Draco Malfoy was slouched on a sofa in the Slytherin common room. He was lost in his thoughts about Jasmine.
She didn't even look at me. She just ran over there after that fucking hat put her in Gryffindor and sat next to Potter and Weasel! Why didn't she look at me? What was that smile about when she walked in? What is she, some sort of fucking tease? Why would she smile at me like that if she wasn't attracted to me? When I took her to Dumbledore's office I know she felt something, I could see it in her eyes. She didn't even come over to say bye as she left, I didn't even see her leave! She didn't look at me!
Draco grunted in frustration and clasped his hands round the back of his head to sustain himself from punching someone.
How can one girl torture me like this? There's no way I can go near her, not when she's in that scum Potter's lot. I'd never live it down. For fuck's sake Draco you're a Malfoy, you're a Slytherin! What the hell is wrong with you! This isn't who you are Draco, you don't have feelings other than hate and betrayal. You're not supposed to love…
Suddenly Draco's stomach did a somersault. He had said it. That word. The word every Slytherin feared the most. Love. It suddenly hit him that this was something he had never felt before, and although he didn't want to admit it, deep down he knew that it felt good. Draco's moment of realisation was interrupted by a disgusting shriek from a group of Slytherin girls in the corner, who seemed to be highly amused over something vicious no doubt. Pansy saw Draco looking over and immediately came over to join him with a huge grin on her face, Draco however, didn't look as pleased.
"Oh god Draco sorry about that" she giggled, "we were just taking the piss out of that new girl in Gryffindor…you know Jaswinder Rai or something"
Draco looked up at her, "Its JASMINE Rai, actually Pansy" he replied.
"Whatever, anyway who gives a shit? You can tell she's a freak by the look of her, traipsin' into the great hall waving like she's some sort of famous fashion model…the slag" said Pansy maliciously.
"Pansy what is your fucking problem? Leave the girl alone for Christ's sake!" he spat, before he could stop himself. It started to dawn on him that he was being uncannily protective of Jasmine, and sat back apologising to his friend.
"Don't apologise Malfoy, Pansy's just jealous that she looks like Potter's backside compared to that beauty" sniggered Crabbe from over by the fireplace. All the boys started laughing violently.
"Oh fuck off Crabbe," yelled Pansy giving him a dirty look as she stood up looking flustered and walked away. Malfoy smirked as what Crabbe had said clearly pissed Pansy off, and smiled harder when he realised that he wasn't the only Slytherin to think Jasmine was pretty. A few of the Slytherin boy's came over and slumped down next to Malfoy.
"So Malfoy," quizzed Goyle, "what do you make of the new girl then?"
Malfoy looked up at him; "She's alright" he shrugged, trying to sound uninterested. The boys gave him a look,
"Alright! Malfoy, are you fucking blind?" shouted Crabbe in protest, "She's more than alright, she's bloody hot mate!" the boy's all laughed and jeered in agreement.
"Man, I know what I'd like to do to that flower, and I don't mean just pull of the petals!" one of them cried, and they all snorted and punched each other amidst their fantasising. Malfoy began to liven up slightly,
This is great! he thought, If these lot are saying stuff like that about Jasmine, then I would probably get more respect for going out with her, maybe l..lo…maybe it isn't so bad after all. I can be with her, I really can.
Draco's happiness was short-lived however as the laughter suddenly died down.
"Yeah…its just a shame she's in Gryffindor ain't it lads?" said Montague, "if that hat had shouted Slytherin tonight, things would be a lot different lemme tell ya"
To Draco's disappointment, they all agreed.
"With her in Gryffindor, it would defeat all the hard-earned Slytherin reputation to try anything with her, especially if she's in with Potter's lot" continued Montague. They all went quiet again, Draco more so than the others before Montague finally said something,
"Sorry lads, it look's like we just gotta keep the fantasies to ourselves this time...a Slytherin and a Gryffindor? Yeah, when hell freezes over!" he mocked, and the guys all burst out laughing, with Draco forcing a weak smile. Goyle noticed this straight away.
"You alright Malfoy? You ain't said much tonight…" he asked with a raised eyebrow. Draco looked up at him, as the boy's all waited anxiously to see what he would say. He took a deep breath before he told them,
"Goyle, goyle, goyle" he said slapping his friend on the back, "…never interrupt a man amidst his wildest sexual fantasies" replied Draco in the cold, malicious voice he normally used around Harry.
Draco's smile grew into a cheeky, perverted Slytherin grin as all the guys started sniggering sickeningly. They hadn't suspected a thing. That was the sort of thing Draco would have said before he had met Jasmine. He sat back half-satisfied and half-displeased; he couldn't be with Jasmine, and he had to fight this new feeling. If not, he would be cast aside by his friends, family and even Professor Snape forever, and he couldn't let that happen.
You can do it Draco…I know you can.
But something, somewhere, deep down, stirred and he didn't know it himself, but someone up there had something completely different planned for this boy. Something even he couldn't even begin to imagine.
Harry could feel his heart pounding like never before; it was almost as if his heart was about to rip through his chest...
"SIRIUS! NO! SIRIUS COME BACK! PLEASE!"
Harry could see his godfather's face, that look of mingled fear and surprise, disappearing through the veil, falling past the ancient doorway, the veil giving one last flutter before he could no longer see him….
"He's just fallen, I can reach him…I just need to stretch!" Harry struggled viciously in his sleep, stretching toward the ceiling, writhing in nervous sweat.
"He's hiding I know he is…he's keeping out of sight!" Harry yelled out loud, "SIRIUS! ITS NOT FUNNY SIRIUS!"
Lupin was holding him back with all his might, but he wanted to run, jump through the veil, Sirius was alive, he had to be!
"Harry, its too late…he's gone..."
"HE-IS-NOT-DEAD!" Harry bellowed.
Suddenly he felt his head burst open, his scar was burning uncontrollably, he could feel the pain, the immense heat, the fire as he saw Bellatrix Lestrange's face, those foul, evil eyes, screeching in triumph at him, laughing with pleasure at Harry's agony. He felt himself choking as a bony, chalk like hand wrapped itself around Harry's neck from behind, squeezing, suffocating. He felt his entire body go icy cold, as he heard a whisper in his ears, cackling corruptly…
"You're next Harry Potter…" the voice whispered, "you're next…"
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! GET OFF ME, NOOOOOOO!"
Someone was shaking him,
"Harry! Harry wake up you're having a nightmare, WAKE UP!" cried Ron as Harry screamed at the top of his voice.
"Harry you're at Hogwart's! You're safe! Wake up for god's sake WAKE UP!" yelled Neville at Ron's aid.
Harry opened his eyes gasping abruptly, to see Ron and Neville's blurry faces looking down at him with an expression of horror. Harry's pyjamas were stuck to his skin from the sweat and he clutched his scar, which was still burning, although not to the extent that it had when he saw HER face…
Neville gave Harry his glasses, which he put on and he started to see clearly.
"Harry mate, you had us worried there, we tried to wake you up so many times, but…but you just carried on screaming…" said Ron quietly. Harry just sat there, taking in everything he had heard and seen in the dream. Neville noticed the look of dread on Harry's face.
"Harry…what's wrong?" he asked shakily. Harry was breathing in short breaths rapidly.
"I'm…I'm next" he muttered placidly. "She's coming after me, the woman who killed…killed Sirius, I felt him too…Voldemort...he was strangling me…I couldn't breathe...Lestrange she-"
Neville whimpered at the sound of her name. Harry suddenly remembered that she was the one that had tortured Neville's parents to insanity…they didn't even recognise their own son. Ron took this brief silence as a cause to speak,
"Harry mate…" he spoke, holding him by the shoulders, "it was just a dream…it doesn't mean anything…you just…just saw Sirius' death again…its nothing…" he finished, with a worried expression on his face. Harry looked at Neville, who had gone slightly paler than normal.
"Yeah…yeah you're right Ron, it was just a dream…that's all" he said glancing at Neville who he could see had started to get some colour back in his cheeks, "just a dream..."
Ron and Harry gave each other a look, as Harry settled back down onto his pillow calmly. Ron and Neville carefully walked back to their beds and tucked themselves in. All was quiet again. As Harry heard the sound of his friends' snoring, he slowly shut his eyes and whispered harshly.
Whatever you've got planned for me Voldemort, I'll be ready…ready and waiting…this time everyone knows you're back…I'm ready you murderer…give it your best shot!
But something, somewhere, deep down, stirred and he didn't know it himself, but someone up there had something completely out of the ordinary planned for this boy. Something even he couldn't even begin to imagine.