When the train arrived at the Hogwarts castle and everyone got off, the three friends walked right up and in, knowing the way as they'd been here multiple times in the past. Jackie was scanning the crowd of other students for Oliver, her heart beating fast as she thought about seeing him again after such long holidays.
"Dani?" The three all turned to see Katie, and Dani moved away from her two friends slightly to speak with her.
"What is it?" she asked.
She and her twin were not very friendly at all. In fact, Dani wasn't very friendly with anyone in her family except Tallulah and Serafina because they hadn't come to the school yet. This was because everyone in Dani's family except for her had been sorted into Slytherin and she had been sorted into Gryffindor."Leave Malfoy alone." Katie said simply.
"Hey, he was harassing my friends!" Dani retorted.
"So what? Dani, he's my boyfriend. Show some respect." Katie folded her arms and gave Dani a look that made her so angry. Who was she to boss her around?
"Why don't you ask him to show some respect?" Dani snapped. "I don't care if you're a Slytherin, Katie. You're still my sister, and he's not good enough for you! He's a jerk!"
"He is not!" Katie yelled back.
"Yes he is! He flirts with every girl that looks hot! Why do you let him do that to you?" Dani asked.
"It's not like I have a choice!" Katie shot back. "If I want to keep him, I can't complain! Keep your nose out of it!" Spinning around, Katie ran off into the crowd and disappeared.
Dani sighed and walked back over to Bri and Jackie. The two of them gave her sympathetic looks and then they all made their way to the Great Hall together. They sat down at the Gryffindor table, all in the same house, and listened as Professor Mcgonagall began reading out names of first years to be sorted.
"I wonder what Tallulah will be sorted into next year." Dani murmured thoughtfully. "Probably Slytherin."
"Hey, what about Serafina? I'm sure she'll get into Gryffindor." Bri said, trying to cheer her friend up a bit.
"Yeah, but by the time she's old enough to come here I'll have finished." Dani sighed.
"Do you guys think Oliver will notice me this year?" Jackie asked suddenly. Of course, she always asked completely random questions.
"Maybe. But I still think you should trip in front of him." Dani shrugged.
"No way! I don't want him to think I'm stupid." Jackie said stubbornly.
"Then you'll be hiding a secret from him for a long time." Dani giggled.
"Shut up! You guys are so mean!" Jackie pouted, but soon it gave way to a smile. Bri rolled her eyes, also smiling.
Soon the sorting ended and Dumbledore said his speech, ending it with having the food appear on the tables as usual. Dani dug in eagerly, chatting to Bri and Jackie all the while and laughing at some of the things they said.
"Oh my gosh!" Dani suddenly said. "Guys, guys. I've just thought of an incredibly amazing idea."
"What is it?" Jackie asked excitedly.
"We should put itching powder in Malfoy's bed!" Dani squealed quietly.
"Dani, is that such a good idea?" Bri asked, raising an eyebrow. Dani feigned horror at her friend saying that and then laughed again.
"Please?" she begged.
"It's your funeral." Bri shrugged, trying to hide her grin.
"I knew you'd agree!" Dani grinned. "So, I'll pretend to be Katie so I can get into the Slytherin common room and somehow I'll get into his room and put itching powder in his bed. This is awesome! I can't wait!"
"You should go now!" Jackie hissed enthusiastically. Dani opened her mouth to agree and then paused.
"Uh, maybe not." she said.
"If she went now she wouldn't get in," Bri said to Jackie. "She doesn't know the password and there'll be no one to sweet talk into telling her."
"Exactly!" Dani laughed.
"I'm always the logical thinking one out of us, aren't I?" Bri asked, smiling and pretending to be full-of-it.
"Yep, you are!" Dani nodded.
After dinner when everyone was allowed to leave the Great Hall and do whatever they wanted for another hour before they had to go to bed, Dani slipped away from her friends and headed to the Slytherin common room.
"Katie?" Dani turned to face one of the Slytherin guys as she reached the door, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes?" she asked.
"Malfoy's been asking where you are." he said. "I think he's up in his room."
"Oh, thanks." Dani said. She paused, and then moved aside slightly to let the guy go before her. She added a smile, and he grinned back at her before moving ahead and saying the password, stepping through.
Dani quickly put a hand out and caught the door before it shut, walking in and then letting it go. She felt positively sneaky.
Heading over to the staircase leading to the boy's dormitories, Dani couldn't help but smile to herself. She reached the top and look around at the doors, trying to figure out which one would lead to Malfoy's room.
She had no idea.
Just then, Crabbe walked out from on of the rooms. He stopped as he saw her and quickly averted his eyes, embarrassed. Dani reminded herself she was Katie in a short moment before she batted her eyelids at him.
"Crabbe, which room is Draco's?" she asked sweetly. Crabbe looked up at her, shocked she was talking to him, and pointed to one of the doors. "Could you show me?" Dani continued in her sweet little voice. Crabbe nodded and walked into the room he had pointed out.
"He sleeps there." Crabbe said, gesturing at one of the beds and then shifting awkwardly.
"Thanks so much!" Dani said. Crabbe muttered something and walked out. Dani grinned and pulled out a small bottle from her pocket. She tightened her fingers around the lid, about to untwist it, when the door opened again and someone walked in. She hurriedly pocketed it again and spun around to face the intruder.
"Katie? What are you doing?" Malfoy asked, frowning slightly.
"Uh, someone said you were looking for me." Dani mumbled.
"Oh, yeah." Malfoy said slowly, as if only just remembering that he had in fact been looking for her before.
"So that's why I'm here." Dani nodded.
"But, why are you standing so close to my bed?" Malfoy asked. "I'm not that skinny, I can't hide in the sheets."
"Oh no! I didn't think you could!" Dani winced slightly at the way her words came out and then tried to make up for it somehow. "I was just admiring the embroidery on your sheets."
"You..." Malfoy raised an eyebrow and looked past her to his bed, his eyes tracing the edges of his sheets and then going back to her face. "There is no embroidery on my sheets, Katie."
Dani spun around to stare at the bed and her heart sank as she saw the truth. She took a deep breath and turned to face him again.
"Sorry! I uh, didn't realise!" she giggled.
"It's okay." Malfoy shrugged. "Here," he reached for her and in the blink of an eye Dani found herself enveloped by Malfoy's arms. "I bet you missed me, didn't you?" he murmured against her hair.
"Oh, yeah." Dani mumbled in response. How was she going to get herself out of this mess? "What did you want me for? You said you were looking for me..."
"Just wanted to look at you." he mumbled.
Dani slowly turned to a statue in his arms, not believing what she'd just heard. Malfoy wanted to look at her? Sure, he thought she was Katie, but that meant every time he had joked about her, Dani, looking pretty he was probably telling the truth.
"Awkward..." Dani muttered, hoping he hadn't heard her.
"What?" Malfoy pushed back slightly and looked down at her. He looked slightly confused at first, but then as he stared at her face his expression changed to one of peaceful happiness. Dani was now confused. "You're so beautiful."
Dani swallowed stiffly as Malfoy trailed his fingers down the side of her face. What was she supposed to do? Tell him she was Dani and have him possibly kill her?
"Um..."
"What is it?" he murmured, smiling slightly.
"I... it's just that..." Dani floundered about in her mind, trying to come up with something to say. "I don't like it when you flirt with other girls." she burst out, shoving him away and rushing out of the room.
"Katie!" he called, only managing to get out in time to see her running out the door of the common room. "Darn it." he muttered, turning and walking back into his room.
He'd never realised his flirting with other girls upset Katie so much. Why hadn't she said something before?
