Chosen || Draco Malfoy

4 - The Prejudiced Pig

The very next morning at breakfast, an owl nearly died delivering me the biggest bouquet of flowers in the world.

"Oooo, who are they from?" Susan squealed as I stood up to dramatically scoop the array of expensive lilies and roses into my arms.

I knew they were expensive because I paid for them.

"A secret admirer, I guess," I sighed blissfully, whirling round to face the Ravenclaw table.

My stomach squirmed with excitement as Chen glanced over, his eyes narrowing slightly as they lingered on the flowers.

My plan was coming together nicely.

"O.M.G." Hannah gasped excitedly as we settled into Potions class later. "Did you see his face?!"

"He totally wishes it was him that sent you those," Susan agreed, looking enviously at the artfully arranged bouquet on the desk in front of me.

"Miss Diggory!" Snape snapped as he billowed dramatically into the classroom, "this isn't Herbology class. Dispose of that eyesore with immediate haste!"

"But they're a good luck gift for me entering the Triwizard Tournament, sir," I explained, batting my fake eyelashes up at him.

"I don't care if they're a cure for Cerebrumous Spattergroit," Snape drawled silkily, lowering his face dangerously close to mine so that I was able to see the actual grease in his hair, "I will still not tolerate them in my classroom. Get. Them. Out. Now!"

"Fine," I huffed, flipping my hair back over my shoulder as I got to my feet. "But if you ask me, this room could do with a little colour. In 'Brighten your Environment; Brighten your Soul', it says that our mood is strongly affected by the surroundings we work in. Maybe I should lend it to you sometime?"

Sniggers filled the room as Snape's beady black eyes started to bulge out of his head.

"Maybe you should get those vulgar weeds in the nearest compost heap A.S.A.P. before I lend you a weeks worth of detentions!"

I stropped out, taking my flowers with me. Snape was the only teacher I couldn't wrap around my little finger and it infuriated me.

"There's no point in even trying," Ron sympathised, when I grumbled to him about this in Herbology class later that day, "our Hermione is the best student in our class and yet he still treats her like dirt whilst acting as though the Slytherins can't do any wrong."

"Yeah," Harry agreed glumly, "and despite the fact that Crabbe and Goyle cock up every single lesson. I even ruined my best trainers once after they spilt their potion all over the floor and Snape gave me the detention for not wearing regulation black shoes!"

"Awww," I cooed, reaching out to brush my fingers down his arm, "perhaps we should write an appeal to Dumbledore about the importance of being allowed to express oneself through footwear?"

"Uh-" Harry gulped, his face turning bright red as his eyes darted nervously down to where my hand lingered softly on his lower arm. "I'll get straight on to that tonight."

"That's so incredibly sweet you of you," I beamed warmly at him, "I'd help but I've got hot yoga to attend."

"H-hot yoga?" Harry stuttered, "what's that?"

"Didn't you hear? Professor Flitwick started running classes as a special request by moi." I explained as both Harry and Ron stared at me agog. "Toxins are no joke, Harry."

I glanced pointedly at his unsightly pimples, hoping he'd get the hint.

******

On the morning of my fifteenth birthday, my plan finally started to come together.

"Happy birthday, Cecilia," Chen said, flashing me a smile as he passed the Hufflepuff table.

Both Hannah and Susan had to help me through my breathing through the rest of breakfast.

Luckily, it was a Sunday and so therefore I spent the rest of the day recovering in our common room whilst people lavished me with gifts and food.

Exactly one week later, on October thirtieth, the competing schools of the Triwizard Tournament arrived.

We all stood out in the freezing cold autumnal night, waiting in anticipation for our guests to make their grand entrances.

I wore my best robes and carefully styled my hair so that not a single strand was out of place. It was vital I make a good first impression.

"My father always wanted to send me to Durmstrang," a loud voice drawled behind me. "But mother insisted I was to stay in the country. It's a shame really, I'd have fit right in. They don't allow any Mudblood filth in that school, see."

Ugh, here we go. I motioned for Susan and Hannah to follow me just as Ron barged his way through the crowd to lunge at Draco Malfoy.

We moved further to the front; a safe distance away. I didn't want to get dishevelled in the ensuing scuffle.

Fourteen year old boys were so annoying.

"Why does Malfoy always have to ruin everything?" Hannah grumbled as McGonagall started bellowing at the top of her lungs that our school was a disgrace to the entire wizarding world. "I wish he had gone to Durmstrang."

"But you've got to admit, though," Susan sighed dreamily, "he is rather cute."

"Ew! Susan!" I said, wrinkling my nose in disgust, "don't even go there. There is nothing cute about Malfoy. He like literally gets off to bullying people like poor Neville and openly supports You-Know-Who's belief's. It's totally not cool to associate yourself with such a vile being. Honestly, if you are going to start swooning over a prejudiced pig like him then I'm going to have to seriously reconsider our friendship."

Susan went bright red. "You're right, I'm sorry, Cece. Of- of course he's a pig."

I shook my head, disappointment rife. How could she even suggest that there was anything pleasant about that boy? Only last year he tried to get Hagrid's beautiful bird killed without showing a single ounce of remorse! And we do not tolerate animal cruelty.

And lord only knew what was going on with that hair of his.

"Oooo look!" Hannah cried excitedly, pointing to something in the sky. "Here they come!"

I smoothed down my own perfect hair, praying that the Beauxbaton witches weren't as beautiful as was rumoured to be.

******

Damn. They were fucking gorgeous.

Though I was pleased to see that Chen didn't seem to be as enthralled by their cute little arses and long shiny hair as the rest of the gormless idiots I shared a school with. Merlin, anyone would think they'd never seen girls before!

"Oooo look, here comes Krum!" Susan squealed, slapping my arm like a demented cow as we retook our seats back in the Great Hall. "Do you think he'll sit with us?"

But much to Susan's disappointment, and to no surprise to the rest of us, he was accosted by the Slytherin's.

Oh well, it was probably for the best. If Draco Malfoy admired him then he was probably best left alone.

Turned out though, Victor Krum wasn't the only thing the white-blond haired Slytherin had had his eye on that year.

******