Hopstcotch: one word: Ministry of Magic (Location)

Words: 692


"You can quit the acting, you know" the young man made a signal to the waiter "Even though I'm a Slytherin, I'm not going to rat you out."

She arched one of her eyebrows and kept staring ahead.

For an outsider, she was just enjoying the Christmas Party. The Ministry of Magic was decorated with red and green pieces and all the important people were there.

"Where's your date?"

"Didn't bring one." She took a sip of her wine.

He smirked – "oh, so you decided to come to just stare at them all by yourself?" – When she opened her mouth to retort he raised his hand – "Don't even start with me, Granger. You and I both know better."

She snorted and finally looked at him – "What do you want, Zabini?"

"To ask what you want."

She took a deep breath looked at the couple again – "If I tell you that I'm not sure what I want, would you believe me?"

He finished his firewhisky and ordered another one – "Yes, I would. I mean, that's why you broke up with him right?"

She looked at him again and at that precise moment, when he could see the vulnerability in those big, brown eyes, he could understand what Malfoy had seen in her.

She's beautiful.

"He looks so much happier with her, doesn't he?" – They both stared at the young couple. Draco had his arm around the young Greengrass waist, and she had a blissfully smile on her face.

"He's pretending, you know" – When she didn't look at him, he continued – "He's only doing this because his parents made him. But you're the one that he loves."

She finished her glass of wine and spotted one of her best friends at the other side of the saloon. It never ceases to amaze her how the Ministry is so tragically beautiful. She saw Harry's godfather die in this building, for Merlin's sake, but she can't find it in her to hate this place.

"Can you see that office, on his left?" – She didn't need to look at him to know that he's listening – "That's where we hook up for the first time. He was courting me for a few months but me, naïve me, didn't notice. And then, I was drunk and he was drunk and we fought and we had sex."

He laughed – "Didn't know you had it in you, Granger."

"He brings out the best in me, I guess."

He took her glass and put his and hers on the bar - "You should decide what you want, you know. That guy over there loves you so fucking much and here you ar-"

"His parents hates me." – She ordered another wine – "I heard him fighting with them, when we were at the Manor. Said that they would disown him. And I know that he doesn't care. He has his fortune now, it's not like he needs their money."

She took her glass and finished it in one gulp, picking up another one – "But the thing is… I had to obliviate my parents in order to keep them safe, during the war. And to revert the spell… It could kill them. So I know what's like, to have your parents at arm's length and not being able to talk to them. It kills me."

They stopped and looked at the couple. She felt her heart beat a little bit faster as she caught Draco staring at them.

"And I can't make him choose." She never broke eye contact – "So I decided for him."

She could see the pain in his eyes, along with the jealousy.

"I see" – She looked at Zabini again – "Well, I think you're stupid."

"Yes, well" – She deposited her cup in the bar – "It's not like I asked your opinion. If you don't mind, can you please not tell Draco about this?"

Without waiting for an answer, she walked towards the exit.

Turning around, she caught his grey eyes one more time. They stared at each other for what it looked like an eternity and, when he made a move to go to her she turned around again and left.


I'm not feeling particularly happy today. But I think that I'll make a story out of this drabble.

Bye now!