The days leading up to my detention with Malfoy went by fast. I almost forgot about it until Wednesday night. I came into the common room to curl up in my favourite armchair when Jane reminded me,
"Rose, aren't you supposed to be in detention?"
"Oh Merlin!" I said jumping up from my cosy spot.
I checked my watch and I was five full minutes late. I harshly grabbed my bag and ran out of the common room. I ran down many, many, many flights of stairs almost killing myself ever time the stupid staircases changed unexpectedly. I ran all the way to Flitwick's office.
By the time I got there it was quarter past. I walked in without knocking regretting it straight away. Flitwick and Malfoy were sitting at the professor's desk staring at me as I walked in a hot sweaty mess, my shirt wasn't even buttoned right and my tie was missing. I had lost it in Herbology to a plant that got a bit too grabby.
I could feel my cheeks burning and sweat shining on my forehead. Malfoy sat there looking at me, uggh I wished he'd stopped.
"Miss Weasley," said Professor Flitwick. "I am so glad you could grace us with your presence."
I took a seat in front of his desk next to Malfoy.
"Sorry, Sir." I said innocently. "I was helping another student to the Hospital Wing after a bad potions accident."
Flitwick accepted my lie as an appropriate true excuse. Malfoy on the other hand knew it was all hippogriff. He turned to me giving me a look that said 'I know you're lying' plus 'I hate you're guts'.
"That's fine." Professor Flitwick said. "Now to your punishment you will be to mopping the floors in the seventh floor corridor."
I groaned inwardly. Malfoy look like he had the phase 'my father will hear about this' on his tongue.
"Without magic." He added.
I wanted to protest and hold onto my wand like it was my life line but Malfoy already doing it for me.
"Mr Malfoy, Please, Mr Filch is waiting for you so if I were you I would get there fast. You're already late."
I stood up and swung my bag onto my shoulder Malfoy irritably followed. I moved fast, I didn't want to get a third detention with Malfoy for being late to a detention with Malfoy.
"Thanks a lot for getting me into this, Weasley." Malfoy snapped sarcastically when we were out of hearing distant of Flitwick's office.
"You started it, Malfoy!" I snapped I was prepared for this argument, waiting for it. "You're the who called me a filthy half-blood and weasel!"
"What? Would you've prefer me to kiss you?" he said leading into me sticking out his tongue and wagging it.
I grimaced in the disgust and anger. Without thinking I swung fist hitting him straight in his pointed face.
Malfoy burst out laughing.
I cringed, I had to admit it was a pathetic punch but I never punch someone in the face before. Next time I'll aim for the crouch, guaranteed pain.
His laughter filled the corridor. I took this moment of distraction to quickly walk away from him only to have him right next to me seconds later.
"What was that?" Malfoy laughed.
I ignored him. I could feel my brow frowning in the intenseness of my hatred for him.
"That was the worst punch ever."
Still ignoring him.
"You so tiny Weasley."
Still ignoring him, I could see out of the corner of my eye that me ignoring him was annoying him.
Without warning he suddenly picked up my arm that was closest to him lifting it in the air. He kept a firm grip on my wrist as I struggled to get away.
"Merlin, you skin and bones, Weasley." Malfoy said. "And yet you eat nearly all the food at the Ravenclaw table."
"Are you watching me, Malfoy?"
Malfoy flushed, shut up and turned away from me. I yanked my arm free giving him a strange look.
'Looks like I know what gets to him.' I thought full of glee. I didn't really put much thought into Malfoy's strange reaction. I was just delighted that I found something I could get to him with.
"Why are you looking me, Malfoy?" I asked by giggles almost sweeping into my voice.
"Shut up, Weasley!" Malfoy snapped.
I didn't have time to retort as we were already on the seventh floor corridor approaching a skulking Filch. His cat Mrs Norris was beside him looking like she was about to turn to dust and bones.
"It's about time." Mr Filch said snarling at showing his black and yellow teeth. "If I had my way you'd be hanging from the ceiling and whipped by now."
I resisted the urge to wipe Filches nasty spit from my face. Merlin, he spat when he talked. I looked over at Malfoy who looked rather amused and bored at Filch threat.
"No magic is to be used." Filch said with a cruel happiness running through his voice. "Give me your wands."
We handed our wand over to Filches unclean dead skin covered hands. I made a mental reminder to clean my wand later.
We stood where we were as Filch hobbled off to a nearby broom cupboard producing two ancient mops and buckets filled with sloshing water. I felt my mouth curve distastefully.
Filch thrusted one mop in to each of our hands placing the buckets down in front of us.
"I want to see my face in this corridor." Filch said spitting in our faces once again.
"Why would you want to see that?" Malfoy muttered under this breath.
Filch scowled at Malfoy. "Sparkling!" he spat leaving us to our mopping.
As Filch rounded the corridor we stood in silence. I made the first move. I picked up my bucket and headed to the other side of the corridor, Malfoy followed.
"What are you doing, Weasley?" Malfoy asked stepping into pace with me.
"What it look like, Malfoy? Let me get on with it. You start at the other side of the corridor."
"No I'll think I'll join you Weasley since you clumsiness is going to mess it up."
I groaned loudly. "Malfoy will you please…"
"Or we could just call a house elf."
"No way Malfoy that would be cruel!"
"Hogwarts' House Elves!" Malfoy called. "HOGWARTS' HOUSE ELVES!"
Malfoy looked around him as if one of them would appear behind him.
I wasn't surprised it didn't work.
"That was pathetic." I said laughing, stopping at the end of the corridor. I put my bag down Malfoy followed.
"Well at least I'm trying." Malfoy snapped.
"No, I'm trying see." I said dipping my mop into the bucket, beginning the back aching mopping.
Malfoy's face filled with disgust. Obviously Draco Malfoy's precious little gem never lifted a finger in his house.
"I'll tell Flitwick if you don't help." I threatened.
"Ooooh I am so scared." Malfoy said in mock horror.
But he picked up his mop and helped me.
There was uncomfortable silence for a while. I hated not being able to talk to people, but what could I say to Malfoy 'How's the weather?'
I tried to entertain myself with my imagination. This was a bad idea because I lost focus and I may have leaned on my mop too hard and fallen flat on my face.
"Ow." Was the first thing I said after I yelped like an injured puppy.
Malfoy burst out laughing. At first I thought my face was broken. I fought back tears as I tasted the coppery taste of blood in my mouth (perfect). It really did hurt.
I didn't want to get up. I just wanted to get away from here. Malfoy laughter started to fade away as I saw him out of the corner of my eyes approach me.
"Weasley?" he said kneeling down next to me giving me a hard poke.
"Go away, Malfoy." I said trying to sound angry but instead sounding hoarse.
My face was still on the floor. Suddenly Malfoy wrapped his arms around my chest to pull me up next to me.
I blushed.
WHY AM I BLUSHING?!
"Are you okay?" He asked still holding me.
For some reason I lost my ability to speak. I was sweaty from mopping, on the verge of tears, blushing, bleeding and couldn't speak Merlin what was wrong with me?
The blood from my mouth started to drizzle down my chin. Could this get more embarrassing?
'Merlin, I wish I was away else but here?!' I thought over and over in my mind.
Then suddenly,
"Merlin!" Malfoy yelled his eyes widened at something behind us.
At least I had enough body control to turn my head.
"Merlin!" I whispered.
It was the Room of Requirement. A large door like the one in the Great Hall materialised in front of us.
Malfoy stood up forgetting to let go of me bringing me up with him. That only thing that distracted me from the Room of Requirement was being this close to him. I could smell him- MERLIN ROSE EWWW!
I cringed and pushed myself out of his arms. Without further or due we both pushed open the door to revealing a room that looked like a Slytherin slash Ravenclaw revision of a common room. It had a fire place with a roaring firing and a sofa across from it with two armchairs surrounding the sofa. It was cosy and warm with its own bookcase filled with all sorts of books. The decorations consisted of sliver, green, bronze and blue.
"My parent's told me about this." I said forgetting it was Malfoy I was talking to. "But they never told me its extract location. They said that I would have to find it myself."
"My dad told me about it." Malfoy said forgetting that it was me who he was talking to. "Not much, just a stupid story."
I nodded. It was probably what went down in the Room of Requirement during the Battle of Hogwarts. I didn't press on it I didn't want to discuss that now.
Malfoy went in and threw himself on the sofa. I, of course, went in and was pulled towards the books.
I examined the books, running my fingers across their spines.
"Most of these belong in the resisted section." I thought out loud.
Malfoy immediately shot up and ran over next to me.
"This is freaking awesome!" he grinned as he pulled out a book on hexes and jinxes.
I, on the other hand, went for a book on Transfiguration hoping to get a sneak peak into the more advance stuff. It's always great to get ahead.
"You're still bleeding." Malfoy said from his spot on the sofa.
Thanks a lot Malfoy! That reminded me of my… accident. Pain once again erupted with a strong sting in my mouth.
"What am I supposed to do about it?" I snapped.
He handed me a dark green cloth from his robe pocket. I examined it like it was a potential bomb. It was hand chief (thankfully clean) with the Malfoy crest embroidered on it along with the letters S.M.
I gave him a confused look. It was very out of character for Malfoy to be helpful or even remotely nice.
Malfoy sank a bit in his seat when he saw me looking.
"I don't want to be looking at your bloody messed up face all night." He said returning to his book.
I sniffed it to see if it was coated with poison. It just smelled of Malfoy, it was nice- EWWWWWW WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME?!
I placed it on my bleeding mouth that was slowly coming to a halt. Then I suddenly remembered our detention after I glanced up at the clock on the wall out the corner my eye.
I hurried out grabbing a piece of Malfoy's robes on the way to the door dragging him with me.
"Weasley?!-"
"We need to finish cleaning the floor before Filch comes back or will be here all night." I said quickly.
When we made it outside thankfully there was no Filch in sight or that oversized rat Mrs Norris.
I slowly picked up my mop again. I wanted to go back into the Room of Requirement but I had to get this over and done with and maybe after… Professor Sinistra wouldn't miss me that much if I didn't show up for class.
Malfoy after a lot of complaining went back to mopping with me. My bleeding mouth that stopped, I shoved the hand chief into my pocket absent-mindedly forgetting it was Malfoy's.
After about 20 minutes our mopping had turned into a race. That was actually pretty fun. I couldn't stop laughing. It was like I was with my friends again. I kept forgetting it was him I was with.
When Filch found us, let's just say he wasn't very happy about us howling with laughter running up and down the seventh floor corridor.
He made us mop the floor again this time under his supervision. It was past midnight by the time he let us go. So it was pointless to show up to Astronomy now. I couldn't go back into the Room of Requirement because Filch wouldn't leave the corridor.
I walked back with Malfoy sticking close to the shadows to avoid getting caught by the teachers and prefects. We didn't say anything to each other. For the first time we weren't arguing it was just awkward, unsure silence. We parted ways at the Grand Staircase grunting a goodbye to each other awkwardly.
