I'm so sorry for not updating sooner. I've been … busy, haha. (shot)
Notes: This chapter is considerably shorter than the first one. I really don't know how to continue it anymore. Each chapter has a different flower and I'm wondering how many chapters would be appropriate.
Chapter warnings: AU, super OOC and BL.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
Chapter two: Yellow Tulip
I haven't spoken Harry Potter since the Sorting Ceremony and that was about two weeks ago. I, myself, am amazed at how successful I've been so far at avoiding the said boy. I see him all the time in the Great Hall where we have breakfast and in class. Sometimes, I catch him looking at me, maybe even staring, and it's been frustrating, really. Doesn't he get it? Slytherins do not befriend people from the other houses; it's like an unwritten law. Surely, his new friends had mentioned this well-known fact.
It's the middle of September now. I was writing to my father about how I was doing, what lessons they've started to give us and even about Potter. I also didn't want those three Muggles to worry about me for no good reason. I guess I should also write a separate one for them. Father can pass it on, I suppose. I dipped the tip of my quill into a bottle of ink and began to write. Later on, I tied it to my owl's leg and let it fly away.
The next day, during breakfast, my owl came back with a package and a letter. I opened the package first and found a flower and a card. My heartbeat sped and I picked up the card. This time, it read, A yellow tulip because there is sunshine in your smile. I felt a blush creep across my face, my cheeks getting warm. It was from him. I glanced around; making sure no one was looking and closed the package. Then, I opened the letter. It was from father.
My dear son,
I'm happy to hear that you're doing fine. Sarah, Emily and Theresa were pleased to have received a letter from you. If they decide to send in a reply, I'll send you an owl. By the way, another present from your secret admirer arrived. It came by owl too, actually, and I replied, telling him that you're in Hogwarts now. Aren't you glad it's a wizard? I'd love to tease you about it, but I'm quite busy right now.
Until next time,
Your father
I sighed to myself. That's my father for you; always ruining the moment. But still, I'm thrilled that I got another message from my secret admirer. But I am kind of getting tired of calling him that so I thought, why not give him a name? I guess I should start thinking about one…
I gathered my things and headed for the Slytherin common room. I still had over half an hour anyway. I reached my room and put them on my bed. I looked through my trunk and reached for a vase my father bought for me just in case. I'm glad I brought it and I placed the tulip inside the vase and set it up beside my bed. I smiled, satisfied and grabbed the books I needed for my next class.
I found Crabbe and Goyle standing at the entrance of the common room and they greeted me. I gave them that old Malfoy glare and said, "What's up?" Goyle shuffled uncomfortably and Crabbe looked away. That can not be a good sign. I wonder what's eating them.
"You know that new kid, Harry Potter, right?" Goyle said slowly, seeming unsure of himself. They were both like that, actually. I nodded, forcing myself to look like I didn't give a damn about the new Gryffindor. "He's always looking at you."
"What?"
Crabbe continued, "We catch him staring at you all the time. But we don't know why he does it."
This piece of information didn't surprise me; it didn't surprise me at all. Potter was acting rather predictable. He just ruined my good mood. I rolled my eyes and scowled. "Whatever. I don't care." And with that, I left the common room and headed to class. I heard that there were seeker tryouts for Gryffindor tomorrow and if my instincts are right, I'll probably find Potter there. Then, it'll really be over.
Suddenly, my insides felt so empty.
When I arrived, the tryouts were already over. I was a safe distance away, thankfully. The Gryffindors were cheering, hooting and congratulating their new teammate, whoever it was. I looked around carefully and finally spotted Potter in the middle of that crowd. I stood there for a while, wondering how to catch his attention without doing something drastic and looking like an idiot. Luckily, he spotted me and I quickly started to walk away, hoping he would follow. I felt instinctively that he would understand.
I leaned on a trunk of a willow tree, waiting. And then, I felt a hand rest on my shoulder. Of course, it was Potter's. When I look up at him, I saw that his hair was messier than usual; he was panting also, but his eyes still sparkled like they had when I met him. "Hey," I said softly.
"Hey," he replied with a grin, running a hand through his messy hair. "You should have come sooner. Then you would've seen me in action."
"I suppose that means you're the new seeker. Congratulations."
"Thanks."
It was quiet for a while. Neither of us knew exactly what to say to the other after all this time. I'm almost sure that once we finish this silly conversation, he would no longer consider me as a friend. Then again, when did we decide that we were? I'd better get this over with.
"Potter, it's over," I declare, looking at him straight in the eye. He was startled and I watched those green orbs of his widen. "Don't ever talk to me again after this."
"Wait, what-?"
I guess I could humor him for a couple more minutes. "You heard me," I replied.
When the words finally sank in, he looked at me with an unreadable expression. "Why?"
"Haven't your friends told you? Gryffindors, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs can be you pals. But Slytherins? Never."
"Look, I don't know what's gotten into you, but what I really want to know is why you've been avoiding me and why you're treating me like this all of the sudden."
"Oh, Lord. Let me rephrase it, then. I won't be friends with a Gryffindor."
"Why? Before, on the train, weren't we friends then?"
"Yes, we were and I'm not sure how else I can explain this to you, but if that fucking Sorting Hat placed you in Slytherin, we wouldn't even be having this ridiculous conversation."
"If you think it's ridiculous, then why are we still talking?"
"Fine! Enough with your questions! I'm leaving."
"That's unfair! You coward!" he exclaimed, grabbing my arm.
"Let me go. Now."
"Even if I became a Slytherin, I'd still be the same person! How can something so insignificant as being in different houses get in the way of our friendship?"
"Oh, come off it! You have your new friends to hang out with-"
"I don't have any."
"Huh?"
"Friends. I don't have any friends."
"…you're kidding me."
"Well, it's your fault, lying to me like that! Everyone loves you? They all looked at me funny when I said that I hung out with you on the train and thought that you were decent." He folded his arms, eyeing me with mock anger.
"Everyone in Slytherin. I could care less about what people from the other Houses think about me."
"You should've told me to go to Slytherin! Then, everything would've ended up just fine."
"You can't choose which House you'll end up in. Are you an idiot?"
"I can too! The Sorting Hat told me I could choose between Slytherin and Gryffindor."
"If that's true, then why didn't you choose Slytherin?"
"I would have, if that hat hadn't started talking crap about how I was destined to go there. Would you have gone there if it said the same things to you?"
"I probably would have, seeing as my father was placed there too."
"Will you think about my situation!?"
Nice. A couple of minutes suddenly became fifteen.
"Fine," Harry said suddenly. "I'll stop staring at you and I won't try to talk to you in Hogwarts, but can we still be friends under this tree?"
I felt my mouth curve into a smirk. "You stare at me?"
"Malfoy!"
He'd turned a nice shade of red.
In the end, things didn't work out as I had planned. I had gone there with the intention of breaking any bond I had with Potter. Instead, I somehow agreed to hang out with him secretly. I don't really regret my decision. It might work out. Or rather, I hope it will.
"This is all wrong," I said, flipping through the pages his Potions' report. I shot a quick glance at Potter, who was lying down on the grass with his eyes closed.
"I crammed it all in last night. What do you expect?"
I glared at him and shook my head. If he fails this year, I know it's not my fault. Can anyone even fail in this school? … He'd be the first.
"It's not like he cares if my answers are right or wrong," he muttered, rolling onto his stomach, burying his face in his arms. "Snape loves to pick on me. He'd do anything to have that chance. You saw what happened last time."
"Potter…"
"Malfoy…"
I sighed. "Well then, any new friends?"
"Ron Weasely and Hermione Granger."
I wrinkled my nose. "Weasel and Mudblood? … Ouch! Hey!" He had slapped my arm.
"Don't call them that," he whined. "They're my friends."
"And you think they're mine?" I replied in a sarcastic tone. "I already told you…"
"Gryffindors, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs can be you pals. But Slytherins? Never." He interrupted me in singsong voice, taking off his glasses and studying them. "So does that make me special?"
"…Probably," I shrugged it off.
"I think I need new glasses." He waved those thick black-framed glasses of his in front of my face. I saw that it had been snapped in half before and was now taped together. Not to mention, it looked old and worn out.
"Who did that?" I asked, snatching them out his hand.
"It was my cousin. He bullied me a lot, but that was before I found out I was… different."
I rolled my eyes. I was expecting something much cooler than his cousin breaking his glasses. "Not different," I muttered. "Special."
He smiled.
