I woke up dreading the day. Or at least the half that's left I noted to myself as I looked at the clock. I quickly get up and dressed and ready for the day ahead. My plan was to have breakfast, talk to Hermione and then ask her to help me figure out how best to approach my cousin. I walked downstairs to find Draco entering the common room with Crabbe and Goyle in tow.
"Morning," I greeted as I walked over to the entrance.
"Good morning, Marigold," he answered with a warm smile. "I assume you're going to have something to eat?" I replied with a simple nod. "I considered either waking you up or waiting for you, but then I figured you've probably got a few things you need to do without me."
I grinned, " Yeah, I'm getting some food because I don't wanna face my cousin on an empty stomach. And good call on not waking me up, I probably would've been really mad if you woke me up but I appreciate the... ah... intentions of it, I guess."
"Well, wasn't I smart then?" he jested with a cocky tilt of his head.
I rolled my eyes and shoved his shoulder lightly as I walked past him. "Maybe I wouldn't have been mad if it were you. You never know if you don't try," I told him, giving him a wink over my shoulder.
"Good luck!" he called as I exited.
I walked out of the Slytherin common room. My steps felt heavy, but I knew that I couldn't hide from this and the longer I left it, the worse it would be when I eventually did see my cousin.
It was a quiet morning. It was almost noon, but everyone had seemingly made themselves scarce likely due to the fact that most students had gone to bed very late. I sat at the Slytherin table, mindlessly eating my toast as I thought over the occurrences of last night. At some point, I would need to face my cousin and tell him about the prophecy or at least address the issue of what he had heard.
I was broken from my thoughts as Pansy sat opposite from me with a cold sneer on her face. She spoke before I could greet her. "How could you!?" she almost screeched at me, causing many of the people occupying the hall to glance over quickly.
"Pardon?" I asked calmly, trying to avoid a scene.
She scoffed and stuck her nose on in the air. "You kissed Draco!" she answered angrily, "What kind of a friend are you? I've liked him forever. Who are you to suddenly betray me like this and steal him from me?"
A blush warmed my cheeks as she ranted angrily. "Could you calm down? We can talk about this if you want," I said, trying to quell Pansy's rage.
"Why would he like you anyways?" she continued, ignoring my attempt for civil conversation, "You're nothing but a stupid little Mudblood who is taking advantage of the noble Slytherin name and her cousins fame. You're nothing special. You're not even that smart or pretty!"
I stared at her blankly, refusing to show her the strange affect her words had on me. "Pansy, go away," I told her with a strong but quiet voice.
"You can't even deny it, can you?" she spat viciously. I felt uncomfortable with the stares we were receiving. "Potter's not here to save the day for you?"
"I don't need him," I retorted with a pointed glare, "I don't need the Slytherin name either. I don't need to be special, smart or pretty. Unlike you, I also don't need to attack people when I feel threatened over such petty things. Grow up, Pansy."
"I'm not feeling threatened," she defended with offense heavy in her voice. "You think you threaten me?" I rolled my eyes and stood from the table, unwilling to listen to her anymore. "Look at you, running away like a little wimp," she snorted childishly.
I huffed and left the hall quickly.
"But it's not that simple!" I whined to Hermione as we sat in the library. "He's mad at me already and this situation isn't going to help at all..."
Hermione looked at me piteously, "I could tell him for you, but who knows how that would go."
"'Mione, he's going to come find me and knowing him, he'd be even angrier not hearing it from me."
"I know," she replied softly, "This is tough, it doesn't help with all the rumors flying around about you and Draco. I mean, then again, it could be a real opportunity for you two to talk everything out, right?"
"You're right, but I still don't know how I'm supposed to talk to him," I told her quietly, "He was angry before all of this mess and now it's going to be so much worse. Look, do you know where he'd be around now? I'll go see Harry now, before I really start to freak out."
"Talk to me about what?" Harry sounded from behind me. I turned around on my chair to see Harry staring down at me with Ron, who looked at me with contempt.
"Everything that's been going on in the last few days," I answered quietly. "I know you're angry with me, but I need to tell you something important so sit down and bare with me for a little while," I explained. He looked at Ron for confirmation.
"Oh, just sit down," Hermione ordered sharply. The boys looked at her with shock before complying with her order.
"What is it?" Ron said distastefully as he leaned back in his chair with crossed arms.
I sighed. "I made a prophecy and I think it involves you, Harry."
"Oh, is that all?" he asked blandly.
"Aren't you the least bit curious to hear about it?" I asked almost silently, unsure of what Harry was aiming for.
"Not really, but I do want an explanation for why you've been lying to me," he responded snappily with a pointed glare.
"Lying?" I questioned. I sent a brief look to Hermione who also looked perplexed but also incredibly concerned. "I'm not sure what you're talk about, Harry," I continued, "You haven't talked to me since before the Yule Ball. What could I possibly be lying to you about?"
"You told me that you're not dating Malfoy," he spat, "Yet lately it seems like all you've been doing is hanging around him and going places like Hogsmeade and the Yule Ball. Hell, you kissed the tosser!"
My face was burning. "I wasn't lying, Harry! The day at Hogsmeade wasn't a date. He didn't even actually ask me, it was more like 'I wouldn't hate it if you accompanied me'."
"And what about the Yule Ball then?" Ron interjected crossly.
"Again, he just said that I was the most tolerable girl and probably just didn't want to be bothered by any of the other girls," I defended nervously. "Besides, I've said it before and I'll say it again; it's none of your business who I choose to be around. You're the one who said it would've been easier to just ignore me. You're the one who has pushed me away and treated me like rubbish when I've tried to hard to help you and and be a family member that you can rely on!" I ranted angrily and watched his contemptuous look shift into an uncomfortable one. "And over what? Draco Malfoy? A boy? Are you kidding me?! I'm here to tell you that I made a prophecy that is probably about you where someone is potentially being brought back from the dead and all that you want to talk about is Draco." I stopped as I ran out of air and took a deep breath.
"Mari..." he mumbled as he seemingly tried to rebut my statements.
I shook my head and crossed my arms. "Don't," I stated flatly, "Just stop there."
"Marigold, I'm really sorry," he appealed with a downcast expression.
Despite my urge to tell him I forgive him, I shrugged nonchalantly and looked away from him. "You were sorry the last few times, too," I retorted coldly, "Unless you have something more substantial to say that doesn't revolve around my imaginary love-life, I'd appreciate it if you didn't talk to me."
"Why are you being so childish? It's not like he's wrong," Ron blurted stupidly.
"Mari's the one being childish?" Hermione snapped rounding in on Ron with a pointed glare. "I think you've got it the wrong way around. She was here talking to me because she didn't know how to approach Harry without being yelled at! What I think is childish is that you two have been so utterly ridiculous that she has to tip-toe around you to be able to tell you that she made an incredibly important prophecy that sounds very bloody serious," the boys visibly flinched as she swore, "Even more so, she told you about the prophecy and all Harry thought to do was pester her about Malfoy as if it's his business when all he's managed to do since he was selected by the Goblet is make Mari feel like trash because of things that aren't even her fault," Hermione berated loudly as though forgetting we were in the library.
"Well I said sorry!" Harry tried to defend himself.
"You think that saying you're sorry is going to fix everything?" Hermione snapped incredulously.
"Hermione, lets go."
After Hermione and I left the library, we strolled around casually for a while but eventually parted ways because she needed to finish her potions assignment. I wandered around but soon made my own back back to the common room. I sat by one of the large windows with pencils on the table beside me. The common room was quiet as I stared out of the window into the Black Lake. I simply drew what I could see, which included the swaying kelp and a few fish that had passed earlier. I was nearly finished when I heard Draco's voice from behind me.
"Your drawing looks beautiful, Marigold," he complimented with a small smile before sitting on one of the chairs nearest to mine.
"Thank you," I replied as put my book on the table next to me and packed up all my pencils. "I hope that I can learn how to paint one of those living portraits like the ones that hang in the hits school. But I don't think I would put people in them."
"Why not? Isn't that the point of them most of the time?" Draco questioned.
"Most, but it would annoy me half to death because what if I painted a talkative portrait? I'd have to live with it, and I'm not sure how I would go about that," I answered with a small chuckle.
"I heard about what happened today," the blond said quietly, staring out the window.
I looked at him then joined him in staring at the window. "I guess it was from someone who overheard Hermione yelling and Ron and Harry, then?"
He nodded. "Yeah, I heard it from Bulstrode."
"What am I going to do? This has to be dealt with eventually, but he's not making it easy at all," I groaned, sinking into my chair.
Draco shrugged shortly. "You have plenty of time, I suggest you just let it be for now. You told him everything he needs to know and when he gets curious or desperate, he'll come back and try to make up with you. Then it's up to you, I guess."
"That wasn't helpful in the slightest," I replied, "He apologized today."
"What did you say?" he asked curiously.
"I told him to just stop and that I didn't want to talk to him unless he had something to say that wasn't about you or how much of a tosser you are," I summed up for him. He chuckled slightly and I turned to face him. "I'm serious, the main reason he has progressively gotten angrier with me is because I've become god friends with you," I explained with a grin, "I literally tell him that I made a prophecy and all he wanted to do is bother me about you. It's like he's jealous or something," I teased with a wink. I laughed as his expression turned to distaste and faced the window again.
"The very idea of that makes me sick," he sneered.
"I'm only joking," I giggled and he smiled in response.
"I know, I know," he retorted. "Personally, I'd prefer it if you were obsessed over me," he stated suddenly, making my head whip around to face him in shock.
"Pardon?" I asked quickly. My eyes met his quickly and under a layer of cockiness, I could see the nervousness that his eyes expressed.
"Just kidding," he said with a laugh that almost sounded forced.
I couldn't help the pang of disappointment in my chest as I let out a fake chuckle. "Of course," I said with a grin. "Well, anyhow, I best be going upstairs now because I need to finish my potions essay."
"Oh," he said quietly, "I forgot about that."
"See you tomorrow."
"Good night," he answered rather quietly as I took my things and left.