CHAPTER FOURTEEN: JEALOUSY
Thursday, 4th February 1999
Buffy made her way to the Slytherin table and sat herself beside Blaise, casting a glance to where Draco sat. He was staring openly at her, and when their gazes met, he looked away. She grinned and turned her attention to the Slytherin girls. Pansy Parkinson was noticeably absent.
"Hey guys," Buffy greeted cheerfully. "Where's Pansy?"
The girls all looked down to where Draco, Crabbe and Goyle were seated. Across from the Slytherin trio was Pansy who was openly throwing herself onto Draco, flirting and waving her hands to attract as much attention to herself as possible. Buffy grinned and shook her head.
"Could she be anymore obvious?"
"She's just jealous," Blaise replied. "You've been here for, what, six days, and you're already getting more attention from Malfoy than she's ever got in seven years."
"Well, it's a burden I just have to bear," Buffy replied dramatically.
Blaise grinned and the other girls giggled a little. Buffy cast a subtle look down the table and grinned when she caught Draco's eyes. He stood up, ignoring the fact that Pansy was mid-sentence, and made his ay to where Buffy sat. He took a seat beside her.
"Summers," he greeted solemnly.
"Malfoy," she replied. She grinned and pointed towards where Pansy was now sitting, glaring openly at Buffy and Draco. "Looks like your groupie is a bit upset."
Draco rolled his eyes.
"Anyone know how to perform the Killing Curse?" he asked. "Please, take a free shot at me to keep her
away. I'll even write a statement
saying I gave you permission."
"Save the dramatics Draco," Buffy teased. "Besides, she can't be that bad. Surely there's some good in her somewhere. Deep down inside."
"Very deep down inside," Claire said with a giggle.
"Well, I think she and Crabbe will be very happy with each other," Draco added.
Buffy giggled a little and looked towards Crabbe and Goyle. "Can you even tell them apart?"
"Course I can," Draco replied. "Crabbe's the really dense looking one."
The group cracked up, unable to contain their laughter. Draco smiled, not used to the feelings settling in his stomach. He hadn't laughed or smiled this much since…well ever really. It was a nice feeling, and the flip-flops his stomach did whenever he saw Buffy weren't too horrible either.
"Keep it down," Snape warned as he walked past the Slytherin table.
The group quietened down considerably but still kept giggling, or laughing in a manly way in Draco's case.
"It's a Hogsmeade weekend this week, right?" Keeta asked.
The other Slytherins all nodded enthusiastically. Buffy just looked at them in confusion.
"A what-meade weekend?"
"Hogsmeade," Draco answered. "The local wizarding village. We visit there every so often. Most people go there to stock up on sweets and practical jokes."
"Sounds cool," Buffy commented.
"It is," Claire gushed. "You should come. I mean, if your guardian signed the slip for you to go."
Buffy mentally sighed. She knew she wouldn't be allowed to go, and there was no point in even asking.
"I'll see what Professor Dumbledore says." She had no intention to even broach the topic with him however. She didn't have a death wish.
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Friday, 5th February 1999
"So, Hogsmeade?" Draco asked Buffy at dinner at Friday evening. "Will you be joining us?"
Buffy shook her head sadly. She hadn't even asked, nor was she planning on it. "I'd really love to, but I've got too much work to catch up on," she explained.
"That's such a shame," Pansy said sarcastically.
"At least you get a day away from her," Blaise whispered into Buffy's ear.
Buffy grinned and laughed a little, making Pansy wonder what had just been said. She knew it had been about her, but she couldn't imagine what had been said.
Pansy Parkinson hated Buffy Summers with a violent passion. She wanted to see the blonde girl humiliated or expelled. Or a combination of both. She wasn't sure how to do it, and she knew that the other Slytherin girls weren't going to help her at all. She'd have to try and come up with something brilliant to bring the other girl down a notch or two.
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Saturday, 6th February 1999
Buffy sat in the library, poring over textbooks, surprised by how eagre she was to actually learn what she could about magic. It was different and interesting and Buffy found herself wanting to know more. Of course the fact that she needed good grades to stay away from the Council was also an added incentive, but she genuinely liked learning about magic.
Her first week had gone by fairly smoothly. Classes weren't too bad, and with the exception of Snape and Ethan Rayne, her teachers were fairly nice. They seemed to be a little cautious of her of course, but Buffy was fairly certain it was because they knew why she was at the school.
Buffy looked up and smiled as someone joined her at the table.
"Hey," she greeted. "Why aren't you at Hogsmeade?"
"Didn't really feel like going," Draco replied casually. He leaned across and looked at what she was reading. "The Mark of Ehygon? What's that?"
Buffy grinned mischievously. "Dunno. I'm gonna ask Eth… – Professor Rayne. See if he can explain it to me," she replied.
Draco knew he was missing something, but he wasn't sure what. He just shrugged and settled himself comfortably in the chair.
"Can you believe Professor Rayne is making us write a two foot essay on Vampire Slayers?" Draco asked. "I mean…they're all going to be the same."
"Maybe not," Buffy replied. "Some people may get creative with their answers. He said that you could be a little inventive about what you write."
Ethan had set the class the task of writing an 'entry' in a Watcher's Diary. He'd asked the class to make up a situation for a Vampire Slayer and to write down the confrontation. It could be against any vampire or demon, but the point was to try and envision a day in the life of a Slayer. Buffy had already written hers, based on her fight against the demon Der Kinderstod. It had been a demon that she'd faced when her temperature had been about 104 degrees.
"I don't suppose you've got any good suggestions?" Draco asked.
Buffy sat back in her seat and thought for a moment. "Well, you could just research a demon and then make up a scenario based on that. That's pretty much what I did. Just make it an interesting demon, one that requires more than a stake through the heart or decapitation."
"Have you finished yours yet?" Draco asked.
Buffy nodded. "Yeah. I finished it last night."
He sighed and ran his hands through his hair. It was due on Monday morning, and he only had the rest of the afternoon and all of the next day to write it.
"You could always write a Slayer's final battle," Buffy suggested. "The one that she doesn't come back from. But maybe that would be a little too hard to write. Cos you'd hafta find a demon worthy of killing a Slayer."
Buffy shuddered involuntarily as she remembered her own death at the Master's hands. She'd had an irrational fear of water for several months after that fateful day. It had taken her a long time to even be able to get into a bathtub or a swimming pool. But, as always, she'd faced her fear head on and conquered it. Of course, crushing the Master's bones with a sledgehammer had done wonders for her as well.
"What sort of a demon would be able to kill a Slayer though?" Draco asked.
"Well, even Slayer's have bad days I suppose," Buffy admitted. She could remember several times when she'd almost been killed by vampires who had more luck than others. If it wasn't for her friends, she would have been dead several times over. "But, I guess if you wanted, you could write about a Master Vampire killing a Slayer."
"Master Vampires?" Draco repeated. "What are they?"
"Older, faster and tougher," Buffy explained. "They're the ones you don't want to be anywhere near. They're usually pretty damn smart as well."
Draco reached forward and grabbed the book in front of Buffy, flicking through the chapter on vampires. He knew he'd have to begin writing soon, but he just hadn't found any good ideas. He skim-read through the chapter and found only one name that sounded somewhat interesting.
"I think I found one," Draco said. He put the book on the desk and slid it across to Buffy who leant forward, their shoulders touching as they hunched over the desk together. Buffy looked to where Draco's finger was pointing and paled. Angelus of Aurelius, Scourge of Europe.
"That's a Master Vampire alright," Buffy whispered.
Draco looked at her strangely, but was too excited by the prospect of actually having an interesting topic. He could only hope that Hermione knot-it-all Granger hadn't come up with something similar.
"You're gonna use him as you're big bad?" Buffy asked.
"My what?" Draco asked.
Buffy grinned and laughed a little. "You're big bad. You're villain of the piece."
"Oh. Yes. He sounds interesting."
Buffy nodded and chose not to comment on the topic. She just sighed and wondered how well Draco would be able to capture the true evil of Angelus on paper.