CHAPTER 6: Draco
After being sent off to the feast by Snape, Granger and I made our way towards the Great Hall with her reluctantly wearing the badge bearing her name.
"I can't believe this," I heard her mutter to herself. "… what Harry would think. Suppose Ron told him already…"
Was this how geniuses were like when they weren't showing off for the entire world to see? Nervous wrecks? And what was she so anxious about that she couldn't tell Potter?
I allowed myself a quick glance at her and saw that she was literally gnawing off her bottom lip. She caught me looking at her, however, and her eyes lost all the nervousness.
She almost growled. "What are you looking at?"
"You could be a tad politer, Granger," I said indifferently. "After all, we would have to be working together for the next few, oh, I don't know, months?"
"I think I've mastered politeness quite well," she countered haughtily. "You, on the other hand, I can't say."
Forget revenge! I never would be able to fool her even if I wanted to. She hated me as much as I hated her!
But maybe I could succeed if I tried hard enough.
I blocked the doorway leading back into the entrance hall before she got a chance to go through it. She looked at me as though she could hex me.
"Get out of the way," she hissed.
I put on my best nice-person act. "Look, Granger, I know you hate me, but let's call it a truce," I said as convincingly as I could. "If we're going to be working together for quite some time, I don't want to stay on my toes and wait for you to hex me all the time."
Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What are you playing at?"
"I'm not playing at anything. I just want to relax and enjoy my final year here. Our final year here. You'd like that, wouldn't you?"
"Oh, I would like that much, much more if I spent as less time with you."
Ouch. She couldn't be more evident in her hating me.
"Then we'll see each other only when we need to, when the situation calls for it. When our duties call for it. And we'll stay out of each other's way," I continued.
"Agreed."
"But we'll keep a cordial relationship whenever we're together."
She gave a sarcastic laugh. "Yeah, right. As if you could keep up with that."
This time, my eyes narrowed dangerously. "Don't tempt me, Granger," I threatened in a low voice.
She matched my glare with her signature one. "Just get out of the way."
I stepped aside and let her pass, my insides fuming. Oh, how I hated this girl.
The Great Hall was packed with noisy students as I came in and sat down right next to Pansy at the Slytherin Table. The Sorting appeared to be over – the stool with which the Sorting Hat usually sat upon was out of sight.
Pansy squeezed my hand. "So, what did McGonagall ask you to do?"
"Meet Snape for Head Boy duties," I replied, helping myself to mashed potatoes and taking a huge forkful.
"I thought you wanted to be Head Boy."
"I did," came my short reply.
"Then how come you're upset about something?"
Darn Pansy and her unnecessary excessive scrutiny.
I took a moment to consider whether I should tell her or not. I decided I didn't care. "Because Granger's Head Girl."
Pansy dropped the forkful of pie halfway to her mouth. "What!" she spat out. "Mudblood Granger?"
I shrugged and stuffed my mouth full with roast beef so I would have reason not to say anything. I didn't feel much like getting into the matter right now.
"There must be some mistake," she deliberated slowly. "Why would Granger be…? Snape would never –"
I sighed. "Look, Pansy, I'm not in the mood to talk about it right now, so can you please just drop it?"
Pansy's mouth hung open for a while at my words, but she quickly shut it. "Yes, of course, Draco. Sorry."
That was when Zabini took notice of me. "The Head Boy's back!" he jeered.
So much for dropping the subject.
Goyle elbowed him in the ribs. "You'd better not get him cross, Blaise; he might put you in detention," he mocked.
"Dear Gregory, my best friend would never betray me in such a way."
Most of the Slytherins surrounding us guffawed. I had to admit that was pretty funny.
"Be careful, Blaise," I mock-warned. "I'm a Slytherin, remember? We are known to be pretty sly."
"So am I, Draco. So am I."
As we laughed, the plates, which have been filled with the main course just a while ago, now filled themselves up with deserts – ice creams, tarts, pudding, jam doughnuts, apple pies – it had always been my favorite part of the banquet.
I was helping myself to my personal favorite – mint chocolate chip ice cream – when Zabini called my attention again.
"By the way, Draco, who is Head Girl?" he asked.
Weirdly, I felt more comfortable in telling him who it was than I did with Pansy. "Granger," I quickly replied.
Somehow, that seemed to be quite funny for him.
"Granger!" He laughed. "She's quite the catch, Draco; be careful that you don't fall in love with her."
I knew he meant that as a joke, but I couldn't help but feel my face grow hot for some reason.
Pansy stuck her nose up. "Of course he wouldn't; after all, we've been together since our fourth year," she declared arrogantly. And, as if to prove her point, she tugged at the front of my robes and locked her lips with mine in front of everybody.
Normally, I would've been ecstatic. She wouldn't even have to initiate the kissing. But right now, though, it seemed highly inappropriate.
I pushed her away. "What are you doing, Pansy?" I hissed angrily, my face burning of embarrassment.
She blinked innocently. "Kissing you," she stated, as if the answer were obvious.
"Couldn't we do this somewhere else?"
"We've kissed everywhere, Draco – in the common room, at my house, in front of your mom!" she said in disbelief. "And since when has our kissing ever been any issue to you?"
