Disclaimer. I think every person on here knows that Harry Potter belongs to JKR. I am but a fan. From this point forward please note that I own nothing. This story also might jump from T to M later on... we'll see. :)
Gray Angeline was a vision, easily one of the most interesting people at Hogwarts. I watched her as she sat pretending to eat dinner while actually being engrossed in the novel she was reading. Her long black hair was in a braid over her shoulder and she played with the end of it occasionally. Although her eyes were focused on her text I knew them to be a bright sky blue. I often wished her eyes would seek me out, but they never did. Being the King of the school definitely had its perks, but what was the point in getting attention from everyone except the one you wanted it from? I sighed into my glass, taking a sip of pumpkin juice to mask it.
Fifth year had just begun, and I predicted that it would go much as every other year. Potter and his cohorts would work all year on some crazy mystery only to have it solved in a rather dramatic fashion at the end of the year. Gryffindor would win the house cup because Dumbledore loved them, and they would also win the Quiddich cup, because why not? And through all of this, Gray would not even realize that half the students, let alone me, were around her.
She was raised together with me and my friends in the pure blood society circles. Gray had always been different, a loner, and way too smart. It was no surprise that when everyone else we knew was sorted into Slytherin, she was sorted into Ravenclaw. Even as a kid she acted like we didn't exist. Maybe it was her blatant disinterest in me, which was quite rare, maybe it was her fantastic looks, maybe both, but Gray had a pull on my attention. Blaise drew my attention by clearing his throat loudly. I looked at over at him, he was sitting across from me at the table. "Stare any harder and you might get a headache." He grinned.
"Oh sod off Zabini." I rolled my eyes, and refocused on my dinner.
"Dear Diary, it's been fifteen years and she still hasn't noticed me. Do you think she'll ever take her nose out of her book and notice me and my Adonis like appearance?" He clasped his hands and fluttered his lashes at me. "Seriously Draco I don't know what your fascination is." He turned around briefly to check Gray out. "She is pretty hot I guess." He shrugged. I just glared at him. "You waste so much time mooning after her, I don't understand, there are plenty of girls who are just as pretty who won't completely ignore you."
"I know all of this Blaise. Just shut up!" I snapped. If it wasn't the first feast of the year I would have stood up and stormed away, but no one was allowed to leave the great hall before Dumbledore gave the closing speech. I wished he would just get on with it, Blaise had put me in a foul mood, and I was more than ready to go down to the Slytherin common room and sleep. Eventually the old codger stood and said something about upcoming trials and such. I tended not to listen to Dumbledore when he spoke.
At long last we were able to leave and I trotted down to the dungeon and into the Slytherin commons. I breathed a sigh of relief. This was my true home, the dark cavernous recesses of the room called to me and I was more comfortable here than anywhere else. All of the furniture was done in Slytherin colours, and the fire that was burning hot in the fireplace did little to lighten the space. I veered off to the left where the boys dorms were, I went down a small flight of stairs to find a long hallway. First and second year students had to sleep four to a room, but third year and up only had to have one roommate, unless your family was wealthy and respected, and could entice the head of house to give you a single room. I had of course been in a single room since third year, being the son of Lucius Malfoy entitled me to such treatment. I strolled along until I found the door with my name on the plaque. I opened to door and entered, shutting and locking the door behind me. I walked over to my bed and flopped onto it, groaning.
Of course Gray was a source of constant aggravation for me, but I had more on my mind than that. I knew that the rumors that had been circulating since Diggory had died at the end of the Triwizard tournament the year before were true. Voldemort was back, and with a vengeance. There was pressure from my family to join his cause, but I was almost sure that I didn't want to. It was no secret that I wasn't very fond of mudbloods, but surely they didn't have to die, or be denied education. I was starting to think that the death eaters were full of it. Of course I had to keep the outward appearance that I heartily believed in the cause or I was sure there would be hell to pay.
Being at school was an utter relief, while I was at Hogwarts I couldn't be pressured into anything. I decided then and there, lying on my bed, that I would find a task to fill my mind with. That's how I decided that Gray Angeline would be my girl before I went home for Christmas. I sat up, energized by my new purpose. I went to my desk and drew a piece of parchment toward myself. I had to figure out how to one, get her to notice me, probably the hardest step. Two, like me, a lot easier than the first part, and then three, get her to date me. I was almost sure that the third part would be tricky too. Gray had been single her whole life as far as I knew. It was like relationships meant nothing to her, from what I could tell she only cared about books. I jotted down a few notes about how I could achieve each part of the plan.
With that in mind I figured that I would probably be spending more time in the library than I was used to. I knew that she liked to hang about in there. I almost decided it was a mad idea and wanted to give up before I started. But then the image of Gray swam into my mind. Her eyes that were solemn and intelligent. I thought of her lips which she casually bit as she read. Of her hair that was like an obsidian waterfall, cascading around her when her hair was down. The look of concentration that caused her forehead to wrinkle slightly and a pout to grace her features when she was trying to learn and master something new. I shook my head at myself. This was not how I was supposed to be.
The school knew me as a playboy who swaggered around and was full of confidence. Not some dumb boy who pined after a girl in secret, or not so secret as Blaise had pointed out. Until I got to phase two of my plan I would have to do a better job of acting like myself. I snorted at the oxymoron of acting natural. Deciding to give my brain a rest I gathered up my shower things and a pair of pajama bottoms and made my way to one of the boys bathrooms, I had one just two doors down from my room. After showering my mind felt a little less foggy and I gratefully sink into the plush softness of my bed. I was exhausted, mentally, and sleep thankfully came easy to me.
When I woke in the morning I was refreshed and renewed. I knew I could achieve what I wanted, and wasted no time in getting on track. I quickly got ready for the day, making sure that my hair looked perfectly rumpled; I had figured out the year before that girls liked the mussed look better than the perfect slicked hair look. I picked a piece of lint off of my robe and set off to the common room.
"Oh Drakie, there you are! Where were you last night?" I heard Pansy simper from one of the couches, getting up and slipping her arm through mine. I didn't fight her, but Pansy was of little interest to me.
"I was tired, so I decided on an early night last night. You have a problem with that Parkinson?" I asked looking down at her as we exited the common room and made our way up to the Great Hall for breakfast.
"Well no, not really, I just missed you last night. That's all." She fluttered her heavily mascaraed eyelashes at me. I bit back a sigh.
"Sorry Pans, but I can't schedule my sleeping habits around you."
"Oh, but you could." I think she was trying to flirt, but I wasn't having it.
"No. I can't." I answered shortly. Pansy pouted and finally let go of my arm as we reached the Slytherin table. I looked over at her and smirked her overly saddened expression. "Oh, cheer up Pansy, things could be worse." She arched an over-plucked eyebrow in question. "You could be Hermione Granger." Her mouth popped open in surprise, and then she let out a giggle.
"Well that does make me feel better, no matter how bad things are, they could always be worse, I could be Granger!" She shrieked out a laugh again and then turned to the table to heap breakfast onto her plate. I rolled my eyes. She would take a bunch of food and take two bites of it before claiming she was full. Blaise plopped down in front of me just as I had scooped some eggs onto my plate.
"Good morning Draco, trust you slept well."
"I slept just fine Blaise, and you?"
"Oh excellently; you must have told one hell of a joke to Pansy to make her squeal like that." He commented in an offhand way.
"Hmm, well you know her, simple minded." Pansy who was sitting right next to me didn't even realize we were talking about her. "I merely rejected her advances, and to deal with that upset told her to consider herself lucky. No matter how bad her day is, it could always be worse, because she could be Hermione Granger." Blaise chuckled.
"Good one." Blaise quipped and then started prattling on about classes and I zoned out. It was then that I noticed Gray coming into the hall for breakfast, her hips swinging perfectly as she walked. I only noted her for a brief second, keeping to my self-pact of playing it cool. I knew even in the brief glimpse, that failing my plan was not an option.
AN: Ahh the start of a new story. I've got big plans for this puppy. The POV will switch between characters, mainly between Draco and Gray I think. My chapters should get longer from here on out. Please, please leave me a review and tell me your initial thoughts on this, I'll love you forever! Happy reading! ~WS