Chapter 14: The Pretence
Her eyes were fixed on the Gryffindors and her lips formed a soft smile, before turning into a grin.
Slowly getting up, she used the table to support her.
"Potter?" Her voice was quiet and I grabbed her wrist.
Her brilliant smile fixed on me, she said: "Isn't he beautiful, Tom?"
Oh no, I thought. I got up quickly and walked around the table towards her. With an iron grip, now around her upper arm, I held her close.
Trying to keep her from jumping towards the Gryffindors, I couldn't prevent her from calling out to them.
"Potter?" She started now to struggle against my grip quiet vehemently. Potter looked up and his face was showing his surprise.
"Y-yes?" His eyes darted from her to me and back.
"Potter, I...I think I lo...," just in time I could lay my hand over her mouth.
"She's not feeling well," I said icily, while the entire table gaped openly at this odd scene.
She started to struggle even more now and I could hardly prevent her from jumping at Potter. Druella will pay for this, I thought.
One arm now around her waist, I ignored her protests and carried her out of the library. Now punching and kicking, I couldn't keep her silent.
"Potter, I love you. We...we could...well...go out if you want to. You are just perfect."
I carried her down to the dungeons, with some difficulty, because she was stronger than she looked.
"Tom, why are you keeping me from Fleamont. That is so unfair, I love him." Her big green eyes now on mine, I noticed tears shining in them.
"You will thank me later, trust me."
"I don't think so."
I let her down before I opened the door to the potions classroom. Still one arm around her waist, I forced her into the room.
"Sit down, Potter will come any minute."
Her face lit up and she obligingly sat down, while I turned to the cupboard to take out everything necessary for the antidote.
"Do...do you think he likes me? What if I am not pretty enough?"
I turned to look at her and was utterly shocked to see her seriously concerned.
"Are you out of your mind?"
"I have strange hair, maybe he dislikes it?"
"I'm sure he doesn't," I said it only to calm her down, of course.
Druella must have used a love potion that makes you fall in love with the first person you see. So I started to brew a potion that would end this lunacy.
"You are nice, Tom. Really, you are. I'm glad that we are friends, I feel alone most of the time." She had stood up and was standing next to me, laying her head on my shoulder and closing her eyes.
The situation is quiet severe, I thought. Her arms were now around me, it was slightly disturbing.
"Sit down, you need to drink something."
"Hm...well, if you say so. But when will Fleamont be here?"
"Soon, but first you have to drink this."
She eyed me suspicously, but after a sigh she took the cup from my hands.
"Only because you are my friend." She gave me a radiant smile one last time, before she drained the cup.
The happy expression slid off her face and it instantly darkened.
"What happened?"
"The chocolate you ate was containing a love potion."
Her nails were now digging into the wood of the table and she looked furious.
"Your fellow Prefect will be butchered."
"I hope so, it was quiet some work to keep you away from your one true love."
She laid her head on the table and cursed like a sailor.
"Don't worry, it could have been worse. I let Mulciber or Nott try my food first usually, just to make sure. Happens surprisingly often that they fall in love, all of a sudden."
"Oh Merlin, I told that guy that I loved him. I hope I can forget this as soon as possible."
"You had even severe doubts about yourself, quiet entertaining." A smirk settled on my face, but she shot me a dark look, so I lowered my gaze on the table and tried to surpress it.
"My brother pranked me, when we were around 9. But the effects lasted longer than intended." Her eyes closed, she ran a hand through her hair.
"I'm sure Potter loves it," I couldn't hold back a chuckle.
I was surprised that she didn't curse me on the spot. Instead a sad smile was spreading on her face.
"Well, you should go to bed."
"Yes, you are right." She sounded exhausted.
I could see her hands shaking, a side-effect of the antidote.
Both of us stood up and realising that her legs shook as much as her hands, I laid an arm around her for support.
The surprising part was that she let me. We walked like this to the Slytherin common room, in silence.
Belvina and Annis Black were sitting in it and stood up as soon as we entered.
They kept their distance when I helped Crane to sit down in an armchair next to the fire.
She put up her feet and closed her eyes for a moment. The two girls kept quiet during this time, but stared at her.
"Druella Rosier," she finally said.
"I want to know everything there is to know about her." She was looking straight at the Blacks, they nodded and glancing curiously at me they left silently.
I sat down across from her and wondered how this strange alliance had begun.
"I want revenge and I want to know why she is still alive."
"Well, technically I should want revenge. After all, the love potion was meant for me. And if that is not enough for you, I might had to endure several kicks and punches, while I tried to restrain you from your soulmate." A sneer on my face, I ignored her angry expression.
"You are the bait, then."
"Excuse me?"
"She is in love with you, so you will be the tool to crush her. Any questions?"
"You can't be serious?" I laughed at the mere thought.
"Listen, don't worry, I won't use you as a toy in this...matter. You only do the things you are comfortable with. It could be worse, Druella is not that ugly."
"She has a face like a bulldog and the personality of a brick." I spat those words and got an amused smile from her back.
"What would you do then?"
"Take away everything she holds dear," I simply stated.
"Good, you are number one then. We'll make her a social outcast and her marks will drop after that. We have to be careful, so nobody realises that we are behind it."
"This doesn't seem like the first time you plan something like this."
"No, it isn't. Even though it bores me, these games without worthy opponents."
I knew what she meant, exactly how it felt to be above others. Somehow lonely.
"She doesn't know who you saw first, does she?"
"No, but by now everybody in this castle will know." She bit her lip, while glaring at the fire.
"Then let us make them doubt the rumors." I gave her a measuring look.
"What do you propose?"
Pretending like it was the only logical option, I told her the idea that I had for quiet a while.
"She is in love with me and loathes you. So, if we...would...be a team, openly..."
He didn't finish that sentence, because he didn't need to. I understood and could not believe that he of all people would suggest this.
The message was clear, we should act like we were a couple. My eyes met his and...I thought there might have been a flicker of nervousness, gone within an instant.
"That would be...reasonable, I suppose." I saw him swallow and cocking his head to one side, a neutral mask on his face.
"How should it be done...if...we considered it?" I asked, afraid my voice might betray me. If I was honest, the kiss we shared in the library still haunted my thoughts. I needed to be careful with him, emotions wouldn't be of any use here. Quiet the contrary.
"Little things might be enough to spread the rumor. If I was for instance carrying your back, seated next to you during meals or you would wait for me after classes. We only need to plant the faint idea in peoples heads."
His obsidian eyes didn't give away what he thought, but he looked angelic. The crackling fire illuminating his handsome face and the neat black hair. He really was nice to look at.
"Sounds good. That would also entail that you'd lose your little fanclub, won't you miss it?" I chuckled lightly and earned a smirk that even reached his eyes.
"Won't you miss yours?"
Now feeling better, I got up and put my hands on his armrests, my face close to his now. His gaze fell on my lips as I said: "Fair enough."
I walked out of the common room, feeling his stare on me.