Rise of the Death Eaters [3]

Chapter 14: A Weekend

*I wrote this entire chapter in less than an hour under the influence of a grande-sized cup of black coffee. Lord help me*

"That's it?" Sam exclaimed in disbelief. We were in our dormitory in the late hours of Friday night. Kennedy was passed out on her bed leaving the two of us to talk freely. I nodded, feeling a wave of agitation well up. Though I didn't know where it was coming from.

"What a letdown," Sam muttered as she lay back on her bed, gaze fixed to the ceiling. My cat, Oliver, was lying on Sam's stomach with his tail swaying mockingly at me.

Why was my cat such a tease?

"Yeah, I guess," I mused, turning away from them to place my hair brush back on my night stand. "But in a sense, I'm relieved. For whatever reason, I thought Draco was planning something. Guess it was just my imagination-"

"It was not your imagination," Sam cut in stubbornly. I found both her and Oliver were now staring at me. "All of this flirting gives me pre-dating vibes. I expected him to make a move or something. Maybe he's just a coward-"

"Pre-date flirting? Do you really think I'd stoop that low?" I demanded, though a felt a heat flush hit my face as her words took effect. Sam smirked my way before nodding in assurance.

"Cut the bull, Ava. Everyone knows it's only a matter of time. I mean have you seen the way Pansy stalks around the common room now a days? All moody and depressed. It's the bright spot of my day." I snickered at her carefree attitude before turning back the sheets and getting into bed. Taking this as his cue, Oliver jumped from Sam's stomach and raced up my bed before getting settled near my feet.

"You know," I mused, getting comfortable in bed, "even though Draco didn't pull anything on our walk to potions, he did help me scare off Pansy."

"Tell me," Sam said, turning on her side. I grinned up at the ceiling at the memory of Pansy's reaction when Draco and I entered class. She looked like she was just doused in cold water and let out to dry. Didn't help when the others at her table moved to where Draco and I sat down, leaving her by herself.

"I'd almost pity her if she hadn't such a foul personality."

"And I wish you didn't have such a bad taste in guys but here we are. Not a perfect world," Sam mused at the conclusion of my story. I snickered before turning off the light, even though sleep was the furthest from my mind.

The weekend brought little distraction from the mounting homework pile I had accumulated over this first week of classes. Given the addition of my O.W.L level potions class and extra assignments from Umbridge, my time in the library doubled that of Sam's. But she stayed with me, citing that it was better than being pestered by Tati and her growing group of friends.

"I swear she's turning into a mini you," Sam remarked when the topic was breached. "All these friends from different houses that she uses like minions rather than confidantes. And the worst part? They do everything she says!"

"Sounds like Tati is a classic manipulator," I mused with a growing smile as I underlined a sentence in my book.

The silence I received made me guess Sam was glaring my way. I glanced up to see I was correct.

"You're a horrible influence on her."

"How? It's not like I taught her how to manipulate people. She did that on her own. Means she's clever, Sam. Not exactly a bad thing-"

"I swear if she breaks someone's leg-"

I stopped my writing and looked up at Sam's looming face.

"Low blow."

She smiled before stretching back in her seat and I returned to my work without another word.