Better Be Slytherin
XXVII
Slag
And my thoughts got rude as you talked and chewed on the last of your pick and mix
The next time that I caught my own reflection It was on its way to meet you Thinking of excuses to postpone You never look like yourself from the side but your profile did not hide The fact you knew I was approaching your throne With folded arms you occupy the bench like toothache Saw them, puff your chest out like you never lost the war And though I try so not to suffer the indignity of a reaction There was no cracks to grasp or gasps to claw
Arctic Monkeys
The music had been loud and the common room vivid. Everyone had been there - Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, Blaise, Bletchley, Pucey, Vaisey, Pansy, Daphne, Tracey, Millicent, Queenie... And naturally Nott, who had been bringing Butterbeers. The fact that everyone had been there to witness his humiliation was cringing. They had had a small party Saturday evening, and he had taken off an entire sodding night to be there.
"Have you kissed yet?" One of those horrendously silly girls had casually asked Pansy.
Draco had stiffened right away and looked up. What the hell was Queenie Wilkes talking about? Who would be kissing Pansy, or not? Immediately he filled with rage, he felt his entire face twitching and his jaw clenching. He tapped his foot on the floor.
Pansy's face screwed up into her usual cheeky smile, her taunting eyes not telling anything.
The slag. How was he going to survive the rest of the year – and even the rest of his life – knowing that his Pansy possibly had snogged Theodore Nott?
He saw red for the next week, with nothing else on his mind. The anger made him want her more over the following days. Every time he saw Nott speaking with Pansy, he was filled with irrational feelings of great frustration; he was so anger-filled he didn't know where to were in the same class so he did have to see it once or twice per day and it made him want to tear his own hair out - it was a new feeling he'd never had before.
That bloody Theodore Nott, what did she see in him anyway?
He just wanted to punch something, yet couldn't.
He wanted to shout, yet couldn't.
All he could do was watch that rat slither in closer to his Pansy. Bloody Pansy. Bloody Theodore Nott. He wanted rid of the lot of them!
He stayed alone, stress-studying in the common room a week later. Blonde, evil-eyed Daphne Greengrass was finishing off an essay as well, while the rest were in the dormitories. It was nearing midnight and Draco could not stand it much longer. He wanted to get it over with so he could sleep.
Greengrass yawned, and tossed her parchments aside, as she leaned back into the armchair. "Finished," she sighed.
Draco didn't answer. She annoyed him. She reminded him of her. They were best friends, after all.
"Have you got much left?" she asked him casually, collecting her things.
"Yes," he muttered shortly.
"Someone's in a bad mood," she teased. He rolled his eyes. "Well, what've I done?"
"I'm sort of busy, Greengrass," he snapped.
"You're a prick, that's what you are, Malfoy."
He looked up in a flash, glaring at her. Then he gave his most derisive, disgusted eye-roll and turned back to his parchments.
"I can see why Pansy can't stand you," Greengrass muttered.
He looked up. Had Pansy said that? "Pansy is stupid. And you're just like her, which is why I don't fancy speaking to you."
Greengrass looked back at him, and then she actually started chuckling.
"You still fancy her," she then stated. Draco actually gave a laugh in surprise.
"I do not," he assured with a sneer.
"Well, then you wouldn't hate her so much. She's done nothing to you, has she?"
Draco didn't answer – grumbling he looked away.
"Bloody hell," Greengrass went on. "I don't get why you too can't get on."
"Well," Draco began, rolling his eyes.
"Why'd you split up?"
Surprised by the question, Draco found himself at loss for words.
"Err..." he frowned. "I dunno, really."
Greengrass raised one eyebrow. "You don't know?"
"Well, I think she was angry with me... about something. Anyway, she must've talked about that?"
Greengrass rolled her eyes and looked away. "Not really."
Well, then. Draco thought, a little annoyed. Had she not told her friends about their split up row at Madam Puddifoot's?
"She just said you were a dick to her, really." Greengrass smirked a bit.
Draco rolled his eyes and sent her a glare. "She did, did she?" he muttered.
"But to the point where you's two can't even speak? I mean, you used to be well good friends, didn't you?"
"Yes, well, I wouldn't mind getting on with her better."
"Yeah?"
"Yes. I mean, I see no reason as to why not."
"You want to get on with her?"
"What did I just say?"
Greengrass smiled teasingly. "Get on with or get off with?"
Draco snorted and looked away, grimacing. After a pause, he turned to scowl at Greengrass.
"Did she really kiss Nott?"
"What are you writing?"
The common room was almost deserted; there was only he, Blaise and Pansy occupying the armchairs in front of the fireplace, and a few forth year boys discussing something in a cluster by the entrance. Pansy made it impossible to study, but to be honest, Theodore did not really mind.
"It's for Professor Burbage, comparing Wizarding and Muggle science."
"Sounds fascinating."
"Oh, yes, it really is. It's about Muggle science proving there's no such thing as magic, and that because of the earth's force of attraction it is impossible to fly et cetera. Our assignment is to explain the loopholes, since magic clearly does exist. And just look at birds, it sure looks as if they fly, doesn't it? Quite simple, really..."
He looked up at her and she was smiling her crooked smile. His brisk smile faded and he felt his cheeks turn warm. He was so dumb, of course she would not care – she was only messing with him.
"Right then, I'm going to bed, I can't stand watching you lot study anymore."
Pansy got up and sent him one of her teasing smiles. He hastily smiled back. "Have fun," she said sarcastically, gave a little wave and turned on her heel. He watched her leaving for a second before turning back to his scattered parchments.
Not thinking, after she had gone down the stairs to the dormitories, she hastily turned to the boys' door. She did not know why, did not know how, but her feet led her there. She figured Vincent and Gregory would be on their usual cupcake round in the kitchen as they always were at this time, and as she just left Theodore and Blaise in the common room, she knew who would be alone in the dormitory.
She opened the door and there he was on his bed in the dark common room, his head buried in a large dark-backed book.
He looked up, acknowledging her inexpressively. She noticed how pale he was, with dark rings under his eyes. She had not been close enough to look at him properly for a long time.
"You look ghastly," she commented with a glint in her eye. He rolled his eyes.
Draco wanted to snap her off, wanted to make it clear she could not come crawling back to him when Nott was not pleasing her anymore – wanted to say something like 'what do you want, Pansy? Tired of snogging Nott, are we?'
"This bloody school will be the death of me," he said instead, unwittingly and unwillingly.
"Oh, is that what it is?" said Pansy, indicating that she did not believe him or perhaps that she understood more than he gave her credit for.
He did not answer. Apparently she took that as an invite (or perhaps she did not care that she did not receive one) and went to sit on his bed. His pulse sped up; he had not had close contact with anyone at all for about six months. He could feel her warmth across the bed and he kept inhaling her scent. His natural male instincts and hormones told him to do one thing – his brain the opposite. He kept his head turned down into the book.
They sat in silence for a while; he cursed her for coming in there and just wanted to get on reading. He did not want her there. Then he opened his mouth, unable to stop himself.
"So, what's it like kissing Nott?" he said with a small sarcastic smile, not looking at her. From the corner of his eye, he saw that she gave a little smirk. For a split second, he was fascinated by how much he could loathe her momentarily.
"Why?" she teased. "Switched teams, have you? I'm fairly sure Nott hasn't, though. He's into girls."
"Funny, Pans," he commented curtly, rolling his eyes. Pansy smiled. To hell with her, he thought.
"What are you reading?"
Luckily, Draco did not have to answer as the thick wooden door opened and his fateful best friends came trotting in, Greg still nibbling on a piece of chocolate cake. Pansy turned towards the door and looked, her back to him. He studied her for a second and then hastily looked away.
"Oh, hello," said Vincent dully while Gregory gave a big smile.
A jolt went through Theodore's stomach when he stepped into the dormitory, followed by Blaise. He was surprised to see the two of them hanging out alone on Malfoy's bed – he knew Crabbe and Goyle did not arrive until a couple of minutes ago because he saw them trudging through the common room. He disliked it strongly. He had forgotten that Malfoy and Pansy used to be friends; or more – had thought that their previous "relationship" had destroyed whatever friendship they had. Apparently he had misunderstood everything.
"Hiya, Theo," said Pansy, flashing him her crooked smile. Draco slightly frowned from behind Pansy, his eyes still on the girl on his bed. Theodore only nodded in response, before turning his back, ignoring Blaise's pointed look, and walking towards his bed.
He was not imagining things, was he? It was not normal to sit and talk and joke in that way with your ex-boyfriend on his bed, alone – not when you were agreeing to go on dates with someone else.
Right?
Malfoy, Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle kept the conversation going for a while, while Blaise read and Theodore lay behind his curtains in the dark, wondering if they had any manners at all. Finally, Pansy called "Night, boys" and sauntered out. Theodore did not reply, clenching his jaw and staring right ahead.
The whole thing made Theodore feel uncomfortable. He did not want to sleep in the same dormitory as Malfoy; he did not even want to see him. And while he lay in his bed that night, unable to sleep, frustrated, he questioned Pansy once again. She and Malfoy were either making fun of him, or else Pansy was only using him to make Malfoy jealous. He should never have gotten involved from the beginning. She and Malfoy were immature kids who would always go back to each other. They had that connection and attracting force and he could never win over that, nor even defy it.
He, Theodore Nott, could apparently be stupid.
And how you like to aggravate the icky man on rainy afternoons Uninviting but not half as impossible as everyone assumes You are crying lightning
Your past times consisted of the strange and twisted and deranged And I hate that little game you had called crying lightning
Arctic Monkeys
