✔️ 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐆𝐎 → ℎ. 𝑝𝑜𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑤𝑖𝑛 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦

16 | R E M I N D E R

don't get to close,
                 it's dark inside.

   THE FIRST MATCH of the year, Gryffindor against Slytherin, was awaited eagerly not just by the lions and the snakes. Also Hufflepuff and Slytherin were hoping for Gryffindor to destroy Slytherin utterly. The green brats at least weren't known for their fair play. Of course this match wasn't any different.

   The ridiculous and mean song about Ron still echoing in her ears, Ember ran down the stands the second Harry had caught the Snitch.

   "That was amazing!", Ember called, flinging her arms around both, Fred and George, the ones she reached first, squeezing them right.

   "Will you still think that way when we're aiming Bludgers at your head", George laughed as Ember let go.

   "You wouldn't", she said, smirking. "You two love me, you wouldn't kick me off my broom."

   "Better not bet on it", said Fred with a wink, and Ember's cheeks grew hot, as she hastily looked away.

   "Where's Ron?", she said, still feeling Fred's warm brown eyes on her, but right in this moment Harry had reached them, the snitch still struggling against his clenched fingers. "Don't be such a show-off", she laughed at Harry, who was wildly grinning back.

   "Saved Weasley's neck, haven't you?" Malfoy had landed nearby, grey eyes glimming evily at Harry. "I've never seen a worse Keeper ... but then he was born in a bin ... did you like my lyrics, Potter?"

   Harry didn't answer. He turned away to meet the three Chasers who were now landing one by one, yelling and punching the air in triumph.

   "We wanted to write another couple of verses!", Malfoy called, as Katie and Alicia hugged Harry. "But we couldn't find rhymes for fat and ugly — we wanted to sing about his mother, see —"

   'Talk about sour grapes", said Angelina, casting Malfoy a disgusted look. 

   "— we couldn't fit in useless loser either — for his father, you know —"

   Fred and George had realised what Malfoy was talking about. Halfway through shaking Harry's hand, they stiffened, looking round at Malfoy. 

   "Leave it!", said Ember at once, taking Fred by the arm. "Leave it, Fred, let him yell, he's just sore he lost, the jumped-up little —"

  "— but you like the Weasleys, don't you, Potter?", said Malfoy, sneering. "Spend holidays there and everything, don't you? Can't see how you stand the stink, but I suppose when you've been dragged up by Muggles, even the Weasleys' hovel smells OK —"

   Harry grabbed hold of George. Meanwhile, it was taking the combined efforts of Ember, Angelina, Alicia and Katie to stop Fred leaping on Malfoy, who was laughing openly. Harry looked around for Madam Hooch, but she was still berating Crabbe for his illegal Bludger attack. 

   "Or perhaps", said Malfoy, leering as he backed away, "you can remember what your mother's house stank like, Potter, and Weasley's pigsty reminds you of it —"

   Ember could feel it, before Harry did even move, yet it didn't save her enough time to leap forward and hold him back. He was releasing George, both of them were sprinting towards Malfoy, and with horror Ember watched Harry's fist burry into Malfoy's stomach, the Snitch still fluttering beneath his fingers.

   "Harry, NO!", she yelled, and Malfoy was screaming, a whistle was blowing, but Harry's and George's fist slammed into Malfoy again and again, until someone close behind Ember suddenly yelled, "Impedimenta!" and Harry as well as George were knocked over backwards by the spell's force.

   "What do you think you're doing?", screamed Madam Hooch, as Harry leapt to his feet. It has been her who had hit him with the Impediment Jinx; she was holding her whistle in one hand and a wand in the other; her broom lay abandoned several feet away. Malfoy was curled up on the ground, whimpering and moaning, his nose bloody; George was sporting a swollen lip; Fred was still being forcibly restrained by the three Chasers and Ember, and Crabbe was cackling in the background. "I've never seen behaviour like it — back up to the castle, both of you, and straight to your Head of House's office! Go! Now."

   Ember finally let go of Fred, watching Harry and George turning on heels and heading off to the castle, before she twirled around to face Malfoy.

   "You disgust me!", she hissed, stepping closer and glared down on him.

   "Didn't seem like it last time we met", he snarled, sitting up. "So I assume what you were about to say was 'you attract me'." He got to his feet, towering Ember in hight now. "What now, Potter?", he whispered. "Will you get angry, huh? Will you show those fools what ugly little monster you truly are?"

   Indeed she could feel it creeping up her spine, poisoning her insides, about to invade her brain, to take her over ... But also she felt warm brown eyes on her back, spreading a warmth through her body that seemed to melt the shadows that threatened to overwhelm her.

   "C'mon Potter, let it out", Malfoy whispered, bowing down closer, his lips near her ear. "Let it out, show them what you are. What do you think Weasley's reaction will be like, huh? Do you think you will still appear so fucking adorable to him when he finds out you're a cold blooded creep? Show me your pretty black eyes, Potter, c'mon."

   Ember couldn't see the cruel sneer forming on his smooth face, but that didn't mean she didn't know it was there. Her hand twitched, she could feel a vein pulsing on her neck, waiting to explode — but it didn't. His lips so close brushed her jawline, a faint touch nobody would notice, and Ember pouted her lips to a dark smirk.

   "I know you want it", he breathed. "Let it overtake you. And maybe I will save your arse once more, Potter." Another brush of lips had her startled. "You need me. Don't forget about that."

   "I think you, Draco Malfoy", Ember whispered back, "have forgotten that you need me as well. Or what do you think Uncle Voldy will do if you fail?" Satisfied, Ember noticed his shoulders tensing, his body stiffening. "Just don't forget about that, will you? Because doing so could be ... painful."

   She kicked her knee forcefully up into his crotch, his gasp thundering in her ear, and as his hands glided from her shoulder and he sacked down on the floor once more, with a satisfy smirk Ember turned around, meeting Fred's surprised gaze, which quickly got replaced by pride and satisfaction as he, grinning, placed his arm around her shoulders and led her off the field.