Chapter 7: You Played Me Wrong.
Nadia woke on the morning of her birthday feeling light and excited, she stretched yawned and climbed out of bed towards her pile of presents. Anticipation and excitement gripped through her, but she resisted the temptation until the others woke up.
So, to pass the time she decided to go get ready and dressed, so she quietly tiptoed to the bathroom and closed the door.
After she'd finished getting ready she proceeded back towards her bed, however, she was stopped short by a clinking coming from the window. She glanced over and relaxed when she found the source of the sound, Athena. In her beak was a small piece of fraying parchment, Nadia's heart skipped a beat.
Draco.
She quickly rushed towards the window, opened it, and took the letter from the small owl's beak. Her heart began to pound faster when she noticed the neat calligraphy that could only be made by the hands of Draco. She quickly un-done the seal and pulled the letter out from inside the envelope.
Nadia,
Happy Birthday. Don't worry I haven't forgotten your present, it's just I wanted to give you it in person that's all. Meet me at 9 near the room of requirement. If that's ok? I know you might not want to leave your party. You are the guest of honour after all. I'll understand if you don't show.
I'll be waiting.
DM x
Nadia continued to re-read the letter a few times and each time her heart swelled even more. He Draco Malfoy, had thought of her, remembered her birthday, and spent his money to buy her a present. He really is kind.
Before the others woke up and distracted her from replying, she quickly grabbed her quill and a new piece of parchment and wrote her reply.
Dear Draco.
Of course, I will meet you! A friend is always more important than a party. I'm sure they won't miss me. Meet you at 9 sharp, don't be late.
Nadia. X
She then re-read it, just to make sure there weren't any mistakes, her stomach began to knot when she reached the word friends. They were friends, nothing, more right? They both shared mutual feelings, feelings of friends. So why was she so disappointed at the word friends? They would never be anything more, she knew that.
Before she could change her mind, she quickly placed the parchment in an envelope, sealed it shut and sent it away with Athena.
Suddenly, after a few short seconds Ginny and Hermione began to arouse from their sleep slumber. They yawned, stretched, and casted their beady eyes over towards Nadia. For a few seconds their eyes began to adjust and eventually they identified who She was. With sleep still laced through their voice, they mumbled a sleepy,
"Happy Birthday."
Nadia gave them a soft smile, while they slowly got up from their beds and came to sit opposite Nadia in her's. They gave Nadia a gentle three-way hug and then motioned for Nadia to begin opening her presents.
From her Mother and Father, she received a new pair of black Nike trainers.
From Hermione, she received a new book of spells, which Nadia was very thrilled about, because quite frankly she was getting rather annoyed at not knowing many spells.
From Harry and Ron, she was given 2 identical small sweet hampers filled with magical sweets she had never even heard of. They were more alike then they knew.
Then finally from Ginny she received a new hairbrush, hairbands, and hair straighteners. Nadia glanced over a said person with raised eyebrows.
"What? I bought you them because you keep breaking mine with your big bushy hair! And as for the straighteners there like a joint present from the other Weasley's, mostly mum." Ginny exclaimed and the girls couldn't help but laugh. Nadia then quickly pulled the girls into another three-way hug, while muttering loads of thank-you's. They stayed like this for a while before Hermione's voice was heard through an assortment of tangled limbs and bushy hair.
"This all very nice, but I am getting rather hungry." So, the three pulled away, Hermione and Ginny began to get ready while Nadia sat waiting, while her stomach rumbled, for them to hurry up.
Eventually, the three girls made to the great hall where much of the student body were situated. Ginny said a quick goodbye and another happy birthday to Nadia before she departed to sit with her friends. When they got to the Gryffindor table she was again bombarded with yet more happy birthday's which she again replied with thanks. She then sat down next to Harry just in time to see him spit his drink out, in a rather comical way, while watching Cho from across the hall.
Could Harry be any more obvious?
"Look at this!" Nadia quickly glanced over at Hermione to see she was reading this morning's daily prophet and looked very angry. "I can't believe it she's done it again. Miss Granger a plain but ambitious girl seems to be developing a taste for famous wizards. Her latest prey sources report is none other than the Bulgarian bon-bon Viktor Krum. No word yet on how Harry Potter's taking this latest emotional blow." Hermione finished angrily, causing Nadia to feel somewhat sorry for her. In fact, Nadia was quite pleased she wasn't in that newspaper yet. However, that was probably due to the fact that she was avoiding Rita Skeeter like the plague.
"Wait there's something about you two Nadia!" Hermione exclaimed and Nadia's head shot up like a rocket, eager to hear what she had to say. "the two Triwizard champions Nadia Bowmen and Cedric Diggory seem to be hitting it off. However, are they together or is this relationship all for show. I'm leaning towards the latter, Nadia seems like a very fame hungry girl. You never know she might be fighting for the attention of famous Mr Potter next. I wonder how Miss Granger will feel about that." Hermione concluded and Nadia felt her insides boil with rage, how dare Skeeter say such rude things about her in such a popular newspaper! She was not fame hungry! Far from it!
"I'm not surprised, she's probably trying to get me back for saying no to an interview at the first task. The horrible women." Nadia mumbled loudly and Hermione took her hand for comfort.
"Wait you and Cedric aren't actually, together, are you?" Ron asked, causing him to get a death stare from Nadia and a harsh 'no' from Hermione. Suddenly, the conversation was interrupted by a small Gryffindor carrying a large parcel, that seemed to be the size of him.
"Parcel for you Mr Weasley." The boy said confidently, Nadia couldn't help but smile brightly at him.
"Thank you, Nigel." Ron replied moodily, however, the boy continued standing, gawking up towards Nadia and Harry. "Not now Nigel, later, go on." Ron stated and he gave Nigel a little nudge, Nigel then turned around and departed. Once Nigel had gone Nadia, Hermione and Harry both raised their eyebrows up in question at Ron.
"I told him I'd get him Harry's and Nadia's autograph. Oh, look mums sent me something. Mum sent me a dress?" Ron shouted, he had finally un-wrapped the package and in his hands, were very ugly looking dress robes. Nadia couldn't help but giggle.
"Well it does match your eyes, is there a bonnet?" Harry said with sarcasm and then proceeded to look through the packaging of the box while Ron shot him a death stare.
"Not being funny Ron, but I feel sorry for the person taking you to the ball." Nadia giggled, causing a chain reaction of giggles around her. However, Ron seemed to have ignored Nadia's statement because he was now proceeding to walk towards Ginny, who was having a hard time not giggling.
"Ginny these must be for you." Ron shouted and continued to throw the garment towards Ginny, however, she threw them right back at him,
"I'm not wearing them, there ghastly!" Ginny laughed and Ron's face continued to colour to that of his hair.
"There not for Ginny silly! There for you, there dress robes." Hermione explained and Ron's face continued to turn even more crimson.
"Dress robes? What for?"
The rest of the morning was spent in the great hall with Professor McGonagall practicing the waltz for the yule ball. However, it was vital that Harry and Nadia learnt it to perfection because unfortunately that champions had to perform the opening dance. Great.
After the practice, Nadia's feet were aching, so she decided to skip lunch and retire to the dormitory for some rest. So, she laid on her bed and started to read the book of spells Hermione had given her for her birthday. Although, Nadia began to find that the spells on the first few pages were rather easy and she found that she could do most of them first try.
She was then going to start on some much harder spells were the door to the dorm burst open and in walked a very angry Hermione. She then began to pace across the room, all the while mumbling obscenities, most of which start with Ron.
"Erm, Hermione are you ok?" Nadia asked and Hermione's head snapped up. She took a deep breath and then plopped herself on the bed in front of Nadia.
"No, I'm not ok, all thanks to Ron! He was going to ask me to the yule ball, but he asked me in the rudest way possible! He was telling me it was sad for a girl to go alone, then I shouted at him saying I actually have a date and then stormed out, the cheek of him!" Hermione babbled quickly, making it hard for Nadia to keep up, thankfully she could.
"Wait you have a date who?" Nadia exclaimed and she was grateful that this was the right thing to say because Hermione's face changed from anger to joy.
"Don't tell anyone but Viktor Krum." Hermione whispered and Nadia's eyes bulged in shock.
"Viktor Krum! Ohh my goodness! I'm so happy for you!" Nadia whispered back happily and she grabbed Hermione into a bone-crushing hug.
"Have you got a date yet?" Hermione mumbled into her shoulder, Nadia pulled away and looked at Hermione sadly.
"No, but Ohh well." Nadia replied with a shrug of her shoulders.
"What about you know?" She winked, however before Nadia could reply, the common room room door banged open and group of people and a lot of noise followed.
"Let's go see what that's all about." Nadia suggested and she grabbed Hermione's hand and they continued to walk down the stone steps into the main common area. In one of the armchairs was a very shocked Ron, there were also a very large group of Gryffindor's, two of them being harry and Ginny. Ginny quickly filled the two girls in on what happened because apparently, there was a bit,
"Ron just asked Fleur to the ball, well shouted at her actually. Anyway, she said no and now Ron seems a little shocked." Ginny explained and Nadia couldn't help but laugh slightly at the image.
"What else? I ran for it. I'm not cut out for this Harry. I don't know what got into me." Ron mumbled sadly and Nadia couldn't help but feel sorry for him. She had to help and suddenly she had an idea.
"Ron, and I know this kind of isn't allowed but would you like to go to the ball with me?" Nadia asked gently and watched as Ron's face lit up with joy.
"Of course, I'll go with you Nadia!"
Eventually, after waiting a full agonizing day, it was finally Nadia's birthday party. With Hermione's hand in hers they started the walk towards the great hall. She was nervous, funnily enough, she hated so much attention. She was also nervous about meeting Draco, was it butterflies? Does that mean she likes him? Or what if she is just excited to see him? No, she couldn't think of that now, she had to have fun. She began to grip Hermione's hand tighter as they rounded the corner into the great hall.
Shouts and cheers of 'Happy Birthday' erupted through Nadia's ears like a train and she laughed to herself. Tears began to well in her eyes as she realised how many people cared, she was thankful that she had so many friends.
The hall was packed, many the Gryffindor's were there, as well as Luna and Cho from Ravenclaw, Cedric and a few of his friends from Hufflepuff and surprisingly a few people from Durmstrang. However, there were no slytherins.
After many more 'Happy birthdays' Nadia eventually made it to the drinks table where she downed a celebratory drink with her close friends. She then grabbed Hermione's and George's hands and pulled them towards the dance floor, where they continued to dance to Glantis, 'Love on me.' She enjoyed dancing with George, she hadn't spent much time with him since arriving at Hogwarts's and she vowed to herself to change that.
Every so often Nadia kept glancing at her watch to check the time 7.00, then 7.30, then 8.00. Argh she had one more hour to kill. Why was she so adamant to leave her own party? She loved to party, right? She then cleared her brain from any thoughts of Draco and collected another drink from the drinks table. The song then changed to a slow song, which Nadia recognised as You Ruin Me by the veronicas. The change in music caused a few people to leave the dance floor but they were quickly replaced by couples.
"May I have this dance." Nadia glanced over at the speaker and she was shocked to find it was Ron. She then took his hand and they walked onto the dance floor and danced.
"Did you want to get some practicing in before the yule ball? Not surprised you are a little rusty." Nadia joked and she was surprised at how easy it was to use banter with Ron.
"Says you the one with the two left feet." Ron joked back and Nadia couldn't help but laugh. The song then quickly ended and Ron departed to go to the bathroom, typical. She quickly checked her watch and was shocked at what the time was 8.58. Damn it she was going to be late.
She rushed out of the great hall and up the stairs as quick as she could, as quick as you can in heels that Is. Eventually she arrived panting and slightly sweaty, to find Draco slumped on the floor against the wall looking slightly angry.
"Draco." Nadia asked softly and Draco glanced over at her with his famous smirk. Her tummy began to flutter with butterflies as she walked and sat beside Draco against the wall.
"I thought you'd forgotten about me?" Draco teased but she was shocked to find there was a hint of anger in there two.
"No of course not, I would never forget about you." She replied flirtatiously and she was surprised to find how easy it was when you were a little drunk. Draco let out a barely audible scoff, however, Nadia heard it and she wondered why his was being so distant. He then began to rummage in his pocket, he turned around to face her and placed a small red box in Nadia's hands.
"Happy Birthday Nadia." He whispered quietly causing the butterflies to swarm and her heart to beat faster. She opened the box and inside was a small gold chain with a lion pendent. The sign of Gryffindor. It was beautiful.
"Ohh Draco this is beautiful thank you." She whispered and looked up at him, she sucked in a breath when she realised how close they were, close enough to kiss. She waited and waited but nothing happened. She felt her heart beating so fast she thought it would explode.
Kiss me!
Why aren't you kissing me!
Then he spoke so quietly it was almost not even a whisper,
"Nadia, will you go to the yule ball with me?" Her heart and stomach seemed to knot in disappointment, Ohh if only he had asked me earlier.
"Ohh Draco, I would've loved to but I'm going with someone else." Nadia said softly, however, it was like she had flicked a switch because his face contorted to a look of anger and then he jumped to his feet in a rush.
"Ohh let me guess, you're going with perfect Mr Diggory?" He shouted causing Nadia to flinch slightly in shock.
"what n- "She started to say but was interrupted by Draco.
"No, you know what go with him. I don't care! I don't care about you, I never did! Your nothing to me! Understand! I was just using you for a bit of fun, I was simply just playing you. And you were oblivious to it all! Quite hilarious! Anyway, enjoy you time with Diggory, I'm sure it won't last!" He shouted and then he stormed off leaving Nadia to silently cry in the corridor.
You played me wrong.
Put two can play that game
The game I like to call playing with people's hearts.
