1 Part 12
"I'm Pansy Parkinson," the pug-faced girl said.
Star eyed her suspiciously. "Star Sumner." she replied.
"You're that new American girl, aren't you?" said the pug-face girl. Star nodded warily, as the girl's friends circled around her. "People have been talking a lot since Draco started hanging out with you. Draco's disappointed quite a few of his girls by going with you, tonight," the girl said, sneering meanly. Her friends knitted a tighter circle around Star.
Star refused to show any fear. She tossed her head back, looking defiantly into the girl's eyes. She smiled sweetly, and said in a honeyed voice, "And are you one of those girls, Pansy?"
Pansy's face turned beet-red; the look of outrage on her face was evidence that Star had hit far too close to the mark for her comfort. Pansy signaled to her cronies; Star shrank from them.
The sound of a throat being cleared distracted Pansy's cronies; Draco was back.
"Draco!" Pansy shrieked, trying not to look guilty. "Great party, I was just saying to your charming friend, Star, here, that you've really outdone yourself this year, I mean this DJ is simply to die for, don't you think, and-OH! I just love this song, *slow song begins* wanna dance?" She got it all out in one breath.
While most guys would have felt considerably harassed by this fearful onslaught, Draco remained cool and unaffected.
"Sorry, Pansy," he replied smoothly. "But I promised my first dance to Star. Erm, maybe later, okay?"
Pansy's eyes gave a brief flicker of disappointment, and then it was gone. "Oh, of course!" she practically screamed. "Sure! Don't worry about me! Go right on ahead! But save a dance for me, all right?"
"Don't count on it," Draco muttered under his breath.
"Sorry, what's that?" said Pansy, leaning closer.
"I said, 'You can count on it!'" Draco said quickly, a little louder.
"Oh, GREAT!" Pansy sang out shrilly, causing Draco to take a few steps back, and Star to flinch. "Well, then, I'll see you later! Bye Draco!" Pansy screeched, and disappeared into the crowd, leaving Star feeling strangely drained.
Draco lowered his face into his hand and pinched the bridge of his nose, grimacing. "Jeeze, that girl's a pain in the neck! She gives me a headache."
"Sort of a violent pounding between the eyes?" Star suggested.
Draco's head jerked up, and he stared at her in amazement.
"Yes, exactly! How'd you kn-?"
Star gave Draco a pained smile, and pressed her own hand to her forehead. Draco's expression slid into a comprehending grin.
"Anyway, er, d'you want to dance?" he asked, looking over his shoulder into the crowd. "Pansy'll be wondering why we're not dancing; she'll know I lied just so I wouldn't have to dance with her." he smiled briefly.
Star allowed him to take her arm and lead her into the room serving as a dance floor.
"Why is she following you around in the first place?" Star asked Draco as he slid his arm around her waist, and they began to dance. Draco reddened.
"Uhh, well…we, uh, sort of—went out last year," he said, embarassed.
"'Sort of'?" asked Star.
"All right, we did go out!" Draco snapped irritably. Star reared back slightly from him, alarmed. Immediately, Draco lowered his voice. "I'm sorry," he said penitently. "Looks like Pansy still brings out the worst in me."
"I'm Pansy Parkinson," the pug-faced girl said.
Star eyed her suspiciously. "Star Sumner." she replied.
"You're that new American girl, aren't you?" said the pug-face girl. Star nodded warily, as the girl's friends circled around her. "People have been talking a lot since Draco started hanging out with you. Draco's disappointed quite a few of his girls by going with you, tonight," the girl said, sneering meanly. Her friends knitted a tighter circle around Star.
Star refused to show any fear. She tossed her head back, looking defiantly into the girl's eyes. She smiled sweetly, and said in a honeyed voice, "And are you one of those girls, Pansy?"
Pansy's face turned beet-red; the look of outrage on her face was evidence that Star had hit far too close to the mark for her comfort. Pansy signaled to her cronies; Star shrank from them.
The sound of a throat being cleared distracted Pansy's cronies; Draco was back.
"Draco!" Pansy shrieked, trying not to look guilty. "Great party, I was just saying to your charming friend, Star, here, that you've really outdone yourself this year, I mean this DJ is simply to die for, don't you think, and-OH! I just love this song, *slow song begins* wanna dance?" She got it all out in one breath.
While most guys would have felt considerably harassed by this fearful onslaught, Draco remained cool and unaffected.
"Sorry, Pansy," he replied smoothly. "But I promised my first dance to Star. Erm, maybe later, okay?"
Pansy's eyes gave a brief flicker of disappointment, and then it was gone. "Oh, of course!" she practically screamed. "Sure! Don't worry about me! Go right on ahead! But save a dance for me, all right?"
"Don't count on it," Draco muttered under his breath.
"Sorry, what's that?" said Pansy, leaning closer.
"I said, 'You can count on it!'" Draco said quickly, a little louder.
"Oh, GREAT!" Pansy sang out shrilly, causing Draco to take a few steps back, and Star to flinch. "Well, then, I'll see you later! Bye Draco!" Pansy screeched, and disappeared into the crowd, leaving Star feeling strangely drained.
Draco lowered his face into his hand and pinched the bridge of his nose, grimacing. "Jeeze, that girl's a pain in the neck! She gives me a headache."
"Sort of a violent pounding between the eyes?" Star suggested.
Draco's head jerked up, and he stared at her in amazement.
"Yes, exactly! How'd you kn-?"
Star gave Draco a pained smile, and pressed her own hand to her forehead. Draco's expression slid into a comprehending grin.
"Anyway, er, d'you want to dance?" he asked, looking over his shoulder into the crowd. "Pansy'll be wondering why we're not dancing; she'll know I lied just so I wouldn't have to dance with her." he smiled briefly.
Star allowed him to take her arm and lead her into the room serving as a dance floor.
"Why is she following you around in the first place?" Star asked Draco as he slid his arm around her waist, and they began to dance. Draco reddened.
"Uhh, well…we, uh, sort of—went out last year," he said, embarassed.
"'Sort of'?" asked Star.
"All right, we did go out!" Draco snapped irritably. Star reared back slightly from him, alarmed. Immediately, Draco lowered his voice. "I'm sorry," he said penitently. "Looks like Pansy still brings out the worst in me."