dislike ↠ draco malfoy

twenty-one

The next few days passed by quickly. We had started up Apparition lessons, and it was a lot harder than I thought it would be. I hadn't managed to Splinch myself, but many people had. One time, I was trying to Apparate into Hogsmeade but I accidentally ended up in a tree in the Forbidden Forest.

One bright Friday afternoon, I was lying on an armchair in the Slytherin common room. I had Hogwarts: A History propped open. I had loved reading it so much the first time that I had decided to reread it. A few feet away from me on the couch, Pansy and Daphne were talking amongst themselves. They talked in such low voices that I could hardly tell what they were saying. They had been acting rather strange lately. Pansy had a small box clutched so tightly in her hands that her knuckles had turned white.

"He's almost here," Pansy muttered. She started compulsively straightening her robes. "He gets off Quidditch practice at four o'clock." She glanced at me to see if I was listening. I kept my eyes on my book, pretending that I had not heard a word she had said.

A few minutes later, the entrance to the common room opened and Pansy sprung up. The boys who were on the Slytherin Quidditch team came into the room. Draco was the last one and the entrance closed behind him. He headed in the direction of the stairs. He was covered in sweat and looked like he needed a shower.

"Draco!" Pansy exclaimed enthusiastically.

Draco looked at her. "What is it?" he said, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

She approached him. "I have something for you." She held out the small box to him.

He looked down at it in confusion, but didn't take it. "What is it?" he asked.

"Just a little gift," Pansy replied, shaking the box. "Go on, take it."

He looked at her suspiciously. "What's the occasion? Christmas already passed."

Pansy looked like she was fighting back the urge to roll her eyes, but she kept a smile on her face. "I just wanted to get you something. Does there have to be an occasion for every gift?"

He glanced warily at her one last time before reaching his arm out and taking the box. "Thanks, I guess." He started up the stairs again.

"Wait!" Pansy said. "Aren't you going to open it?"

"I will later. I just got out of practice, Pansy, I need to shower," Draco replied.

Pansy looked disappointed. "Okay," she said quietly and watched him disappear up the stairs to the boys' dormitories.

I cleared my throat and finally spoke, "Why'd you get Draco a present? Is it his birthday or something?"

She turned around to face me. "Are you an idiot?" she snapped. "Did you even hear our conversation? I didn't get him a birthday gift, his birthday's in June. I didn't have a reason to give him a gift, I just did."

I held my hands up. "Hey, there's no need to get mad," I said. "What did you get him?"

"Just some sweets," she said nonchalantly and crossed her arms over her chest. "It's no big deal."

I narrowed my eyes at her. Something wasn't right about this, but I didn't know what it was. Pansy was acting strange.

"Can you stop looking at me like that?" she spat.

I rolled my eyes and got up from the armchair. "I think I'm going to head down to the Great Hall for dinner." I picked up my book and tucked it under my arm.

When I arrived at the Great Hall, I took my seat at the Slytherin table. I was a bit early, so there wasn't that many people there. My stomach rumbled and I piled food onto my plate.

A few moments later, Carmen arrived and sat down across from me. She looked like she was in rough shape. Her normally beautiful curly hair was frizzy and poofy and sticking up. Her face had bits of soot on it.

I goggled at her. "What happened to you?"

She sighed loudly. "Seamus Finnegan's Gouging Spell didn't work and exploded all of my books." She gestured to her face. "And this happened."

"Oh god," I said, "You should go get cleaned up."

She shook her head. "Food first, clean later." She shoved mashed potatoes and gravy into her mouth. "I've decided to go vegetarian. You know, to save the animals."

"Uh, Carmen, I don't think gravy is vegetarian," I said with a giggle.

She dropped her spoon and mashed potatoes shot up in the sky and landed on the table. "Shoot."

I laughed. "You're not having a very good day, are you?"

She shook her head. "Not really," she said in a small voice.

I stood up and waved my hand. "Come on, lets go back to the common room and get you cleaned up."

She nodded and followed me out of the Great Hall. We got back into the common room and started to make our way upstairs, until something caught my eye.

Draco was sitting on the common room floor, staring longingly into the fire. I paused and said to Carmen, "You go on, I'll meet you up there."

She nodded and went up the stairs. I approached Draco. He didn't turn to look at me, though. His eyes were still transfixed on the fire.

"Are you all right?" I asked.

He muttered something that I couldn't hear.

"What?" I lowered myself down on the floor next to him. His eyes were still staring at the fire. "Draco, earth to Draco," I said and waved my hand in front of his face.

He snapped back into reality and stared at me. "Where is she?"

"Where is who?" I asked.

He didn't answer. His eyes seemed to be glazed over, as if he was in a trance. "She's so beautiful."

"Who?" I pressed.

"I think I'm in love with her," he said dreamily.

"Who?" I repeated. "Draco, what's wrong with you?"

"Pansy," he stated. "I think I'm in love with Pansy."

I stared at him until the puzzle pieces clicked together in my brain. My eyes traveled downward, and a half-eaten chocolate cupcake was lying on the floor. The realization dawned on me; Pansy had given Draco a love potion.