Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters.
Things Do Not Get Better
"Is now really the time for this Draco?" I asked impatiently dodging another Bludger. "Shouldn't you be trying to get the Golden Snitch!" I shouted.
"How long has she been here!" he asked, not moving from my side. I grumbled to myself, realizing he wasn't going to leave.
"Since classes started on the first of September" I said looking over to his confused and slightly hurt expression.
"How come no one told me?" he asked, now vocally hurt.
"Listen, Draco, this isn't a good time—"
"You knew this whole time and you didn't tell me!" he shouted, now bumping my broom, sending me momentarily off course. "You know how I feel about her and you watched—"
"You let Burnner go! You let Melinda go! Those were your decisions; you have no right to ask and it's your damn fault for not noticing. God Draco, even when you did finally notice you forgot" I shouted angrily, zigzagging around Amy who was attempting to hit a Bludger square at one of the Slytherin Beaters. I looked around for Ginny again, but noticed she was at the other end, by the Slytherin goal post. I bit my bottom lip as I made the split second decision to zoom back down with Draco annoyingly whining next to me.
"What do you mean when I noticed? I obviously never noticed—"
"Draco!" I shouted ramming my broom into him out of annoyance and to avoid the oncoming Bludger. I couldn't help but wonder why Ginny was so far away; why didn't she come closer? I asked myself, but that was obvious, from her point of view it looked like Draco was attacking me.
"I wanna talk about this!" he shouted back, ramming back into me. I pulled my broom up to stop, the Quaffle still tightly secured under my right arm.
"Alright, let's talk" I said casually, as Draco came to a halt a second after I did. Before he could get any words out a Bludger grazed the top of his head and Amy banged into him, causing him to bang into me just as one his Chasers attempted—and missed—to grab the Quaffle from me. "Yeah, kinda difficult to talk huh? That's because we're in the middle of a game you stupid ferret!" I shouted at him, now tempted to throw the Quaffle at his face.
"You're the stupid one, you go prancing around with someone like Matt but can't even tell your only family here that the girl he loves is back at school!" he shouted back as I started flying off toward the goal, but Draco slammed into me, sending me spinning for a moment.
"She never left school you arrogant self-centered—" I was cut off when one the Chasers zoomed toward me as soon as I stopped spinning. "Harry, would catch the Snitch already?" I exclaimed as he whizzed pass just as I finally managed to throw the Quaffle off to Ginny who was more than willing to catch it and go off.
"Then how come no told me?" he asked still hurt.
"Because no one wants you two together; look how you treat, look what you did" I said bitterly. Even though he was now about a foot away from me and game was continued loudly around us the silence seemed deafening. "Besides, she's happy; she's dating that muggle boy Houston" I told him; even with the sound of Madame Hooch's whistle blowing—signaling the end of the game—and the loud amount of cheering—signaling Gryffindor had won—I could help but feel the tense and overwhelming awkwardness and hurt that filled the silence between me Draco. What made it worst was that I could instantly make out Melinda's expression as she came closer, making me lower my broom the ground. "Are you okay?" she asked, her voice full of concern as Matt followed behind her.
"Happy Birthday Melinda" Draco said as he dismounted his broom beside me. I looked at him in surprise, I expected him to angrily fly off and make a big deal about this later. I could tell Melinda and Matt looked the same; both of them even less prepared to say anymore and even more caught off guard. "I see you're…er…going for a new look this year" he commented, forcing a laugh as we stared at him, the awkwardness now completely cloaked over us.
"'I see you're going for a new look this year'? That's really the best you can come up with?" I shouted at Draco as I ran after him moments after the Quidditch game. Melinda, who had moments before grouped in with us, mainly checking to make sure everyone was alright, but almost instantly being dragged away by a few Ravenclaws. "You had, maybe a millisecond chance and you went with that?" I exclaimed, only half annoyed.
"I didn't exactly have proper time to plan a full conversation" Draco replied back darkly, still walking quickly into the castle.
"For the last time it's your own fault" I reminded him, though, from his soft expression and distance look I could tell he was still trying to piece it together.
"How come I didn't notice her…" he whispered as he plopped down on one of the benches just inside the castle. I sighed, feeling overwhelming tired as I continued to look at Draco. As much as I would hate to admit it, I hated how depressed and unhappy he looked.
"Well, if it makes you feel better, you've talked to her—or waved—at least twice…" I said finally sitting down next to him. He looked at me curiously but didn't say anything. "When I got to hospital wing the night we got back, you came up to see me. You mentioned a girl with—"
"Blue streaks" he finished as he shook his head.
"And then that day we were outside talking, I was gonna tell you, but your friends came over, and then, Matt was across the yard. He was with Melinda" I watched Draco's expression morph from depressed to annoyance.
"She was always right there," he quietly huffed.
"When you came up to tell me something, it was a while back, I had just seen Fate, she asked if I was happy…" I trailed off to wait for Draco to nod. When he did I continued. "Fate asked Melinda the same question, she came to tell me and was sitting on the stairs, you were just a few feet away," I let out a long sigh and shook my head just slightly.
"She must think I'm stupider than Longbottom" he mumbled.
"No…" I started, but he just shook his head, not needing for me to continue to know I was wrong. I watched him continue to shake his head as his eyes seemed to dart side to side as if remembering more and more.
"So, now she's with Matt?" he finally asked. I shook my head quickly, thinking maybe he was joking or perhaps he realized how much time the two spent together, how many times he had encountered both of them.
"Houston" I replied.
"What?" he asked, giving me a sideways glance.
"She's dating Houston," I repeated.
"The muggle boy you mentioned in the air?" Draco asked, his voice a little more high pitched than usual.
"Yeah" I told him, trying to read his facial expressions as quickly as he was making them.
"I thought you were joking!" he exclaimed, his face a shade lighter.
"Why would I joke about something like that to someone like you?" I asked him crossing my arms.
"To get my attention" he suggested but I shook my head.
"This is why no one told you" I told him now standing up, trying to debate going back to the Gryffindor common room or hide out in the library.
"But I thought dating a Weasley was her lowest point?" Draco asked, following me up the stairs.
"I was wrong, that's why no one told you" I said sarcastically.
"I think you should've, I had a right to know, and why is she dating him anyway? What can he give her? He can't protect her from Burnner" he hissed waving his arms as we continued up the stairs. "He can't protect her" he repeated, his voice a little more firm. "At least I can protect her" he added.
"Yeah, like you protected me?" I said sarcastically. "Or have you forgotten you kicked me out of the Manor?" I shot back.
"You had the Weasleys!" he countered.
"Heaven forbid something did happen to me…" I said sarcastically. "Or worst, something happen to the Weasleys, who, might I add, were all to willing to protect and bring Melinda back. What would you do if they got hurt trying to protect us?" I asked, spinning around to face him.
"Then you'd obviously come back" he said casually.
"You kicked me out!" I shouted but he just shook his head.
"You know you could've just come back, you'd always be able to come back Tam…" he explained, his expression changing once again, this time to one of regret. "I'm sorry I got so angry before last term ended. I'm sorry I left you both like that. The Manor is just as much your home as it is mine, and any guest are welcomed" I started to smile, anxious to get out what I was thinking, but Draco shook his head, commenting first. "Except the Weasleys. You know how it went over last year. The twin, the dresses…" he scowled at the last bit.
"Ginny didn't bring the dresses to the Manor…" I reminded him.
"Yeah, but she bought them, and look how much trouble that caused!" he exclaimed, his face flushing.
"Yeah, I see what you mean," I said, trying to control the length of the grin spreading across my face.
"Does, well, I mean, obviously Melinda knows I'm here, do you think she's mad?" Draco asked as stopped just outside the library.
"I dunno" I answered with a shrug. Which was half true. She looked shocked when Draco actually noticed her and said her name, and then looked about ready to faint when he wished her a happy birthday. There was glint of angry, but as soon as the Ravenclaw girls approached it disappeared. The girls threw their arms around her, and practically dragged her away. She had looked back, confused and scared, but Draco didn't notice that part, one of the Slytherin boys had started to yell at me but Draco turned to yell back at the boy. I only had to look at Matt for him to understand how important it was to check on Melinda.
"Matt's checking I think," I said slowly, bringing myself back to focus.
"Checking? What do you mean?" Draco asked.
"She looked, worried" I lied. "He just went to make sure she was alright, I'm sure if it were bad, he'd find us right away" I replied, almost wishing I hadn't as I heard footsteps running down a staircase nearby.
"Tammie—"
"Really Matt, really? Couldn't you have just waited, an hour, maybe?" I asked turning to face Matt who had started to open his mouth. "Sorry," I replied rubbing my head.
"Where is she?" Draco asked, springing to life at the thought that Melinda might need him which struck me as absurd.
"Third floor, girl's bathroom…" Matt said nearly whispering. I tried to keep the feeling of disappointment off my face. Hardly anyone ever used that bathroom. Except of course Moaning Myrtle and girls who went off crying.
"Lead the way" I said with another long sigh as I started to follow Matt up, but Draco grabbed my arm. "What the—"
"I'm going with you" he asked, half demanding, half pleading. I looked at Matt, hoping he'd say no, or hoping he'd give Draco one of his cold looks but Matt only shrugged and continued walking.
"C'mon" he said looking over his shoulder at us. I bit down on my tongue to keep from saying anything, and even let Draco walk ahead of me. If I walked close enough to Matt I wouldn't be able to help but get more and more annoyed.
The closer we got, the more anxious I felt. It was never a good sign when a girl was crying in the bathrooms, but crying in a bathroom that was never used and haunted was another matter altogether. It also meant there was the possible she was mad. I wasn't the only one worried; as we finally made it to the hall, both Matt and Draco started to slow down. Even Matt shot me a half nervous glance.
"You go first," Draco told me, giving me a half push to the door. "You know, just in case there's any girls in there—you know, using the bathrooms…" he said. I rolled my eyes and took a step forward, knocking gently on the door as I pushed my way inside.
"Melinda…" I said quietly as the door creaked open. "Melinda, it's—" I cut off and ducked down just as a yellow streak of light flew over my head, hitting the now closed door.