Disclaimer: Harry Potter sadly isn't mine... jk. (JK Rowling's, that is).
Just the thought of detention made me squirm. My mother had spend her entire Hogwarts years avoiding getting into trouble (and even the times she did, she somehow pulled it off and ended up earning points instead), and this was my second time already. Not to mention it was just my first year! At this rate, I'll probably end up in detention more times than mum had ever even dreamed of. James had offered to bring his (technically Uncle Harry's) Invisibility Cloak, so we could ditch Malfoy sometime during the detention if it became too unbearable, but I wasn't ready to land myself in detention from trying to escape detention. My life was officially screwed.
I followed James to the designated meeting place, to find Filch waiting for us. Malfoy still had not showed up, surprisingly enough. "Where's the little prat?" I hissed to James as Filch's eyes followed us while we walked towards him. "Trying to avoid detention, huh?"
"Honestly, Rosie, I was tempted to not come myself," James admitted with a small grin. "Then I imagined you suffering all by yourself along with Malfoy, and being the adorably older cousin I am, I had to come."
"I wouldn't just be suffering," I grumbled, glaring at him, "I would be boiling with rage that you had escaped punishment."
He chuckled, ruffling my hair. "That's my Rosie. Look, I lightened up your mood."
Ah, so that was what he was aiming for. I had to smile. I mean, if James didn't make you smile, you definitely had some problem, or you just had no sense of humor. Maybe detention wouldn't be so bad after all, as long as James was there with me. He was now officially my favorite cousin (don't tell Al!). "There comes the missing boy," I nodded to Malfoy as he came trudging toward us.
"I'm surprised he knows so many spells already," James remarked, narrowing his eyes.
"I know many spells too," I reminded James with a punch in the arm. "He's probably an over achiever, like me. Malfoy, his father, I mean, was probably like 'You have to beat the Weasley girl in every test, or else I'll disinherit you!'" That was what my father had said to me, at least. Though he had said the disinherit part with what house I was going be sorted into.
James howled with laughter and slapped my back. "I doubt Malfoy talks like a girl, Rosie," James snickered. We broke off our conversation as he came within earshot, and Filch beckoned us to follow him.
"Good thing you're here," Filch said to Malfoy, "If I had to listen to those two's jokes any more..."
"You know you like them," James breathed with a wink. I giggled, stopping abruptly as Malfoy's eyes met mine.
I lifted my head and looked away from him, and shivered as we stepped outside. "Where in Merlin's name are we going?"
"Isn't it obvious, Weasley? We're going to Hagrid's," Malfoy growled matter-of-factly.
"Mr. Malfoy is correct," Filch said, "You will be helping him plant pumpkins for next year."
Merlin, I had enough pumpkins for a lifetime.
James frowned, but he didn't comment for once. "What?" I complained, "Why didn't you say anything earlier? If you had, I would've brought my cloak!"
Fang barked loudly in greeting as we met Hagrid by his pumkin patch. "James! Rosie! Oh, an' Malfoy, of course."
"I'm sorry for taking your pumpkin without permission, Hagrid," I mumbled an apology.
He patted my shoulder, smiling fondly at me. "I fergive yeh," Hagrid answered instantly, "Brings back memories of yer dad an' mum, eh?"
I blushed, ducking my head with embarrassment. Then I sneezed. "I-It's pretty cold, isn't it?" I said, my teeth chattering. Before I knew it, something heavy landed on my back. I turned to find Malfoy cloak-less, and I blinked with astonishment at him. "Y-You don't have a fever or anything, do you?" Only then would he do something as crazy as giving me his cloak.
"I can't stand your complaining," he grunted, folding his arms across his chest and turning away. It was rather dark, but I swear to Merlin that his cheeks were slightly red.
Hagrid gave us each a pouch of pumpkin seeds, and we set to work in silence. As I sprinkled some into the ground, I let out a shriek and jumped backwards, ungraciously tripping over a pumpkin (Hagrid had so many that some went unused) in the process. Malfoy, closest to me, came to see what the matter was. "Spider!" I wailed, pointing at the stupid bug and forgetting my pain from falling over, "Get it away from me!"
That came from my dad, probably, too.
How many of my secrets will Malfoy know before seventh year?
"It's just a spider, Weasley," Malfoy stated, smirking.
"I don't care! Get it away!" I yelled, "James! Help!"
"Wingardium Leviosa!" Malfoy flicked the now-hovering spider away with his wand. "There, Weasley. Better?"
I shook my head. "It's still here somewhere!"
He sighed, holding out a hand for me. "Come on, Weasley, let's just get the work done. I'm tired, and you probably are, too."
For a moment, I was stunned at his hospitality. He had never sounded so friendly before, at least, not to me. "S-Sure," I agreed, to my own surprise. He took my hand and pulled me to my feet, and I dusted the dirt off of my robes.
As James hurried over to see what the problem was, he found me and Malfoy treating each other rather nicely. Well, not exactly nice, but we were no longer throwing insults or other comments at each other.
I may be wrong, but I felt this was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
NOT.
(That was Al.)
A/n:
I will be continuing, but do review :)
