A/N: Phew, it's been a long time since I last updated. I'm hoping (against hope, I guess) to update more often in the future, though.
oOo Angels of Heaven and Hell oOo
Chapter 3 - He's mine.
oOo
Pansy, on the other hand, noticed how much Draco watched her and tried to use this to her advantage.
On a Friday noon when Draco stepped out from the Transfiguration classroom Pansy wound her arm around his and pulled him towards her. Draco was too surprised to react. He just hoped Rhiannon wouldn't leave the classroom, where she discussed the lesson with McGonagall. Conveniently someone had closed the classroom door and Pansy and he were the only people in the hallway. His surprise faded away.
Draco looked down coldly at the girl that clung on his arm.
"Leave me alone, Pansy."
"No," purred Pansy and rubbed against him. "Draco, there'll be a ball on Halloween. You'll go with me and-"
"No," hissed Draco and pushed her away. "Pansy, you're unnerving me. Why would I go with you?" He saw tears welling up in her eyes. Then she started sobbing.
"But... Draco..." she wailed. "I love you. I won't let any other woman have you!" Before Draco could react she threw herself around his waist and cried all over his school uniform. Draco tried to get away from her but Pansy held onto him with an iron grip. At least the material muffled her wailing a bit but this was the only good point Draco saw in the whole affair.
"Pansy," he hissed again. "Go away or I'll have to hurt you." This didn't help. Pansy just wailed louder and tightened her grip. Draco looked around feverishly if anyone was looking. Fortunately this wasn't the case. He vowed he would forget all of the politeness crap his parents had taught him, if she did not stop wailing at once!
"One last time: stop it."
She didn't. He let his wand slide out of his sleeve and prepared for a nasty jinx to...
At this precise moment Rhiannon stepped out of the classroom and closed the door behind her. She saw the scene that laid before her and shot a quizzical look at Draco. Draco returned the look and shrugged.
Rhiannon strode over to where the two where standing and tore Pansy away from Draco. He vaguely wondered how she did it.
Rhiannon gave Pansy a murderous look before releasing her and stepping next to Draco. She put her arms around Draco's neck and leaned her head against his shoulder. Draco didn't find this uncomfortable in the least. No, it was almost if it was natural and so he put his right hand behind her head and inclined his head towards her.
Pansy stopped crying and returned Rhiannon's stare. Her hands were curled into fists.
"Bitch," she muttered but not low enough.
"Pansy, don't you understand," said Rhiannon in a condescending tone. "You are an ugly, little, whiny whore. Unworthy of the Malfoy name."
"BUT YOU ARE!? WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!" Pansy screamed at her but Rhiannon remained unfazed.
"I am Rhiannon Astarte Miranda Cloe Suraya Desdemona Chastain. The last remaining daughter of the Chastain family. My lineage is as pure as can be and the history of my family is respectable. Apart from that I have been raised to be Draco's bride since the day I was born. We've been promised each other long before."
"But I love him," said Pansy. "What about you?" Her look was defiant.
Rhiannon smirked at her. "What does it matter? We'll be wed anyway." She let go of Draco's neck and took his hand in hers. "Let's go, Draco."
"All right," said Draco. "Oh, and Pansy, stop chasing after me. I have no interest in you. It's just like Rhiannon said - you're are amusing but of no real value to me." Then he turned around and walked away with Rhiannon.
Pansy just stood there, her anger even greater than before. Usual methods weren't enough for her anymore.
Rhiannon and Draco stopped walking in a deserted hallway. They let go of each others hands.
"Thank you for that," said Draco.
"Think nothing of it. It was simply the truth. And Pansy's face was just good to be true." They both started laughing at the thought of Pansy's disbelieving face.
"Yeah," said Draco, grinning. "You're cool."
"Thanks," Rhiannon grinned and sat down on a window sill. Draco sat down next to her.
"You know, even if we don't love each other I think we can be good friends," she said.
Draco took a strand of Rhiannon's silk-like hair and started playing with it. "Yes, but... when you put your arms around me it... didn't feel wrong. It felt right."
Rhiannon looked down, blushing. "I know. I felt like this too."
Draco released the strand of Rhiannon's hair and gathered up his courage. Then he took her hand.
"Rhiannon, please, go to the Halloween ball with me." She looked up again. On her face was an expression of shock.
"Only if you want to, that is," he added. He hadn't expected her to look shocked but more happy. That's what Pansy would have done - then again, Rhiannon was not Pansy.
"Yes, Draco, I will." She smiled at him and then - suddenly - she kissed him on his cheek. "I've got to go now." She jumped down from the sill and ran away.
Now it was Draco's turn to look shocked. "Wha?" he asked no one in particular. Why was she running away? This was not the usual reaction he received when he asked a girl to go out with him. After some seconds of pondering this and coming to no conclusion he simply shook his head and thought: 'Well, no man understands girls anyway.'
With that he jumped down from the sill and went to the Slytherin Common Room.
Rhiannon stormed into her dorm and jumped onto Tracy's bed where Tracy was sitting.
"Tracy! Draco asked me to go to the ball with him!"
"Really?" Tracy looked exited. She had known Rhiannon had been waiting for Draco to ask her. "That's great! Now we can go shopping!"
"Why? Who asked you?" asked Rhiannon, curious. The last time she had seen her friend, Tracy hadn't had a date for the ball and they'd stroke the bargain that they'd only go shopping for dresses when they both had dates.
"Mark Tamblyn!" Tracy beamed at Rhiannon. Rhiannon smiled at her friend. Tracy had fancied Mark since the beginning of the school year.
At that moment Pansy came in. She shot a disgusted look at Rhiannon and went to her bed. She slumped down on it and drew the curtains close.
"What's up with her?" asked Tracy in a low voice so Pansy wouldn't hear. "I mean, I know she hates you, but..."
"Oh, little Miss Parkinson simply couldn't take the truth." Rhiannon turned her head to look at Pansy's bed. "Am I not right, Miss Parkinson?" she asked coldly and pointed her index finger at the bed.
"Petrificus Totalus," her voice was now not only sounding cold but also bored.
"What?" asked Tracy irritated.
Rhiannon stood up and went over to Pansy's bed. She opened the curtains again and a petrified Pansy came into view. In her hand was her wand, aiming at the place were Rhiannon had been sitting.
"She tried to hex me."
"Woah," said Tracy. "But what I really meant was: 'What? You can do wandless magic?'"
Rhiannon nodded. "But I don't do it very often. It's a bit exhausting.
Now... Miss Parkinson, I hate you. You the worst thing that ever happened to walk on the surface of earth. And stop trying to get me down. It won't work, as I have just demonstrated. And also keep your dirty hands off of Draco because if you don't, you'll have to deal with me. And next time I won't be so nice as to just petrify you."
With that Rhiannon turned around and walked out of the dorm. Tracy followed her friend. As she caught up with Rhiannon she asked: "How long is the spell going to last?"
Rhiannon grinned. "Long enough to make her miss dinner. Now, come on, let's go eat lunch. I'm hungry."