The stands around the quidditch pitch were almost completely full by the time Hermione and Emily arrived, and it seemed as if everyone was whispering and staring at the pair as they approached. A Slytherin and a Gryffindor together was pretty much unheard of and a Slytherin choosing to sit with the Gryffindor fans was a bold move, indeed.
"Maybe this isn't a good idea," Hermione said nervously, glancing across the stadium at the Slytherins, many of whom appeared to be glaring at Emily and herself. "I don't want to make things more difficult for you than they already will be."
Emily had noticed the glares too, but chose not to let them bother her. "Nonsense. What's the worst they can do? Glare at me and call me names? I've found that people tend to lose interest if you don't give them the satisfaction of being upset."
Hermione regarded the girl next to her for a moment. After all that she'd been through Hermione was amazed that Emily was acting so calm and rational; if it were her parents that had been killed she didn't think she would be able to handle it. Emily was definitely strong, and her stoic, indifferent attitude reminded her blaringly of a certain other Slytherin who was now marching proudly onto the field.
Cheers erupted from the opposite side of the stadium as the Slytherins took their place in the middle of the field, Malfoy at the center. The Gryffindors too emerged from their changing room and, led by Harry, marched to the center of the field to meet the Slytherins. The two captains shook hands and then in a flash everyone was off the ground and speeding to their positions around the pitch.
Emily watched in fascination. She could hardly move her eyes fast enough to take in everything – there were various balls flying in every direction across the pitch, witches and wizards zooming in and out, narrowly missing each other and sometimes slamming into one another on purpose. Ron was excellent, she thought, expertly blocking and dodging and tossing away the quaffle; however, she found her attention being drawn again and again to the two wizards fiercely flying high above the field.
Harry and Draco were engaged in a heated race, one pulling ahead, then the other, rolling and diving and pushing to get to the small golden ball that darted cleverly away from them. All of a sudden the two boys dove dangerously fast toward the ground in the center of the field, reaching unsteadily off their brooms. In an instant both boys were tumbling over each other and crashing hard into the frozen ground. Emily and Hermione were on their feet now along with the rest of the student body.
A hand emerged from the heap of limbs and cloaks holding the snitch triumphantly and as they untangled themselves it turned out that the hand belonged to Harry. He jumped to his feet and spun proudly showing off the snitch to the fans. Malfoy remained on his knees and pounded a fist roughly into the ground, his frustrated screams drowned out by the crowd. As the other Gryffindor players surrounded Harry, Malfoy stood and stalked off the field, followed soon after by the other Slytherins.
"That was amazing!" Emily cried as she and Hermione reached the group of players in the middle of the field. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes danced with excitement. "You were wonderful!" she told Harry, following Hermione's lead and pulling him into a hug. "Both of you!" she added as she embraced Ron as well, whose cheeks, already flushed from the game, grew absolutely crimson.
---
They had all returned to the Gryffindor common room to celebrate, including Emily after a brief debate in which Hermione reminded the resistant Gryffindors that Padma often visited with Parvati, and that as Head Girl it was her job to promote inter-house unity. However, Emily did return (a bit grudgingly) to the Slytherin dormitory before long to go to sleep.
The common room was empty when she arrived except for one lone figure in a high-backed chair, silhouetted by the fire flickering in the hearth. He did not turn when she entered, nor did he make any movement as to show that he was even aware of her presence. He merely sat slumped in the chair, cold eyes glaring into the dying flames. His hair looked golden in the light from the fire and his features appeared softer somehow, unguarded as he was lost in his thoughts.
"Hey," Emily said tentatively as she took the chair next to him. She wasn't sure what provoked her to try to talk to him. Maybe it was his fleeting moment of kindness at dinner earlier, or the sadness that she sensed in his posture. However, as soon as he heard her words his face hardened and any vulnerability she thought she saw disappeared.
"Come to gloat?" Draco asked her wryly.
"No," she said simply. She tried to find the right words not to offend him but he was very difficult to read. "You were amazing out there," she told him sincerely. His eyes flicked to her face and he observed her impassively.
"Not good enough," he stated dully and returned to the fire.
"But you almost had it," Emily encouraged. "I'm sure next time you'll get it."
"No, I won't," Draco snapped sharply. "I've never beat Potter. Not once. And I never will." Emily opened her mouth to respond, but thought better of it and closed her mouth again. A few minutes of awkward silence passed, Emily not knowing what to do and Draco staring dully into the fire.
"Did you really apparate here from the US?" Draco finally broke the silence.
"Why does everyone keep asking that? I thought all wizards could apparate."
"Not halfway across the world, they can't." Draco was looking at her fervently now. "Only the most powerful wizards would ever attempt intercontinental apparition, and you did it without even trying. None of the teachers here could even come close to that. My father couldn't even…" He didn't finish his thought.
Another awkward silence passed. Emily didn't want to upset him again, yet she couldn't bring herself to leave. It was Draco who broke the silence again.
"Do you miss them?" Emily was caught off guard by this.
"Who?" she asked innocently. Draco gave her a look and she understood. "Oh, right. Well, of course I do. I miss them terribly." She paused as tears welled in her eyes. "There's been so much going on though I don't think it's really sunk in yet."
Draco nodded almost imperceptibly, still staring in front of him.
"Draco," Emily began hesitantly, but just then the door to the common room opened and two figures hurried in chatting happily.
"Drakie!" Pansy cooed. "Look what we found!" she held up two bottles of firewhiskey and Blaise held up two more behind her. A smirk curled Draco's lips. "New girl…"
"Emily," she reminded Pansy patiently.
"Right, Emily. You want some?" Pansy was swaying slightly on her feet.
"Oh, uh, thanks but I'm really tired. I think I'm just gonna go to bed," Emily replied. Draco had finally pulled himself out of the chair and was pouring himself a glass of the amber liquid. Pansy shrugged with a half smile and turned to Draco.
"Well, goodnight," Emily said. She looked to Draco, but since Pansy and Blaise arrived he hadn't even acknowledged her. She turned and headed toward her room.
"Oh, Emma, wait!" Pansy hurried over and pulled Emily aside. "Blaise told me he thinks you're really cute," she began in a whisper that Emily was sure both boys could hear, though they made no signs as to show that they had. "And I think you two would make a perfect match! What do you think? Do you want me to talk to him?"
"Oh, I, well," Emily looked at Blaise and blushed. She did think he was attractive, but with everything else going on she hadn't given much thought to boys lately. Luckily she didn't have to answer.
"Pans," Draco called, interrupting Emily.
"Yes, Drakie?" Pansy asked enthusiastically.
"Be a love and get my cloak from my room?" He went back to the chair by the fireplace without so much as a glance toward the girls.
"We'll talk later," she told Emily and hurried down the opposite hall to Draco's room, giving Emily a chance to escape. She smiled suspiciously to herself as she walked to her room.