The Boy Who Had a Choice (D.M)

Part 11

Spring had arrived and I was sat in the great hall eating lunch with Lola, Seamus and Neville laughing hysterically at the jokes we were sharing. I looked around for Draco, but I couldn't see him anywhere. It didn't surprise me; the only time I saw him these days were late at night in his bedroom or in the first empty classroom we could find during our free periods.

"You're thinking about him again, aren't you?" Neville said to me

"Shut up Neville!" I hissed at him "I am not!"

"You are, you've got that dopey look on your face!"

"I don't know what you're talking about," I frowned.

"We all know you're in love with him, just admit it we don't care." Seamus added.

"I am not in love with him, I'm just worried about him okay?"

"If you say so," Lola was giggling at me

"Oh, piss off the bloody lot of you!" I buried my face in my hands. Maybe they were right, maybe I was in love with him and was just too scared to admit it.

We all headed into Transfiguration class together, Lola and I took our usual seats at the back of the classroom while Seamus and Neville headed to the front. I sat down, reading over the pages of my textbook ready for class when Lola nudged me hard nodding to where Draco had sat at the other side of the classroom. I stared at him, trying to catch his eye to offer a small smile but he didn't look up from where he was sat. In the two months since everyone arrived back from Christmas break, I had barely seen him, he had apparently didn't deem lessons important enough to attend anymore and basically isolated himself in his room.

"Mr Longbottom, could you please demonstrate to the rest of the class how to turn this teacup into a gerbil?" Professor McGonagall said. I grinned over to where he was sat as he got up nervously, we'd been practicing this spell in the library all week. He stood up and chanted the incantation, executing the spell perfectly.  "Very good Mr Longbottom, you've shown great improvement with your magic over the last few weeks. 20 points to Gryffindor."

"Thank you miss, I've had an excellent tutor." He looked back at me grinning widely and I winked at him, sending a blush up his cheeks.

"Ah I see, well what a fine job you are doing too, Miss Dagon, 40 points for Slytherin." It was my turn to blush as I offered a small smile of thanks to her. I glanced over to where Draco was sitting, and he was looking right at me with a challenging stare on his face. He raised his eyebrows at me in question and I just shrugged at him.

McGonagall held me back at the end as she dismissed the rest of the class, wanting to have a word with me. I rolled my eyes at Lola who just smirked, knowing that I was most likely going to be getting some kind of detention.

"Have you thought about what you might do when you graduate from Hogwarts?" she said to me. I blinked in surprise and shook my head; this was not going where I thought it was. "You are an incredibly talented witch and I'm sure there are many choices out there for you, but I think you ought to consider becoming a professor." My jaw dropped, she had to be joking right?

"Are you joking?" I said.

"Miss Dagon, I never joke. I've seen what you have done with Neville in the space of a few weeks and the way you coach your quidditch team, you should be incredibly proud of yourself. You have a gift, don't let it go to waste. Think about it. Should you consider it to be an option, I will be here waiting, and I will help you the best I can."

"Thank you, Professor." I nodded and hurried out the classroom. I couldn't believe it. As I approached the door, I heard shouting and screaming coming from outside. Frowning I pulled open the door to come face-to-face with a fight between Neville and Draco, surrounded by a huge mob of students.