Chapter 4

Jealousy clouds our minds and confuses us.

It makes us do things we normally don't think of doing.

/*\

"I forgot to ask this morning Rika. How was detention with Filch and Malfoy yesterday?" Hermione asked me as we walked down to the dungeons to Potions.

"Malfoy didn't give you a hard time did he?" Harry asked.

I shook my head. "No. It wasn't too bad. All we had to do was clean a room, without magic. Then Malfoy and I kinda talked a bit…." Harry, Ron and Hermione stopped in their tracks.

"About what?" Ron asked incredulously. I shifted nervously, maybe I shouldn't have mentioned that.

"No-nothing in particular. Let's just get to class." I pulled Hermione by the arm and Ron and Harry followed behind us.

When we got to the classroom, most of the tables were full, leaving one table open in the front. The four of us rushed to grab our seats just as Professor Snape burst through the dungeon door. Silence swept the classroom as Snape stood at the front of the class. With a wave of his wand, instructions, for what was sure to be a fairly complicated potion, appeared on the board. "Today you will be brewing a Pox Elixir. Before we begin however, I'd like all of you to take some notes on the main ingredient of the potion, sunstone. Now, the sunstone…." Snape began his lecture and students scrambled for quills and parchment. It was only about 5 minutes into the lecture, while Snape his eyes on his lecture notes, when a familiar paper crane flew onto my desk. Lavender:

"Guess who's eyes are on you???? DRACO MALFOY!!!!! What did you two do last night? Rika…..have you been naughty lately???? *squeals with delight*" My face redden as I read the note. I absolutely don't want Lavender to start spreading some silly rumor about me and Malfoy….but was he really staring at me? I turned to look for Malfoy, my blue eyes met his for a moment, before he quickly looked away. I turned my head to face the front of the room, only to see Snape standing right in front of my table. I was so startled that I pushed back from the table, only to tip my chair backwards and fall onto the floor with a thud. The class erupted with laughter, but soon fell quiet again.

"Miss Roselle, can you please tell the class the three basic properties of sunstone?"

"Er…." I looked at Hermione, who once again didn't a series of signs that I didn't understand. Instead of repeating the incident that occurred in Transfiguration, I simply said. "I don't know sir."

"10 points from Gryffindor. Now I will sort the class into pairs, and each partnership will be responsible for producing one vial of the elixir by the end of the hour. Potter and Goyle. Weasley and Thomas. Granger and Crabbe…." Snape continued until I heard my name. "Roselle and Malfoy."

*

I bit back a smile as Roselle walked over to me. Her eyes didn't meet mine as she sat down beside me. She was so nervous. Do I really make her that nervous? Her hands were shaking as she was slicing the dried newt tails. I looked up at Potter, who was staring at us. I broke out into a full smirk.

"Hey Roselle," I said, standing behind her and putting my hand on hers. "You're cutting the tails wrong."

"Ah!" We both look up to see that Harry had cut his own finger. I also noticed that he was glaring at our direction, most likely at me. My smirk grows wider as I lean in closer to Roselle. "Would you like me to cut them for you?" I whisper in her ear. Her cheeks turn red and Potter shoots up from his seat.

Roselle shook me off. "N-no its fine." She tried to shrug me off.

It only made me hold onto her tighter. "What's wrong Roselle? Why are you so nervous today?"

Suddenly Roselle stood up, startling me. "Malfoy I would appreciate that you would stop!" She shouted her eyes closed. The whole class stared at her and I began to tremble, trying to hold back my laughter.

"Miss Roselle, would you care to explain to me why you're disrupting the class?"

Roselle's eyes opened, her face paled. "Uh, I-I…."

"10 more points from Gryffindor. If this happens again, you will receive detention."

Roselle sat in her seat and I sat in my mine. She was angrily cutting the tails now, tears threatened to fall from her eyes. I guess I took it a bit far. "Hey Roselle…."

"Please don't talk to me anymore Malfoy and just add the lacewings into the cauldron." She snapped.

"Fine be a bitch."

*

I stormed out of Potions and went straight to the courtyard by the Great Hall. Everyone else was headed for lunch, but there's no way I was going, because Malfoy would be there. I don't understand it. Why am I so mad? Why was I so nervous today during potions? Was it because he was staring at me? Or was it because he got so close to me? Heat rose up to my cheeks as I remember his body being pressed against mine.

"Rika?"

I looked to see Harry standing in front of me. "Oh, hiya Harry."

"You looked upset today at Potions. Are you alright?"

"Oh, yeah. Malfoy was just giving me a hard time is all."

Harry sat down next to me. "Are you sure you're all right?"

I smiled. "Yeah, thanks Harry."

He smiled back. "Listen Rika, there's going to be a Hogsmeade trip next Saturday. I was wondering…..if you'd like to go with me?"

"Oh…um……"

"Do my ears deceive me? Is Pothead really going out with Ragdoll?" We both turned our head to see none other than Draco Malfoy. Had he been watching us all this time?

"Why don't you mind your own business Malfoy?"

Of course Malfoy ignored Harry. "I'm surprised Potter. I thought you could sink no lower. Are you really going to go out with this freak?"

"Well at least I'm not a stuck up arrogant arse like you!" I shout, picking up my bag and running to the library. I don't understand it. One minute Malfoy seems almost human, but the other he just seems to be a real arse.

*

I watched Roselle storm off. A feeling of regret overwhelmed me. What made me say that? Why did I get so upset, just because Potter asked Roselle to go to Hogsmeade with him? I could easily find my own date in an instant.

"What's your deal Malfoy?" Potter asked darkly.

"I don't know what you're talking about Potter."

Potter's eyes narrowed. "Just keep away from Rika." He went off into to the Great Hall. Potter had a point though. What was my deal? I shook my head to clear my thoughts, but Saint Potter and Ragdoll Roselle together? Why would I care in the first place?