Chapter X

It was becoming irritating to listen to Professor Binns teach. At first, I hadn't minded his class. After all, what was more interesting than learning about a war? I sighed inaudibly and ran my fingers across the pages in my book, ignoring the ghostly professor. Astoria snored quietly from beside me. I had kept good with my promise to be in all of my classes, and only ignore him.

I mean, it really wasn't as difficult as I thought it would have been. He stayed perfectly out of my way, acting as though that weekend had never even happened, and I liked that perfectly well. He was brilliant at acting as though I were nothing more to him than the dirt beneath his shoe. Not worth notice. And though my heart wanted to shatter into a million irreparable pieces, I was happy that he was respecting the fact that I wanted to be left alone.

Astoria snorted from beside me, her arms flailing for a short second and causing her textbooks to fly to the floor. The loud thud made her sit up with a squeak. Professor Binns continued with his droning lecture as though nothing had happened.

I snickered and turned the page in my book. "That's a sign you shouldn't be sleeping in class."

She huffed irritably and walked around the table to grab her things. "This doesn't technically count as a class if I don't learn anything, Darcyn."

I rolled my eyes and scribbled down a few notes onto my paper that I would have Astoria read to me later on.

"Now," Binns said in his boring, monotone voice. "For homework… you will be writing an essay on the First Wizarding War. You need to present five facts, and explain in detail why it has technically not ended. Class dismissed."

Everyone gathered their belongings and ambled out of the classroom. There were some students who were still trying to wake their friends up. "Did you even get anything he was saying?" I asked Astoria as we headed towards the lake for our free period.

"No," she said guiltily. "But I didn't sleep at all last night!"

I snorted. "Gee, wonder why…"

"I know you don't want to hear about him—"

"Stop it, I don't wanna hear it! Don't you even dare—"

"But he was who I was with. I know how you felt about him, and trust me Darcyn I am sorry, but ohmygosh! He's simply sinful."

I rolled my eyes for what seemed like the bazillionth time. "Honestly, I don't have any feelings for him except loathing. I don't care what you do with Malfoy."

But, in all honesty, I kind of did. Astoria did know that I liked, or had liked, Draco, but she didn't know the entirety of my feelings, or even the basics of my situation with him. I did care about what she did with him, but I couldn't let her know that but, because I knew she was developing a crush; a crush that seemed on the verge of obsession.

"Okay, but are you sure—"

"Positive." I quipped, just wanting to end this conversation entirely. I walked up onto the dock, slowly sitting down on the edge so I wouldn't fall in. I kicked off my shoes and put my feet in the cool water. I splashed it around, closing my eyes and listening to the sound. Astoria was quiet, probably watching me. She at least knew when to stop talking, for which I was grateful.

"Astoria!" I sighed but kept my eyes closed as Pansy ran up to where Astoria and I sat.

"What, Pansy?" She asked, her voice only slightly annoyed. Pansy gasped, trying to catch her breath before she started talking.

"You know the Hallow'een Ball was changed for the day of Hallow'een. The teachers had been considering doing the Ball before so that it would be easier and that way everything would be cleaned up before classes again, but McGonagall convinced Snape to let it be on the thirty-first!"

Astoria squeaked. "Oh, that's great! Did you hear that, Darcy?"

I opened my eyes, but didn't turn. "Obviously, I did. But it doesn't matter, because I'm not going."

"Just as well," Pansy sneered, turning her attention back to Astoria. "Anyway-"

"But why? You used to go before!" Astoria whined, completely ignoring Pansy. Parskinson huffed irritably and started tapping her foot.

"Besides the obvious reason, I just don't feel like going. Just leave it alone."

"Why don't you go with Blaise?" Pansy suggested in a musing tone. "He talks a lot about you. Though-"

"Shut up, Parkinson, no one needed your dimwitted input," I snapped and stood, pulling on my shoes. "I'm not going, and don't try and convince me Astoria!"

"Please, please, please!"

"NO!" I shouted, covering my ears. I was currently laying on my bed in the girls' dorm, firmly regretting my decision to ever set foot in the place when I knew Astoria would be able to annoy me. She huffed and started jumping up and down on my bed.

"What will it take for me to get you to go?"

"Nothing, because I'm not going!"

"Come on, Pansy already told Blaise you wanted to go, so don't let him down! Please, we need to find you a dress for tomorrow!"

"She what?" I sat up, my eyes widening with horror.

She snickered. "I told her to tell him, and now he's excited to go. Please, just go to the Ball with him! I promise you won't regret it!"

I sighed and rubbed my temples, trying to push back the migrane that was beginning to form. "Why do you want me to go so badly?"

"Because you never get out, you never mingle unless you're at one of your parents parties and have to keep up appearances. You need to do things yourself and get some kind of human interaction."

I was about to clarify that I was interacting with humans when I talked to her and my professors, but she cut me off. "And the teachers and I don't count, smart-alleck." She said dully.

I rolled my eyes and stood. "Okay, kill me."

She squealed with happiness and dragged me from the dorms. "Just trust me on this Darcyn. He'll be falling at your feet when I'm done with you."

"Oh joy..."