Draco's Hufflepuff | Unfolding

Thirty: Unfolding

**

Friday, 24th May, 1996

Sitting opposite Draco, drinking a cup of tea and finishing eating a slice of strawberry jam on toast, my stomach was swimming full of butterflies. I had to hide how pathetically large the grin on my face was.

The first thing Draco said to me when I met him was that I looked beautiful. I was wearing a ditsy floral blouse with a teal A-line mid-length skirt, with a rust-coloured cardigan that matched my blouse. I thought I looked rather conservative, but the fact it was the very first thing he said to me, it made my heart swell.

Of course, it wasn't the first time Draco had called me beautiful, but something about today just seemed different. Or perhaps I was just reading into things more because it was almost the weekend, and that meant everyone was coming home.

"You have any idea what you want to do today, Parsons? It's quite nice out there today," Draco asked, sipping on his black coffee,

"No, I have no idea whatsoever. I suppose we could always walk into Hogsmeade or something? If only we could Apparate, it would be so much easier to get around and so things," I said, shrugging slightly,

"Hogsmeade could be a good shout, yeah. It was surprisingly nice sitting in the Three Broomsticks with you for that Monday," Draco said, "Are you going to take your Apparition test next year?"

"I'm all open to ideas, though. If there's something you'd prefer to do, then I'm all ears. I will be, for sure! Do you think you will? My father doesn't like Apparition and will only use it as a last resort, but I think it looks so convenient," I said, with mouthful of strawberry jam on toast,

"I think so, yeah. I can understand why your father doesn't like it. My mother got Splinched once and it was awful, she was laid up in St. Mungo's for around a week," Draco said, shrugging his shoulders,

"Oh, Draco, I am so sorry to hear that. Was she badly hurt?" I asked sympathetically,

"Yeah, but thankfully she recovered quite quickly," Draco said nonchalantly.

**

Draco and I were just about to go out of the Great Hall now breakfast had finished, we decided to go for a slow walk into Hogsmeade and determine from there what to do with our day.

"Oh, Mr. Malfoy! Miss. Parsons! Could you hold up a moment, please?" Professor McGonagall called out from behind us.

We both turned around and looked at the Transfiguration Professor, and it was as though we were both thinking the same thing – what were we in trouble for. Because it could be a number of things... drinking alcohol, going into Draco's dorm, having sex...

"Is everything okay, Professor?" I asked her on behalf of the both of us,

"Oh, yes. How are you enjoying your week off?" McGonagall asked, sorting out the position of her glasses on the bridge of her nose,

"It's been nice, thank you, Professor," I said to her. I cringed, hoping Draco wasn't too embarrassed by my admission,

"Brilliant! And you, Mr. Malfoy?" Professor McGonagall looked to Draco,

"Yeah, it's been alright actually," Draco said with a small curve on the corner of his mouth.

For most, this was nothing, but I know for Draco, it was a really big thing and it meant so much to me.

"That's good to hear. You both thoroughly deserve the break, I do have a small wee favour to ask of you, though..." McGonagall asked, her Scottish accent seeming a little stronger today,