Ch. 08 Strange Reactions
"I'm nervous," whispered Brynne as they walked up the stairs from the dungeon.
"Don't be," replied Draco. "None of them matters anyway."
"But still." she began.
"Shh," he interrupted. "I don't care what they think. I know what I want, and I'm not going to change my mind, even if everyone in there is against us."
His words were strong, but she was still anxious. He looked down at her and could read the worry all over her face. By now, they were standing just outside the Great Hall's mahogany doors. He turned her until she was standing in front of him. "Relax," he told her. "You just need to relax." The last words were whispered as he leaned down to kiss her. He gathered her to him and held her until she stopped shaking. "Better?" he asked.
"Yes," she replied. She took his arm again and gave him her bravest smile.
"Good." Draco opened the huge door and they stepped inside the enormous dining room. They were a good ten minutes late, so when they entered, every single head swiveled their way. They were met with irritated looks from professors, well, except for Snape, who looked on with approval. Some students had angry expressions on their faces, Goyle, Pansy, and Flint being the most notable ones. But mostly, Draco and Brynne were met with expressions of uncomprehending interest.
As per usual, Draco's eyes drifted over to the Gryffindor table where Potter and the other two stooges were seated. They were all talking heatedly, while throwing confused looks in his direction. Draco was tempted to go over and introduce them to Brynne. Instead, deciding that would be too unusual, he led Brynne to the place that was reserved for him: the place of honor at the center of the table.
Unfortunately, it appeared that the Slytherins, mainly Crabbe and Goyle Draco surmised, had left room for only one. Knowing he would be judged by how he reacted, Draco made his decision quickly. He studied the two people sitting on either side of the empty seat. Crabbe and Goyle. Then, making a snap decision he knew he would probably live to regret, Draco pulled Goyle up by the back of his robes and removed him from the table. Draco then seated Brynne next to Crabbe, who he knew wouldn't be any sort of threat, and he himself sat in Goyle's seat. As Goyle retreated to find a new seat, his eyes sent flaming arrows at Brynne.
Draco felt eyes on him from all over the room. The whole hall was silent. Just when he thought the tension was going to make his head explode, he heard a high-pitched voice ask, "Can I take your picture?" Draco looked around for the source of the distraction and found the mousy little Mudblood Gryffindor that carried the Muggle picture box around everywhere he went. If it weren't for the unbelievable gross factor and the fact that Draco didn't fly that side of the Quidditch pitch and the fact that he was a bloody Gryffindor, Draco could have kissed the Creevey kid.
The tension broken, the other students began conversing amongst themselves again. Mostly about Draco and his mystery girl, but at least their scrutiny wasn't so obvious. Draco ignored Creevey and turned to Brynne. "That wasn't so bad, now was it?" he asked quietly, squeezing her hand. He noticed the faint sheen of a layer of perspiration on her face. He narrowed his eyes. Why was this bothering her so much?
Brynne was terrified. All those eyes, staring at her, judging her, telling her she wasn't good enough. She may have been the most recent in one of the longest lines of pureblood wizards, but she preferred to stay unknown, afraid of what nosy people like Pansy Parkinson would find if they dug too deep in the family secrets. That and she simply wasn't accustomed to this much attention all at once.
Even as a member of the house Quidditch team she didn't get much attention. No one even knew she was on the team. She was almost certain Draco didn't even know, and he was her Captain! First of all, she was a Beater, the position that received the least amount of attention. Second, she always wore her hood over her head to cover her face and played under an alias: Bry. Third, she always kept to herself, in uniform and in her school robes. She was like a fly on the wall to most people. Until now, anyway. She couldn't handle all this attention.all those eyes. Gentle pressure on her hand pulled her from her thoughts. "Hmmm?" she asked.
"Are you alright? You look a little pale," murmured Draco.
"I'm fine, really," she began, before her sparkling green eyes grew cloudy and rolled back into her head as she fell backwards.
Some how, Draco managed to catch her just before her head hit the marble floor. He vaguely heard those around him talking, most worried, some laughing (he would make them regret that later). He looked towards the table that the professors were seated at, searching for Madame Pomfrey. She was already at his elbow however, examining Brynne. She made a move to cast the levitating spell, but Draco wouldn't let her. Pomfrey looked up at Dumbledore, who was standing in front of his chair, for some intervention, but he simply motioned for her to let it go. Pomfrey resignedly said, "Alright, you can carry her Mr. Malfoy, but you'd best not drop her," and led the way to the hospital wing.
Despite his short stature, Draco was really quite strong. He gathered Brynne to his chest and stood up, stepping over the bench to follow Madame Pomfrey.
As he left the hall, Draco noted some facial expressions. Crabbe had a stupid look on his face, while Goyle, Pansy, and Flint all looked rather smug. Draco decided he would hurt hem later. It would be fun. Then he glanced at the Gryffindor table. He was shocked to see the worry on their faces. Maybe they weren't the prats he assumed them to be. Then he looked at the faces of the Three Stooges and noted, while concern was the dominant expression, they couldn't hide their bewilderment. He assumed it was because they didn't think he could be affectionate. That was the damn bloody Gryffindor's problem, they just didn't think. With that, he carried Brynne after Madame Pomfrey, who was muttering that they could have been to the hospital wing already if Brynne had just been levitated.
"I'm nervous," whispered Brynne as they walked up the stairs from the dungeon.
"Don't be," replied Draco. "None of them matters anyway."
"But still." she began.
"Shh," he interrupted. "I don't care what they think. I know what I want, and I'm not going to change my mind, even if everyone in there is against us."
His words were strong, but she was still anxious. He looked down at her and could read the worry all over her face. By now, they were standing just outside the Great Hall's mahogany doors. He turned her until she was standing in front of him. "Relax," he told her. "You just need to relax." The last words were whispered as he leaned down to kiss her. He gathered her to him and held her until she stopped shaking. "Better?" he asked.
"Yes," she replied. She took his arm again and gave him her bravest smile.
"Good." Draco opened the huge door and they stepped inside the enormous dining room. They were a good ten minutes late, so when they entered, every single head swiveled their way. They were met with irritated looks from professors, well, except for Snape, who looked on with approval. Some students had angry expressions on their faces, Goyle, Pansy, and Flint being the most notable ones. But mostly, Draco and Brynne were met with expressions of uncomprehending interest.
As per usual, Draco's eyes drifted over to the Gryffindor table where Potter and the other two stooges were seated. They were all talking heatedly, while throwing confused looks in his direction. Draco was tempted to go over and introduce them to Brynne. Instead, deciding that would be too unusual, he led Brynne to the place that was reserved for him: the place of honor at the center of the table.
Unfortunately, it appeared that the Slytherins, mainly Crabbe and Goyle Draco surmised, had left room for only one. Knowing he would be judged by how he reacted, Draco made his decision quickly. He studied the two people sitting on either side of the empty seat. Crabbe and Goyle. Then, making a snap decision he knew he would probably live to regret, Draco pulled Goyle up by the back of his robes and removed him from the table. Draco then seated Brynne next to Crabbe, who he knew wouldn't be any sort of threat, and he himself sat in Goyle's seat. As Goyle retreated to find a new seat, his eyes sent flaming arrows at Brynne.
Draco felt eyes on him from all over the room. The whole hall was silent. Just when he thought the tension was going to make his head explode, he heard a high-pitched voice ask, "Can I take your picture?" Draco looked around for the source of the distraction and found the mousy little Mudblood Gryffindor that carried the Muggle picture box around everywhere he went. If it weren't for the unbelievable gross factor and the fact that Draco didn't fly that side of the Quidditch pitch and the fact that he was a bloody Gryffindor, Draco could have kissed the Creevey kid.
The tension broken, the other students began conversing amongst themselves again. Mostly about Draco and his mystery girl, but at least their scrutiny wasn't so obvious. Draco ignored Creevey and turned to Brynne. "That wasn't so bad, now was it?" he asked quietly, squeezing her hand. He noticed the faint sheen of a layer of perspiration on her face. He narrowed his eyes. Why was this bothering her so much?
Brynne was terrified. All those eyes, staring at her, judging her, telling her she wasn't good enough. She may have been the most recent in one of the longest lines of pureblood wizards, but she preferred to stay unknown, afraid of what nosy people like Pansy Parkinson would find if they dug too deep in the family secrets. That and she simply wasn't accustomed to this much attention all at once.
Even as a member of the house Quidditch team she didn't get much attention. No one even knew she was on the team. She was almost certain Draco didn't even know, and he was her Captain! First of all, she was a Beater, the position that received the least amount of attention. Second, she always wore her hood over her head to cover her face and played under an alias: Bry. Third, she always kept to herself, in uniform and in her school robes. She was like a fly on the wall to most people. Until now, anyway. She couldn't handle all this attention.all those eyes. Gentle pressure on her hand pulled her from her thoughts. "Hmmm?" she asked.
"Are you alright? You look a little pale," murmured Draco.
"I'm fine, really," she began, before her sparkling green eyes grew cloudy and rolled back into her head as she fell backwards.
Some how, Draco managed to catch her just before her head hit the marble floor. He vaguely heard those around him talking, most worried, some laughing (he would make them regret that later). He looked towards the table that the professors were seated at, searching for Madame Pomfrey. She was already at his elbow however, examining Brynne. She made a move to cast the levitating spell, but Draco wouldn't let her. Pomfrey looked up at Dumbledore, who was standing in front of his chair, for some intervention, but he simply motioned for her to let it go. Pomfrey resignedly said, "Alright, you can carry her Mr. Malfoy, but you'd best not drop her," and led the way to the hospital wing.
Despite his short stature, Draco was really quite strong. He gathered Brynne to his chest and stood up, stepping over the bench to follow Madame Pomfrey.
As he left the hall, Draco noted some facial expressions. Crabbe had a stupid look on his face, while Goyle, Pansy, and Flint all looked rather smug. Draco decided he would hurt hem later. It would be fun. Then he glanced at the Gryffindor table. He was shocked to see the worry on their faces. Maybe they weren't the prats he assumed them to be. Then he looked at the faces of the Three Stooges and noted, while concern was the dominant expression, they couldn't hide their bewilderment. He assumed it was because they didn't think he could be affectionate. That was the damn bloody Gryffindor's problem, they just didn't think. With that, he carried Brynne after Madame Pomfrey, who was muttering that they could have been to the hospital wing already if Brynne had just been levitated.
