A week had passed since the dreaded 'no bones' incident and no words had passed between Draco and Bella. She knew she shouldn't care but she was actually starting to get a bit worried. When she discovered he would be staying for Christmas she was even more eager to sign her name, she was going to get to the bottom of what his problem was, one way or another.
Bella entered the common room one morning to find a large group all crowding around a poster on the wall. She pushed her way to the front: 'Dueling Club! First meeting tonight in the Great Hall at 8pm'
"What does it say?" Ron asked excitedly as she pushed her way back through the crowd.
"They're starting a dueling club, the first meeting is tonight." Bella replied.
"We should totally go." Freya said, looking around at them excitedly.
"Never know, we might just need the lessons." Seamus commented.
"What, do you think you'll have to duel Slytherin's monster?" Bella laughed.
"Maybe." Seamus replied.
"We should go, right?" Ron agreed.
"Yeah." They chorused.
With the decision made, the second years all made their way back to the Great Hall at eight o'clock that night. The usual tables had been shifted and a long stage was positioned in the middle of the room, lit only by the thousands of candles dotted around the room and overhead.
"Who do you think's teaching us?" Ron whispered to Bella.
"Hmm, I hope it's anyone but Lockhart." Bella replied.
His question was answered when the man in question sauntered onto the stage with more confidence than he should have considering his pink hair and yellow teeth were still very much in place. After him trailed Snape looking as though he'd rather be anywhere else.
"Good evening students!" Lockhart called obnoxiously. "Professor Dumbledore has given me permission to form this dueling club, in light of recent events, so that you are all prepared in case you ever need to defend yourself."
"Where were these lessons last week when I needed them on the Quidditch pitch." Bella spoke loudly to Ron over her shoulder.
Those around her giggled while Lockhart paled and Bella swore she saw Snape's lip twitch.
"L-Let me introduce my glamorous assistant, Professor Snape!" Snape sneered angrily in Lockhart's direction as he spoke.
"He has kindly agreed to help me perform a small demonstration for you before you begin, but never fear children, you'll still have your potions professor when I'm through with him."
Lockhart walked dramatically from the middle to the end of the stage while Professor Snape stared angrily after him. Bella would admit she hoped Professor Snape finished him off. Lockhart bowed animatedly while Snape inclined his head ever so slightly.
"Now as you can see, we are holding our wands in the combative position. On the count of three, we will fire our first spells, neither of us aiming to kill, of course."
"One - two - three."
Both wizards swung their wands up and over their shoulders with cries of 'Expelliarmus!'. A great jet of scarlet light shot from Snape's wand sending Lockhart crashing back against the far wall to land in a heap on the floor. Bella, along with most of the Slytherins and Harry and Ron, cheered while Hermione, Freya and Emily all gasped, standing on their tiptoes trying to check if he was alright. Lockhart got unsteadily to his feet and limped his way back onto the stage.
"Ah, there you have it folks, a disarming charm! Very good to show them that Professor Snape, although I must say it was fairly obvious what you were going to do and had I wanted to I could have stopped you."
Snape was now glaring at Lockhart murderously and Bella thought he might hex the man right where he stood. Lockhart must have noticed this too as he stammered a little then spoke.
"Enough demonstrating. I will come among you and split you into pairs and you will practise the disarming spell and the disarming spell only!"
Bella noticed Draco standing further into the crowd with his friends and an idea popped into her head. She pushed her way through the mass of people until she stood in front of him.
"I want to duel you."
Draco gaped at her and Pansy gagged as if she were a bad smell.
"Ew, why would Draco want to go anywhere near you, blood traitor."
She made to put her hand on his arm but he shoved her off. Bella took a step closer to him and he took a step back away from her.
"I'm not going to duel you." He drawled, a sadness in his eyes that threw Bella off.
"Yes, you are." She growled.
"Ah, you two are already in a pair, great." Lockhart said cheerily as he made his way towards them.
Bella glanced over her shoulder at him then turned back to Draco as Lockhart sorted his friends into pairs, leaving them alone where they stood.
She shot a stinging hex at his arm and he winced in pain. He look at her to see her expression neutral. He raised his wand but before he could utter a word she'd shot another stinging hex at him. Draco took an instinctive step backwards and Bella took another step forwards, hitting him with yet another stinging hex.
"Stop it." He said, his voice wavering.
"Not until you tell me what your problem is." She replied.
She raised her wand to send another stinging hex his way when she was hit with one of her own. She winced dramatically in an effort to get him to lower his guard. It worked. He lowered his wand and she shot another stinging hex at his leg, making him double over in pain.
"What is your problem?" She asked. "Why have you been ignoring me."
"I don't know what you're talking about." He groaned.
"Don't lie to me." She seethed.
"I'm not." He replied, standing to his full height again.
"Why have you been ignoring me?" She asked again, wand pointed straight at his chest.
"I haven't been ignoring you." He replied anxiously.
Bella closed the gap between them and grabbed his jumper in her fists. She shook him violently as he protested.
"What is the problem?" She asked again, still shaking him.
"OKAY!" He yelled. "Okay."
She let him go and he fixed his jumper, staring at her as he did so.
"I've been ignoring you because I was embarrassed about what happened the night you were in the hospital, that's it, you happy now?"
"The night I asked you to stay?" She asked and he nodded his head.
"Well that's just daft." She stated. "If anyone should be embarrassed, it's me."
"How so?" He asked.
"Because I asked you to stay because I was too scared to sleep alone." She replied.
He could only look at her as the roar of spells sounded around them.
"Just, stop ignoring me, yeah? If I've got to face another potions lesson not fighting with you I think I might go insane." She laughed.
Draco laughed awkwardly as he scratched the back of his neck. Taking advantage of the fact he was unprepared, Bella swung her wand over her shoulder with a cry of 'Expelliarmus!' and his wand came flying into her hand. Draco stared at her, gobsmacked, as she laughed.
"Beaten by a girl, Malfoy? Well, it wouldn't be the first time." She teased as she tossed his wand back to him.
He caught it haphazardly and she further teased him. Lockhart called an end to the dueling club shortly after and Bella went to bed that night feeling happier than she had for the previous week. Her and Draco were speaking again and Lockhart had his ass handed to him by Snape, not a bad way to end a not so good day.
