Li continued looking at the space he had just vacated, before muttering "Siansentia" for the second time and making her way down the corridor back to the common room.
******
She arrived back five minutes later, making her way slowly up the winding staircase towards her dormitory. She glanced down at her watch, gasping in surprise at the time. It seemed as though she'd been out for hours, but it had only been just over half an hour. She opened the dormitory door quietly, pulling the black hangings on her bed open and sitting cross-legged in the middle.
She reached under her pillow, and pulled out a small, thick silver book and a muggle biro, something she couldn't live without when not in classes. Li sat hunched over the book for a few minutes, frantically scribbling down what just happened, her heart thudding in her chest. A few minutes later, she closed the book shut and replaced it under her pillow as she stood up.
Sighing, she undressed quickly and pulled her pyjamas on before clambering into her bed. She threw the covers over the top of her head and lay her head on the pillow, sleeping a nightmareless sleep for the first time in months.
******
The next day went by in a blur for Li, and soon enough it was the morning of Valentine's day. Her alarm went off at half nine sharp, the loud beeping jerking her awake with a shock. She reached out and switched the alarm off, throwing the covers off her and standing up, stretching.
Yawning slightly, she picked up the clothes she had so carefully laid out last night and dismissed them with a shake of her head. Digging deep in her wardrobe, she pulled out a pair of baggy black combats and a fuschia pink top, nodding to herself and throwing them carefully onto the bed. She glanced around at the other beds, surprised to see all of them empty. All of them have probably got dates, she thought grinning as she imagined Hermione having a date with the library.
She pulled on her clothes, fixing her mother's locket around her neck and looking at her reflection in the mirror. Smiling to herself, she picked up her mascara and applied some to her eyelashes before returning it to her makeup bag. She reached for her brush on her desk, running it through her poker straight hair as she slipped on her trainers. Taking one final look in the mirror, she pocketed her lipgloss and made her way down the stairs towards the Great Hall.
******
She arrived in the Great Hall five minutes later, staring in amazement at the number of students in the hall. Nearly the whole school had gotten up early, and now they were all chatting animatedly as she made her way to the Gryffindor table. Her eyes wandered over to the Slytherin table and landed on Draco, a surge of anger and jealously washing over her. He was talking to Pansy Parkinson and apparently hadn't noticed her walk in.
She hated Pansy, ever since the first year when Pansy had taken a dislike to her. Now they had a mutual hate, something which had worsened since the unfortunate duelling club incident in their second year, when Li had 'accidentally' sent Pansy to the hospital wing with huge warts all over her face.
A small smile flickered on Li's face before being replaced with a jealous scowl. Li didn't know why she was jealous, because in the looks department she'd win everytime against Pansy, but she still felt uneasy as Draco spent most of his time with Pansy in his lessons and common room. Tearing her eyes away, she walked over to Harry, Ron and Hermione and sat herself down.
"Hey Li." Hermione said, smiling and moving along to give Li more room. "Are you coming to Hogsmeade with us?" She asked, as another uneasy look spread across Li's face.
"Yeah i think so, i've got to write a letter to my dad first though, so do you mind if i catch you guys up later?" She gulped, looking over at Harry and Ron.
"No that's fine," Said Harry, taking a sip of his punpkin juice, "We're probably just going to sit in The Three Broomsticks anyway."
"Right are we off then?" Ron asked, swallowing his bacon and making as to stand up.
Hermione and Harry followed his lead, knocking a glass of pumpkin juice as they went.
"We'll meet you in the Three Broomsticks okay?" Hermione asked, pushing a stray strand of hair out of her face.
Li nodded and watch them walk off out of the Hall towards the front doors. She sat there for a minute longer, picking at her plate and staring over at Draco. He was still talking animatedly to Pansy, a passive look on his face as he spoke. Sighing to herself, she slammed her fork down on her plate and stood up quickly, making Dean and Seamus jump.
She walked quickly from the table towards the foyer, not noticing Draco stand up at the Slytherin table and follow her as she walked up the stairs.
"Li!" Draco shouted from behind her. He was stood at the bottom of the stairs, leaning casually on the bannister with one hand on his hip.
She turned around, a angry scowl on her face as she made her way halfway down the stairs.
"Yes?" She asked, trying to make her voice sound neutral and bitchy at the same time.
"You haven't forgotten about today have you?" He asked, a puzzled look on his face as he made his way up the stairs, one step at a time.
"Oh no, i just figured that you were having such a good time with Pansy Parkinson that you'd rather go to Hogsmeade with her!" She exclaimed, balling her hands into fists and smiling in a strangely twisted way.
"You aren't serious? Parkinson? Please, have you actually seen what she looks like? I wouldn't go to Hogsmeade with her if she tied me up and threatened me!" He exclaimed, shaking his head in amazement, and climbing up the stairs towards her, stopping on the step below hers.
"So you still wanna go out with me?" She asked, smiling before realising what she'd said and looking at him reproachfully.
"Course i do! I wouldn't be here otherwise, would i?" He asked, smiling amusedly at her and moving onto the step she stood on, his face inches away from hers.
"Draco, what if someone sees?" Li asked, a seriously look spreading across her face.
He frowned slightly, glancing back down the stairs then up at her. "We'll deal with that when it comes to it, i suppose..." He paused, apparently deep in thought before turning his attention back to her. "Meet me at the front doors at half eleven, everyone should be gone by then."
With that, he kissed her gently on the lips, his eyes lingering on hers before turning tail and walking off down the stairs towards the dungeons and the Slytherin common room.
******
Li made her way out of the dormitory, pulling her grey jacket on as she walked down the stairs, her hair swinging slightly on her shoulders.
She arrived in the foyer a few minutes later, her footfalls echoing loudly in the silent halls. Draco had been right, the school was basically empty except for a few Hufflepuff first years playing a game of wizard chess. They paid no attention to the pretty sixth year Gryffindor walking past them, something for which Li was very glad for.
Draco was stood waiting for her by the doors, his arms folded over his chest as he watched her approach. He'd changed from his wizard robes into jeans and a black jumper, and he looked great, she thought smiling despite of herself.
"Hey." He said, gesturing for her to start walking and then falling in place next to her.
They walked in silence for a minute or so, before he linked his arm in hers and carried on walking.
"So what do you wanna do?" She asked, wondering as to what he had planned.
"I was thinking we could we could just walk round and then go in Madam Padifoot's?" He finished, looking at her expectantly.
She paused for a minute, frowning slightly. Madam Paddifoots? It'd be full of Hogwarts couples, kissing over their tea between the golden cherubs. It wouldn't be a good idea, but what else was there to do? She gulped and looked back at him.
"Sure, that's fine." She answered, smiling at him and then looking back down the path, both of them unaware of how eventful the day would turn out to be.
******
She arrived back five minutes later, making her way slowly up the winding staircase towards her dormitory. She glanced down at her watch, gasping in surprise at the time. It seemed as though she'd been out for hours, but it had only been just over half an hour. She opened the dormitory door quietly, pulling the black hangings on her bed open and sitting cross-legged in the middle.
She reached under her pillow, and pulled out a small, thick silver book and a muggle biro, something she couldn't live without when not in classes. Li sat hunched over the book for a few minutes, frantically scribbling down what just happened, her heart thudding in her chest. A few minutes later, she closed the book shut and replaced it under her pillow as she stood up.
Sighing, she undressed quickly and pulled her pyjamas on before clambering into her bed. She threw the covers over the top of her head and lay her head on the pillow, sleeping a nightmareless sleep for the first time in months.
******
The next day went by in a blur for Li, and soon enough it was the morning of Valentine's day. Her alarm went off at half nine sharp, the loud beeping jerking her awake with a shock. She reached out and switched the alarm off, throwing the covers off her and standing up, stretching.
Yawning slightly, she picked up the clothes she had so carefully laid out last night and dismissed them with a shake of her head. Digging deep in her wardrobe, she pulled out a pair of baggy black combats and a fuschia pink top, nodding to herself and throwing them carefully onto the bed. She glanced around at the other beds, surprised to see all of them empty. All of them have probably got dates, she thought grinning as she imagined Hermione having a date with the library.
She pulled on her clothes, fixing her mother's locket around her neck and looking at her reflection in the mirror. Smiling to herself, she picked up her mascara and applied some to her eyelashes before returning it to her makeup bag. She reached for her brush on her desk, running it through her poker straight hair as she slipped on her trainers. Taking one final look in the mirror, she pocketed her lipgloss and made her way down the stairs towards the Great Hall.
******
She arrived in the Great Hall five minutes later, staring in amazement at the number of students in the hall. Nearly the whole school had gotten up early, and now they were all chatting animatedly as she made her way to the Gryffindor table. Her eyes wandered over to the Slytherin table and landed on Draco, a surge of anger and jealously washing over her. He was talking to Pansy Parkinson and apparently hadn't noticed her walk in.
She hated Pansy, ever since the first year when Pansy had taken a dislike to her. Now they had a mutual hate, something which had worsened since the unfortunate duelling club incident in their second year, when Li had 'accidentally' sent Pansy to the hospital wing with huge warts all over her face.
A small smile flickered on Li's face before being replaced with a jealous scowl. Li didn't know why she was jealous, because in the looks department she'd win everytime against Pansy, but she still felt uneasy as Draco spent most of his time with Pansy in his lessons and common room. Tearing her eyes away, she walked over to Harry, Ron and Hermione and sat herself down.
"Hey Li." Hermione said, smiling and moving along to give Li more room. "Are you coming to Hogsmeade with us?" She asked, as another uneasy look spread across Li's face.
"Yeah i think so, i've got to write a letter to my dad first though, so do you mind if i catch you guys up later?" She gulped, looking over at Harry and Ron.
"No that's fine," Said Harry, taking a sip of his punpkin juice, "We're probably just going to sit in The Three Broomsticks anyway."
"Right are we off then?" Ron asked, swallowing his bacon and making as to stand up.
Hermione and Harry followed his lead, knocking a glass of pumpkin juice as they went.
"We'll meet you in the Three Broomsticks okay?" Hermione asked, pushing a stray strand of hair out of her face.
Li nodded and watch them walk off out of the Hall towards the front doors. She sat there for a minute longer, picking at her plate and staring over at Draco. He was still talking animatedly to Pansy, a passive look on his face as he spoke. Sighing to herself, she slammed her fork down on her plate and stood up quickly, making Dean and Seamus jump.
She walked quickly from the table towards the foyer, not noticing Draco stand up at the Slytherin table and follow her as she walked up the stairs.
"Li!" Draco shouted from behind her. He was stood at the bottom of the stairs, leaning casually on the bannister with one hand on his hip.
She turned around, a angry scowl on her face as she made her way halfway down the stairs.
"Yes?" She asked, trying to make her voice sound neutral and bitchy at the same time.
"You haven't forgotten about today have you?" He asked, a puzzled look on his face as he made his way up the stairs, one step at a time.
"Oh no, i just figured that you were having such a good time with Pansy Parkinson that you'd rather go to Hogsmeade with her!" She exclaimed, balling her hands into fists and smiling in a strangely twisted way.
"You aren't serious? Parkinson? Please, have you actually seen what she looks like? I wouldn't go to Hogsmeade with her if she tied me up and threatened me!" He exclaimed, shaking his head in amazement, and climbing up the stairs towards her, stopping on the step below hers.
"So you still wanna go out with me?" She asked, smiling before realising what she'd said and looking at him reproachfully.
"Course i do! I wouldn't be here otherwise, would i?" He asked, smiling amusedly at her and moving onto the step she stood on, his face inches away from hers.
"Draco, what if someone sees?" Li asked, a seriously look spreading across her face.
He frowned slightly, glancing back down the stairs then up at her. "We'll deal with that when it comes to it, i suppose..." He paused, apparently deep in thought before turning his attention back to her. "Meet me at the front doors at half eleven, everyone should be gone by then."
With that, he kissed her gently on the lips, his eyes lingering on hers before turning tail and walking off down the stairs towards the dungeons and the Slytherin common room.
******
Li made her way out of the dormitory, pulling her grey jacket on as she walked down the stairs, her hair swinging slightly on her shoulders.
She arrived in the foyer a few minutes later, her footfalls echoing loudly in the silent halls. Draco had been right, the school was basically empty except for a few Hufflepuff first years playing a game of wizard chess. They paid no attention to the pretty sixth year Gryffindor walking past them, something for which Li was very glad for.
Draco was stood waiting for her by the doors, his arms folded over his chest as he watched her approach. He'd changed from his wizard robes into jeans and a black jumper, and he looked great, she thought smiling despite of herself.
"Hey." He said, gesturing for her to start walking and then falling in place next to her.
They walked in silence for a minute or so, before he linked his arm in hers and carried on walking.
"So what do you wanna do?" She asked, wondering as to what he had planned.
"I was thinking we could we could just walk round and then go in Madam Padifoot's?" He finished, looking at her expectantly.
She paused for a minute, frowning slightly. Madam Paddifoots? It'd be full of Hogwarts couples, kissing over their tea between the golden cherubs. It wouldn't be a good idea, but what else was there to do? She gulped and looked back at him.
"Sure, that's fine." She answered, smiling at him and then looking back down the path, both of them unaware of how eventful the day would turn out to be.