Chapter 7- Counseling
I was in a state of wonder. "So, how can you expect people to forget those rumors, if you tell them yourself?" I ranted. "Ron and the others say that you talk about Pansy in the bathroom, and they're convinced that you have Pansy at your beck and call- sexually. Why do you tell every body that stuff?"
"It gives me a reputation, and a good one, but with everyone I don't want to be friendly with," Draco muttered. "But no one like Harry, or you for that matter, want to be my mates, so at least I have some fake friends." He smirked weakly.
"Freaky fake friends," I added. "If you wanted to be mates with us, you could have been a bit nicer, instead of threatening Harry and making Ron feel like a prat. They told me about that. Why did you have to act that way?"
"I didn't want to seem un-cool," Draco replied shortly.
"Draco!" I declared," You'd be cooler if you'd be nice.. Like how you're acting tonight- right now! That is the true meaning of being cool," I told him.
He shrugged his shoulders reproachfully and grumbled," Well, it's a bit too late for me to switch it up then, now, isn't it?"
"Oh, honestly, Draco! You obviously WANT to change, or else you wouldn't have told me your- eh- feelings..." I trailed off, eyeing him in suspicion. "Unless you've been fooling me the entire time.." I gave him yet another chance to rub this whole thing in my face.
But to my relief (surprisingly), he looked insulted.
He arched his dark eyebrows, and proclaimed," I AM BEING SERIOUS! Completely serious! Am I really this untrustworthy?"
"I would have to say so," I replied honestly. "I mean, I'm used to you acting so unpleasant around me! Like calling me names, and making fun of my teeth back when we were younger!"
"You can't hold that against me," he responded, grinning slyly. " I thought you were so cute that I had to cover up my feelings by taunting you. The teeth were a bit large, but not bad. Just distinguishing."
I smiled back at him in, though in doubt, because no guy had ever called me 'cute', or joked with me in that sort of fashion. And even though my teeth had been a touchy subject, all anger at him sort of melted away. 'Is he flirting?' I wondered stupidly, because I was not experienced in that area at all. The only male who had intentionally flirted with me before was Neville. Despite these questions I had in mind, I frowned again and continued:
"All right. How about explaining to me why you pushed a first year down the stairs last month and made him cry?" I inquired.
Draco sighed grandly. "A Prefect never forgets."
I nodded nobly at him. "Nope, especially Head Girl." I paused, and then watched Draco. "Why do you do things like that?"
He shrugged again, and then replied defensively," I couldn't help it! That wally was such an easy target, teetering around with his big pile of books and his shiny Hufflepuff pin. And- I- was with my Slytherin friends." He looked down at the ground, and I'd have to admit that he looked innocently adorable.
"Ah HA!" I declared proudly. "It's peer pressure, isn't it? You think that since you have an audience you'd better entertain them, and you want to look keen. You feel as though you have to live up to everyone's expectations, and it's turning you into a loserly git. Is that it?"
Draco looked at me, a bit overwhelmed. "Sure, that sounds a bit right. Actually, quite on the mark, I'd have to say."
I grinned. "I love advising people. All of my friends come to me for counsel," I stated, and then realized that this statement was not correct. "Well, actually, I just give it to them- they don't really want it. But they need it," I continued quickly," and that's what counts. Well, Neville does ask for it, so-"
I realized that I was rambling when Draco put his finger to my lip. I was speechless.
"I want you to give me advice," he said slowly, sliding his finger across the side of my cheek.
I felt myself blush. "Stop that!" I commanded, feeling confused, because I didn't really want him to stop.
He did quit it though, saying," Sorry. I honestly do want you to help me, though. No one ever gives me good guidance."
"Guidance? No one EVER gives you guidance?" I exclaimed.
"They give me guidance," he responded," but it's not good."
"You mean to say that no one ever assists you, or puts you on the right track?"
He shook his head. "Unless you're counting teachers. They sort of try to, but all that they really say is 'sit down and shut your gob, Malfoy'!" He forced a chortle.
"What about your parents? They must influence you in SOME ways!" I said vehemently.
Draco paused a moment, and then began to speak with a terribly sarcastic tone that reminded me so much of Lucius, it was hard to listen. "Hmm.. Let's see, shall we? Mother pretends she's a moron, and says she doesn't know how to help me, and she goes off shopping all of the time, leaving me and my father at home together. She says we should 'bond', which is sort of tough because then Father acts like he's busy and locks himself up doing who knows what! When I need advice, he accuses me of smarting off, and we get into an argument. So, then, I go to my room, and try to occupy myself, and end up bored out of my mind, and devoid of any advice." Malfoy quit talking abruptly when he noticed my shocked expression.
"That's horrid!" I said sharply.
He cleared his throat, and tried to look tough. "No. It's fine. I don't even care, really."
"Quit that!" I scoffed in annoyance, shoving his shoulder a bit, not even feeling like this was the infamous Draco Malfoy, but feeling like he was a comrade, like Ron or Harry. "Why do you boys have to act so macho all of the time?"
"How am I supposed to know?" he demanded.
I rolled my eyes. "You say you want my advice? Well, here's something: Don't hide who you really are. It puts people off. I'm beginning to think you're a good person, and then you have to go all artificial on me again!"
"I apologize," he put in," but it's just that I'm so used to covering everything up."
"You don't have to cover anything up when you're with me," I announced snappishly.
He grinned. "Good. Then, can I have a dance with you?"
I was in a state of wonder. "So, how can you expect people to forget those rumors, if you tell them yourself?" I ranted. "Ron and the others say that you talk about Pansy in the bathroom, and they're convinced that you have Pansy at your beck and call- sexually. Why do you tell every body that stuff?"
"It gives me a reputation, and a good one, but with everyone I don't want to be friendly with," Draco muttered. "But no one like Harry, or you for that matter, want to be my mates, so at least I have some fake friends." He smirked weakly.
"Freaky fake friends," I added. "If you wanted to be mates with us, you could have been a bit nicer, instead of threatening Harry and making Ron feel like a prat. They told me about that. Why did you have to act that way?"
"I didn't want to seem un-cool," Draco replied shortly.
"Draco!" I declared," You'd be cooler if you'd be nice.. Like how you're acting tonight- right now! That is the true meaning of being cool," I told him.
He shrugged his shoulders reproachfully and grumbled," Well, it's a bit too late for me to switch it up then, now, isn't it?"
"Oh, honestly, Draco! You obviously WANT to change, or else you wouldn't have told me your- eh- feelings..." I trailed off, eyeing him in suspicion. "Unless you've been fooling me the entire time.." I gave him yet another chance to rub this whole thing in my face.
But to my relief (surprisingly), he looked insulted.
He arched his dark eyebrows, and proclaimed," I AM BEING SERIOUS! Completely serious! Am I really this untrustworthy?"
"I would have to say so," I replied honestly. "I mean, I'm used to you acting so unpleasant around me! Like calling me names, and making fun of my teeth back when we were younger!"
"You can't hold that against me," he responded, grinning slyly. " I thought you were so cute that I had to cover up my feelings by taunting you. The teeth were a bit large, but not bad. Just distinguishing."
I smiled back at him in, though in doubt, because no guy had ever called me 'cute', or joked with me in that sort of fashion. And even though my teeth had been a touchy subject, all anger at him sort of melted away. 'Is he flirting?' I wondered stupidly, because I was not experienced in that area at all. The only male who had intentionally flirted with me before was Neville. Despite these questions I had in mind, I frowned again and continued:
"All right. How about explaining to me why you pushed a first year down the stairs last month and made him cry?" I inquired.
Draco sighed grandly. "A Prefect never forgets."
I nodded nobly at him. "Nope, especially Head Girl." I paused, and then watched Draco. "Why do you do things like that?"
He shrugged again, and then replied defensively," I couldn't help it! That wally was such an easy target, teetering around with his big pile of books and his shiny Hufflepuff pin. And- I- was with my Slytherin friends." He looked down at the ground, and I'd have to admit that he looked innocently adorable.
"Ah HA!" I declared proudly. "It's peer pressure, isn't it? You think that since you have an audience you'd better entertain them, and you want to look keen. You feel as though you have to live up to everyone's expectations, and it's turning you into a loserly git. Is that it?"
Draco looked at me, a bit overwhelmed. "Sure, that sounds a bit right. Actually, quite on the mark, I'd have to say."
I grinned. "I love advising people. All of my friends come to me for counsel," I stated, and then realized that this statement was not correct. "Well, actually, I just give it to them- they don't really want it. But they need it," I continued quickly," and that's what counts. Well, Neville does ask for it, so-"
I realized that I was rambling when Draco put his finger to my lip. I was speechless.
"I want you to give me advice," he said slowly, sliding his finger across the side of my cheek.
I felt myself blush. "Stop that!" I commanded, feeling confused, because I didn't really want him to stop.
He did quit it though, saying," Sorry. I honestly do want you to help me, though. No one ever gives me good guidance."
"Guidance? No one EVER gives you guidance?" I exclaimed.
"They give me guidance," he responded," but it's not good."
"You mean to say that no one ever assists you, or puts you on the right track?"
He shook his head. "Unless you're counting teachers. They sort of try to, but all that they really say is 'sit down and shut your gob, Malfoy'!" He forced a chortle.
"What about your parents? They must influence you in SOME ways!" I said vehemently.
Draco paused a moment, and then began to speak with a terribly sarcastic tone that reminded me so much of Lucius, it was hard to listen. "Hmm.. Let's see, shall we? Mother pretends she's a moron, and says she doesn't know how to help me, and she goes off shopping all of the time, leaving me and my father at home together. She says we should 'bond', which is sort of tough because then Father acts like he's busy and locks himself up doing who knows what! When I need advice, he accuses me of smarting off, and we get into an argument. So, then, I go to my room, and try to occupy myself, and end up bored out of my mind, and devoid of any advice." Malfoy quit talking abruptly when he noticed my shocked expression.
"That's horrid!" I said sharply.
He cleared his throat, and tried to look tough. "No. It's fine. I don't even care, really."
"Quit that!" I scoffed in annoyance, shoving his shoulder a bit, not even feeling like this was the infamous Draco Malfoy, but feeling like he was a comrade, like Ron or Harry. "Why do you boys have to act so macho all of the time?"
"How am I supposed to know?" he demanded.
I rolled my eyes. "You say you want my advice? Well, here's something: Don't hide who you really are. It puts people off. I'm beginning to think you're a good person, and then you have to go all artificial on me again!"
"I apologize," he put in," but it's just that I'm so used to covering everything up."
"You don't have to cover anything up when you're with me," I announced snappishly.
He grinned. "Good. Then, can I have a dance with you?"