𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬, 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 • (𝐝.𝐦.)

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧

♔

"Do you know anyone by the name of Sirius?" I asked Ron when I left the small room, still looking for Harry but not seeing him anywhere. 

"Sirius Black? How'd'you know about Sirius Black?" He asked, turning around and looking at me with the same level of alarm that was on Harry's face moments before. 

"What's wrong with everyone?" I snapped, heat rising in my cheeks. Intense heat, might I add. 

"Nothing, just- Sirius is Harry's godfather. That's all," He said, clearly covering something up. 

I huffed at their indifference. 

"Fine, don't tell me," I said, walking away from the situation. I left the DA meeting in a foul mood that I didn't know how to fix. I walked to the Slytherin common room, not realizing how fast I was truly going until I was there in a matter of minutes. 

Instinctually, I looked at Draco's chair. I knew it would be empty, of course, but I couldn't help looking anyway. 

I walked up into the dorm, being greeted by irritating grins on Pansy and Millicent's faces. 

"Why are you two so chipper?" I asked, not really interested but mindful of the uncharacteristic happiness on their faces. 

"Oh, no reason, really. It's just that- Oh, Millicent, maybe I shouldn't tell her," Pansy said smugly, knowing damn well that she was going to tell me anyway. 

"Spit it out, Parkinson," I snapped, and she rolled her eyes. 

"Maybe we should keep her in the dark, but if we tell her it'll be so much better," Millicent said. 

"You heard Bulstrode, tell me," I said, crossing my arms and waiting for the information she was withholding. 

"Well, Montague was quick to ask me out when you foiled his little plan. I'm sure Draco would've been jumping at the chance to be with me to if Montague hadn't asked first, but it's fine," She said, that smug smile staying on her stupid pug face. 

"And you think I would care for what reason?" I asked, my face flat. 

"He was telling me he wanted to ask me out the whole time, but you were in the way. The bet was the most important thing at the time, and I agree. It would've been hilarious. How did you even find out about it?" She asked and I scoffed. 

"You'd love to know wouldn't you?"

"I asked, so yeah," She shot back. 

"That's the thing, Pansy, I'm not going to tell you," I said, and she grumbled. "You're boring," She said, walking with Millicent back over to their beds. 

"Whatever," I muttered, crawling underneath the blankets on my bed and staying there. I wanted to stay up, I needed to talk to Draco, I had decided. There was no use beating around the bush, and whether I liked it or not, I felt something for him. 

I couldn't identify yet what it was that I felt, but I knew I hadn't been wanting to avoid him, rather I had been yearning to see him. 

Something in the pit of my stomach produced butterflies when I was around him. We had an incredibly rocky start, but I liked to think we had come a long way. 

That kiss, as rushed and unpredictable as it was, was something that had clouded my mind for the entirety of the week. His soft lips had met mine and our mouths fit together like... like puzzle pieces, as cliche as it sounded. 

He smelt of bergamot, lemon, and green apples.

I was never one for green apples, but somehow, he made the smell attractive. 

Something about that scent appealed to me directly. He always ate green apples. It was something I had noticed about him. I ate red apples and he ate green apples. Could you imagine a more extreme opposite?

His ivory hair and sculpted jawline had captivated my mind and I simply couldn't get them out of it. I hadn't picked up on the little things either: how he was supportive of me joining the quidditch team, how he warned me about Montague, and how he dropped a copy of Pride and Prejudice.

He was reading Pride and Prejudice. 

Draco Malfoy, the cold and bitter Slytherin sovereign was reading a muggle book that I had expressed my love for.

Maybe it was totally coincidental. 

Daphne Greengrass finally walked back into the dorm, freeing me from my thoughts, and I rolled on my side. Our beds were next to each other, so when she finally got into hers, I turned to face her. 

"Daphne?" I said quietly, and she turned. "Yeah?" 

"Do you have a date to Hogsmeade this weekend?" I asked, and she shook her head with a confused chuckle. "No, why?" 

"I heard Adrian Pucey was going to ask you," I said, and she stifled a groan of irritation. "I really can't stand him, I hope he doesn't," She said. 

"Really?" I asked, and she hummed in confirmation. 

"Why do you ask?" She wondered aloud, and I sighed. "No reason, really," I said, and I heard her take a deep breath. 

"I know we don't talk a lot, but can I ask you something important?" 

"Of course," I said, being sincere. 

"What does Blaise Zabini think of me?" She asked, and my eyes widened a comical amount. Thankfully it was dark so she couldn't see my extreme reaction, but I was giggling hysterically inside. 

"What does he think of you? He-" 

"No, wait. Don't tell me," She said, nervously covering her ears, and I shook my head, a smile on my face. 

"It's not bad, Daphne, I promise," I said. 

She propped herself up in her bed by her elbows, listening intently to what I was about to say. "I don't want to speak for him, but you should definitely talk to him more often," I said, sending her a little wink to get my point across. 

"Oh, oh, maybe I will," She said, nearly stumbling over her words, and I smiled to myself. I hoped Blaise would ante up and ask her out. She was so obviously into him, but I wouldn't push it. If it was going to happen, it would happen naturally. 

About half an hour later, Daphne was asleep too, and I pulled my wand out. "Lumos," I whispered. The end of the went lit up and I looked to my right at the clock on the wall. 

Midnight. 

♔

2.5k reads!!!!!!! thank you guys so much! also, i wanted to update because i left the last chapter on a bit of a cliffhanger. it wasn't really resolved in this chapter either, but you guys will know the tea all in due time ;)