(A/N: Ah, yes, after carefully containing my excitement, I have reached
this chapter. As I'm sure you realized from my Author's Notes the last
chapter, something is going to happen, or rather, several things are. And
yes, there is a reason behind the rhyme (even if it doesn't rhyme), so just
stick with me, as not all will be explained here. Well, without further ado
. . .
Note: Sorry about the format of this! I can't get it to be normal! No matter what I do, it just won't cooperate with me!)
Chapter Twelve
To my surprise, the door to the dungeon creaked open slowly, and I could see Snape shuffling away from Circe, who looked calm and serene, with her arms crossed elegantly over her chest. The torches that lit the room flickered behind her, illuminating her tall stately figure, creating an eerie glow about her skin. Next to her, Snape stood, but I was unable to read his expression, as it was already starting to mingle with hatred at the sight of Potter.
"Good evening, Mister Malfoy," said Circe lightly. "And Mister Potter." She nodded to Harry, uncrossing her arms and surveying us both closer, as if trying to see how much of the conversation we had heard. Snape was throwing a look of extreme loathing at Potter, as if he knew he was eavesdropping on purpose. "I see that you are here for your rightful talents," Circe added, casting a dark look to Snape.
Neither Potter nor I dared to speak. I nodded, and I could tell with a wayward glance to my side, that Potter was nodding as well. Snape heaved a sigh much like that of a depressed dog, and spun around with a flourish of black robes to retrieve something that was a sort of orange-ish color, bubbling slightly.
"I have come to the conclusion that since Potter's potion was so feeble," Snape said diabolically, a grin playing about his lips as he looked at Potter. "That all we need to do is splash you each with a bit of it, and all will be normal. Simple logic, Mister Potter."
I grinned, as if I had known all along. Potter was looking very irritated, as he rolled his eyes. Circe tilted her head curiously at him then straightened herself when she noticed I was watching her. Before I could winkle my brow at her, Snape had thrust a small vial of red potion into my hands, and another into Potter's. The Potions Master then took a few steps back.
I turned to Potter, who had his eyes narrowed maliciously at me. I took the topper off my vial. He followed suit. From that point on, we knew what to do with the half filled vials we each had. Since none of my potion had spilled, Snape had filled the vials each had full with Potter's concoction, so we would each get equal sprits.
And that we did. My hatred towards Potter was unleashed as I threw my glass topper on the floor, and as if in slow motion, I unleashed the red liquid. It seemed to take an age to travel the short distance to Potter's face. I could see it starting to bubble as it made contact with his skin. But at that moment, I had also been hit. The burning red-hot concoction dripped off my nose, down the front of my robes.
I felt something changing automatically. Glasses appeared on the end of my nose again, as a jet of green light left my fingertips. I fought back a scream. It was as if part of me were being ripped off. With the absence of whatever the green light was, I felt immediately whole again as a yellow light hit me with such a force that I crumpled to the floor. I flexed my fingers, and opened my eyes, which had closed without my consent, and for the first time in a while, took in the sweet essence of the dungeon.
Snape extended a hand, and I took it. He jerked me to my feet, as Circe pulled Potter from the ground. I savagely tossed him his glasses, which he caught with one hand and pushed up his nose. I stuck my nose in the air with a touch of snobbish elegance. Circe looked as if she were ready to burst out laughing at the two of us, and Snape maintained his serious dark look.
"That's all, Potter, Malfoy," He said quickly. "You may return to your common rooms," he added, casting a sideways glance to Circe, then looking back at me.
"Thank you, Professors," I said, nodding at Circe and Snape. Potter mumbled something that I imagined was a thanks then shuffled hurriedly out the door. I turned to leave, when Circe caught my arm.
"I'll accompany Mister Malfoy to Slytherin," she said to Snape quickly. "Keep everything that I have said in mind, Severus. A pleasant evening to you." She smiled, and nodded to my favorite Professor, gently pushing me out the door. She followed me, and shut the door behind her. I head the distinct sound of something heavy smashing against something else, probably the floor.
"What was that about?" I wasted no time in asking Circe what she had been talking to Snape about. She started to walk faster and carefully pondered what I had just asked her. This gave me time to ponder, as well. What was the beautiful enchantress doing with Severus Snape? What were they keeping a secret? Was it something. . . Personal?
"It is a private business affair, Mister Malfoy," Circe said slowly, choosing her words carefully. "As you may have gathered from what I have told you, I am not fully up to par with the current events of what we face today." She left it simply at that. I did not dare ask more, for there was a hot tone to her voice that made me rethink my curiosity.
About ten more silent minutes of walking followed. I had never appreciated the beauty of the Hogwarts walls until that very moment. Pictures goggled at Circe, and pointed at me as if I were her houself as we traipsed through the many nooks and crannies of the castle's twists and turns. At last, we had found ourselves in front of the Slytherin Common Room.
"Professor?" I said suddenly. Circe looked at me. "Could I ask you to do something?"
"That depends, Mister Malfoy," she said.
"Can you try to hex me, like in class?"
"If that's what you want."
I handed her my wand. She twirled it between her fingers a bit and then tucked it into the depths of her robes. She raised her eyebrows. I nodded, trying to focus all the magic I had flowing through my veins to block whatever spell she was about to send my way. I could feel the magic heating up my body . . . I could feel the confidence welling up inside my chest . . .
I fell to the floor, twitching madly. A stinging sensation was pulsating through my body. My limbs were still twitching. Through blurred vision, I saw a long hand grasp my arm and pull me to my feet.
Normalcy returned to me. Circe still clutched my arm, and let it go abruptly. She was biting her lower lip, looking disappointed. "I'm sorry, Draco," she said, for the first time ever, calling me by my first name. "I know it meant a lot to you."
I nodded. Circe forced a smile, and patted e gingerly on the back as she turned to leave. I let myself into the common room, and as I made my way up to my bed, I felt as if defeat itself was pulling me up the stairs by my ankles.
~*~
Hooray. It was that fateful time of year where all the girls in the castle giggled and blushed profusely every time a half-decent looking male crossed their path. It was the time of year where even the teachers did not fight the giggling spells, and grinning boys who watched the girls across the room. It was the time of year where everything was decorated with sickening frills of pink, red and white.
That's right. It was Valentine's Day. I was thrilled. Note the sarcasm.
And it was also a Hogsmeade Weekend. Had I not locked myself in the dormitories that morning, I would have been keen to get out of the castle to sneak up on kissing couples, to ridicule them. Had I not been wallowing in my own grief, I would have laughed when I saw Cho Chang and Harry Potter walking hand-in-hand as I slowly dragged myself to Hogsmeade.
But at that moment it was not I who was doing the ridiculing. Pansy Parkinson, and all her cronies, along with Celeste and Kayta on the side, had stopped to giggle at Potter and his girlfriend, who were both looking extremely embarrassed. I had to admit, in light of my recent defeats, this made me smile. Potter facing embarrassment was one of those things that automatically guaranteed happiness.
I had lost track of Crabbe and Goyle, as I meandered the streets with none but my own company. Everything was decorated in frills of white, pink, and red, to my displeasure. They clashed in every way with my heavy mood, as I dragged my feet, not smiling, through the streets. So this was what life was like having no real friends. It was lonely. But I should have been used to it, by then, never having a real friend to share secrets with. All I had were Crabbe and Goyle, the intellectual equivalent of a boulder. And that was combining both their brainpower.
The harsh realization of my true life was finally dawning upon me. I was a spoiled rich kid who had no control over the way his father treated the family, who had no friends, no talents, and was currently wallowing in his own grief, wondering what the hell I was going to do with my life. I was slowly drifting away from the fairy tale, materialistic world that I had once lived in. I was coming out of my dream, and facing the harsh, cruel reality.
The sky seemed to be reflecting my mood. It was not a clear, beautiful day. The sky had blackened slightly since morning, and great gray rain clouds drifted by, looking heavier than ever. It was indeed my mood; I felt ready to rain, so to speak. It was as if an enormous weight had settled on my chest again, dragging me down . . . down . . . down . . .
I loosened my cloak as I stepped into Dervish and Banges, not feeling any less enlightened by the ugly hearts that were hanging above me. The store was packed with students busting this way and that, some holding hands, and others in large groups, conversing madly about every subject under the sun. How could they all be so happy?
I suddenly pretended to be very interested in a spellbook. In a flurry, I hastily grabbed it from the table, raising it to hide my face. Very near to me was Hermione Granger, looking rather lonely, with only Loony Luna Lovegood for company. They were examining a rack of magazines, as Luna said, "Daddy will be pleased, don't you think? But this story won't be nearly as big as-"
That girl was a nutter, if I ever saw one. Even Hermione Granger, who I considered to be quite spacey and odd, seemed like the poster girl for normal compared to Luna. I could see Granger shaking her head and rolling her eyes. "They aren't real, Luna!" She exclaimed suddenly. Luna looked downtrodden, but held her head high, looking at Granger as if she were mad. "Honestly . . ."
I grinned, and set my book down. Potter wasn't there to defend Granger. But admittedly, she had proved she could fend for herself. I crossed my arms across my chest, and looked over at she and Luna, who were still looking at the magazine rack with vague interest. Hermione caught sight of me first.
"Bug off, Malfoy." She said firmly. Luna looked up at me with her overly large blue eyes.
"Loony Lovegood and the Great Granger," I sneered. "What are you looking for today?" I looked at Luna. "Jackelopes and other oddities?"
Hermione snorted, throwing me a glance of distinct hatred. "You're pathetic, Malfoy," she added, smiling sweetly. "Just because you don't have any friends doesn't mean you need to seek out those who do and jealously poke fun at them for no good reason."
"Loony here has friends?" I laughed. "And Potter and Weasley hardly count, either." Though my voice was cool and confident, a knife had pierced through my heart. So she realized that I was lonely, too?
"And Crabbe and Goyle could hardly count as boulders," Granger finished, throwing her nose in the air, nodding sharply at me, making her way through the thick crowd, and out the door. I sighed. Maybe that was the reason I didn't have real friends. I wasn't a very civil person. But I just couldn't help myself. They were so vulnerable . . .
After a few moments of shuffling around the crowded shop, I pushed my way through the crowd, and out the door. The darkened sky had started to let its moisture flow freely from the sky. It was raining. And in my opinion, that made for a beautiful day to take a walk. No one else was bound to be outside for long to wonder why I was outside, getting soaked by rain.
Thunder clapped in the distance as I set out in no particular direction. Lightning flashed, and there was another clap of thunder. I sighed, and drew my cloak tighter around my shoulders, as beads of water dripped off my nose. Gooseflesh was starting to rise on my skin; the rain was cold. But did I care? Not really. I just pulled my cloak tighter and walked on.
Someone brushed past me so fast that I was able only to glance the back of his or her cloak. I could hear stifled sobs being issued loudly through the rain's beating and clapping thunder. Curious, I followed this mystery being into a dark alley, knowing quite well what becomes of some idiots who follow others into hallways. It was a chance that I was willing to take.
However, I felt it best to tiptoe slowly down the alley, where the figure was sitting keeled against the wall, face in hands, sobbing like the world was coming to an end. A few words seemed to be jumbled between sobs, here and there, but they were inaudible, given the circumstances.
I slowly reached my hand out, and a tear streaked face looked up at me, obviously startled at my touch. It was a girl. She was very pretty, even through the tears, with her almond shaped brown eyes and Asian face. Her hair showed remains of having once been swept back neatly into a ponytail, as shards of onyx colored hair draped into her face elegantly framing the gentle facial structure. Her tears had suddenly stopped, and she looked suddenly very startled to see me. I suppose that was justified. Of all people, what would Draco Malfoy be doing kneeled down by a girl who was crying, alone in an alleyway? And let alone, what would he be doing with Cho Chang?
"Is something wrong?" I tried, letting go of her arm, suddenly feeling very awkward. I leaned against the wall, sighing deeply. She looked over at me, and then looked down at her knees, which she had pulled tightly to her chest.
"No, I was just . . ." Cho broke off for words, searching her mind for a good lie. "Well," she said, noticing that I looked slightly downtrodden as well. "Harry Potter." She said finally. I felt something leap, inside of my heart. It was a surge of cruelty, and a surge of having something currently at the moment that Potter did not have.
"He causes a lot of problems, doesn't he?" I asked smoothly. She nodded. "He only seems to care about himself sometimes, you know? Just Potter, Weasley, and Granger, they're all immune to rules."
Cho's face brightened. She sniffled, and looked over at me. "Yeah," she said. "Yeah, you're totally right." She added, grimacing bravely. "I don't know why I didn't see it before. Harry Potter's so caught up in himself." She looked down at her knees again. "He even had the heart to tell me that he was meeting Hermione Granger later today."
Cho looked as if ready to break into another fit of tears. "And Loony Lovegood," I added. "Granger and Lovegood were chatting about something today in Dervish and Banges. Who knows what they're up to. Just sniveling, they are. Using everyone else around them as pawns, so they can get what they want on the chessboard of life."
Silent tears streaked down Cho's face now, and to my extreme surprise, she leaned her head against me and wiped her tears on my cloak, which was already sopping. Rain still poured down on us, as we sat there in silence. I was totally taken aback. How could someone be so emotional?
"All I wanted to ask him was if Cedric mentioned me before he, well, died," Cho continued, now sobbing loudly. "And he says he doesn't want to talk about Cedric! I'll bet you he doesn't even care that Cedric died!" She added. "I'll bet he's glad, because he survived. More attention for the famous Harry Potter!"
"Cedric was my favorite champion," I said, as an afterthought. "Potter should have been disqualified, no matter what rules there were." I left my sentence short and sweet.
Cho lifted her head off my shoulders, and wiped her eyes. "You're not so bad, after all," she said, looking at me curiously. "I always thought you'd just be a jerk, you know?"
"No offense taken," I said. She was right. I really was a jerk, but did she need to know that? No. I'd never had such an intelligent conversation in my life. No one had ever listened to what I said, and produced intelligent, civil, comments in return. This, of course, was taking into account the ineligible events of the Masquerade. Granger didn't know who I really was, then.
"Sorry about that Quidditch match," she added. "I know you wanted to win and all." I waved a careless hand. "But I've seen you fly when you're not, err, distracted." She said carefully. "You're quite good."
"Thanks," I said. Did this mean I had to compliment her back? "And you're very talented. Only female seeker there's been at Hogwarts for years!"
She beamed at me, looking quite as shocked that we were talking as I felt. It was an odd sensation to have someone else smiling at you. Someone who wasn't behind a mask. Someone who knew who I was, and didn't care that I was from Slytherin. Someone that also wasn't Pansy Parkinson.
There was an uncomfortable silence, as the rain ceased. "I just hate them all!" Cho exclaimed. "All Harry ever talks about is Hermione Granger!" She said. "Is there really anything that great about her?"
I shook my head. It was best just to leave it at that.
"Remember that whole 'Love Triangle' thing last year that Rita Skeeter invented?" I asked. Cho nodded, looking angry. "Well, did you ever see the way that Weasley looked at Krum? Or the way he watches Granger? I'd say that Potter was seeing her for fun or something, because Weasley's at Quidditch practice. And he can have anything he wants, because he's the famous Harry Potter."
Cho suddenly looked horrorstruck. "A-and he p-probably only w-wanted me because I was C-C-Cedric's girlfriend!" Cho wailed, burying her face in my sopping cloak again. "He can have whatever he wants, can't he? Well, I'll show him. I don't need to put up with him. I can find someone better."
I nodded, patting her on the back gingerly. "Yes, that's right," I said absently, feeling very stupid indeed. "You deserve better. Even Eloise Midgen shouldn't have the plight of being befallen with Potter."
Cho giggled. She lifted her face up again, and looked me right in the eye. Her expression was warm, and the light from the sun, which was coming out from behind the clouds, was lighting up her face. She was very pretty. I felt butterflies squirming in my stomach. Her face suddenly seemed closer to mine.
"What do you think, Draco Malfoy?" She asked with a smile. "I think you're kinder than Harry Potter? What do you say?"
Yeah. Hell yeah.
(A/N: Um, tee hee. Okay, that was what I was so eager to write. But as usual, I'm not satisfied with the way I wrote it. Grr, I'm never happy with what I write, but oh well. I hope you guys all enjoyed it!
I've NEVER seen a Draco/Cho ship before, so to the best of my knowledge, this is original. If you have a D/C fic, or know of one, I'd love to read it! ^_^ Unrealistic? Yeah, a bit. But they do have some common bonds at the moment. They both are bearing a grudge against Harry and Hermione.
Heh, aren't I evil, again? Were you all expecting it to be Hermione?
Ah, well, I was in a nice mood. I didn't leave a big cliffie at the end of this chapter. But, however, I don't get to hand out any Clearly Clayr dollars! *Frowns* Ah, yes, but now you get to keep wondering what Circe and Snape are STILL up to.
Okay, since this Author's Note was probably annoyingly long, I'll let you go. Tell me what you think of the Draco/Cho thing! I like it. I like it loads. Just not the way I wrote it. Okay, end of rambling.
--Clayr)
Note: Sorry about the format of this! I can't get it to be normal! No matter what I do, it just won't cooperate with me!)
Chapter Twelve
To my surprise, the door to the dungeon creaked open slowly, and I could see Snape shuffling away from Circe, who looked calm and serene, with her arms crossed elegantly over her chest. The torches that lit the room flickered behind her, illuminating her tall stately figure, creating an eerie glow about her skin. Next to her, Snape stood, but I was unable to read his expression, as it was already starting to mingle with hatred at the sight of Potter.
"Good evening, Mister Malfoy," said Circe lightly. "And Mister Potter." She nodded to Harry, uncrossing her arms and surveying us both closer, as if trying to see how much of the conversation we had heard. Snape was throwing a look of extreme loathing at Potter, as if he knew he was eavesdropping on purpose. "I see that you are here for your rightful talents," Circe added, casting a dark look to Snape.
Neither Potter nor I dared to speak. I nodded, and I could tell with a wayward glance to my side, that Potter was nodding as well. Snape heaved a sigh much like that of a depressed dog, and spun around with a flourish of black robes to retrieve something that was a sort of orange-ish color, bubbling slightly.
"I have come to the conclusion that since Potter's potion was so feeble," Snape said diabolically, a grin playing about his lips as he looked at Potter. "That all we need to do is splash you each with a bit of it, and all will be normal. Simple logic, Mister Potter."
I grinned, as if I had known all along. Potter was looking very irritated, as he rolled his eyes. Circe tilted her head curiously at him then straightened herself when she noticed I was watching her. Before I could winkle my brow at her, Snape had thrust a small vial of red potion into my hands, and another into Potter's. The Potions Master then took a few steps back.
I turned to Potter, who had his eyes narrowed maliciously at me. I took the topper off my vial. He followed suit. From that point on, we knew what to do with the half filled vials we each had. Since none of my potion had spilled, Snape had filled the vials each had full with Potter's concoction, so we would each get equal sprits.
And that we did. My hatred towards Potter was unleashed as I threw my glass topper on the floor, and as if in slow motion, I unleashed the red liquid. It seemed to take an age to travel the short distance to Potter's face. I could see it starting to bubble as it made contact with his skin. But at that moment, I had also been hit. The burning red-hot concoction dripped off my nose, down the front of my robes.
I felt something changing automatically. Glasses appeared on the end of my nose again, as a jet of green light left my fingertips. I fought back a scream. It was as if part of me were being ripped off. With the absence of whatever the green light was, I felt immediately whole again as a yellow light hit me with such a force that I crumpled to the floor. I flexed my fingers, and opened my eyes, which had closed without my consent, and for the first time in a while, took in the sweet essence of the dungeon.
Snape extended a hand, and I took it. He jerked me to my feet, as Circe pulled Potter from the ground. I savagely tossed him his glasses, which he caught with one hand and pushed up his nose. I stuck my nose in the air with a touch of snobbish elegance. Circe looked as if she were ready to burst out laughing at the two of us, and Snape maintained his serious dark look.
"That's all, Potter, Malfoy," He said quickly. "You may return to your common rooms," he added, casting a sideways glance to Circe, then looking back at me.
"Thank you, Professors," I said, nodding at Circe and Snape. Potter mumbled something that I imagined was a thanks then shuffled hurriedly out the door. I turned to leave, when Circe caught my arm.
"I'll accompany Mister Malfoy to Slytherin," she said to Snape quickly. "Keep everything that I have said in mind, Severus. A pleasant evening to you." She smiled, and nodded to my favorite Professor, gently pushing me out the door. She followed me, and shut the door behind her. I head the distinct sound of something heavy smashing against something else, probably the floor.
"What was that about?" I wasted no time in asking Circe what she had been talking to Snape about. She started to walk faster and carefully pondered what I had just asked her. This gave me time to ponder, as well. What was the beautiful enchantress doing with Severus Snape? What were they keeping a secret? Was it something. . . Personal?
"It is a private business affair, Mister Malfoy," Circe said slowly, choosing her words carefully. "As you may have gathered from what I have told you, I am not fully up to par with the current events of what we face today." She left it simply at that. I did not dare ask more, for there was a hot tone to her voice that made me rethink my curiosity.
About ten more silent minutes of walking followed. I had never appreciated the beauty of the Hogwarts walls until that very moment. Pictures goggled at Circe, and pointed at me as if I were her houself as we traipsed through the many nooks and crannies of the castle's twists and turns. At last, we had found ourselves in front of the Slytherin Common Room.
"Professor?" I said suddenly. Circe looked at me. "Could I ask you to do something?"
"That depends, Mister Malfoy," she said.
"Can you try to hex me, like in class?"
"If that's what you want."
I handed her my wand. She twirled it between her fingers a bit and then tucked it into the depths of her robes. She raised her eyebrows. I nodded, trying to focus all the magic I had flowing through my veins to block whatever spell she was about to send my way. I could feel the magic heating up my body . . . I could feel the confidence welling up inside my chest . . .
I fell to the floor, twitching madly. A stinging sensation was pulsating through my body. My limbs were still twitching. Through blurred vision, I saw a long hand grasp my arm and pull me to my feet.
Normalcy returned to me. Circe still clutched my arm, and let it go abruptly. She was biting her lower lip, looking disappointed. "I'm sorry, Draco," she said, for the first time ever, calling me by my first name. "I know it meant a lot to you."
I nodded. Circe forced a smile, and patted e gingerly on the back as she turned to leave. I let myself into the common room, and as I made my way up to my bed, I felt as if defeat itself was pulling me up the stairs by my ankles.
~*~
Hooray. It was that fateful time of year where all the girls in the castle giggled and blushed profusely every time a half-decent looking male crossed their path. It was the time of year where even the teachers did not fight the giggling spells, and grinning boys who watched the girls across the room. It was the time of year where everything was decorated with sickening frills of pink, red and white.
That's right. It was Valentine's Day. I was thrilled. Note the sarcasm.
And it was also a Hogsmeade Weekend. Had I not locked myself in the dormitories that morning, I would have been keen to get out of the castle to sneak up on kissing couples, to ridicule them. Had I not been wallowing in my own grief, I would have laughed when I saw Cho Chang and Harry Potter walking hand-in-hand as I slowly dragged myself to Hogsmeade.
But at that moment it was not I who was doing the ridiculing. Pansy Parkinson, and all her cronies, along with Celeste and Kayta on the side, had stopped to giggle at Potter and his girlfriend, who were both looking extremely embarrassed. I had to admit, in light of my recent defeats, this made me smile. Potter facing embarrassment was one of those things that automatically guaranteed happiness.
I had lost track of Crabbe and Goyle, as I meandered the streets with none but my own company. Everything was decorated in frills of white, pink, and red, to my displeasure. They clashed in every way with my heavy mood, as I dragged my feet, not smiling, through the streets. So this was what life was like having no real friends. It was lonely. But I should have been used to it, by then, never having a real friend to share secrets with. All I had were Crabbe and Goyle, the intellectual equivalent of a boulder. And that was combining both their brainpower.
The harsh realization of my true life was finally dawning upon me. I was a spoiled rich kid who had no control over the way his father treated the family, who had no friends, no talents, and was currently wallowing in his own grief, wondering what the hell I was going to do with my life. I was slowly drifting away from the fairy tale, materialistic world that I had once lived in. I was coming out of my dream, and facing the harsh, cruel reality.
The sky seemed to be reflecting my mood. It was not a clear, beautiful day. The sky had blackened slightly since morning, and great gray rain clouds drifted by, looking heavier than ever. It was indeed my mood; I felt ready to rain, so to speak. It was as if an enormous weight had settled on my chest again, dragging me down . . . down . . . down . . .
I loosened my cloak as I stepped into Dervish and Banges, not feeling any less enlightened by the ugly hearts that were hanging above me. The store was packed with students busting this way and that, some holding hands, and others in large groups, conversing madly about every subject under the sun. How could they all be so happy?
I suddenly pretended to be very interested in a spellbook. In a flurry, I hastily grabbed it from the table, raising it to hide my face. Very near to me was Hermione Granger, looking rather lonely, with only Loony Luna Lovegood for company. They were examining a rack of magazines, as Luna said, "Daddy will be pleased, don't you think? But this story won't be nearly as big as-"
That girl was a nutter, if I ever saw one. Even Hermione Granger, who I considered to be quite spacey and odd, seemed like the poster girl for normal compared to Luna. I could see Granger shaking her head and rolling her eyes. "They aren't real, Luna!" She exclaimed suddenly. Luna looked downtrodden, but held her head high, looking at Granger as if she were mad. "Honestly . . ."
I grinned, and set my book down. Potter wasn't there to defend Granger. But admittedly, she had proved she could fend for herself. I crossed my arms across my chest, and looked over at she and Luna, who were still looking at the magazine rack with vague interest. Hermione caught sight of me first.
"Bug off, Malfoy." She said firmly. Luna looked up at me with her overly large blue eyes.
"Loony Lovegood and the Great Granger," I sneered. "What are you looking for today?" I looked at Luna. "Jackelopes and other oddities?"
Hermione snorted, throwing me a glance of distinct hatred. "You're pathetic, Malfoy," she added, smiling sweetly. "Just because you don't have any friends doesn't mean you need to seek out those who do and jealously poke fun at them for no good reason."
"Loony here has friends?" I laughed. "And Potter and Weasley hardly count, either." Though my voice was cool and confident, a knife had pierced through my heart. So she realized that I was lonely, too?
"And Crabbe and Goyle could hardly count as boulders," Granger finished, throwing her nose in the air, nodding sharply at me, making her way through the thick crowd, and out the door. I sighed. Maybe that was the reason I didn't have real friends. I wasn't a very civil person. But I just couldn't help myself. They were so vulnerable . . .
After a few moments of shuffling around the crowded shop, I pushed my way through the crowd, and out the door. The darkened sky had started to let its moisture flow freely from the sky. It was raining. And in my opinion, that made for a beautiful day to take a walk. No one else was bound to be outside for long to wonder why I was outside, getting soaked by rain.
Thunder clapped in the distance as I set out in no particular direction. Lightning flashed, and there was another clap of thunder. I sighed, and drew my cloak tighter around my shoulders, as beads of water dripped off my nose. Gooseflesh was starting to rise on my skin; the rain was cold. But did I care? Not really. I just pulled my cloak tighter and walked on.
Someone brushed past me so fast that I was able only to glance the back of his or her cloak. I could hear stifled sobs being issued loudly through the rain's beating and clapping thunder. Curious, I followed this mystery being into a dark alley, knowing quite well what becomes of some idiots who follow others into hallways. It was a chance that I was willing to take.
However, I felt it best to tiptoe slowly down the alley, where the figure was sitting keeled against the wall, face in hands, sobbing like the world was coming to an end. A few words seemed to be jumbled between sobs, here and there, but they were inaudible, given the circumstances.
I slowly reached my hand out, and a tear streaked face looked up at me, obviously startled at my touch. It was a girl. She was very pretty, even through the tears, with her almond shaped brown eyes and Asian face. Her hair showed remains of having once been swept back neatly into a ponytail, as shards of onyx colored hair draped into her face elegantly framing the gentle facial structure. Her tears had suddenly stopped, and she looked suddenly very startled to see me. I suppose that was justified. Of all people, what would Draco Malfoy be doing kneeled down by a girl who was crying, alone in an alleyway? And let alone, what would he be doing with Cho Chang?
"Is something wrong?" I tried, letting go of her arm, suddenly feeling very awkward. I leaned against the wall, sighing deeply. She looked over at me, and then looked down at her knees, which she had pulled tightly to her chest.
"No, I was just . . ." Cho broke off for words, searching her mind for a good lie. "Well," she said, noticing that I looked slightly downtrodden as well. "Harry Potter." She said finally. I felt something leap, inside of my heart. It was a surge of cruelty, and a surge of having something currently at the moment that Potter did not have.
"He causes a lot of problems, doesn't he?" I asked smoothly. She nodded. "He only seems to care about himself sometimes, you know? Just Potter, Weasley, and Granger, they're all immune to rules."
Cho's face brightened. She sniffled, and looked over at me. "Yeah," she said. "Yeah, you're totally right." She added, grimacing bravely. "I don't know why I didn't see it before. Harry Potter's so caught up in himself." She looked down at her knees again. "He even had the heart to tell me that he was meeting Hermione Granger later today."
Cho looked as if ready to break into another fit of tears. "And Loony Lovegood," I added. "Granger and Lovegood were chatting about something today in Dervish and Banges. Who knows what they're up to. Just sniveling, they are. Using everyone else around them as pawns, so they can get what they want on the chessboard of life."
Silent tears streaked down Cho's face now, and to my extreme surprise, she leaned her head against me and wiped her tears on my cloak, which was already sopping. Rain still poured down on us, as we sat there in silence. I was totally taken aback. How could someone be so emotional?
"All I wanted to ask him was if Cedric mentioned me before he, well, died," Cho continued, now sobbing loudly. "And he says he doesn't want to talk about Cedric! I'll bet you he doesn't even care that Cedric died!" She added. "I'll bet he's glad, because he survived. More attention for the famous Harry Potter!"
"Cedric was my favorite champion," I said, as an afterthought. "Potter should have been disqualified, no matter what rules there were." I left my sentence short and sweet.
Cho lifted her head off my shoulders, and wiped her eyes. "You're not so bad, after all," she said, looking at me curiously. "I always thought you'd just be a jerk, you know?"
"No offense taken," I said. She was right. I really was a jerk, but did she need to know that? No. I'd never had such an intelligent conversation in my life. No one had ever listened to what I said, and produced intelligent, civil, comments in return. This, of course, was taking into account the ineligible events of the Masquerade. Granger didn't know who I really was, then.
"Sorry about that Quidditch match," she added. "I know you wanted to win and all." I waved a careless hand. "But I've seen you fly when you're not, err, distracted." She said carefully. "You're quite good."
"Thanks," I said. Did this mean I had to compliment her back? "And you're very talented. Only female seeker there's been at Hogwarts for years!"
She beamed at me, looking quite as shocked that we were talking as I felt. It was an odd sensation to have someone else smiling at you. Someone who wasn't behind a mask. Someone who knew who I was, and didn't care that I was from Slytherin. Someone that also wasn't Pansy Parkinson.
There was an uncomfortable silence, as the rain ceased. "I just hate them all!" Cho exclaimed. "All Harry ever talks about is Hermione Granger!" She said. "Is there really anything that great about her?"
I shook my head. It was best just to leave it at that.
"Remember that whole 'Love Triangle' thing last year that Rita Skeeter invented?" I asked. Cho nodded, looking angry. "Well, did you ever see the way that Weasley looked at Krum? Or the way he watches Granger? I'd say that Potter was seeing her for fun or something, because Weasley's at Quidditch practice. And he can have anything he wants, because he's the famous Harry Potter."
Cho suddenly looked horrorstruck. "A-and he p-probably only w-wanted me because I was C-C-Cedric's girlfriend!" Cho wailed, burying her face in my sopping cloak again. "He can have whatever he wants, can't he? Well, I'll show him. I don't need to put up with him. I can find someone better."
I nodded, patting her on the back gingerly. "Yes, that's right," I said absently, feeling very stupid indeed. "You deserve better. Even Eloise Midgen shouldn't have the plight of being befallen with Potter."
Cho giggled. She lifted her face up again, and looked me right in the eye. Her expression was warm, and the light from the sun, which was coming out from behind the clouds, was lighting up her face. She was very pretty. I felt butterflies squirming in my stomach. Her face suddenly seemed closer to mine.
"What do you think, Draco Malfoy?" She asked with a smile. "I think you're kinder than Harry Potter? What do you say?"
Yeah. Hell yeah.
(A/N: Um, tee hee. Okay, that was what I was so eager to write. But as usual, I'm not satisfied with the way I wrote it. Grr, I'm never happy with what I write, but oh well. I hope you guys all enjoyed it!
I've NEVER seen a Draco/Cho ship before, so to the best of my knowledge, this is original. If you have a D/C fic, or know of one, I'd love to read it! ^_^ Unrealistic? Yeah, a bit. But they do have some common bonds at the moment. They both are bearing a grudge against Harry and Hermione.
Heh, aren't I evil, again? Were you all expecting it to be Hermione?
Ah, well, I was in a nice mood. I didn't leave a big cliffie at the end of this chapter. But, however, I don't get to hand out any Clearly Clayr dollars! *Frowns* Ah, yes, but now you get to keep wondering what Circe and Snape are STILL up to.
Okay, since this Author's Note was probably annoyingly long, I'll let you go. Tell me what you think of the Draco/Cho thing! I like it. I like it loads. Just not the way I wrote it. Okay, end of rambling.
--Clayr)