After we've kissed for what feels like another small lifetime, I push away from him gently; I don't know what time it is but I could stand there kissing him all day, which would be very problematic if my friends were to walk by. "Aren't you supposed to be in class?" I ask him. "Um…I sort of…ditched", he says quietly, "I guess I had a lot on my mind this morning". "Yeah, me too", I reply. "I heard", he says, "I was really worried when Professor Snape told me that you weren't well. What happened?". "I just got too upset", I say quickly. "Were you mad at me?" he asks. "No", I answer truthfully, "I was ashamed of myself". "Well it wasn't your fault", he says. He sits down on the bottom step of the nearest staircase and motions for me to do the same; he says we've got a lot to talk about so we might as well get comfortable.
As soon as I sit down, a question comes to mind. "So when you woke up this morning, you really thought you'd been dreaming?" I ask him. "Yes", he says, "I remembered everything; I just didn't think it was real. Crabbe and Goyle woke me up and told me you'd just run out of the common room; they had to tell me I hadn't been dreaming, and then I found your sash. Which reminds me; why did you run?". "Because I was confused and scared. I felt like a bloody…slag. What did you think when you realized it wasn't a dream?" I ask him. "I couldn't believe it", he replies, "But I knew it'd happened, and I didn't want you walking around upset thinking I'd done it, so I went to Snape for advice". "Do you really think we were both jinxed?" I ask. "Well that's what he thinks, and I can't think of anything else that would explain it", he says, "One minute you're sitting across the room hating my guts and looking absolutely breath-taking and I'm too afraid to go ask you to dance; the next minute we're snogging and…you know".
"Who do you think did it, then?" I ask. "I don't know, but I wish I did. I need to thank them", he answers. "What?" I ask angrily, my eyes widening. "No, no, not about the shagging part", he says quickly, "I know that part was totally out of line…not that I minded. I meant I need to thank them for giving me the guts to finally talk to you". "Oh", I say, blushing. Then another question crosses my mind. "Um…was that your first time, too?" I ask timidly. "Yeah", he replies, and we stare into each other's eyes for a moment before smiling slightly and looking away. "Now I have a question", he continues, "How did you feel about me when we first met?" My eyes widen in surprise. Do I really have to answer that question? Well, since he's being open and honest with me, I supposed I'd better do the same for him; after all, it's unwise to start a new relationship with lies. "Um…well, I thought you were attractive", I begin, "And then after you helped me up I thought you were nice, but then some things my friends told me about you made me reconsider".
"What did they say?" he asks me. Oh boy, I really don't want to answer this question; I don't want to stir up anything between Draco and my friends. "They said you think you're better than everyone else because you're a pureblood", I begin hesitantly, "You think anyone who isn't a pureblood is scum, you love being mean to people, and you're a rich, spoiled prat". "Well, I won't lie; most of that is true", he says. "But that's awful!" I say quickly, "What if I tell you I'm a half-blood? Will you think I'm scum?". "You're not a half-blood", he says quickly. "And how do you know?" I ask. He looks down at his shoes again and rubs the back of his neck with his right hand; I can tell he's afraid to answer that question from the pained expression on his face. "Um…I heard you tell Potter you're a pureblood", he says. "What?" I ask incredulously, "But I told him that in a private conversation my first day here! How did you hear that? It was just Harry and I in the hallway." I think back to the night in question, and now I can distinctly remember that I felt like I was being followed that night. "I told you", Draco says, interrupting my thoughts, "I've wanted you since day one. And when I saw the two of you walking to Snape's office together I got mad; so I followed you, trying to make sure Potter didn't try to ask you out before I got a chance to…I overheard your conversation".
I'm shocked by this bit of information; I can't believe he actually followed me. "Well what if I had told him I was a half-blood? Would you still have been so desperate to go out with me?" I ask. "Well, I won't lie and say it wouldn't have been a difficult situation, but I'd still have been just as crazy over you as I am now". His last statement makes me blush. "And how did you know where to find me just now?" I ask, "Were you following me again?". Again, there's silence as Draco looks down at the floor. "Please don't be angry at me or him", he says uncomfortably, "But I was in Professor Snape's office when you were in there…I sort of heard the whole conversation you had with him…but it wasn't his fault; you showed up before I got a chance to leave and I didn't want to walk past and upset you, so I hid". I'm shocked but I can't help it; I'm not even the slightest bit angry at him. "I'm not mad", I say quietly. "Good", he says before changing the subject, "So what do you want to do today?"
"Well you've got to go to class in a little while", I say scoldingly. "I have lunch after Transfiguration", he says, "But since I'm not in class, you haven't eaten anything today, and they're already serving lunch in the Great Hall, why don't we go down there and get something to eat before I have to go to Potions? You can sit with me at the Slytherin table; it should be fairly empty right now". "I can't sit at your table", I say. "You can if we stop at Snape's office and clear it with him before going down there", he says quickly. "Come on, have lunch with me… girlfriend", he continues, and he extends his left hand. I look down at his hand shyly; we've been dating for about two seconds and he already wants to hold my hand? I think it over for a moment before giving in to his charming smile, saying, "Ok", and taking his hand timidly. We stand and walk back down the stairs and to Professor Snape's office hand in hand, Draco glancing over at me and smiling every few moments and making me blush. When we reach the door Draco doesn't even knock, he just opens it. Professor Snape looks up from his desk and smiles when he sees the two of us together. "I see the two of you took my advice and talked to each other", he says. "Yes, Professor", Draco says, "And I was wondering if it would it be alright if Jayde has lunch with me at the Slytherin table?" "Certainly", Professor Snape says, still smiling. "Thanks, Professor, for everything", Draco says immediately before closing the door to his office.
"See, I told you, no problem", Draco says to me as we start walking towards the Great Hall, still holding hands. Holding his hand is making me nervous; I'm afraid my palm will get sweaty, but it doesn't. When we reach the Great Hall Draco leads me over to the Slytherin table. When we get to his normal seat, Draco releases my hand and sits down, and I sit down next to him. Several students speak to him, and he returns their greetings. I feel extremely out of place sitting at his table, and the several students who are staring at me don't make me feel any more comfortable. Food appears on my plate, but I don't touch it; I can feel dozens of eyes on me. Finally a boy speaks up and asks the question that's on everyone's minds, "What is she doing here?" Draco looks up from his plate and seeks out the person who asked it; a younger-looking boy at the far right end of the table. If looks could kill, the glare Draco gives the boy would surely put him six feet under. "She's sitting here because I asked her to, not that it's any of your business", Draco snaps, "And with Professor Snape's permission". "Oh", the boy says, "Sorry", and he looks down at his plate and continues eating. I feel all the eyes slowly turning away from me, to my immense relief. I slowly pick up my fork and start picking at my food; although I'm very hungry I feel a bit awkward eating in front of Draco. It doesn't help that he finishes eating well before I do and turns to watch me finish eating, propping his head in his right hand and smiling like he's watching some sort of show. I avoid his eyes at first, but finally turn and ask him why he's smiling. "You're cute when you eat…I mean…cuter than you are normally", he says, his smile widening. Even more embarrassed now, I feel my face get hot but keep eating for a little while longer. Finally, more students begin pouring into the Great Hall, and I'm ready to get out of here to avoid being seen by my friends; I have no idea how I'm going to explain this to them.
"I'm done", I say quietly, setting my fork down. "D'you wants to go sit in the courtyard until I have to go to class?" he asks me. "Ok", I say, willing to do anything to get out of the Great Hall, and he stands and extends his hand for me again. I take his hand and we start walking through the crowd and out of the Great Hall, several students staring at us as we go. We walk across the entrance hall and out the double doors, into the quiet courtyard. Draco leads me over to a stone bench beneath a tree and sits down. As I sit beside him, I realize how cold it is outside. As I hadn't planned on going outside, I'm only wearing a thin long-sleeved shirt. I shiver involuntarily. Draco, not missing a beat, quickly releases my hand, unfastens his cloak, removes it, and drapes it around my shoulders. "Better?" he asks. I simply nod, amazed by his chivalry. I can't help but to notice how wonderful his cloak smells; he must be wearing cologne. He takes my hand again and turns to face me, smiling all the while. He asks me to tell him about myself, my early life, my likes and dislikes, and how I came to be at Hogwarts. I tell him about Ms. Fitzpatrick and the orphanage, and the first day I affected the weather. I'm amazed by how comfortable I already feel talking to him. For some reason he seems very interested in Corey, asking me what his last name is and if he still lives at the orphanage. When I ask why he wants to know these things, he says he's going to have to teach Corey a lesson. I laugh at him, telling him it was years ago and I'm over it; that's completely unnecessary. Then I tell him about Mrs. McGreggor and Dunamase, and how I came to find out I was a witch.
About ten minutes before his class starts, we stand to walk to his class, and as we do so all my muscles ache in protest again, causing me to wince. "What's wrong?" he asks. "Nothing", I say, blushing, "I'm still just a little sore". "Oh", he says, blushing and looking down at his feet, "I'm sorry". I assure him that I'm fine and we walk back through the entrance hall and towards the Slytherin common room so he can get his books for class. The whole time we're walking, he asks me to keep telling him about myself; like how I found out I was a Nimbimagus. I tell him the story and he doesn't seem to be very fond of Aaron, either, but he doesn't interrupt me. Then he asks me if I like being a Nimbimagus and how my lessons with Professor Snape are going. I tell him everything, and he seems thoroughly interested. I wait outside his common room while he grabs his books, and then we walk towards the Potions classroom together. Now he asks me several questions, like what my favorite color is and what I like to do in my spare time; which I answer by saying "Purple", and "Sing or listen to music". He asks if I have a favorite song, if I like flowers, and if I have a favorite flower; which I answer by saying, "No", "Yes", and "Orchids". He then tells me he already knows when my birthday is. I ask him how he knows, to which he only replies three words, "Happy Birthday, Beautiful"; the same three words that were written in the anonymous letter I got on my birthday. "That was from you?" I ask. "Yes", he says smiling "Did you like it?"
"Of course I did!" I say, surprised by this new evidence that he really has liked me all along. As we arrive in the hallway outside the potions classroom, still playing 20 questions, I'm thankful that Slytherin takes Potions with Ravenclaw instead of Gryffindor. When we reach the classroom door, every eye in the crowd of students standing around waiting for it to open turns to us. I look down at my feet, not wanting to meet any of the inquisitive pairs of eyes. When the door opens, the crowd begins to file inside, but Draco doesn't move until everyone else has entered. "I'll see you later", he says, and he smiles at me and timidly kisses me on the cheek before releasing my hand and entering. I blush and stand there for a moment before turning to walk away. As I turn, I realize I'm still wearing his cloak; I forgot to give it back to him. I turn back around, thinking perhaps I'll step inside the classroom and hand it to him, but the door is already closed. I start walking back to Gryffindor tower; I'll give him his cloak when I see him later. When I reach the common room, I walk straight up to my room and sit down on my bed, replaying all the morning's events in my head. I take Draco's cloak off and lay it across my bed before laying across it, myself. The whole morning seems unreal to me, and then it hits me like a ton of bricks: I'm dating Draco Malfoy. I have a boyfriend. Excitement swells up inside me, I feel like my heart is about to burst out of my chest. I consider writing Ms. Fitzpatrick and Mrs. McGreggor to share the news with them, but then think better of it; there's no telling how long this relationship will last and there's no point in getting them both excited if we end up breaking up tomorrow.
Of course, thinking about us breaking up gets me depressed and I start worrying about it. I'm afraid to get hurt; I start feeling stupid for agreeing to go out with him. Then I think about Harry and how upset he'll be when he finds out I'm dating his arch-enemy. I don't want to hurt him, but even though I do find him attractive, I've never really thought of him as anything more than a friend. I've never had the intense feelings for him that I've been having for Draco, even though I was trying to deny them. I finally tell myself I shouldn't feel bad and that it would never have worked with Harry anyway; I'm sure he wouldn't want to be dating someone who'd already shagged someone else. In an attempt to get my mind off things, I decide to go outside and practice for my next lesson with Professor Snape. Not wanting Hermione to come back in the room and see a Slytherin's cloak on my bed, I put Draco's fantastic-smelling cloak back on, hoping he won't mind me wearing it again. I leave Gryffindor Tower and walk downstairs and out onto the castle grounds. I sit on the cold ground next to the Black Lake with my legs crossed and practice for about an hour. It's still fairly cold outside, and I'm about to get up and go back into the castle when someone slides their hands in front of my eyes. I can tell it's a boy by the size of the hands, and I know there's only one boy who'd do something like that. I place my hands over his and pull them away from my eyes, saying, "Hello Draco", as I do so.
I turn around to find him smiling down at me; his friends are right behind him. "Hello", he says back before giving me a quick peck on the cheek. "How'd you find me?" I ask. "I was just leaving the Owlery and saw you sitting there", he replies, "What're you doing?" I tell him that I'm working on my homework for Professor Snape, and he asks if he can sit and watch until it's time for him to go to his next class. "Ok", I say, "But don't distract me or I might mess up". He agrees and walks over to my right and sits down, his friends right at his heels. Though this makes me a little nervous, I close my eyes and try to focus on creating a ball of fire in my hands using the sun's rays. Draco, however, keeps making this feat impossible. He's leaned back and propped his head in his hands, staring at me, and that's not all; he keeps saying things like, "My God you're so beautiful", and "I want to kiss you so bad right now". The way he keeps saying these things makes me giggle and blush, which causes a ball of snow to form in my hand, instead of a ball of fire. I tell him to stop distracting me, but he doesn't, so I decide to teach him a lesson. After four times of accidentally making a snowball when I was trying to make a fireball, I stand up and throw my most recent snowball at him, hitting him square in the face. I burst out laughing at the shocked expression on his face, making a heavy snow start falling. Draco's friends, however, don't laugh, they actually look like they're afraid. Just as I'm beginning to wonder why they look so afraid, Draco jumps up and starts running towards me with a devilish grin on his face.
I quickly turn and take off running away from him, squealing; I'm unsure of how he's planning on getting me back for that. As he's taller, however, Draco's faster than me, and catches up quickly. He wraps his left arm around my waist and sweeps me off my feet with his right arm in one smooth movement. Once he's got me cradled in his arms, he starts walking back towards the edge of the Black Lake. Still laughing, I tell him to put me down. "Nope", he says playfully, "You threw a snowball at me, so now I'm afraid I've got to throw you in the Black Lake, dear. It's simple cause and effect". "There's just one small problem with that", I say playfully. "And what's that?" he asks. "If you were to throw me in the Black Lake, I'd be very upset and might just have to consider that a screw-up and break up with you", I tease. "Oh, well I'd better not do that then", he says. Then he leans forward and jerks his arms upward, but doesn't release me. I wrap my arms around his neck and scream, "No Draco, don't!" The snow quickly stops as I fear I'm about to be drenched in freezing water. He starts laughing heartily before turning around and walking away from the edge of the lake. "I love the way you say my name", he says playfully, "You've got a lovely voice…but there's something more… I think it's your accent…it sounds like you're saying 'Dray-coo'". My heart is still beating rapidly from the fear that I was about to be thrown in the Black Lake, so, purely out of preoccupation, I don't answer him. "You really thought I was going to throw you in?" he asks with his eyebrows raised and the same devilish smile still on his lips. When I nod my head he says, "No, I can't throw you in... you're still wearing my cloak". "You git!" I say playfully. "What?" he asks, "I'm not complaining; you look good in it…I just don't want it wet".
I make a mock-surprised face which causes him to burst out laughing. "No dear", he says, "I'm not going to do anything that might make you break up with me, but I am going to need a kiss before I let you down". Smiling, I lean in and press my lips to his lightly, and he puts me down. "I've got to get to class", he says once my feet are back on the ground, "Would you like to walk with me?" "Actually, I have to go up to the Owlery, but I'll see you later", I say. "Ok", he says, and he leans down and gives me another kiss on the cheek before he and his friends start walking off towards the castle. I stand there in the same spot until he enters the castle, and he keeps turning around and smiling at me as he walks. Having changed my mind about not writing to Ms. Fitzpatrick and Mrs. McGreggor yet, I start walking up to the Owlery before realizing I don't have any parchment or a quill to write with, so I quickly walk back into the castle and up to my room. I sit on my bed and write out two identical letters, informing my former headmistress and my guardian that I am no longer single. I leave out, of course, the part about us shagging last night. When I finish, I seal and address the letters and stick them in the pocket of Draco's cloak before walking back downstairs and outside, and up to the Owlery. I walk up to the first owl I see that isn't sleeping and hand the letters to him. Smiling as I watch him fly away, I can't help but think that this boy is making it way too easy for me to fall for him way too quickly.
After coming back from the Owlery, I go back up to my room and take off Draco's cloak, which I lay across my bed again. Then I get out my school books and spend the rest of the afternoon studying. Or at least, trying to study; I keep thinking about Draco and getting distracted. I don't stop until sometime after 5 when Hermione enters the room. She asks how I'm feeling, to which I respond, "Great", and then hands me all my missed class work and homework. I get started on my work immediately, and she sits down on her bed and gets started on her homework, as well. When she finishes I've still got a fair bit to go, so she stands up and walks over to my bed and sits down, offering to help me. With her help I finish much more quickly, and she asks if I'm ready to go down to dinner. I say yes and stand up, preparing to follow her out of the room. When I stand up, however, I see her eyes drift to Draco's cloak, which is still lying on my bed. Hoping she won't notice that it belongs to a Slytherin, I walk towards the door, but she stops me. "Jayde", she says, "Why is there a Slytherin's cloak on your bed?" Damn my rotten luck. Turning around and trying to appear casual, I say, "Oh. I went outside this morning and forgot my cloak, so a boy in Slytherin lent me his. I forgot to take it back to him". "Um, I hope you don't mind me asking", Hermione says, "But which particular Slytherin boy lent you his cloak?" "Malfoy", I say as casually as possible, before turning back around and stepping through our bedroom door. I bump into Ginny as soon as I enter the hallway, who immediately asks what I was saying about Malfoy. I don't get a chance to answer, however, because Hermione walks out into the hallway and says, "Malfoy lent Jayde his cloak!" incredulously. "What the hell?" Ginny asks loudly, "Why would he lend you his cloak?". "Because I was cold", I say quietly. "And why would it matter to Malfoy whether you're cold or not?" Hermione asks.
"Um..." I say, looking down at my shoes, "Because…we're sort of…um…dating". "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN YOU'RE DATING MALFOY?" Ginny yells at me. Hermione just stands there with her mouth open wide and her eyes bulging. "JAYDE", Ginny yells, "WE TOLD YOU WHAT MALFOY'S LIKE! HE'S NOTHING LIKE YOU…YOU'RE A NICE GIRL AND HE'S A COMPLETE ARSE! HE'S PRACTICALLY THE KING OF SLYTHERIN FOR GOD'S SAKE! WHY WOULD YOU AGREE TO DATE HIM?" I look down at the floor and feel my face get hot. "Look, Gin", Hermione says, "Stop yelling. Why don't we just calm down and let Jayde tell us what's going on?". "Fine", Ginny says, storming through the bedroom door and over to my bed before flopping herself down on it with her arms crossed, "I can't wait to hear this". Hermione walks back into the room and sits down on my bed beside Ginny and I walk back into the room and stand, facing them. I tell them almost the whole story; I say that when I left Professor Snape's office this morning, I bumped into Draco, who said he had something he wanted to ask me. I don't, however, tell them about the discussion I'd had with Professor Snape or the shagging. I then tell them how I'd said no at first and told him I didn't want anything to do with him because I've heard how much of an arse he is. Leaving out all the parts about last night, I tell them everything else he said, and how he claimed that he'd liked me since the first time we met. Then I tell them about him kissing me so suddenly, and about how my skin tingled when he touched me. At this part, Ginny makes faces that suggest she's going to vomit, but Hermione seems strangely interested.
When I've finished the story, Hermione speaks. "Jayde", she says quietly, "I thought you liked Harry. What happened?". "I do like Harry", I say quietly, "But only as a friend. I think he's attractive but I just don't feel for him like I do for Draco. Besides, I'm not good enough for Harry, I'm tainted". "What do you mean?" Hermione asks. "I just mean that I know I wouldn't be a good girlfriend for him, and he deserves the best", I say while looking down at the floor again. "Well, I won't try to change your mind", Hermione says, "But I really wish you'd reconsider". "It's too late for that, Hermione", I respond, "I've already promised Draco I'd give him a chance, and I'm not going to go back on my word". "Ok", Ginny says, "But you need to be the one to tell Harry before he finds out the hard way". "I know", I say, "I'll tell him after dinner". At this, they both stand and we walk out of the bedroom and down to the common room, and from there down to the Great Hall. When I get to the table, Harry asks how I'm feeling, to which I respond, "Fine", and as I eat I feel that pair of eyes on me again, but now I know whose eyes they are. When Harry and I have both finished eating, I ask him if he'd like to take a walk with me, to which he immediately agrees and jumps out of his seat.
I walk out of the Great Hall quickly, keeping as much distance between Harry and myself as possible so Draco won't think I'm leaving with him. When we get to the Entrance Hall, I turn and walk up the small flight of stairs before stopping; Harry walks around the corner and stands in front of me and asks what's going on. "I have to tell you something, Harry", I say quietly. "Ok", he says, looking a little apprehensive. "Hermione says she thinks you want to date me", I say inquisitively. His cheeks turn red, but he answers me regardless. "Well, yeah", he says quietly, "I thought you knew that, though. I mean, that is why I asked you to the ball, after all". "Right", I say, looking down at the floor, "Well, you shouldn't". "Why not?" he asks, his eyebrows raised. "Look, I like you Harry, I really do, but I'm no good for you", I say quickly, "I'm tainted, and you deserve someone who can be everything you want, and I just can't do that". He looks confused, and stares at me with a blank expression on his face. "What are you saying?" he asks. "Harry, look", I say, "I don't want to hurt you, but it would never work between us". At this, something in Harry's face changes. He looks angry; I wasn't expecting that, but I understand it. Then something else happens I don't expect.
"What do you want, Malfoy?" Harry asks angrily. "Just to say hello to my girlfriend", Draco's smooth voice says behind me, causing me to turn and look at him. "Hello, love", he says, and he steps up beside me and wraps his left arm around my waist before kissing me on the cheek. I turn back around to face Harry, hoping to explain, but he's no longer angry; he's furious now. His face turns red and his eyes narrow, not at me, but at Draco, whose left arm is wrapped around my waist. Then he turns his angry glare to me. I soften my eyes and my facial expression, trying to show him that I'm really sorry about all this. Finally, he speaks. "Jayde", he says angrily, "Would you mind telling me what the hell is going on here? One minute you're at the ball with me, the next minute you're gone, and the next day you're letting Draco Malfoy kiss your cheek. Not to be rude or anything, but doesn't that seem a bit slaggish to you?" Though I'm hurt by his words, I don't answer; but I don't have to. Draco releases my waist and steps in front of me, getting so close to Harry's face that their noses are nearly touching. "How DARE you talk to her that way?" he asks angrily. Before I know what's happened, Harry and Draco are both pulling their wands.
"NO!" I scream, grabbing Draco's wand arm and trying to pull him away from Harry. His arm is too strong, however, so I step to his right side and try pushing him away, instead. "No!" I say to Draco loudly, "You promised, remember?". "I promised I'd try to avoid fighting with your friends", he says, his eyes still focused on Harry, "But you can't expect me to do nothing while he talks to you that way!" "It doesn't matter!" I say, "He's just upset! He didn't mean it!". "Like hell I didn't", Harry snaps. Having heard enough, Draco casts a spell at Harry, but Harry quickly ducks and it misses him. Then he shoots a spell back at Draco, which hits him square in the chest and sends him flying backwards and down the stairs. I quickly run down to him and get down on my knees beside him, afraid that he's badly hurt. As I lean over him and caress his face with my hand, asking if he's alright, I hear Harry directly behind me. "Move, Jayde", he says. I turn around and look up at him pleadingly. "No, Harry", I say, "Please don't. I'm sorry, alright? This is my fault; don't take it out on him". "I said move!" Harry yells, "I don't want to jinx you, but I swear I will if you don't move". I start crying. "No, Harry, please!" I plead. "Have it your way, then", he says angrily, and I close my eyes and brace myself for whatever jinx might be coming. The spell never comes, though, and I open my eyes to see Harry's lowered his wand. "Thank you, Harry", I begin, but I don't get to finish what I'm saying because Draco sits up, pushes me out of the way, and fires another spell at Harry. "Move, Jayde", he yells as he gets to his feet. Terrified, I back away from the dueling duo, crying. "Stop It! Stop!" I yell over and over, but to no avail. I back as far away from them as I can and bury my face in my hands, sobbing uncontrollably. After a few minutes, I start to feel myself losing it again. Everything starts fading to black, and this time I can't fight it.