Winter (Draco x Reader)

Chapter 3- Quills and Potions*

The following morning, I woke up to see Gemma standing by our doorway with her arms full of schedules. "Breakfast starts in half an hour. Here you all go."

I took the schedule from her gratefully, scanning it as I got up. I stifled a groan -- our first lesson of the week was double Potions with Snape... and the Gryffindors. Pansy voiced what everyone else was thinking. "Not them!"

Like we had a choice anyway. With a sigh, I went to my trunk, pulling on my uniform with the green and silver tie that had apparently magically come into my possession since yesterday.

We had a shared bathroom, so I took care to knock before barging in on anyone. Thankfully, the other girls were still getting dressed and doing their hair, so I had it to myself. Tired E/C eyes, rimmed with dark circles, stared back at me in the mirror while I brushed my teeth. Frowning, I splashed water on my face and applied some under-eye concealer, before twisting my H/C hair up into a ponytail. It wasn't much, but it would have to do.

Putting the appropriate books in my bag and giving the cat a quick pet, I tiptoed down to the common room. A sigh of relief escaped my lips. Completely empty -- which meant I didn't have to deal with a certain persistent blonde quite this early.

"Avoiding someone?" a soft voice inquired from behind me. "I can't blame you."

I practically jumped out of my skin -- apparently, not so empty after all. Blaise was leaning against the far wall by a door I suspected led to the boys' dormitory. While I was flustered, he was his usual brand of impassive, his smooth umber skin unmarred by a blush of any sort.

"You scared me half to death, Blaise," I complained, crossing my arms over my chest.

"That's Zabini to you, L/N," he replied quietly, standing up straight. "But I do apologize."

My head tilted to one side; I scanned his face for any emotional indicators and came up empty. So far, he was unusually hard to read.

"Apology accepted," I said slowly, hoping that was the answer he was expecting.

He nodded once, pushing himself off the wall and walking towards the door. I relaxed, falling into step beside him. It took a few strides to learn to keep up with his longer legs.

He looked straight ahead when he next spoke. "Malfoy was a nightmare last night. He would not shut up until past midnight."

I barked out a laugh, the mental image already too much. "All you had to do was throw a shoe at him or something, you know."

He peered at me humorously from the corner of his eye. "You think Goyle didn't do exactly that? That's why it was only midnight, and not later."

I laughed harder, imagining Draco's scandalized face. While Blaise pulled the door of the Great Hall open, I smoothed my hair back like Draco did, fixing my face into a contemptuous sneer and propping my hands on my hips.

"You dare throw a shoe at me?" I mocked, pitching my voice into the same sort of indignant squeak he had displayed on the train. "My father had my nose insured for 300 galleons, you would have been in big trouble if you had broken it!"

A half-smile curved the corner of Blaise's mouth as we went to sit down towards the end of the table. As soon as he was in place, a sleek, charcoal-colored ural owl swooped down with a purple envelope clutched in its talons, addressed to him in flowery script. Knowing there would be nothing for me, I grabbed a chocolate muffin and poured a cup of tea, my eyes already scanning the Great Hall.

I could see Draco at the heart of our table, boasting about some kind of new broomstick he had gotten for his birthday -- "I'd have brought it, but it's not allowed. Father says it's outrageous that first years aren't allowed broomsticks" -- while Pansy laughed and smiled too much, eyes locked on his face.