Draco, darling

37.

The Ball was in three days and Meli still didn't have a date. Romantic relationships were never a need for her. She didn't crave for them. But it sure as hell would've done some good if she had gotten more than the lame invitation from Louis. She didn't mind going alone or with her friends as she knew they would stay together during the night anyway but she was a bit disappointed.

Not to be vain or anything but Meli always had success with boys. She seemed to attract them like a magnet and she would always find a guy stroking her ego. So she was a bit surprised when none of them took the risk to ask her out for the Yull Ball.

Jane listed out the possibilities for her a week before the ball. "One. They could very well be intimidated by you."

"As they should be," Meli shrugged.

"Yes but men don't like feeling overpowered by a woman so they stay away from anyone who makes their dick feel smaller. From you."

Meli smiled at the idea that guys were scared of her. She could now die in peace.

"Two. Draco had a third year episode."

That's what they now called all the things Draco did in their third year. They still couldn't explain any of it but that's what they said every time Draco did something slightly weird. Which happened quite often. Draco was weird.

"Threatened guys into not asking me out?" Meli asked and Jane nodded. "I fucking hope not. Last time it ended with Louis following me around like a puppy."

"It's an option we can't ignore. Anyway, third one," She made a dramatic pause. "Everyone already had a date." And she dropped a pillow to accentuate her point.

"That's not the one. I know for a fact half the guys in our years still didn't ask anyone." When Jane raised an interrogative eyebrow, Meli smiled. "I know all the good gossip, you shouldn't be surprised."

Jane sighted. "Worst is you're right. The only boy I've heard asked a girl out was Weasley."

"What?" laughed Meli. She felt bad for whoever had to reject him.

"Yep, he asked Fleur Delacour. Or he yelled at her from what is said. She said no, of course."

"Of course," But the anecdote had brought an idea in her mind and the engrenages in her brain pulled into action.

After finishing her Transfigurations homework, a two pages manuscript on the side effects of some spell, Meli made her way to where most of the Durmstrang students hung out.

The Slytherin wasn't lying when she said she knew all the good gossip. So of course she knew about Karla Krum.

The Durmstrang girl, the only girl in the little group that made the trip to Hogwarts, was mainly famous through being Victor Krum's little sister. But through a chain of rumours and stories, Meli learned a lot of interesting things about Karla. There was a reason why she was the only girl having broken Durmstrang's misogynistic and unsaid rule that no girls were allowed to travel on the school's boat.

Meli had arrived to where the elegant red-flagged boat was stowed and walked towards the group of students dressed in coats of fur, unbothered by the cold. They observed her approach, sizing her up and down with curious eyes. She knew little Hogwarts students had approached them when they were in their campement or boat, that would be why they were wary of her.

"Hi, Meli Hiddleston," she said to the buffy boy who came to meet her.

"Alexandre Genkov," he answered, visibly taken back by her confidence. "Can I ask... What do you want?"

Meli found it funny how destabilized he was. "Could I see Karla Krum?" she asked politely as he seemed to find etiquette important.

Alexandre chuckled but his eyebrows raised when he realized she was serious. "I think so."

The further it was going, the more Meli liked Karla. The girl obviously had a powerful hold over her classmates.

She smiled as Alexandre took her to Durmstrang's ship, up the boarding bridge and through the wooden maze that was the inside of the boat. The wood was thick, blocking out all noise from outside of the impressive construction, and dark even in the middle of the day, only illuminated by numerous candles hanging from the ceiling and the walls in an old-fashioned way. The fancy red carpet covering the floor added to the almost suffocating feeling in Meli's stomach but she ignored it, amazed at the ship. There must have been magic involved in the building, she thought. Alexandre and her had been walking a while and too long for what she estimated to be the boat's exterior's size.

The labyrinth of corridors went on and on but Alexander never faltered, guiding them with certainty until they reached a door adorned with gold threads. The older boy knocked.

A girl's voice barked something in bulgarian and Alexandre answer with balbutiements. Loud steps made their way to the door from inside the room. The door slammed open on a dark-haired girl that reached Meli's nose in size. She had skin as pale as Draco's and red cheeks.

Overall, she reminded Meli of that princess Jane's brothers had watched a movie about recently. Than she remembered that said princess had fallen asleep and been locked up in a golden coffin by a bunch of dwarfs. And a prince kissed her in her sleep without consent or something. Meli pushed the thought away.

Karla was looking, unimpressed, at Alexandre who was stuttering through his explanation. Her eyes bored, they finally trailed to Meli who was looking at the situation with a small smile.

"What is funny?" asked the Bulgarian girl, looking like she had only now realized Meli's existence.

"Can you play dead and give the paw too?" she joked, jerking her chin towards Alexandre. The boy frowned and opened his mouth, about to argue.

"Shut it, puppy," told him Karla, smiling at Meli. So she had a sense of humour.

Alexandre rolled his eyes. "Can I leave you two?"

"Yeah," nodded Karla. The boy left, muttering something about 'not being a fucking dog' and 'just being serviable'.

The two girls stared at each other for a few moments before Karla understood and laughed. "Oh, I'm not letting you in. Follow me."

Meli almost felt embarrassed at her own assumption but was to preoccupied with finding the best way of making her demand. She followed after Karla through four long corridors in silence before reaching what seemed to be the boat's living room. Common room? Family room? Whatever it was called.

Massive dark red leather couches were facing each other in a corner and in the center were a bunch of chairs and tables placed like in a restaurant. Paintings hung on the walls and various red and gold accessories decorated the vast room. Meli shuddered at the feeling of being in the Gryffindor common room. Karla led her to a table and sat, gesturing for her to do the same.

"So, what do you want?" Karla asked, cutting right to the chase.

Meli felt relieved that they wouldn't play small talk. Karla wasn't stupid enough to think she was there in the spirit of 'inter-school bounding'.

She cut right to the chase. It took some explaining, some secret trading and a bunch of gallons but in the end, the girls agreed and parted with a playful handshake. Now, Meli was on to the next part.

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yall idk how to write the end of a chapter. sorry if it's shit :) please vote and/or commeeeeent
hope you enjoyed,

laeti