"C'mon, Weasley," Malfoy said unable to completely shake the smile from his face. He stood up, reached down and grabbed my hand pulling me up. His hand was surprisingly warm despite him being drenched in freezing lake water.
Malfoy held onto my hand a second too long. I averted my eyes suddenly feeling embarrassed as he awkwardly shook his hand free. It was hard to shake the blush off my face that just wouldn't stop. My hand felt too tingly, in fact, everything felt tingly. Malfoy made me feel ting- SHUT UP, ROSE.
I shivered as we walked to the shore of the Black Lake which was only a couple of steps away. We both came to a silent understanding that the muddy slope and the prickly bush were really not worth going back through. Somehow it was even colder not sitting in freezing water. My robes stuck to my skin, heavy and thick, which made me feel really self-conscious when Malfoy gaze kept moving towards me (as in everywhere but my face-eeeeeewwwww). My teeth were chattering non-stop. Pumpkin followed us from a careful distance on the small bit of land alongside the lake watching us curiously with his wide eyes.
"Merlin, Malfoy," I said when we finally were back on dry land. My shaking hands reached for my wand that had luckily not fallen out. "We really should not have done that."
Malfoy reached for his wand as well. There was a pattering sound of water dripping from our robes onto the small bit of sand that lined the shore of the lake. My hair was matted to my face and kept getting into eyes. It was so annoying, it was probably (somehow) still managing to stay fizzy. I probably looked like something that crawled out of the Forbidden Forest.
"You started it, Weasley," Malfoy said his words shuddering with the cold. "You splashed me first."
I shook my head and chuckled. "No, Malfoy, you started it when you pushed me into the water."
Then I cast the drying charm and then the heating charm. I felt a million times better.
Malfoy sneered, "Only because you were trying to drown me."
"Untrue," I said watching Malfoy fumble with the words of the charm as he teeth chattered with the cold. I, trying to look as effortless as possible, flicked my wand in the motion of the enchantments drying and heating Malfoy.
I snorted. "Maybe I was."
"I would thank you for this, Weasley," Malfoy said gesturing to the newly dried and heated robes. "But I know you just did that to feed your ego."
"I wasn't," I protested. "You would still be soaking if it wasn't for me."
"I am more than capable of doing it," Malfoy said frowning.
I could feel us on the verge of an argument. "Malfoy, I don't want to fight with you."
I said with a sigh walking over and picking up Pumpkin who was licking his paws nearby. I didn't want him to go running off again.
An expression of surprise shot on Malfoy face but disappeared as soon as it had come and was replaced by a guarded expression and a raised eyebrow. I have to admit I was bit taken back by my lack of enthusiasm to argue with Malfoy but I couldn't find it. All I could find was a painful sigh. But without me and Malfoy fighting what were we? We were not friends, I couldn't label Malfoy as my friend, my friends were Jane and Abby, Malfoy was just on a whole other scale. I hated to admit it but I liked talking to him. These days we discussed things more than argued and debated each other's opinions on things. There was something different about talking to Malfoy, it was interesting and we could go on for ages without running out of things to say. It was strange, I don't think I have even been met with anything like that. I would sometimes catch myself unexpectedly smiling at him when he was talking to me. Then I would quickly snap out of it telling myself I was probably in too good a mood for my own good or needed more sleep at night.
Pumpkin's weight weighed me down as I moved over to Malfoy.
"Seriously, Weasley?" Malfoy said carefully. "You start most of it."
I shook my head in irritation. "It's better when we just talk," I admitted because I felt strangely brave in that moment and a part of me in the back of mind knew that if I didn't say now it would never be said. "It's enjoyable."
I hugged Pumpkin tighter to me. Part of me was wishing that my words had just travelled away with the wind that had started to pick up. Waiting for Malfoy's reply I looked up to the sky where a cloud that was threatening us from a distance was now hulking over us completely black. I hoped that Malfoy's reply wouldn't match the weather.
"Are you saying you want to be friends or something?" Malfoy asked confused.
I thought for a moment. "Not really. I'm saying that I like talking to you."
Something sparked in Malfoy eyes causing me say, "I will hex you if you start laughing or mocking me."
Just then a loud rumble came from above us and the first drop of rain landed on the tip of my nose (well, so much for the drying charm). Malfoy pulled up the hood of his robe and I copied.
I looked to the sky and turned back to find Malfoy still looking at me. "You're not joking?"
"You're not joking?" He asked.
"Yes, I will hex you," I said jokingly knowing that he meant something else.
The rain began to pour down. Pumpkin, getting distressed, tried to wiggle out of my arms. He hissed until I dropped him. He ran as fast as he could into the trees.
"We are not going after that cat again!" Malfoy said firmly.
"It's fine," I said. "The grump can find his own way back into the common room."
"Race you!" Malfoy called out and started running up to the castle.
"Hey!" I yelled out to him chasing after him.
When we got into the castle I had the biggest stitch in my side and was gasping for air. Malfoy was out of breath but was in much better condition. We were once again soaked. As I recovered from my run, Malfoy produced his wand and performed a quick drying charm on himself and then unexpectedly on me. He did that while I was busy bent over with my hand on my knees.
I looked up at him when I felt the sudden dryness of my robes. I was about to comment when he said,
"See, Weasley, I am capable of doing it."
"I would thank you, Malfoy," I said sarcastically. "But I wouldn't want to feed your ego."
"No need, Weasley," Malfoy said with a wicked grin. "My ego has already been fed."
I walked ahead of him to hide my smile. Only to heard the sudden echo of voices close by in the corridor. I took nothing of it thinking it was just general student action. But clearly Malfoy did, he quickly grabbed the back of my robes and pushed me into a broom cupboard we were walking past in the corridor. Shutting the door before what the voices were saying became clear.
I huffed and crossed my arms. I tried the door handle thinking it was just Malfoy being a pick but it was locked. I was about to shout out when I understood why Malfoy did it Albus' voice filled by ears followed by the voices of he usual entourage and their unintelligent jeers.
I pushed my ear against the wooden door that rough with age. I was so completely squashed in the broom cupboard that I was stuck almost right up against the door with dustpans, buckets, mops and other cleaning materials pushing up against me. I briefly wondered how couples snogged in here with there only being space for one person. Then my thoughts went back to a more important matter, how will I kill Malfoy when I get out of here.
"Malffffooooyyyy!" jeered a deep-voiced Slytherin and the rest joined in. I swear to Merlin I did the biggest eye roll in history in response to this.
"Where were you, Scorpius?" Albus asked. I couldn't help noticing the superior tone that laced his voice.
"I just went for a walk," Malfoy replied quickly.
"Really? In the rain?" Albus asked.
"I wasn't outside, I was in the castle." Malfoy lied.
"Practise boring you now, Malfoy?" Albus asked with the slightest hint of a sneer. Once again I did a mega eye roll. I wish they would just move on so I could get out of this insanely tight broom cupboard. I really did not care for their pathetic bitching.
"No, Al, I felt unwell," Malfoy answered.
"You missed it, Scorpius." another boy jumped in. "Albus did the greatest catch. The captain almost fell off his broom when—" blah, blah long description and probably a reenactment of Albus' catch. I zoned out for what felt like ten minutes by then my feet were aching.
When that part of the conversation was over I could hear footsteps moving forward. I sighed in relief and then again in annoyance when the footsteps stopped.
"You coming, Malfoy?" one of the Slytherins asked gruffly.
"Later," Malfoy answered. "I… have to go to the Library."
"What?" Albus inquired. "What could you possibly want there?"
"Homework, study."
"The Library is this way," Albus pointed out. "So walk with us."
I would've facepalmed if there was room to do so, I was never getting out of this broom cupboard.
"The other Library," Malfoy said slowly, clearly buying time to think up of a believable lie.
"Other Library?" Albus said. "You know Malfoy if you don't want to hang with us just say it. You're acting really strange lately. I mean saving that pathetic scrum Gryffindor the other day."
"I told you, Albus, I thought his tie was green," Malfoy said immediately.
There was a short 'yeah, right' silence that followed.
"Sure," Albus said sweetly. "I suppose everyone makes mistakes." And with that, I could almost hear Albus turn on his heel and smooshing his quidditch robes. The sound of footsteps picked up again as the group followed Albus onwards. I was almost sure Malfoy had gone with them abandoning me. I was about to reach for my wand when the door creaked open.
An irritated looking Malfoy was holding the door open waiting for me to walk out of the broom cupboard.
"Wow! You really know how to treat a girl, Malfoy." I said sarcastically stepping out of the dim broom cupboard and into the equally dim corridor pushing the mops that had threatened to fall out of the broom cupboard as I walked out back in.
Malfoy scanned both ends of the corridor in case the group of Slytherins had decided to turn back.
"Be happy, Weasley, that I didn't leave you in there all weekend."
"I had my wand. I could've escaped anytime I wanted to." I stated. "I just wasn't in the mood to talk to your 'friends'."
"Now I have to go back to my 'friends' and make up some more lies because of you."
"Malfoy, seriously, you didn't have to lock me in a broom cupboard I could've run down the hall."
"I've seen snails move faster than you running."
"At least I can lie better than you." I protested. "The other Library?"
Malfoy suddenly laughed, "What happened to ' I don't want to fight with you anymore, Malfoy'?"
I groaned and said. "I'm going back to Ravenclaw tower."
I walked way and to my surprise, Malfoy caught up with me.
Outside it was still raining. The raindrops hitting the roof could be heard echoing through the empty corridor. The window panes were streaked with the pelting rain. The clouds had blocked the sun's light leaving the corridors cold and dim.
I didn't say anything about Malfoy's presence because it was basically like Divination again. Wasn't it?
But I couldn't help but feel strangely happy and light like there was no air in my chest. I couldn't really look at him when he was by my side like that because it felt too funny like my head might spin, my cheek might flush or I'll start giggling if I look up at him. So we walked in silence for a while.
"Malfoy, what did Albus mean when he said you saved a Gryffindor?" I asked pulling all my seriousness together and turning to him. It was a question that was buzzing around in my mind.
The tips of Malfoy's ears suddenly tinged red. "It was nothing."
"It had to be something if Albus brought it up," I said curiously.
Malfoy turned his head checking that the corridor was still empty.
"Let's put it this way, Weasley," Malfoy said turning back to me his voice lowered. "I didn't want to see an innocent first year in the Hospital Wing just because they wanted entertainment and a dummy to try out a new hex on."
I swallowed knowing exactly who 'they' were. I never pictured Malfoy in any sort of heroic position but this rotated my view a bit.
"Why, Malfoy?" I asked burning for more information. "I thought you were the leader of they."
Malfoy shook his head. "For small while in first year maybe. But that position belongs to Albus. I'm slowly going down the ranks." Malfoy said darkly.
"Why?"
"Because they're learning that I'm not really the dream Draco/Lucius Malfoy combination they thought I was."
"But why do you still hang around with them?"
Malfoy raised an eyebrow at me. "Can you stop with the questions, Weasley?"
I crossed my arms over my chest. "Only if you give me the answers, Malfoy."
Malfoy smirked, "You're more Ravenclawey than I thought."
"And you're less Slytheriney than I thought," I smiled teasingly at him.
Malfoy smirked slipped a bit.
"Slytherins are cunning, smart, sly and ambitious like snakes."
"Snakes are ambitious?"
"Probably," Malfoy said continuing. "I am a lot like a snake."
"You could've used a better explanation," I said.
"But snakes-"
"Please drop the snake thing."
Malfoy huffed, "I was put in Slytherin because I am a Slytherin. Explanation."
By now we had reached the end of the Grand Staircase and it was time for us to part ways again. We didn't hang around to continue the conversation. We just exchange still awkward goodbyes. When I neared the top of the first flight of stairs I glanced over my shoulder, I don't know why I just had a sudden lurch in my stomach to do so, I caught the back of Malfoy's head disappearing out of sight into the dungeons.
