𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐄 𝐀 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐑 | draco malfoy

9. halloween

HOW TO BE A HEARTBREAKER

HALLOWEEN

( Tuesday 28 October 1997 )

At about eleven on Tuesday, as all of the girls in her dormitory were getting ready to climb into bed, there was a quick tapping at the door. Daphne huffed and moved over to it, yanking it open.

"Nott?" Daphne turned her nose up — she hadn't been a fan of him since he had defended Rowan a few weeks ago in the common room. "What do you want? It's past eleven on a school night."

"I need to talk to Rowan," Theo said, craning his neck around her to look into the room. "Is she here?"

Daphne huffed and glanced over her shoulder towards Rowan's bed. "It's for you, Yaxley."

She left the door hanging open as Rowan exchanged a small glance with Pansy and then headed for the door. Rowan jumped slightly when Theo grabbed her arm to pull her right out into the hallway, closing the dormitory door behind him.

"Malfoy just left." Theo said, "Now's your chance. You were going to do it this week, right?"

Rowan scratched her jaw uncomfortably. Rowan had barely spoken to Draco since their little incident in the corridor. During quidditch practice that Sunday, he had barely acknowledged her — criticised a few of her moves, sure, but they didn't argue once. It was strange, really. Completely abnormal for them, in the most unsettling way. She thought about postponing the plan she'd come up with of crashing his Tuesday private quidditch sessions, but she had already told Theo about her idea, and he was almost obsessed with it.

"I suppose..." She muttered, "But I'll have to go back into my dorm and change my clothes, grab my broomstick and that..."

Theo grinned widely, his pearly whites on display. "Great!" He squeezed the top of her shoulder. "Oh, I bought you this at Hogsmeade over the weekend. I tried giving it to you yesterday but we were never alone, and I didn't want anyone thinking anything of it."

Rowan's eyebrows furrowed as Theo grabbed something out of the pocket of his baggy pyjama bottoms. It was a small square bottle, with an expensive brand label pasted across it.

"You got me perfume?" Rowan huffed as she took it off of him, unscrewing the cap. "Are you insinuating that I smell, Theo?"

"No, not at all," he said, "But I was doing some reading the other day, about attraction. Apparently, it's an aphrodisiac, and it also puts people in a calming mood."

Rowan scoffed as she lifted it to her nose, taking a small sniff. It did smell great. Not too strong, but clearly vanilla mixed with something else. She liked it.

"Right," she said firmly. "I'll wear it, but I think that's a bit of bullshit, Theo."

"No, science literally backs it up," Theo said, "I even read some Muggle information on it."

Rowan pressed down on the nozzle and sprayed a small amount on her wrists and on her neck. She dabbed them together in the way her nanny had taught her to at a young age. Then, she stepped back, a true sight with her hair in plaits and her silk pyjamas on. She extended her arms and did a small, very slow twirl for Theo.

"Did it work? Are you attracted to me?" Rowan asked.

Theo rolled his eyes with a small smile. "You smell good." He placed his hand on the small of her back and pushed her gently towards her dormitory. "Quickly. Go and change and meet Malfoy out on the pitch. He awaits you."

Rowan couldn't help but bark a short laugh. "I'm about to ruin his Tuesday night, more like."

Theo sent her a warning look. "It's time you start showing some actual progress, Rowan. I'm worried about running out of time. Draco definitely won't fall in love overnight."