Saving Myself || A Drarry Story

VI: Lovesick Blondie

Friday was a pleasant day for Draco, who seemed to have caught a disease where he couldn't stop smiling. In the Great Hall for breakfast, he buttered his toast and listened to Theo, who was talking his usual nonsense. He glanced at the doors every once in a while, his grey eyes searching for the boy he had kissed last night.

"Draco, you really are lovesick, aren't you?" Theo asked quietly.

"Just as much lovesick as you with Lovegood."

Blaise laughed and looked around the Great Hall, his brown eyes landing on the Hufflepuff table. Draco nudged him, saying, "Who are you looking at? Abbott? Midgen?"

"Bold of you to assume I'm looking at a girl."

"Oh!" Draco said excitedly. "Then who are you looking at?"

Blaise was silent for a moment before telling his friends, "See that one with the dark hair? The one next to Abbott?"

"Longbottom?" Theo asked. "Neville Longbottom? In Herbology?"

Blaise nodded. "Don't stare, Theo."

"I'm not, "

Draco hit Blaise's arm, saying, "Has he spoken to you? You to him? Tell us!"

A faint blush crossed Blaise's cheeks as he said, "It's nothing crazy. Just a few 'Oh can I use those pliers?' and 'Are you using that?' or something like that."

"Engage in a real conversation, Blaise!" Draco told him, a familiar gleam in his eyes.

"No, "

"Alright, then, " Draco said in mock defeat. But he stood, walking over to the Hufflepuff table. "Hello, " he said to Longbottom, who turned around.

"Er, hello?"

"Draco Malfoy, " he introduced himself, holding his hand out. "I believe we have Herbology together?"

"Yeah, " Longbottom mumbled, stretching his hand out, but he couldn't shake Draco's hand before Blaise came out of nowhere, his hands on Draco's shoulders, pulling him back.

"I'm so sorry about him, " he said with a smile to Longbottom. "I think he mistook you for someone else."

"Oh, okay, " Longbottom sighed.

"Sorry again, " Blaise muttered.

Longbottom smiled sweetly. " 'S fine."

Blaise forcefully turned Draco around as his friend was laughing, but he wasn't. "What is wrong with you, " he hissed. "You made me seem like I was a nutter!"

Draco, who was laughing, choked out, "I'll bet he's looking at you."

"Don't you dare---"

Draco looked back and saw that Longbottom was watching Blaise with a grin. "He is! Turn your fat head around!"

Blaise smacked the back of Draco's head, but he did look back, waving softly to Neville Longbottom. "I hate you, Draco."

Draco grinned as he sat back down at the Gryffindor table, running a hand through his platinum hair. Blaise was blushing and Theo was poking fun at his friend's expense.

Then, Draco heard a commotion over at the Hufflepuff table, which was caused by a boy with black hair and round glasses.

Harry stalked angrily over to the Hufflepuff table, where he had just seen Draco smiling to the screw-up Longbottom. He grabbed a bowl of sticky grape jam and dumped it onto Longbottom's head, making him jump up and down.

Neville grabbed a spoon, filling it with porridge and pulling the top back so that when he let go, it launched directly at Harry's face, but he ducked and the porridge sailed and hit a Ravenclaw girl on the back of her head.

One of the younger professors ran after Harry, who ran to the Gryffindor table, which he slid over, landing on his feet on the other side. "Potter, get back here!"

"No!" Harry yelled back. He ran quickly, hit fit body barely registering that he was running. Now he felt like an idiot, running around the Great Hall and scrambling over tables. He shouldn't have felt jealous, watching Draco talk to Longbottom and smile and laugh. He didn't have a schoolgirl crush on the tall, blonde Head Boy.

"Ten points from Slytherin!" Harry would hear McGonagall yell every few seconds. Then she started to say, "Twenty points!"

There were grumbles from the Slytherin table and, as he was slipping over the Gryffindor table, two people grabbed either of his arms, stopping him from running away.

Harry struggled, getting one hand free and punching one of the people in the face, but the other grabbed his arm again, holding so tightly that Harry could practically feel bruises forming already.

Dumbledore had come down and told Harry in an unusually calm and quiet voice, "Follow me, Harry."

Harry stuffed his hands in his pockets, following Dumbledore with a deep frown. Inwardly, he cursed his hot temper. He shouldn't have cared that Draco was laughing and talking to a Hufflepuff, and a cute one at that.

They made it to Dumbledore's office, the one that Harry had occupied often after getting into trouble. Secretly, he hopes that the punishment wasn't dire. He usually got off easy on account that his father had connections, a large sum of money, and that the professors here labelled him as 'troubled', which he didn't mind if he was getting off easy.

Harry sat down in the plush green armchair across from Dumbledore's desk and crossed his arms, sinking low in his seat.

"Was that really necessary, Harry?"

"No."

"No what?"

"No, sir, " Harry corrected through clenched teeth. He hated being chastised.

"This has been the longest you've gone without getting into trouble. It's October."

Harry nodded. It had been only three weeks.

"So why mess that up and get into trouble?"

Harry shrugged and looked away. An old man wouldn't understand anything. He couldn't even see that Harry was drowning. "I don't know, sir."

Dumbledore folded his hands and said, "You're a smart boy, Harry. Apply yourself better. You do well in Quidditch. Maybe practice more. Make some . . .new friends."

"Can I go yet?" Harry snapped.

After a brief moment of silence, Dumbledore motioned to the door, which Harry walked through quickly, leaving the Headmaster Who Didn't Really Care. Just like everyone else.

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