It was the beginning of spring, but still a bit chilly. Most students were wrapped up warm like it was the beginning of winter. From across the courtyard, Hermione waved to Ron and Harry, who had just gotten out of Divination class.
"So, how did it go?" She said when she finally reached them.
"It wasn't too bad, but you can guess who fell asleep again" Harry said with a smile and gave Ron a slight nudge. Ron just gave a little grunt and sleepily swayed a little in place. Hermione laughed.
"Come on you, they've got some pie set out in the Great Hall. You don't want to wait till it's all gone do you?" She said and grabbed Ron's arm. Ron came out of his sleepy state and his eyes widened at the mention of pie.
"What kind of pie?" He said.
"Apple and cherry, your favourite" Hermione said with a smile.
"Hmm…pie" He whispered and dragged Hermione to the Great Hall.
"See you later Harry!" Hermione shouted before disappearing behind a wall. Harry closed his eyes and laughed to himself. He was about to walk after them, when he heard a commotion behind him.
"Stop it! I don't want to speak to him!" Shouted the familiar voice of Draco. Harry spun around and saw Draco's peers pushing him over to where he was standing. They laughed and pushed Draco forward again and he almost tripped over.
"I told you, I don't want to speak to him!" Draco shouted again.
"Don't want to speak to whom?" Harry asked. Draco jumped and spun round to see who was speaking.
"Oh, it's you" He said sheepishly.
"Go on, tell him! Or do I have to do it for you?" A boy shouted to him. Draco turned to face the boy.
"I've told you Blaise, I'm not going to tell him anything!" He growled.
"Not going to tell me what?" Harry asked a little confused.
"Oh, he wants to know now. What you gonna do Draco?" Blaise said. Draco glared at Blaise, and then slowly directed his gaze into Harry's eyes.
"I…I…I can't tell him!" Draco said, quickly turning to face the other Slytherin. Blaise cocked an eyebrow and smirked. He then walked up to Draco, placed and arm over his shoulders and looked Harry in the eyes.
"Basically Potter, what my little blonde friend here wants to say is, he likes you. And I think he really wants you to kiss him" Blaise said and broke out into a small chuckle, along with the small band of Slytherins that were only a few feet away. A crimson tone swept across Draco's face, and he looked down at the floor. Harry couldn't believe his ears. He wanted to laugh, yet he felt a slight hint of pity for Draco, for how Blaise had treated him and humiliated him.
"Draco…" Harry said. Draco looked up from the floor and stared at Harry.
"Is this true?" Harry asked. Draco stared at him a little longer, then averted his gaze and sighed.
"Yes" He said quietly, his speech almost becoming a whisper. Blaise roared with laughter and fell to the floor.
"The great Malfoy, is in love with little ol' Potter. What a crappy love story that would be" Blaise shouted, between outbursts of small chuckles. When he finally composed himself, he got back off the floor and once again, placed his arm around Draco's shoulder.
"So Potter, you gonna kiss him?" He said. Harry examined Draco for a moment.
"That thing…I don't think so. I'd rather kiss a cockroach" Harry said, in a shrill, demeaning voice. Draco winced a bit at Harry's comment. The fact that Harry meant he was lower than a cockroach, hurt him more than the humiliation set upon him by Blaise. With a few more chuckles, Blaise leaned closer to Draco.
"I think you just got rejected" He whispered to him and burst out laughing again. Draco couldn't take it no more. He pushed Blaise aside and with one final sorrowful look at Harry, he turned around and stormed off. Harry's gaze followed the blonde's figure until it disappeared. He looked at Blaise, who was still laughing and rolling around on the floor, and then at the other Slytherins, who were also laughing and making various jokes about the scene that had just occurred. He couldn't understand how one persons torment and humiliation, could entertain a few people. He walked away from the Slytherins and though about Draco. He didn't really mean to say that a cockroach was better than him, he just didn't know what else to say. And from what happened a few moments ago, it was quite obvious that Draco's reputation had completely gone down the drain. The ladder that he had climbed to reach the top, had fallen, and there was no other way to get back up.