Hate
He looked across the Gryffindor table to the Slytherin table to expect the usual sight, but an unfamiliar one greeted him instead.
There was Crabbe and Goyle, looking sullen and lonely. Harry realized why. There was someone missing. Draco Malfoy wasn't there.
He scanned the whole length of the Slytherin table and saw a few vaguely familiar faces including Pansy Parkinson, but no white-blonde hair, no sneering face.
A strange, empty feeling stirred in him before he remembered why Malfoy was not there.
He had escaped with Snape last year. No one knew where they had gone. They were probably with Voldemort now.
He shuddered at the vivid memory of Dumbledore's body. He was still quite not able to accept the fact that Dumbledore was dead.
"Do you think that he was punished for not killing Dumbledore personally?" Harry asked. He did not need to say that person's name for Ron and Hermione to know who it was that he was talking about.
"I hope he was," Ron said through gritted teeth, his fists clenched. "Filthy little thing."
Hermione sighed. "I bet he was. You-Know-Who would not be very happy with him. He deserves it though."
"Yeah, serves him right. We all hate him."
Harry felt anger rise up in him. Before he could stop himself, Harry found himself saying, "I don't hate him!"
Both Ron and Hermione stared at him. "What do you mean, Harry?" Ron asked, shocked.
"Well... I mean," Harry paused, swallowing uneasily, "I mean, I loathe him to the utmost," he lied.
Ron nodded approvingly. "Yes, 'hate' is definitely not enough to describe how we feel about him, that bastard."
Harry did not hear what Ron said though, for he had sank into deep thought.
He was wondering what had made him say that he didn't hate Malfoy. Of course he hated Malfoy. Malfoy, the one who had tortured him mercilessly ever since their first year, the one who caused the death of Dumbledore, even though not directly.
But yet... The odd feeling inside him. What was it?
He didn't even notice when Ginny approached him and said hi to him.
Ginny called his name several times, and then very loudly, she shouted, "Harry Potter!"
Finally, Harry snapped out of his trance. "Sorry, Ginny," he muttered hurriedly.
"It's okay. Is there anything wrong? You look weird," Ginny said with a look of concern on her face.
"I'm fine," Harry reassured her.
Oh, no, he was not fine at all. He was feeling confused, lost and afraid.
The truth was right in front of him, but he was avoiding it desperately. He did not want to accept the truth at all.
No, it wasn't possible, it couldn't be... How could he, when he had Ginny, such a pretty, nice girl? How could he fall in love with a Death Eater, his very enemy?
No, dammit, he was NOT in love with Draco Malfoy. He refused to admit it.
A/N: My first Harry Potter fic... The title's not good, gimme a better one. This was only meant to be a short drabble, I don't think I'll add more to it. Because I don't get any inspiration. Not exactly one of my best fics, but I'm fighting writer's block here... I'm frustrated. I can't write anything good at all. Please read & review!