Molly walks through the Great Hall for the seventh year in a row, obvious by the lack of amazement seen on her face but still with the eagerness of being back for another year. She walks over to her best friend Abigail, who quickly fills her in on the gossip of the summer. I watch her as her illuminated red hair glows in the fire light of the candles floating overhead. She looks good. I can't wait to see her eyes again, a treat I missed and dreamed about over the summer.
I sigh and turn to my mate McNair. He was always tall and skinny for his age.
"Hey, thinking of bulking up this year?" My typical greeting in one form or another.
" Nice tan you got over the summer Malfoy," he replies, making a joke of my constant paleness. We laugh it off and sit down to watch the sorting. See who we get to torture this year, in other words.
As we make ourselves comfortable, my eyes wander over to the Gryffindor table. I see that stupid ginger Weasley talking to her again. Not even talking, more like blushing and stuttering again. As if he doesn't know he would never be good enough for Molly. I sneak another peak at the crush I've had for years and I see she is smiling at that little pest. I watch her, trying to read her face to see why she is tolerating him. She gives nothing away. I'm distracted by the color in her cheeks. I have a tough time deciding if they are more of a cherry color or a pink glow. She glances around her and I quickly look down.
Dippet stars his term announcements and new rules of the year. I start thinking of all the things I want to do this year. This includes finding what job field I want to go into, and getting a certain red haired beauty to fall for him…
I wake up the next morning, don my silver and green and make my way up to breakfast. I'm feeling pretty good despite the fact that its Monday. Double transfiguration with the Gryffindors today. I shove a first year out of my usual breakfast spot and grab a piece of toast. My buddy, who I can't help but notice slightly looks like a troll stomps up to me.
" MAlfoy! You'll never guess who I have locked up in the boys bathroom on the third floor!"
" Who?" I Ask.
"Devin Thompson!" He is really excited about this.
" I don't believe a word of that. You locked him up by yourself and have him contained? Hardly. " Although this is possible, I don't want to give Crabbe the satisfaction of a job well done. Keeps him on his toes. I can tell he is disappointed by my lack of belief or excitement. I leave him to his bacon. I strut out of the Great Hall and take a sharp corner to the stairs. I see a flash of red before falling to the ground. I get up and look around quickly, thinking I was attacked and see a girl on the floor as well. Its her. I reach my hand down to help her up but she is already jumping to her feet.
"I- er Molly, I'm so sorry. I didn't see you there. Are you alright? Have a nice summer?" Every sentence that was running through my head just escaped my mouth like an avalanche. She looks at me confusedly while trying to make sense of the cacophony of words I just threw at her. I'm so stupid.
"I'm fine," she says slowly, watching me to see if I'm joking or not. "I'm in a hurry, sorry. See you later." and continues in the opposite direction of me. That couldn't have gone worse.
Chapter 2
I ponder why I cannot even say a single sentence to her. I get to thinking that maybe not even I am good enough for her. I almost blow that off, but then think of my grades. I vow to work harder. I'm walking down a corridor when I hear voices coming from the supposedly empty classroom. I go back to the door and peek through the keyhole. The one good thing about living in a dodgy old castle. Ancient keyholes that are so big you can fit 2 fingers through it. Its some of my mates. I let myself in. It was amusing to see them all so jumpy.
"What going on?" I ask.
" Just talking about our summer. Remember our discussions from last year? Well the Carrows got theirs over the summer"
" When are you getting your Lucius?" Another voice asks.
I take the information in. I'm sort of involved in a group of friends who have the idea in their heads that they want to be Death Eaters when they grow up. Not something you want to go home and tell your mother. Its an anti-muggle sentiment mainly I think. I hear the leader of the group is lethal though. I fell into this group because I am seen as tough and I push kids around but I don't really believe all this rubbish.
"As soon as I can be of real service. More seventh year magic is undesirable to someone as powerful as the Dark Lord and I cant risk being thrown out of school. It will break the connections that may be of vital importance later." I Think most of them believe me.
We all separate and go to class. I sit bored through Defense Against the Dar Arts, a class that comes easy to me. Apprehension stars to prickle at me as the end of class comes nearer. Soon I'll be with her again. For a whole class period. I stumble out of my chair and grab the homework on vampires on the way out. I take my new chair about 5 minutes later and take my book out. Laughter rings from the back of the classroom. Molly is entertaining a group of Gryffindors. Whatever happened to houses mingling?
For class today we are split off into pairs. The professor is in a particularly grumpy mood today and decides to pick our partners. It would be just my luck to be paired with that boy I dueled last year. All he needs is a chance to prove he's smarter than me. I already know he is. That's why I dueled him. I was completely baffled when I heard Molly's and my own name come from the cold lips of our professor. We walk to a less crowded part of the classroom and she smiles at me. I allow myself the tiny smile I could not stop from escaping.
" DO you want to try first?" We are turning a sheet of paper into a full glass of water.
" No, please, go ahead. " I gesture to our paper. She take out her wand. I study it. Holly for the wood but I couldn't guess the core. The spell works like a charm. No pun intended.
" oh, its only filled halfway!" she syas disappointedly.
" No, didn't you see Shay walk past and take a drink? It was perfect." She laughs and accepts the lie.
"Your turn."
I hope to Merlin this works and performs the spell. Nothing happens. I blush.
" Try flicking your wand a bit more. Say it with feeling." She offers as criticism. I try once more. The paper flutters, then falls. I turn to her.
" To be honest, this is my worst subject. I'm so nervous and I never got the hang of this. "
"Nervous what for? This is just practice, don't worry about it." She takes my wand hand and encloses my wand in the both of ours. She takes me through the wrist movements but I am so distracted by the feel of her warm skin and soft, small body so close to mine that as I try it with the incantation, I fail again.
" Just relax and take deep breaths. You'll get it." she says calmly. Oh, her patience. The quick temper on this redhead seems non-existent. I grin and look into her eyes. They are crinkled into a smile.
The class went by all too fast., By the end I still could get nothing more than a crumpled piece of paper.