There she was again! Draco ducked behind a corner as Pansy and a group of her Slytherin friends were walking down a corridor, each holding an armful of sweets. Getting irritated, he slid into an empty compartment and peaked out to make sure Pansy had gone.
"Hello," said a voice behind him, making him jump. He spun around quickly, clutching his heart, to see a girl sitting in the far corner. She looked right about his age with light brown hair draped over her shoulders and light blue eyes, staring curiously at him. She wasn't wearing her school robes but he was certain she wasn't in Slytherin. He knew a Slytherin when he saw one and Slytherins never smile like that.
"Oh! Uh, sorry I...," he stuttered. Was it just him, or did he just say "sorry"? ... TWICE? He realized he was sweating, and desperately wanted to change out of the black turtleneck he was wearing.
The girl just smiled at him. "It's okay," she said. "I don't mind the company."
Draco started to feel he was getting a little bit too friendly so he decided he'd better leave when she spoke again.
"You must be Draco."
Pausing halfway from the door, he turned to her. "How did you know my name?"
She grinned, and turned her attention to a book she was reading. "I know a Malfoy when I see one."
Feeling insulted, he made a swift move forward. "Now see here — "
"I'm Emily," she said before he could get another word out. "Emily Mathers." She stuck out her hand, and smiled as Draco looked at it curiously. She definitely wasn't in Slytherin.
Suddenly the door slid open and from it came a high-pitched squeal that Draco was all-too familiar with. "Oh no," he groaned under his breath, shutting his eyes tight as Pansy threw her arms around his neck.
"Oh *Dracy, you haven't written me once this summer!" she squealed, planting a big kiss on his cheek. She didn't hear his groans through her squeals.
"I've — uh — been busy," he said, tearing her arms off of him. "And stop calling me 'Dracy'." He shuddered to think what his friends would say if he were given a pet name like that.
Pansy put on her pouting, puppy-eyed face, whimpering.
Draco winced. He hated it when she did that. Not because he was weak to it, but because it made her look even uglier than she already did. "Pansy, don't."
"Oh so you're Pansy," said Emily, whom Draco nearly forgot was there.
Pansy suddenly stopped her whimpering and snapped her head to look at the voice. Apparently she hadn't noticed Emily standing there. "Who're you?" she asked, eyeing her suspiciously.
"Emily Mathers," said Emily. "Oh Draco's told me an awful lot about you," she said, grinning at Draco as she sat back down and opened her book.
"He has, has he?" said Pansy, raising a brow at Draco, who was looking at Emily with a perplexed look on his face. "And I assume that's what you two were doing here, alone, in an empty compartment?"
Emily shrugged, and turned to Pansy, a sly grin on her face. "One would think."
Pansy's eyes flickered towards Draco, who looked as confused as he ever did. "Well!" she said, glaring at him. "We'll see about that Mr. Malfoy!" She turned and left, slammng the door on her way.
Draco stared at Pansy's retreating back, his mouth hung open. He looked back at Emily, who was grinning behind her book. Angered, he marched to her seat. "Why'd you go and do that for?" he asked, wondering how she could be so calm about it. No doubt Pansy had begun spreading the rumors already.
"Do what?" Emily asked, putting her book down and staring at him innocently.
This only made him angrier. "Tell Pansy that! Now she'll be telling people we were... were..." She blinked, grinning slightly. "Well — you know!"
She shrugged and opened her book again. "It's not my fault what people assume."
"Argh! Don't you care about your reputation?"
That had done it. She slammed her book and stood up to look him straight in the eye. "If something were to ruin my reputation, it would be more than a silly little rumor." And with that, she crossed the room and left, leaving Draco even more confused than he already was.
It was to his great surprise to see her in his Double Herbology class the following Tuesday. He had never really noticed the Hufflepuffs in the class. At least he knew what House she was in now. The whole issue had kind of been plaguing his mind ever since he arrived at Hogwarts. Why exactly, he didn't know.
He was greatly relieved to see that Pansy hadn't spread any rumors about him. She still seemed pissed about it though, for she had been ignoring Draco — though he wasn't complaining. Throughout the class she'd been eyeing Emily with a murderous glint in her eyes, which normally wouldn't bother Draco, but for some reason he felt the need to clear it out with her.
But before he could talk to Pansy, Professor Sprout had called him over to her desk. She had a grave look on her face that made Draco feel somewhat uneasy. She looked at him like he was on a deathbed or something.
"I don't know if you've noticed, Mr. Malfoy, but you nearly failed this class last year," she said.
Draco stayed silent. He had barely passed with a C-.
"And, truth be told, if you're to continue down the same road you paved yourself in your fourth year, I won't be surprised at all if you failed this year." She paused to let the words sink in. "Which is why I know you'll understand when I assign you a tutor."
"A what?!"
"A tutor," she said firmly. "I don't like to fail my students, Mr. Malfoy, which is why I'm taking no risk. Professor Dumbledore has given me permission to assign you a student tutor to help you with your studies. Unless, of course, you think you can do better on your own?"
Draco shut his mouth, practically fuming. She smirked at him.
"Now, Miss Mathers has kindly accepted to — "
"'Mathers'?" Draco repeated, whipping his head around to look at Emily. She wasn't looking back but there was no mistaking the grin lurking around her mouth.
"Yes," said Sprout, beginning to get irritated. "Miss Mathers received one of the highest marks in this class last year." Draco was speechless. He couldn't even begin to imagine what people would say about him being tutored. By a Hufflepuff, even! "You're to begin the tutor sessions tomorrow night, seeing as how we'll be having an overview test on Thursday. Sessions are every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday nights at 7:00 in the Library, though you're free to use this greenhouse. I've trusted Miss Mathers with a key." There goes all his free time. He didn't even want to think about having to do that, homework, and Quidditch practice. "And I wouldn't say no to asking Miss Mathers for help on other subjects," Sprout continued, eyeing Draco. "According to records, the only class you're likely to pass is Potions."
Draco smiled weakly. He'd probably fail that too if Snape hadn't favored him.
"You may go." And he was more than happy to.
"What was that about?" Goyle asked as Draco took his seat between him and Crabbe.
"Nothing," Draco said quickly, avoiding the eyes of both Pansy and Emily.
"Hello," said a voice behind him, making him jump. He spun around quickly, clutching his heart, to see a girl sitting in the far corner. She looked right about his age with light brown hair draped over her shoulders and light blue eyes, staring curiously at him. She wasn't wearing her school robes but he was certain she wasn't in Slytherin. He knew a Slytherin when he saw one and Slytherins never smile like that.
"Oh! Uh, sorry I...," he stuttered. Was it just him, or did he just say "sorry"? ... TWICE? He realized he was sweating, and desperately wanted to change out of the black turtleneck he was wearing.
The girl just smiled at him. "It's okay," she said. "I don't mind the company."
Draco started to feel he was getting a little bit too friendly so he decided he'd better leave when she spoke again.
"You must be Draco."
Pausing halfway from the door, he turned to her. "How did you know my name?"
She grinned, and turned her attention to a book she was reading. "I know a Malfoy when I see one."
Feeling insulted, he made a swift move forward. "Now see here — "
"I'm Emily," she said before he could get another word out. "Emily Mathers." She stuck out her hand, and smiled as Draco looked at it curiously. She definitely wasn't in Slytherin.
Suddenly the door slid open and from it came a high-pitched squeal that Draco was all-too familiar with. "Oh no," he groaned under his breath, shutting his eyes tight as Pansy threw her arms around his neck.
"Oh *Dracy, you haven't written me once this summer!" she squealed, planting a big kiss on his cheek. She didn't hear his groans through her squeals.
"I've — uh — been busy," he said, tearing her arms off of him. "And stop calling me 'Dracy'." He shuddered to think what his friends would say if he were given a pet name like that.
Pansy put on her pouting, puppy-eyed face, whimpering.
Draco winced. He hated it when she did that. Not because he was weak to it, but because it made her look even uglier than she already did. "Pansy, don't."
"Oh so you're Pansy," said Emily, whom Draco nearly forgot was there.
Pansy suddenly stopped her whimpering and snapped her head to look at the voice. Apparently she hadn't noticed Emily standing there. "Who're you?" she asked, eyeing her suspiciously.
"Emily Mathers," said Emily. "Oh Draco's told me an awful lot about you," she said, grinning at Draco as she sat back down and opened her book.
"He has, has he?" said Pansy, raising a brow at Draco, who was looking at Emily with a perplexed look on his face. "And I assume that's what you two were doing here, alone, in an empty compartment?"
Emily shrugged, and turned to Pansy, a sly grin on her face. "One would think."
Pansy's eyes flickered towards Draco, who looked as confused as he ever did. "Well!" she said, glaring at him. "We'll see about that Mr. Malfoy!" She turned and left, slammng the door on her way.
Draco stared at Pansy's retreating back, his mouth hung open. He looked back at Emily, who was grinning behind her book. Angered, he marched to her seat. "Why'd you go and do that for?" he asked, wondering how she could be so calm about it. No doubt Pansy had begun spreading the rumors already.
"Do what?" Emily asked, putting her book down and staring at him innocently.
This only made him angrier. "Tell Pansy that! Now she'll be telling people we were... were..." She blinked, grinning slightly. "Well — you know!"
She shrugged and opened her book again. "It's not my fault what people assume."
"Argh! Don't you care about your reputation?"
That had done it. She slammed her book and stood up to look him straight in the eye. "If something were to ruin my reputation, it would be more than a silly little rumor." And with that, she crossed the room and left, leaving Draco even more confused than he already was.
It was to his great surprise to see her in his Double Herbology class the following Tuesday. He had never really noticed the Hufflepuffs in the class. At least he knew what House she was in now. The whole issue had kind of been plaguing his mind ever since he arrived at Hogwarts. Why exactly, he didn't know.
He was greatly relieved to see that Pansy hadn't spread any rumors about him. She still seemed pissed about it though, for she had been ignoring Draco — though he wasn't complaining. Throughout the class she'd been eyeing Emily with a murderous glint in her eyes, which normally wouldn't bother Draco, but for some reason he felt the need to clear it out with her.
But before he could talk to Pansy, Professor Sprout had called him over to her desk. She had a grave look on her face that made Draco feel somewhat uneasy. She looked at him like he was on a deathbed or something.
"I don't know if you've noticed, Mr. Malfoy, but you nearly failed this class last year," she said.
Draco stayed silent. He had barely passed with a C-.
"And, truth be told, if you're to continue down the same road you paved yourself in your fourth year, I won't be surprised at all if you failed this year." She paused to let the words sink in. "Which is why I know you'll understand when I assign you a tutor."
"A what?!"
"A tutor," she said firmly. "I don't like to fail my students, Mr. Malfoy, which is why I'm taking no risk. Professor Dumbledore has given me permission to assign you a student tutor to help you with your studies. Unless, of course, you think you can do better on your own?"
Draco shut his mouth, practically fuming. She smirked at him.
"Now, Miss Mathers has kindly accepted to — "
"'Mathers'?" Draco repeated, whipping his head around to look at Emily. She wasn't looking back but there was no mistaking the grin lurking around her mouth.
"Yes," said Sprout, beginning to get irritated. "Miss Mathers received one of the highest marks in this class last year." Draco was speechless. He couldn't even begin to imagine what people would say about him being tutored. By a Hufflepuff, even! "You're to begin the tutor sessions tomorrow night, seeing as how we'll be having an overview test on Thursday. Sessions are every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday nights at 7:00 in the Library, though you're free to use this greenhouse. I've trusted Miss Mathers with a key." There goes all his free time. He didn't even want to think about having to do that, homework, and Quidditch practice. "And I wouldn't say no to asking Miss Mathers for help on other subjects," Sprout continued, eyeing Draco. "According to records, the only class you're likely to pass is Potions."
Draco smiled weakly. He'd probably fail that too if Snape hadn't favored him.
"You may go." And he was more than happy to.
"What was that about?" Goyle asked as Draco took his seat between him and Crabbe.
"Nothing," Draco said quickly, avoiding the eyes of both Pansy and Emily.
_______________________
A/N: *Dracy is pronounced as 'Drake-y'.