Your Immature Drama Queen Girlfriend

Preview

Harry

Going back to school was weird. We technically would have graduated last year, but with the war they gave all the old seventh years a chance to come back, redo our NEWTS and stuff. It was a great chance, definitely. It just felt wrong, coming back to the school after everything that had happened, to see it looking the same as always despite the destruction from the Battle of Hogwarts.

There were a lot of new ghosts. I was annoyed and pleased to find Colin Creevey's among them. And the thestrals were getting a large amount of attention. There was still trauma. People still woke up screaming. We still looked at our wands a moment too long before using them, remembering the devastation we had caused and witnessed.

I broke up with Ginny at the beginning of the year. Well, more like she broke up with me. Neither of us were as comfortable in our relationship after everything we'd been through, and she had realized she never liked me as much as the idea behind me. This hurt, but I moved past it. It was for the better, if neither of us was in love anymore.

The only thing that remained constant was the one thing I wished wouldn't. My crush on my archrival. I had accepted it a while back, but it still irritated me to no end. The last person I'd ever logically fall for, Draco Malfoy, was the one I fancied.

"Potter!" And there he was, right on cue.

"Malfoy."

"Your hair looks sexy like that," he smirked. I turned red. I rolled my eyes and turned away before he could laugh at me for it.

"Sure, whatever."

It had started in sixth year. Instead of rude remarks and hateful comments, he flattered and mockingly flirted. I didn't understand why. And I shouldn't like it as much as I did. But it made me feel like maybe he didn't simply hate me.

Who knew? I didn't understand anything when it came to him. I hated it, but I didn't. He was charming and infuriating, mean but not. Death Eater, but not. Annoyingly gorgeous all the time.

I hated the way he seemed so harsh, so mean, but so broken inside. I hated the way the mystery drew me. I hated the way his eyes sparkled the rare times he laughed, properly, and I hated the way he had perfected every smirk known to humankind. I hated his sarcastic remarks, his clever mind and quick tongue. I hated that whenever I fought with him, I could tell his heart wasn't in it; he always had the upper hand because he could disguise every emotion. And by I hated everything about him, I mean that I loved it all, all of it, down to the mole on the back of his neck that I shouldn't know was there. Bloody hell, I was a mess.

Draco

I hated myself. It wasn't good for my nerves, being back here. I wished I was better at flirting.

Pansy nudged me gently with her arm. "He'll come around." She was talking about Potter, of course.

"No, he won't. He's an oblivious arse. That's the only reason I've ever tried to flirt with him, because I know he doesn't realize why." I wished he would realize, sometimes, just so that then he would give me a response, whether it was a slap in the face or a kiss. No! Bad Draco. I couldn't fantasize about kissing him, it would get me nothing except longing.

And, if I was honest with myself, I liked it better that he was oblivious and naive, because so many other people I knew were manipulative. I had thought it was positively adorable when I overheard a girl hitting on him once in fourth year, because he was so utterly bewildered.

"Then you should try talking to him. Maybe ask for his friendship. Nothing's ever going to happen otherwise, you're both far too stubborn." Pansy said, pulling me out of my reverie about Potter.

"I'm too afraid."

"Honey, you're going to lose all of your opportunities if you just say you're too scared to go through with them."

"Well, how about right now I'm not gonna try because I'm tired and want to go to bed," I put in stubbornly.

She sighed. "Fine. But you'd better come up with some plan. All your sulking ruins the vibes."

That night I went outside. I was too claustrophobic inside, left with all the memories and reminders of what a sorry excuse for a human being I was. The stars didn't know about my mistakes.

"I'm sorry," I told the night air. "I'm sorry I almost had Hogwarts destroyed. I'm sorry I didn't stop my father or rebel against Voldemort. I'm sorry I'm not brave enough or smart enough or good enough. I wish I could go back in time, prove to everyone that I'm not evil. I wish I was worthy of love, and kindness, so that I could wish for those things too. But I'm not worthy of anything anymore." A great pity party I was throwing for myself, really. Ten out of ten, would recommend.

Someone came up behind me and cleared their throat. I jumped.

"Sorry." Oh, brilliant. It was, of all people, Granger. Exactly who I needed to tell the entire school how insecure I was.

She sat down. Why?

"I didn't know you had it that bad, Draco. I'm sorry." Her voice was softer than usual, comforting. I could almost imagine opening up to her, but I couldn't.

"Exactly. You didn't know. Granger, please just mind your own business." I was too tired to be more scathing.

"If that's what will make you happy, fine."

I almost snorted. "Make me happy, nothing will make me happy anymore." I muttered under my breath darkly.

"I don't think that's true." She told me. "We all find a purpose to live, even if it's for no reason other than to see the sun every morning. You'll find something."

"Your optimism is impressive."

"Hah, thanks." She stood, slowly. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" I couldn't help asking.

"Everything. I was nasty to all of the Slytherins, for being 'evil.'" She made air quotes. "But none of you really had a choice. So I'm sorry for your pasts, and I'm sorry for my actions."

"Granger, you were a kitten compared to how nasty we were to you. I called you the M word more times than I'd care to count."

"I slapped you across the face," she countered.

"Honestly, I reckon I deserved it."

She chuckled. "You're not so horrible after all, are you Malfoy?"

"I'm flattered. Um, Hermione?" She had begun walking away, and turned back.

"Yeah?"

"Do you have a pen?"

She pulled a Sharpie out of her pocket and offered it to me.

I took it gratefully, scribbling over the Dark Mark on my left forearm. The ink from last time had begun to fade. She watched, sadly.

"Night, Draco."

"Night. Thanks, Granger."

Pansy

Draco liked me because I was the one he got advice from, however shitty advice it may be. I guess he would go to me because it seemed like I had my life together.

Guess what? I don't.

I mean, I was nowhere near as much of a disaster as Dray. But he wasn't the only one who had a crush.

Well, I wouldn't say it was a crush on Granger. That would imply that we spent time together and actually knew each other fairly well, which is untrue. We don't. But I thought she was cute. And I could relate to her, because sometimes I felt like I was the only intelligent one between me, Blaise, and Draco, just like she was the only intelligent one between her, Harry, and Ron.

And I liked how she tied up her hair in extremely messy piles of curls, and I liked how her eyes sparkled when she read a good passage in a book. And whenever she rolled her eyes at her idiot friends, I had an irrepressible urge to stand next to her and say, "I know, right?!" And tuck a curl behind her ear and watch her blush.

But of course, I could never make a move, because she hated me. I didn't have any chance with her, really, and the crush would go away in time.

Right?