All the Wrong Things

Chapter 5

Tuesday, September 14, 1999

"He was never a Dark Wizard."

It screams at me from the thin pages of the Prophet, and I feel the paper crumple against my fingers.

"He was never a Dark Wizard."
-Hermione Granger, Brightest Witch of Our Age

When asked for her thoughts on her old classmate, Hermione Granger assured us that Mr. Malfoy is fully capable. With the gleam of infatuation in her eyes, she told yours truly all about how ambitious and intelligent she finds Mr. Malfoy, and how well she thinks he'll fit in.

And who could blame her! Mr. Malfoy started his first day at the Ministry in well-tailored grey robes...

I squint down at the pages, trying to figure out where Skeeter has embellished the interview as she always does.

"He was never a Dark Wizard."

She has too much faith in me, that's for sure.

I blink away and grin at the picture of my handshake with Potter, counting the people who will have a heart attack at seeing this. But my eyes are drawn back to my hand on her back, her eyes staring up at me as I usher her into the lift.

I swallow. Our first picture together. I shake my head. Our only picture together, I'm sure.

"Rita did a lovely job, didn't she?"

I look up and my mother is reading the same paper over her morning tea.

"Yes," I say.

"You should send her a note, letting her know how grateful you are."

I look up at her, and she's eyeing me.

"Of course. Excellent idea, Mother."

I look back down at the paper and there's my hand on her back again.

"The renovations will begin this weekend," she says. I glance at her again, her eyes back on the paper. "I've hired elves."

"Wonderful."

A pop and Mippy is there, holding a letter. "This arrived for you, sir."

I'm still trying to get used to Mippy calling me "sir." I thank her and find a familiar wax seal on the envelope. My lips twitch, and I smile when I pull out a short note and the clipping of Potter and me shaking hands.

Merlin, Draco. Didn't know how hard pressed you were for friends. I'm on my way.

BZ

I'm grinning down at the page. He's drawn some rather inappropriate pictures on Potter's face.

~*~

Tuesday, December 27, 1994

"I owe you a thank you, Draco."

I look up from my book through tired eyes to see Blaise flopping down into the armchair across from me. The fire is almost out in the common room.

"Oh, really?"

"Mm-hmm," he hums. "It seems that Daphne and Pansy have some sort of rivalry going right now – some 'girl thing' –" He waves his hand, like a fly has gotten in his way. "Anyway, let's just say that Pansy likes to brag, and Daphne won't be out done."

He grins at me, a secret smirk.

I blink at him. "Okay..."

"You and Pansy shagged after the Yule Ball, yes?" He spells it out for me. I feel heat on my neck.