Chapter 10

I looked up to see Mr. Malfoy and Draco standing right beside him. I mentally panicked. How could I not notice Draco standing there before? Mr. Malfoy bowed to me. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you Miss Roselle. You look very lovely this evening."

I curtsied slightly. "The pleasure is mine, Mr. Malfoy." I felt as though my voice was quiet and timid. Why do I have to be so nervous?

"This is my son Draco. You've seen him at school, haven't you?"

"Yes sir, he's in a few of my classes."

"I say, Rika. Why don't you share a dance with young Draco?" My father asked, patting me on the back.

"That does sound like a good idea doesn't it?" Mr. Malfoy agreed. I slightly cursed the two of them. I'd expect this from my father, but Mr. Malfoy as well?

"Y-yes, but first….I-I was wondering where the restroom was."

"Why of course. Just make a right when you exit the ballroom and it's the first door on your left."

"Thank you Mr. Malfoy," I curtsied and hurriedly left.

*

I watched Rika leave, rather quickly, to go the restroom. She was obviously nervous and that only made myself want to kick myself in the gut even more.

"Draco, go make sure that Miss Roselle finds the restroom all right," My father ordered me. I nodded and quickly left to find Rika, before she was out of sight.

Instead of going to the restroom, Rika walked straight ahead and into the main entrance to our home. She continued to walk until she reached the living room, where she sat on a leather sofa, her face buried in her hands. There were a few people in the living room as well, speaking quietly with one another. They left the room when they noticed Rika there.

I walked in consciously and sat down next to Rika. She sharply looked up from her hands and took one look at me, before attempting to leave. I automatically grabbed her wrist and she looked back at me. "Just…sit with me, Rika."

"N-no. I just want to go…"

I stared into her eyes. "Sit with me."

She sat down next to me, but looked the other way. "Did you want to say something?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I…" What do I say now that I got her to stay here? "H-how are you?" I finally said lamely.

"Uh…fine," she answered awkwardly.

"That's…good." God, I feel like an idiot.

"Um…I'm just gonna go then," she quickly got up and left the room. Shit. I hurriedly got up and followed her back into the ballroom. She began weaving through the crowd of people who just finished dancing. The orchestra stroke up again and Rika stopped in the middle of dance floor as couples began to dance again. I reached for her wrist and she turned her head. "D-Draco…"

"Dance with me."

*

I found myself stuck in a sea of people, once the orchestra began to play again. I suddenly felt extremely claustrophobic. I didn't know where to go; I felt so confused. And Draco…and Draco… I felt someone grab my wrist and I spun around to see… "D-Draco…"

"Dance with me."

"W-what?" I asked, but instead of answering me he pulled me into his chest and began twirling me around. I looked up at his handsome face; I tried to look into his eyes, but he always seemed to be looking away.

Around and around we went, the music seemed to allow us to escape into our own world. I could only hear the strings and the wind instruments. It felt as though we were floating on air. It was unreal, surreal.

"Rika," Draco whispered in my ear in a low, husky voice. "Rika," he repeated. "L…Look at me."

I opened my eyes, slightly embarrassed that I had closed them in the first place. Now that he wanted to look at me, I didn't want to look at him. I looked around the room, anywhere but him and saw Blaise standing on the side, observing the dancers from the side. He gave me a thumbs up. I gave him a look, but looked away from him because Draco tilted her face so that I was looking at him. He moved his face closer to mine until our lips finally met. The song ended and I pulled back almost immediately.

Everyone else around us applauded the orchestra, but Draco and I just stood there staring at each other.

*

"Draco…I still don't understand you. Why are you always like this? You're always changing and…I just can't, okay?" Rika told me, blinking back the tears in her eyes. She turned to walk away, but I stopped her.

"Wait, I don't get it. Why are you crying?"

"Because…we're always hiding and you're always changing because of your…'image'," She said, wiping her eyes.

"Gah…" I rubbed my face with my hands. "That's only because of you and your bloody friends."

"My friends!?" She stopped rubbing her eyes to look at me.

"Yes your friends. The ones that keep telling you how wrong it is for you to hang out with me!"

"So? What's that got to do with me?"

"They're your friends aren't they? Wouldn't you listen to them rather than me? Just…just …"

"Just what Draco?"

"I don't know." I turned and walked away. I just wanted to get away from this stupid party. "Draco, Draco, you get over here this instant." My father hissed at me.

"No, I just want to get out of here."

He grabbed my arm. "No, you will go apologize to Miss Roselle right now."

"Oh, you saw that?"

"You two were standing in the middle of the dance floor. Just about everyone saw. You go apologize now. I will not have you…"

"Now now, Lucius," we both looked back to see Mr. Roselle standing behind him and beside him stood Rika. "It is quite all right. Who can blame teenage hormones?"

"O-of course. Teenagers will be teenagers, won't they? None the less, I'm terribly sorry for my son's rude behavior."

"No, I'm very sorry Mr. Malfoy for disrupting your party with my personal affairs," Rika apologized.

"Not at all my dear, but may I ask where you and your father are headed off to?"

"Well, I think Rika has had enough partying for tonight? Isn't that right Rika?" Mr. Roselle answered for them both. "We're going to head on home."

"What? But the night's still young…"

"No, Rika isn't used to socializing like this. C'mon dear," Mr. Roselle took Rika and walked away.

"Wait Father," Rika said and she turned to face me. I'd give anything to be able to shrink out of sight right then and there. "Hm, Draco, I don't entirely understand this thing with Gryffindor and Slytherin, but I really don't care. I just want to be able to spend time with you…without having to sneak around anybody's backs just so I can see you."

"R-Rika, I…"

She shook her head. "It was nice meeting you, Mr. Malfoy." She curtsied before leaving with her father.

"Draco," I heard my father grumble. "Go to your room." I left at once, without having to be told twice.

*

I sat on my bed, in my room, cuddling with a pillow. I felt so tired after the stupid Christmas Party. I heard a knocking on my door. "Come in."

"Rika?" My father walked cautiously into my room. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah…"

"Do…you want to talk about it?"

"Father, it's just Draco and everybody and…I just don't know. I don't get it."

"W-well," he coughed. "You know Rika. I should have had this talk with you a little earlier. So…well…there's comes a time in a young man or woman's life when they discover they have….feelings for the opposite sex. And when they discover these feelings…"

"Father," I smiled at him. "You don't have to force yourself. I read a lot; I know how it works."

He smiled back at me. "Maybe it wasn't a good idea for you to stay home all the time. There are some things you just can't learn by reading books."

"Well, can you try to help me understand?"

Father sighed. "Well, at Hogwarts the two houses of Gryffindor and Slytherin have always been…rivals, enemies of sorts."

"Oh…why's that?"

"I guess it started with the founders Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin. Neither of them liked each other very much."

"But that doesn't mean the students should dislike each other now."

"I know, but that's just the way things are," he said kindly. I looked down. We were silent for a moment before he said, "You really just want to spend time with Draco, right?"

"Yeah, if anything, I just want to be his friend."

"Then even if you and Draco's…'relationship' has to stay secret, it'll be better than not being able to spend any time with him at all?"

"Y-you're right." I said smiling. "I'll talk to him once school starts."

*

It was the morning before classes started. I sat in the Great Hall eating breakfast next to Hermione, Ron and Harry. "So Rika, how was your Christmas?" Hermione asked kindly.

"It was all right. Nothing major happened. Yours?"

"Mine was pretty normal."

"I see, what about you, Ron? Harry?" I asked them.

"Oh, well…you see..." Ron started, stuttering a bit. "Malfoy."

"Malfoy?" I repeated, with a quizzical look on my face.

I turned around to see Draco standing behind me. I stood up from my seat. "D-Draco..."

"Get lost Malfoy, Rika doesn't want to talk to you," Hermione said, stiffly.

"Wait Hermione," I said, trying to give her the vibe to be quiet. I looked back up at Draco. "What did you want, Draco?"

"I…" Draco started, trying to figure out what to say. "I…" I think he failed to think of something to say. I opened my mouth and started to speak again, but he kissed me…right then and there in front of everybody, in front of Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws, Gryffindors and Slytherins. I could hear catcalls and wolf whistles as his strong arms entwined themselves around me and my own arms naturally wrapped around his neck, pulling him down closer to me.

He pulled back and drew me close to him. "D-Draco, I…" I started to say, after he pulled back.

"Image…isn't everything. Not if I'm with you," he whispered in my ear and I couldn't help but grin. "Please, come with me," he whispered.

"Where?" I looked into his icy grey eyes.

"I haven't heard your music in a long time and I'm beginning to miss it. Now can you guess where we're going?"

I smiled up at him, "Of course, the abandoned music room on the third floor."