Sinister

Nine | Phantom Burn

IN the week since she kissed Draco, Margot avoided him like the plague.

It was easy at first - Draco seemed no more willing to relive their stairwell tryst than she, but after a few days of evading, he appeared to tire of her maneuvering.

First, there was the paper-bird note during Potions. He'd sent it flapping to her desk when Snape had his back turned.

HEARD YOU GOT YOUR SHOULDER SLICED IN CHARMS

WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO KISS IT BETTER?

Margot had crumbled the note as soon as she read it, stomach churning. After class, he'd called her name to get her attention, but she'd grabbed Hermione by the elbow and escaped as fast as she could.

The remaining days were no better. It became his mission to goad her whenever he could, to remind her of the mistake she made and how low her dignity had sunken when she kissed him.

But at night - in the dark and lonely hours - she replayed the kiss in her head. Once. Twice. A hundred times. The greedy way in which Draco had held her. The hatred she tasted on his lips. The longing in his eyes when she pulled away.

It was a much-needed relief when the day of her date with Cedric finally arrived.

She woke up extra early on Saturday morning to get ready, spending an unnecessary amount of time fiddling with her hair and makeup. It did nothing to ease her mounting nerves, but at least it kept her brain occupied.

Hermione - who'd been up all night studying for Monday's Transfiguration quiz - kept her company as she applied eyeliner for the fourth time.

"Where do you suppose he's taking you?" Hermione asked, propping her chin atop the pillow.

"I have no idea." Margot met her friend's gaze in the mirror. "What if this is all some grand joke, done to humiliate me?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Don't be ridiculous."

When Margot smeared her eyeliner yet again, she sighed and clambered off the bed to do it for her.

"There," Hermione said once finished. "Now quit stalling and get dressed. He's probably already waiting for you."

Margot murmured a quick thanks and promptly obeyed. When she arrived downstairs, she found Cedric waiting patiently just outside the Gryffindor Tower, examining the Fat Lady portrait with his hands clasped behind his back.

"Hi," Margot said breathlessly, heart skittering in her chest.

Cedric looked particularly dashing today, with his copper hair styled away from his face and his cheeks pleasantly flushed. Even on weekends, Hogwarts students were required to wear their robes, but she could see that his were freshly washed and ironed. Just like hers.

"Hey," he said, giving her a pleased once-over. "You look lovely, Margot."

"So do you," she said timidly. Her gaze dropped to the small basket in his hands. "What's that?"

Cedric only smiled. "A surprise. Come on."

She followed him as he led her through the castle and then outside of it, down a straggly path near the entrance. With every step, her curiosity grew.