Chapter 16,
'Did you like my jeans?' Greg asked as they walked out of the shop. They were all carrying a big bag each with their new clothes in.
'Yes. They were very MUGGELISH,' Draco said in a bit of an annoyed tone.
'But Muggles do invent good things. I mean, have you ever used a telephone? You can talk to people even if they are on the other side of the world!' Greg said importantly.
'Greg, you must start realising Muggles are different,' Draco said carrying his new robe. 'They can't do anything. They can't do any spells or any potions! They can't even dress right with having those tight blue pants you just bought!' Greg was silent for a moment. Draco thought he was thinking.
'You might be right... but I have nothing against the pants I bought,' he said after a while. Draco didn't bother replying.
'Malfoy? You haven't told anyone about my sister, have you?' Padma whispered when she saw him in the Great Hall at dinner that evening. 'I mean not anyone,'
'Eh... no,' Draco said feeling his cheeks turn red. He could see that a lot of people had realised Padma was whispering to him and he wanted to look as cool as possible as if it was the most normal thing in the world. He could tell Padma wasn't to happy about it though.
'I want to believe you, but I am afraid I can't. Anyone who knew of this would spread it around the school. And specially you,' to Draco's surprise tears started to come out of her eyes. 'My sister trusted me with this...' she said. 'Why did all girls start crying near him?' Draco wondered as more tears came out. She turned around and ran out of the hall. He didn't know what to do. He stood still for a moment and then followed her.
'Malfoy! What have you done to my sister?' Parvati said as he passed the Gryffindor table. 'Can't you ever think about what other people want?'
'I didn't do anything!' Draco snapped and hurried after Padma. He closed the door rapidly behind him and spotted Padma further down in the corridor.
'Padma!' he called. She turned around. 'I swear I didn't tell anyone!' Padma dried her red eyes.
'You can't prove it,' she said in a shaky voice. 'I don't even know you, but I have heard enough about you for a reason not to believe you,' Draco stared. He hated that everyone saw him as a bad person.
'Padma, I swear I didn't,' he repeated.
'Padma! What ever he has done, why don't you hex him?' Parvati's voice called through the hall. Both Padma and Draco turned around. 'I hate him just as much as you so if he has done anything to you, I swear I will rip him into pieces!'
'Parvati. He hasn't done anything. And I don't hate him. Just go back to dinner. I can handle this,' Padma said quietly. Parvati eyed her suspiciously.
'What are you talking about? Of course you hate him!' she said angrily.
'He hasn't done anything to me for a reason to hate him. And he hasn't done anything to you either!' Padma said.
'Well what has he got to do with you anyway?' Parvati carried on. Draco didn't like where this was going.
'Parvati...' Padma said in a voice as if trying to calm him down.
'Yes?'
'He knows bout you and the prefect,' Parvati stared. There was an awkward silence between the three of them.
'I think I will leave,' Draco said and turned to leave.
'No you wont!' Parvati said holding up a hand to stop him. Draco stepped back and unwillingly faced her. 'How do you know?'
'He accidentally over heard me tell Jess and Bee that you were going to the prom,' Padma said and her voice started shaking more.
'You promised you wouldn't tell anyone!' Parvati nearly shouted.
'Parvati? What is happening?' now it was Parvati's turn to turn around. Harry Potter was walking towards them. Parvati gave Padma and Draco a frightened look.
'Oh nothing sweetie,' she said in a what seemed to be a calm voice but Draco could tell from her eyes that she was panicking. 'Go back into the hall. I will be right back,' Potter seemed to have seen the panic in her eyes too. He stayed where he was.
'What has happened?' he asked. Then suddenly his eyes fell on Draco who was standing in-between the twins. 'You!' he shouted. 'What have you done?' he asked in a very rude voice that made Draco step back. 'If you have done anything to Parvati I will kill you!' he started half running towards Draco fist raised.
'Harry, don't!' Parvati pulled him back. 'He hasn't done anything that I know about. Just go back to the hall!' Potter relaxed a little and lowered his fist. His face was red and his eyes had a very evil glint in them that Draco recognised so well.
'I won't leave you two together with this, this...'
'Just go!' Parvati said. Potter gave her a last look and then turned and walked back to the hall with big steps.
'He says he hasn't told anyone,' Padma said when she was sure the door to the Great Hall was closed. Parvati walked up to Draco.
'If you haven't told anyone, then why not?' she asked sternly. Draco shrugged.
'Because I wanted to be nice,' he lied. The truth was he had forgotten completely about it until the moment Padma had come up to him in the Great Hall. Parvati eyed him with a disbelieving look, her hands at her sides.
'Nice? You? That is a very funny joke,' she said in a sarcastic voice. 'Haha! I laugh so much I pee in my pants,' she said still holding her hands by her waist. Draco return the disbelieving look she was giving him. 'Malfoy. If you want to be nice, then at least tell the truth!' she said. It was more of a panicking voice than an angry one that she used. Draco didn't say anything. 'You don't mean to say you haven't told anyone yet?' she said in a softer voice after getting no reply. Draco didn't say anything. 'Eh... that was very nice of you,' she muttered.
'Malfoy... eh... Draco?' Padma asked quietly walking up to Draco. She was holding out her hand. 'I believe you. If you would have told anyone I would have heard about it and I haven't. Therefore I offer you a hand of friendship,' she said. Draco looked first at Padma and then at her hand. He smiled and shook her hand.
'I don't know what to do!' Parvati said and Draco let go of Padma's hand. Parvati slid to the floor and leant against the wall. 'Harry is very nice... but he is so annoying! And so childish! He just follows me around everywhere and does anything for me!' she said pulling her hand through her hair. 'I just don't want to dump him because he is very nice, popular, cute, and a good Quidditch player. But Austin is different. He has his own will and still cares for me without following me around everywhere,' she moaned and Draco felt a feeling of agreement. He knew how it was having someone you didn't like following you around.
'Parvati, don't dump him. I know you might find him annoying but he is the best boyfriend available in this school,' Draco looked up.
'What about Austin?' Parvati asked.
'I will say the same thing I have told you a thousand of times. He is just using you to get... well... you know...' Parvati glared angrily but kept silent. Draco could tell she was deeply in thought.
'I will go with Austin for the prom, and then dump him... and then stay with Harry,' she said simply. 'Now if you two don't mind I am going to have some dinner. I am starving,' she stood up. 'Malfoy, please don't tell anyone about this. I would be very happy if you didn't. It can be our secret, can't it?'
'Did you like my jeans?' Greg asked as they walked out of the shop. They were all carrying a big bag each with their new clothes in.
'Yes. They were very MUGGELISH,' Draco said in a bit of an annoyed tone.
'But Muggles do invent good things. I mean, have you ever used a telephone? You can talk to people even if they are on the other side of the world!' Greg said importantly.
'Greg, you must start realising Muggles are different,' Draco said carrying his new robe. 'They can't do anything. They can't do any spells or any potions! They can't even dress right with having those tight blue pants you just bought!' Greg was silent for a moment. Draco thought he was thinking.
'You might be right... but I have nothing against the pants I bought,' he said after a while. Draco didn't bother replying.
'Malfoy? You haven't told anyone about my sister, have you?' Padma whispered when she saw him in the Great Hall at dinner that evening. 'I mean not anyone,'
'Eh... no,' Draco said feeling his cheeks turn red. He could see that a lot of people had realised Padma was whispering to him and he wanted to look as cool as possible as if it was the most normal thing in the world. He could tell Padma wasn't to happy about it though.
'I want to believe you, but I am afraid I can't. Anyone who knew of this would spread it around the school. And specially you,' to Draco's surprise tears started to come out of her eyes. 'My sister trusted me with this...' she said. 'Why did all girls start crying near him?' Draco wondered as more tears came out. She turned around and ran out of the hall. He didn't know what to do. He stood still for a moment and then followed her.
'Malfoy! What have you done to my sister?' Parvati said as he passed the Gryffindor table. 'Can't you ever think about what other people want?'
'I didn't do anything!' Draco snapped and hurried after Padma. He closed the door rapidly behind him and spotted Padma further down in the corridor.
'Padma!' he called. She turned around. 'I swear I didn't tell anyone!' Padma dried her red eyes.
'You can't prove it,' she said in a shaky voice. 'I don't even know you, but I have heard enough about you for a reason not to believe you,' Draco stared. He hated that everyone saw him as a bad person.
'Padma, I swear I didn't,' he repeated.
'Padma! What ever he has done, why don't you hex him?' Parvati's voice called through the hall. Both Padma and Draco turned around. 'I hate him just as much as you so if he has done anything to you, I swear I will rip him into pieces!'
'Parvati. He hasn't done anything. And I don't hate him. Just go back to dinner. I can handle this,' Padma said quietly. Parvati eyed her suspiciously.
'What are you talking about? Of course you hate him!' she said angrily.
'He hasn't done anything to me for a reason to hate him. And he hasn't done anything to you either!' Padma said.
'Well what has he got to do with you anyway?' Parvati carried on. Draco didn't like where this was going.
'Parvati...' Padma said in a voice as if trying to calm him down.
'Yes?'
'He knows bout you and the prefect,' Parvati stared. There was an awkward silence between the three of them.
'I think I will leave,' Draco said and turned to leave.
'No you wont!' Parvati said holding up a hand to stop him. Draco stepped back and unwillingly faced her. 'How do you know?'
'He accidentally over heard me tell Jess and Bee that you were going to the prom,' Padma said and her voice started shaking more.
'You promised you wouldn't tell anyone!' Parvati nearly shouted.
'Parvati? What is happening?' now it was Parvati's turn to turn around. Harry Potter was walking towards them. Parvati gave Padma and Draco a frightened look.
'Oh nothing sweetie,' she said in a what seemed to be a calm voice but Draco could tell from her eyes that she was panicking. 'Go back into the hall. I will be right back,' Potter seemed to have seen the panic in her eyes too. He stayed where he was.
'What has happened?' he asked. Then suddenly his eyes fell on Draco who was standing in-between the twins. 'You!' he shouted. 'What have you done?' he asked in a very rude voice that made Draco step back. 'If you have done anything to Parvati I will kill you!' he started half running towards Draco fist raised.
'Harry, don't!' Parvati pulled him back. 'He hasn't done anything that I know about. Just go back to the hall!' Potter relaxed a little and lowered his fist. His face was red and his eyes had a very evil glint in them that Draco recognised so well.
'I won't leave you two together with this, this...'
'Just go!' Parvati said. Potter gave her a last look and then turned and walked back to the hall with big steps.
'He says he hasn't told anyone,' Padma said when she was sure the door to the Great Hall was closed. Parvati walked up to Draco.
'If you haven't told anyone, then why not?' she asked sternly. Draco shrugged.
'Because I wanted to be nice,' he lied. The truth was he had forgotten completely about it until the moment Padma had come up to him in the Great Hall. Parvati eyed him with a disbelieving look, her hands at her sides.
'Nice? You? That is a very funny joke,' she said in a sarcastic voice. 'Haha! I laugh so much I pee in my pants,' she said still holding her hands by her waist. Draco return the disbelieving look she was giving him. 'Malfoy. If you want to be nice, then at least tell the truth!' she said. It was more of a panicking voice than an angry one that she used. Draco didn't say anything. 'You don't mean to say you haven't told anyone yet?' she said in a softer voice after getting no reply. Draco didn't say anything. 'Eh... that was very nice of you,' she muttered.
'Malfoy... eh... Draco?' Padma asked quietly walking up to Draco. She was holding out her hand. 'I believe you. If you would have told anyone I would have heard about it and I haven't. Therefore I offer you a hand of friendship,' she said. Draco looked first at Padma and then at her hand. He smiled and shook her hand.
'I don't know what to do!' Parvati said and Draco let go of Padma's hand. Parvati slid to the floor and leant against the wall. 'Harry is very nice... but he is so annoying! And so childish! He just follows me around everywhere and does anything for me!' she said pulling her hand through her hair. 'I just don't want to dump him because he is very nice, popular, cute, and a good Quidditch player. But Austin is different. He has his own will and still cares for me without following me around everywhere,' she moaned and Draco felt a feeling of agreement. He knew how it was having someone you didn't like following you around.
'Parvati, don't dump him. I know you might find him annoying but he is the best boyfriend available in this school,' Draco looked up.
'What about Austin?' Parvati asked.
'I will say the same thing I have told you a thousand of times. He is just using you to get... well... you know...' Parvati glared angrily but kept silent. Draco could tell she was deeply in thought.
'I will go with Austin for the prom, and then dump him... and then stay with Harry,' she said simply. 'Now if you two don't mind I am going to have some dinner. I am starving,' she stood up. 'Malfoy, please don't tell anyone about this. I would be very happy if you didn't. It can be our secret, can't it?'