Trust No Testimony

CHAPTER TEN.

CHAPTER TEN: THE TENTH TESTIMONY

'Luck Comes in Laces'

"I didn't read the letters you sent me. I studied them. I traced your S's because of the way you looped the tails, I felt the indents you made into the back of the parchment, and I kept them away from everyone else because they're mine. They're you, and they're mine, and they're tangible and that's why I reacted the way I did. I think you'll know what I'm talking about when I mention the first time you visited me in the infirmary."

Alex's POV

"So how are you feeling about the potions project?"

I shrug, "As long as he doesn't assign partners, I know we're going to be fine."

"We do have a good system," Hermione admits, "Still, I don't think we're getting off that easy this week."

My hands press against the cool surface of the classroom table. "Yeah, I know. I honestly don't care who I get paired up with that much."

"Oh, I hope he doesn't stick you with Malfoy, I can't believe you two got into a fight, like an actual one--you two seemed to be getting along so well."

It's been over three weeks. Twenty four days, and he hasn't spoken to me once. That's almost double the time I thought he'd stay mad. After three days in which he wouldn't even make eye contact with me, I broke and slipped the letter I wrote on the first night under his door. When I didn't even get a scrap of parchment with the words 'I read it' or a snide comment in the hallway about me being obsessed with him or anything telling me to knock it off, it stung a little. But on day seven I found a library book so interesting I had to tell him about it, so I wrote another letter, and slipped it under his door. Nothing. By day 13, I started to slide little notes under his door every night at 8 PM.

I don't know if he's reading them and then throwing them away, burning them every time they come in, or if him and Kai are having an amazing laugh at my expense, but I haven't heard any Slytherins whispering about me or a vague girl that's in love with Draco and no one's told me to stop so that has to be...okay right? Sadly enough, a part of me is hoping that if I leave enough letters and little notes he'll break and tell me to stop.

He could do it with a piece of parchment, send me an owl, pass me a note in class, yell at me in the hallway. I don't care, I'm just tired of him pretending I don't exist.

Snape starts the class, and of course he's picking partners for one of our first major projects, and by some stroke of fate--good or bad--he calls my name right after Draco's. "...I want no complaining about who you have to work with, now move seats accordingly."

Hermione and I exchange a look. "Sorry," she whispers, "If you need any hel--"

"I'll be fine, he's a teenage boy, not You-Know-Who." I stand slowly, grabbing my bag, trying to figure out the best approach to this. I wanted this to happen, I shouldn't be nervous. "I'm so fine, I'll even move over there so your partner can sit here."

"You su--"

"Yes," I nod my head, "I'll be fine, and if I'm not I expect you to turn him into a rat or something."

"Obviously," Hermione answers, smiling a little.

I nod one last time, turning around and walking to the desk behind me and just to the left. Draco doesn't say anything as I put my bag down. He also just sits there, completely still as I take the seat next to him. I don't want to be the one to break the silence.

"You can hate me all you want, you can throw your fits and your tantrums, and you can spend the rest of your life pretending I don't exist...but you know what you can't do?" The only response I get is a shift in posture. "Be the reason I fail this class. So I'm going to ask--actually, no, asking implies you have a choice--so I'm telling you that you're going to be at the very least cordial and you're going to pull your weight while we're working on the project either in class or after it. When we're not working on the project, I couldn't care less if you throw darts at a dartboard with my picture on it, but this is currently my worst subject, and I'm not failing this because you're pouty and refuse to work with me."