when they became villains [draco malfoy] {book 2}

Year 6 - 144

Daphne and Pansy were sat each on their own couch. Theo was there in the common room with them too, enduring Pansy's whispers and completing Daphne's Astronomy homework.

Where at first the homework thing had begun as a  part of Daphne's amateur manipulation, over time it had simply morphed into a habit. It was every Thursday now that Daphne and Theo spent some time together, Theo either explaining the matters to Daphne or she barking at him that she wasn't stupid and telling him to just complete it. There were two reasons Theo didn't object to her harsh tone - one, it was fun irking her, two, made him look smarter in the eyes of the other girls.

Now Thursday tradition had become a group study of almost every other day. 

Daphne Greengrass had to admit that having Astrid refuse all and every of their study sessions did upset her. Seeing the girl move about every day, skipping off to showers with her radio early in the mornings, the sound of her humming following her every way she went, it almost looked like Astrid was okay. Only she wasn't. 

Daphne had first noticed after the Susan Bones incident, but she knew that was all too late to go to Ash with questions. Again and again in life Daphne Greengrass kept noticing the reoccurring theme that she truly was oblivious to all matters that didn't resolve entirely around her. It had taken a whole bloody fight for Daphne to notice anything out of the ordinary at all. As always, too wrapped up in the matters of her own - seeing Blaise, forever feeling guilty she could not return the feeling the lad so wished she would, missing him even and wishing they could be the same little best friends they had been all these years before - she had turned a blind eye to the one other who truly mattered the most to her.

And yet, instead of acting, Daphne sat through the study sessions, stupidly inviting Astrid to every one of them and hoping she'd just come around eventually. Sitting, blankly watching Theo and Pansy flirt, wallowing in the self-pity of that again she was being a shitty friend and knew nothing of what to do about it. 

Pansy let a sudden giggle and Theo sent a smirk her way. Daphne blinked, her leg jumping up and down at her side as she stared into the never-changing flames of the fireplace. More than anythingDaphne wished her life could be like that fireplace - hot, fiery, energetic and exciting, but most importantly, unchanging - at least about the matters that she considered most important. But of course, it wasn't.

A strained cough from somewhere beside her reverted her attention first to the still muttering couple and then further to the side. Daphne's heart skipped a beat once she saw Blaise stood there, looking straight at her. The permanent look of angry indifference still on his face, like it always was when looking at her, he took notice of something behind her and then returned to glaring straight down on her. Daphne glanced at where Blaise had glanced at and noticed Astrid. The latter walked, her head buried in a book (which was unusual enough on itself). She didn't see the wall of the room beginning to curve a little and therefore bumped lightly into it. Astrid muttered something under her breath, what Daphne could only guess was a small joke before chuckling to herself and walking off and out of the common room. 

Again, without the help of an exterior force, Daphne probably wouldn't have even noticed.

"A word in private," Blaise spoke simply, his voice unusually cold for what she had come accustomed to over the years. It wasn't much of a question but rather a demand.

Daphne glanced at the couch where Pansy and Theo should've been, hoping for some nod of reassurement or anything at all really, but she saw the two were now gone. Daphne hadn't noticed them leave.

The girl crossed her arms and swallowed thickly, remaining in her place. Although she didn't exactly agree with everything Rosier had bene chanting lately, about feminism and all, she didn't like Blaise ordering her around with that patronizing tone of his.