends for lunch or breaks. She also tagged along when Draco, Pansy, and Brittney went to watch the basketball team practice.
Today, Draco had English History as his first class. Everyone’s schedules had changed, and unlucky for him, this meant he had barely any classes with his dear friends. Teachers found them annoying together since they would mess around, and no matter how far apart the teachers placed their desks, it wouldn’t stop them from throwing paper balls and passing little notes to each other.
Now, Draco regretted having come out. Not many people fancied talking to him after finding out he was gay. He felt like a pariah, a loser in the eyes of his peers—and even worse, in the eyes of his own father.
Lucius Malfoy was obsessed with the idea of having heirs to carry on the prestigious Malfoy name. The notion of Draco being gay was an affront to everything Lucius valued. He had always envisioned a future filled with grandchildren, a legacy of pureblood Malfoys to uphold the family honor. The fact that Draco was gay shattered those dreams, and Lucius made no effort to hide his disappointment.
Draco could still remember the cold, hard look in his father’s eyes when he had come out. “A Malfoy does not deviate from tradition,” Lucius had said, his voice dripping with disdain. “You are expected to uphold our legacy, not tarnish it.”
The weight of his father’s expectations bore down on Draco every day. It was a rare thing for a man to be pregnant, and Lucius had clung to that slim hope, pushing Draco towards relationships that could never fulfill him. The pressure was suffocating, and Draco often found himself retreating into his art, the one place where he could truly be himself.
At school, things weren’t much better. The whispers and stares followed him everywhere. He had lost friends, people who couldn’t see past their own prejudices. Even his closest friends, Pansy, Blaise, and Theo, tried to be supportive, but there was always an undercurrent of awkwardness, a sense that they didn’t fully understand what he was going through.
He obviously still appreciated Pansy, Theo, and Blaise for being there for him and giving as much comfort as they could. Their support meant the world to him, even if they couldn’t fully understand the depth of his struggles. They were his anchors in a sea of uncertainty, and for that, he was grateful.
Draco walked into the classroom, his eyes scanning the room for Brittney. The familiar buzz of students settling into their seats filled the air, but Draco’s focus was singular. As soon as he spotted her, a genuine smile spread across his face. Brittney was one of the few people who made him feel seen and understood.
Brittney was already at their shared desk, her head bent over a notebook as she doodled absentmindedly. She looked up as Draco approached, her face lighting up with a warm smile. “Hey, Draco,” she greeted him, her voice cheerful.
“Hey, Brittney,” Draco replied, sliding into the seat next to her. “How’s your morning been?”
“Not too bad,” she said, closing her notebook. “Just the usual chaos. How about you?”
Draco shrugged, trying to keep his tone light. “Same old, same old. Just trying to survive another day.”
Brittney gave him a sympathetic look. “I know it’s tough, but you’re stronger than you think. And you’ve got us.”
Draco nodded, appreciating her words more than he could express. “Thanks, Brittney. That means a lot.”
They chatted a bit more, enjoying the brief respite before class officially began. The room was filled with the hum of conversations and the occasional burst of laughter. Draco felt a bit more at ease, surrounded by his friends and the familiar environment of the classroom.
Just as Draco was about to share a funny story with Brittney, the door swung open, and Professor Snape walked in. The room fell silent almost instantly. Snape had that effect on people—his mere presence commanded attention and respect.
Snape cleared his throat, his dark eyes scanning the room with a look of mild disdain. “I must say, some of you have been giving me trouble during my lectures,” he began, his voice smooth and cold. “So, I will be assigning new seats to you all.”
As soon as those words left the professor’s mouth, the classroom erupted in a chorus of boos and groans. Students exchanged exasperated looks, and a few even dared to mutter complaints under their breath. The prospect of new seating arrangements was met with universal disapproval.
“Silence!” Snape’s voice cut through the noise like a knife. The room fell quiet once more, the students’ protests dying on their lips. “This is not up for debate. You will sit where I assign you, and you will do so without complaint.”
Draco exchanged a worried glance with Brittney. The thought of being separated from his friends was disheartening. Their shared desk had always been a small comfort in the otherwise challenging school environment.
Snape began calling out names, directing students to their new seats with a pointed finger. “Crabbe, you will sit next to . Golye, over there by the window.”
Draco held his breath, waiting for his name to be called. He hoped against hope that he wouldn’t be placed too far from his friends.
“Draco Malfoy,” Snape finally said, his eyes locking onto Draco’s. “You will sit next to Tom Riddle.”
Draco’s heart sank. Of all the people he could be paired with, Tom fucking Riddle was the last person he wanted to sit next to. He glanced over at Tom, who was already smirking, clearly amused by the situation.
“Great,” Draco muttered under his breath as he gathered his things and made his way to his new seat. He could feel the eyes of his classmates on him, and he tried to ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach.
As he sat down next to Tom, he couldn’t help but wonder how he was going to survive this new arrangement. The day had barely begun, and it was already shaping up to be a challenging one.
“Abraxas’ little annoying brother, huh?” Tom Riddle scoffed, his voice dripping with condescension as he leaned back in his chair, arms crossed.
Draco felt a flush of anger rise to his cheeks. “I’m not annoying,” he protested quietly, trying to keep his voice steady. He didn’t want to give Tom the satisfaction of seeing him rattled.
Tom raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips. “Could have fooled me. That’s not what I hear from abraxas heard your also gay? You don’t quite belong here”
Draco clenched his fists under the desk, his nails digging into his palms. “I belong just as much as anyone else,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. He hated how Tom always managed to make him feel small and insignificant.
Tom’s smirk widened. “Sure you do. Just keep telling yourself that.”
Draco turned his attention to the front of the classroom, determined to ignore Tom’s taunts. He could feel the eyes of his classmates on him, and he knew they were waiting to see how he would react. He refused to give them the satisfaction of seeing him break.
As Professor Snape began the lesson, Draco tried to focus on the material, but Tom’s presence beside him was a constant distraction. He could feel Tom’s gaze on him, and it made his skin crawl. He wished he could be anywhere else, away from the scrutiny and the judgment.
The minutes ticked by slowly, each one feeling like an eternity. Draco scribbled notes in his notebook, trying to lose himself in the rhythm of the lecture. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched.
During a lull in the lesson, Tom leaned over, his voice low and mocking. “You know, it’s pathetic how you try so hard to be something you’re not. Just accept it, Malfoy. You’ll never be more than a shadow of your brother.”
Draco’s grip on his pen tightened, the words stinging more than he cared to admit. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm. “At least I’m not a bully, who plays with girls hearts no wonder you’ll never get married, and if you ever do i wouldn’t be surprised if you cheat on your wife” he shot back, his voice steady despite the turmoil inside.
Tom’s eyes narrowed, but before he could respond, Professor Snape’s voice cut through the tension. “Mr. Riddle, Mr. Malfoy, is there something you’d like to share with the class?”
Both boys snapped their attention back to the front, shaking their heads. “No, Professor,” they said in unison.
“Then I suggest you focus on the lesson,” Snape said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Draco let out a silent sigh of relief, grateful for the temporary reprieve. He knew this was only the beginning of a long and challenging day, but he was determined to hold his ground. No matter what Tom Riddle threw at him, he wouldn’t let it break him.
As soon as the bell rang Draco ran out of the classroom dragging Brittney along not bothering to look back at riddle.