"Wait" Draco looked shocked, embarrassed even. "How the fuck?"
"It's called the Sicilian Defense" I replied.
"I've never heard of it" he said studying the chess board.
"It's a muggle strategy" I shrugged.
Like I said before, my father taught me it.
"Damn" he muttered before rubbing his neck. "Good game" he stuck his hand out for me to shake.
"You need practice Malfoy" I teased shaking his hand.
Immediately I felt sparks shoot through my arm and an electrifying feeling in my nerves. It was just a fucking handshake and this was happening? Oh lord have mercy.
Our hands were shaking for an awkward minute. I think we both felt those weird sensations and the tingles that traveled throughout our bodies. It was exhilarating.
"Ahem" Blaise cleared his throat.
I had forgotten those two were watching us. I quickly pulled his hand out of mine, pretending like whatever had passed through us did not happen. I was so confused, how could I feel these things about someone who was such a player? Haha, no pun intended.
"That was brilliant" Neville beamed happily. "It was even faster than when you handed Ron his arse."
I giggled and blushed embarrassingly. I turned my head away so they couldn't see the heat rising to my cheeks.
"So how does it feel being defeated?" asked Blaise teasingly.
Draco clicked his tongue, "I'll win the next match."
Neville shook his head, "no I don't think you will."
Draco raised his brow, "don't worry Wood. I'll be preparing for a rematch so I suggest you practice some more."
I rolled my eyes at his cockiness and him not wanting to admit that he lost to me. Fucking narcissistic bastard.
"You just don't want to admit that I have dethroned the great Draco Malfoy" I bowed theatrically, making them chuckled around me.
"You haven't dethroned me Wood. You just caught me off guard" Draco said.
"You mean" I corrected him, "that you underestimated me severely thinking I was bad because I was a girl."
Draco clicked his tongue again. "Maybe."
I smirked at him, "well now you know that I'm no ordinary girl Malfoy."
"I think I already knew that" Draco retorted with sly intent. He smirked at me, noticing that my face went blank and my mind began to get fuzzy.
Jesus fuck this guy did things to me and I didn't want to know what, but then again I loved the thrilling feeling that he gave me. The blood rushing through my veins and the bubbling electricity waiting to burst out.
I tried to mask my obvious flusterment.
"Quit flirting" Blaise said.
I forgot he was there again.
"Oh sod off Blaise" Draco scoffed. "We were not 'flirting'" he used air quotes.
Were we?
"Yeah sure" Blaise muttered to Neville.
"I can smell the sexual tension" Neville whispered to Blaise and he agreed.
"I'm going to take that as my que to go" I chuckled lightly getting up from the seat. "Bye" I waved, "Good game Malfoy."
I began to walk away and I opened the portrait door. "Wait" Draco called out.
"Hmm?" I turned my head to face him.
"Let me walk you back" he suggested and I didn't want to make him feel bad and say no, but then again it was going to be extremely awkward.
"Erm sure" I nodded warily.
We walked in an awkward silence that I desperately wanted to break, but I wasn't sure how. I was never good at keeping talk and was never the best conversationalist.
"So" Draco broke the ice, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. "About that fake dating thing."
And here came the talk I was so desperately trying to avoid. It was clear that the topic was uncomfortable with both parties and they both weren't sure how to touch on the sensitive subject.
"We don't have to do it" he said finally after another minute of silence.
"Wait what?" I asked, truly shocked.
He had spent much time convincing me to do it, then taking it all back. For what reason? What was he playing at?
"We don't have to do the fake dating thing. It was stupid of me to ask and I honestly don't really want to do it either" Draco explained.
"O-Okay" I warily nodded. "You sure? Cause you said you want Parkinson off your back."
"Yes I'm sure. I don't want you to feel like you're being pressure into anything. I wouldn't want you to have to go through it either. I mean forcing the girl I fancy..." he trailed of, trying to spare us of the awkward conversation.
"We never talked about that actually" I recalled.
Draco rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. It was clear he didn't want to talk about or had been avoiding the topic for a long time. "So the balls tonight" he steered to a different topic which I noticed, but I chose not to comment on it.
"Yeah" I nodded, my lips pressed tightly together.
"You got a date?" he asked even though he already knew the answer.
"Yeah" she perked up a little, "I'm going with Theo."
"Oh are you guys together?" he asked. Again Draco knew that Theo would never do that to him and it seemed the boy was taking a little liking to Hannah Abbott.
"Of course not" she chuckled airily. "He's just a friend. At the time we both didn't have a date and we just agreed to go together. What about you?"
"Oh I'm not going with anyone" he replied.
"Not Pansy?" I teased him.
Draco's gagged at the name which made me laugh. "We don't speak of her here."
"Nothing wrong with that, but come on. Draco Malfoy doesn't have a date to the Christmas Ball?"
"No one asked me" he shrugged.
"Now that I know is a lie" I pointed a finger at him. "I saw two girls yesterday go up to you and ask, but you turned them both down. Don't lie to me Malfoy."
He got caught. Of course multiple girls had asked him to the ball, but he turned every single one of them down because it was not the girl that he wanted to go with. The person he wanted to go with was being taken by one of his closest friends.
Draco shrugged not knowing what to say. "Didn't interest me."
"Then who does interest you?"
His jaw tensed at my question and he arched an eyebrow at me like I was stupid. "Look we're here." And we were at the entrance of the Ravenclaw common room. The portrait asked the riddle catching my attention and I turned over to Draco who was just gone.
Well that was weird.
I reared by head both sides of the hall, but the boy was no where to be seen. I shrugged to myself at his oddness and entered the common room only to be bombarded by the full force of Ginny and Athena.
"Jesus fuck" I jumped startled, clutching my heart.
"Come on" Athena dragged me.
"Where are we going?"
"To the room."
"Well no shit" I rolled my eyes, "but why?"
"The balls today" Athena replied slamming the door shut as all three of us walked into the room.
"And?"
"And we have to fucking get ready" Athena looked at me like I was a fucking dumbass.
I squinted my eyes and checked the clock on our wall. "But it's like 3."
"Exactly" Athena rushed around the room, pushing me in a chair in front of a mirror and beginning to curl my hair.
"But the ball it 4 hours from now."
"I know we're on a tight schedule, but 4 hours will do" Athena gnawed on a bobby pin. "Wait" she said, "go take a shower."
This was not a suggestion, it was a command.
I looked at her exasperated. "Ginny you too?" I looked at her who was getting my dress out of the box and laying it on the bed. Ginny nodded eagerly with a bright smile and I couldn't help but think that there was something that they weren't telling me.
"Alright then" I shrugged grabbing a robe and walking into the bathroom, running the shower.
"She's going to be the prettiest girl at the ball" Ginny said admiring Adeleine's dress.
"I know that. I've been knowing that" Athena replied, taking out make up products.
"Here let's get you ready first Gin" Athena said.
"You're doing my hair, right?" Ginny asked.
"Obviously."
Athena was the best out of the trio with make up and hair products. Adeleine always suggested that Athena become a hair stylist in the future of have something to do in the fashion industry. Athena never thought that she would be able to make it so instead she practiced on her friends.
"You ready for the plan?" Ginny asked Athena.
"I've never been more ready for something?" Athena replied with a mischievous smirk on her face. "Todays the fucking day. I swear they've ignored their feelings for each other for to long."
"Honestly the amount of times he looks at her in one day. It's so annoying. I counted yesterday to and it was 178 times."
"See they were cute before, but now I find that kind of creepy" Athena commented, curling Ginny's hair. Ginny snorted at this.
"Did you talk to Blaise and Neville about this too?" Athena asked, making sure that Ginny did.
"Obviously" Ginny rolled her eyes. "They think it's a great idea. I told Luna about it and honestly I thought she would disapprove, but she actually liked the idea."
"Really?" Athena asked in disbelief. She knew her girlfriend and usually Luna like to let things flow. She didn't like to meddle and she enjoyed watching people go along the universe's path for them. Athena loved that, but it was clear the universe was directing Draco and Adeleine in some weirdly shaped path that went every which way.
"Yeah she said that it was about time the two got together" Ginny said nodding.
"Stop moving your head or I'll end up burning your hair off" Athena said in a threatening voice, but it was true.
"Jesus christ. Remind me not to cross you when you take care of my make up and hair" Ginny joked. Athena chuckled in response as they both heard the shower turn off.
"Ready?" Athena asked Ginny.
"Always."
