All The Wrong Choices || D.M.

Chapter 4

Erica, Dan, and I meet in the library to study for an upcoming Transfiguration exam. I've hardly gotten a chance to meet with my friends this week because I have been so busy. Maybe Draco wasn't so wrong; the coursework plus Quidditch was a lot.

"I have no clue how I survived the first term," whines Erica as she returns to the table with her books. She dramatically drops them down, spooking Dan. He glares.

"Give me a bloody heart attack, why don't you."

"Less scary than the amount of work McGonagall assigns us," I quip, smirking. Dan shakes his head.

"Feels like she's wanting to kill us sometimes."

"Better than a howler, surely."

"Depends on who that howler is from," Erica argues. She flips open to the needed pages and begins to write. "I can't remember the dumb spells."

"We have to start on potions too, Ella," Dan reminds me. I sigh. "Two weeks in and I'm already struggling. God forbid they ever go easy on us."

"I reckon it's hard to focus when students are getting cursed, too."

"Did someone else get cursed?" I ask.

"Not yet," Erica explains, "but who knows? It could be another Chamber of Secrets situation again."

"You know something is wrong when that's what first comes to mind," Dan mutters. He wasn't wrong.

After our study session (in which we get absolutely nothing done), I change out of my robes and curl near the fire in the Slytherin common room with a book I haven't had any time to read. I'm only one of three people down here despite it being only a quarter past eight. The other two are first years playing a game of wizard chess.

Of course, until I'm joined by Pansy Parkinson and that permanent scowl on her face. She plops down next to me and glares until I set my book down.

"Can I help you?"

"I want you to back off," she sneers. I blink.

"What are you on about?"

"You know bloody well what I'm on about. Malfoy."

I laugh. "Now that has to be a joke."

"Don't think I didn't see what happened in potions class."

"Pansy, that was months ago. Do you really think there is something going on between us?"

"You have been spending an awful amount of time together."

I scoff. "Hardly."

"Let's get him down here then, shall we?" She jumps off the love seat and barks at the boys, "leave, now."

They leave without another word, looking terrified of her. In passing, Draco looks at them as he joins us, already having some idea of what he just walked into.

"What do you want now, Pansy?" He sounds exhausted. The bags under his eyes seem even darker. "I told you this was over."

"I want to make sure nothing is going on here." Pansy points at me, drawing Malfoy's attention. I don't think he even realized I was in the room until right this instant.

"Nothing is going on," we say at the exact same time. Draco ducks his head and looks away. None of the stupid boys at this school could ever look me in the eye.

"I don't believe it. Her, of all people?" She steps forward and harshly whispers, "her family reputation is destroyed. Your father wouldn't approve, would he?"