AN: Hello everyone! I want to thank my dear reviewers for their response and I am glad you all thought Daisy was a Gryffindor by heart as well. So a big thank you to that red head girl 14 (I think he might a little as well, but do tell me what you think after this chapter), none yet (Drakey-poo might be yes (; ) and nom nom! Enjoy the chapter and tell me what you think!
Chapter 37
Amortentia. The name had haunted, tormented, and mocked Daisy for the remainder of that week, following her even into her dream world. What on earth would Draco Malfoy need Amortentia for? Or rather; who would he need it for?
It was no secret that the Slytherin had a way of making females go weak in the knees. Even Daisy, who hated him with an intensity that could light the fires in Hell, could not deny to herself that he was good-looking. Sharp but strong facial features, stormy grey eyes and silvery white hair that looked good no matter what – and then there was that subtle but intoxicating smell of green apples and spice. If he wasn't such a right prat, Daisy could easily imagine herself falling for him. Thank God for not allowing that to happen!
It didn't make sense, she had long since concluded. Malfoy had no need for Amortentia as most females at Hogwarts already entertained one erotic fantasy or another with him featuring in it. However, this also begged the question as to who he would need it for. What girl would be important enough to steal ingredients for from Snape's cupboard, important enough to make him go as far as to drug her into loving him?
Daisy ignored the familiar stab in her gut that followed, having noticed over the week that it usually followed her Malfoy and Amortentia centered ponderings. She had deduced that it was most likely her body's way of saying that she'd spent enough time thinking about the idiot. Not that it helped, of course.
'Daisy, your Butterbeer's going cold if you wait any longer.'
She looked up, somewhat dazed to find that they were still seated in the rowdy tavern of the Three Broomsticks Inn. They had spent the day in Hogsmeade and had decided to warm their cold limbs in the pub. Now, the Three Broomsticks itself wasn't really anything special – albeit a bit less shabby than the Leaky Cauldron perhaps – but the fire in the hearth was warm and the Butterbeer good. Or so she had been told. 'Sorry, I was just..'
'Lost in thought,' Amanda finished with a small smile. 'Yes, we know.'
'You tend to do that,' Stojan continued, his smile wider and his perfect white teeth showing.
'That does say something about the company I have, don't you think?'
A moment of silence passed before they all burst out into laughter together and Daisy hoisted her full Butterbeer into the air 'To friendship.'
'To friendship,' the other two echoed, clinking their half empty glasses against the Gryffindor's.
As Daisy took her first sip of Butterbeer, she couldn't help the moan that escaped her lips. Or the one after that. 'This is fantastic!' She cried out and took another sip, allowing a lazy smile to creep up onto her lips 'I love magic.'
She noticed Stojan and Amanda exchange a rather humoured look, but didn't comment. Instead, she opted to finish her drink in the course of the next minute. 'I think I'm going to get another one. Anyone else?'
Her two friends shook their heads, both still nurturing their half-finished drinks between their chilled fingers.
They had sat down in a booth far from the bar, preferring the relative silence it offered over the rowdy area at the front of the tavern. Now, however, as Daisy had to maneuver her way around the many tables – most filled with Hogwarts students – she wished they hadn't. It was a complete bother to have to squeeze through the narrow walkways, having to stop every now and then to apologize to one student or another, or the occasional older, suspicious looking wizard.
She noticed Harry, Ron and Hermione sitting in a booth somewhere in the back and she waved enthusiastically – something the trio returned in various degrees of enthusiasm. Ron was notably the least happy to see her, but Daisy supposed that was to be expected with his sister hating her guts. Who knew what kind of lies she'd been telling him.
When she arrived at the bar at last, she was greeted by a friendly woman with a pretty face. Her curly blond hair was piled up onto her head in a messy bun and her bright blue eyes were shining. 'What can I do for you, love?'
'One Butterbeer, please.'
'Make that two,' another voice drawled as the woman – who she presumed was the famed Madam Rosmerta – was about to turn away from the bar.
In hindsight, Daisy knew she really shouldn't have been surprised when Draco Malfoy stepped up next to her, a lazy smirk on his lips. However, she couldn't help the way her breath got caught in her throat, nor the way her heart seemed to skip a beat. Throwing him one of her most annoyed looks, she pretended none of it had happened, though. 'What do you want, Malfoy?'
He pulled up an eyebrow 'No Draco this time? And here I was thinking we were finally getting along.'
Daisy was ready to punch the crap out of him, would even have done it right then and there with half of Hogwarts present, but was stopped by the voice of the landlady.
'Here you go, kids. That will be three sickles each.'
She was fishing out her wallet, ready to start fiddling with the strange wizarding money, when a hand came forward and rested on her lower arm, the heat scorching the bare skin.
'Allow me.' And before she knew it, he had laid not six, but eight silver sickles on the bar. Grabbing one of the tankards, he left without another word.
Daisy was left standing there for another moment, alternating between staring at the empty place beside her and the paid Butterbeer on the bar. Then, as she noticed Madam Rosmerta was giving her increasingly meaningful looks, she took her drink and left.
'What happened to you?' Amanda asked, taking in the empty look and overall slowness of her friend as she returned to their table.
The Gryffindor just shook her head, placing the Butterbeer absent-mindedly on the table as she opted to stare into the distance. Her mind had gone completely blank and her lust for the drink had vanished completely. She took a large swig from the tankard, nevertheless, hoping that it would somehow ease her frazzled nerves. A treacherous voice in the back of her mind wondered when Draco Malfoy started to have such an effect on her, but she pointedly ignored it.
'You do know there's alcohol in that.. right?' Amanda inquired carefully, worry clearly etched in the frown on her face, as Daisy finished the last of her Butterbeer.
'We saw that Malfoy boy follow you to the bar. He didn't give you any trouble, did he?'
Daisy's silence was all the confirmation the Bulgarian needed and his eyebrows pulled together in a deep frown.
'Shte go ubiya, tupo kopele,' he growled, sounding so menacing that Daisy did not even want to know what it meant. His fingers were wrapped tightly around his tankard, the knuckles white from exercise and his look positively murderous. When he spoke again, his accent was thick and his anger barely controlled. 'What did he do?'
'Nothing! I.. He..'
'He what?'
She blushed at this point, for the first time in years, and looked down into her empty glass. 'He bought me a drink.'
The imprecation that he had no doubt ready died on his lips and his mouth fell open. 'Oh.'
'Yes.. oh, indeed.'
Shte go ubiya, tupo kopele = I'll kill him, bastard.