Chapter Two
The Great Hall was abuzz with the students chattering the following morning. This particularly annoyed Draco. After walking back to his dorm last night, he didn't sleep for the rest of the night. He tossed and turned so much, his silver and green blanket got all tangled up. As a result, when he got up to go to the bathroom, he tripped and fell flat on his face, thus creating a red mark on his pale forehead.
The mark stayed with him when he showered, when he got dressed, when he put on his infamous scowl and when he entered the Great Hall. He sat down next to Pansy Parkinson who turned to look at him with a sly smile on her face. It disappeared when she looked at his red injury on his forehead. Rather than being concerned at this, she screeched, her pug nose flaring while doing so:
"DRACO MALFOY!!!! HAVE YOU BEEN WITH SOME OTHER GIRL TRYING TO FEEL YOU UP????!!!!"
Draco slowly turned his head towards her, a glare radiating off his face. The Hall became so quiet you could hear a feather drop. The Gryffindors had a slight smile, looking as if they are trying so hard not to break the silence by their laughter. Draco was aware of the Slytherins looking at him, expecting him to apologize for this and state the real reason, but he was just tired of being someone he is really not. Grinning evilly, he looked at her in the enraged eyes and said in a calm voice laced with boredness:
" The answer to your rather loud question ( at this, Draco pretended to shake off something off his ear by tilting his head to the side and shaking), a girl has been feeling me up, actually no, I have been to her. It was rather enjoyable too, well, anything is much better than what you have done...Face it, you are just really, absolutely, outrageously....whispers pathetic. "
At this, Draco stood up and silently, but swiftly, grabbed a bagel, and exited the large room. Pansy stood in the same position, her facial expression changing almost rapidly to shocked, to anger, to far out sadness. She started sobbing, her face streaming with tears ( which seemed to make her even more unattractive) and she ran off to the exit, yelling in her ear-splitting high voice:
" Draaaakkkkyyyyy!!!! Wait, I am so sorry! I know you were only joking, but please come back to meeee!!!! Whaaaaaaaaaa!!!!"
The students looked until she was out of sight, and the Hall exploded with laughter, especially from the Gryffindors. Ron was wiping his eyes, Hermione was turning red, and Harry was nearly rolling off the floor. Even the teachers, Dumbledore mostly, had a twinkle in their eyes. Snape, however, just looked straight, with a scowl so deep, it could have caused trenches in his face itself.
The only person that wasn't joining into the laughing parade was Padma. She was staring at a blank space, thinking about what just happened. Yesterday, Malfoy seemed so nice and an actual human being. But when she had heard about him feeling up another girl, she wasn't so sure who he was anymore.
'Damn it!' she thought angrily ' I was so sure that he could be a good guy deep down. I guess there is always a first time I could be wrong'
She sighed and went back to the breakfast feast.
Padma walked back to her dorm. It was a tiring first day back. First she had double of Charms, it was ok, she could never get the hang of the Invisibility Charm. Many times she tried, but she could only make half of her object turn invisible. It looked kind of eerie then, but in Hogwarts, what's not creepy? After Charms, she had to face Snape in Potions. The guy has nothing else to do but to sneer and scream, not to mention take off like a million points from each house, especially Hufflepuff. Lunch was the same as always, her best friend talking and talking non-stop in her ear, while Padma stuffs her mouth with some delicious honey turkey sandwich, downing it with some pumpkin juice. The class after lunch was Transfigurations. It was a bit fun there. In this lesson, they had to try to transfigure their wands into a toy, any type of toy. Padma chose her favorite, a yo-yo. She didn't know why, but somehow it was thrilling to try to keep the yo-yo rolling, up, down, up and down.
Soon, Padma found herself in front if Rowena Ravenclaw's portrait bust. Clearing her throat, she said in a loud voice:
"Glittering stars"
The portrait moved to the left revealing a long hallway leading to the common room. The fire was blazing, the warmth was spread throughout the large place, yet no one was there. She was relieved. She didn't want to be bothered while she sat by the fire, pondering.
This was one of her absolute favorite thing to do, sit by the fire and just...think. Possibly daydream as well. As she sat by the fire, her books on the couch neatly placed in a pyramid-like pile, her mind kept drifting back to Malfoy. Why? She did not know, and did not want to know. Somehow, the incident in the Great Hall affected her in a weird way. Padma shook her head, she didn't want to think about him, he was worthless. But...in the train, when she saw all those scars, she felt pity for him. Even if no one would talk to him, listen to him, she was willing to do that. When she heard the argument in the Hall, she wasn't so sure anymore. She began to have doubts.
'I don't even believe that I'm thinking like this' she thought ' Malfoy doesn't need friends, not now, not ever. All he needs are his stupid bodyguards and his little sluts. I was wrong in thinking he needs someone.'
Padma sharply looked up. She felt a presence but she couldn't see anything. Getting too wigged out about this, she took her books to the girls' dormitory, dropped them on her bed, and went to take a nice, long, hot shower. Maybe all that "friendship feelings" will wash off her.
Meanwhile, Draco looked at a letter that a sophisticated owl dropped in. He read this slowly, absorbing every single information, every single word. When he finished, he tore up the paper and tossed it in the fire. The letter burned up, causing fire embers to spark by the cold dungeon floor. He closed his eyes and dropped on his bed into a deep, troubled sleep.
The silver-haired boy walked down the busy corridors to his first lesson of the day, Transfigurations. It was the first time that he would be sharing it with the Gryffindors. Not noticing the whispered conversations about him, he entered the classroom and was seated next to his "friends", Crabbe and Goyle. The lesson went on reviewing on what they had learned last year. Everyone seemed to do horribly since no one could exactly remember the lessons with the Dark Lord on the loose. The only person that did everything with ease was the Gryffindor smarty-pants, the bushy-haired, Hermione Granger, a Muggle. The lesson dragged on and on, eventually Draco's mind began to drift.
'I wonder how is Padma and where she is?' he thought to himself.
'Why do you care?' an inner voice replied back.
'I don't...the thought just entered my mind for no reason' he said back defensively.'
'Riight', the voice replied with some sarcasm.
'What does that mean?' Draco asked with suspicion, but there was no reply.
Shaking his head, he thought one last thought...' I think I am going insane.'
Finally after some time, the class ended and Draco headed back to his dorm to get his books for the next lesson, Herbology. While he was walking to the greenhouse, he noticed a door next to a fairy statue that he had never noticed before. Feeling a bit rebellious, he looked around in the deserted hall, and moved slowly towards the door. It was an unusual looking door and Draco was surprised he never noticed it. It was a deep cherry-wood with a silverish glaze over it that turned to gold glaze in a different light. When he was done inspecting it, he looked around for a doorknob, but there was none to be found. Instead there was a lock, but a odd looking lock. It was shaped like a weeping willow, and it was copperish-bronze. Draco took out his long wand and cleared his throat.
"Alohamora!"
Nothing happened. He tried again, more strongly this time, but the result was the same. Someone came up from behind him and startled him. He whirled around to see who it was and inwardly groaned.
"What are you doing here? You are late for Herbology, but if you want to skip off, I wouldn't mind." the pug-nosed girl said to Draco rather slyly.
"I am here because...I felt like it. Is that a problem?" Raising an light eyebrow, he tilted his head towards Pansy as if daring her to question him.
"No, but I like it when you are so...authoritive! It is sooo...sexy!" Pansy said with her hopeful seductiveness.
The boy standing opposite of her just rolled his eyes and headed towards the greenhouse once again, leaving her stranded. Before following after him, she looked at the space where Malfoy was looking at and found only the normal gray stone wall. Felling more confused as ever, she ran to catch up with him.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the door, a raven-haired girl, stared out the beautiful scenery overlooking the green hills and the grand lake.
Author's Notes: How is it?? PLEASE review!