Prudence was in the hospital wing until Friday. All the professors made quite the fuss over her...
Her amazing friends Daphne and Hermione had come by twenty times a day for the past few days in order to chat her up and keep her homework on track.
Draco hadn't stopped by once.
"I don't know," Daph told her with a frown when she asked for the hundredth time why Draco was being a wanker. "He's been moody and I never get the chance to talk to him because Blaise is always right at his side..."
Hermione stuck out her tongue dramatically, "I can't believe I'm listening to Slytherin gossip..."
The two Slytherins laughed at their Gryffidor friend, "Get use to it, Pru is a gossip magnet." Which couldn't be any further from the truth. The whole school was abuzz with why Prudence was in the hospital wing for so long, but Daph said nothing.
Pru just rolled her eyes and changed the subject, "Anyway, what should we do tonight? It's Friday, you guys have me all caught up on my homework...I want to do something fun!"
Hermione was clueless, but Daphne always had a plan to have fun.
Pansy had kept herself below the radar. She was digging and trying to find out anything she could to get Prudence out of her life. Why did the wench end up the hospital? Why was she missing that whole day? What was she hiding?
Draco had spent his time out of Pru's presence mulling over what he should do about her. He wasn't even sure if he were capable of pushing her away, and if it ever became physical? There was no way his body would be able to deny her...
He didn't want to tell her to leave him alone, but the more he thought it over the more preposterous it sounded for the two of them to be together. How could two people as different as them ever work? The Minister of Magic would probably curse him the moment he saw him with his beloved grand daughter...He just couldn't be with her...he couldn't...
But he wanted to...so badly.
All day Friday he heard the babbling about Pru's release from the medical wing. It was maddening how many students took such great interest in her. He was keen to notice a certain dopey hero's interest in her as well.
He watched closely at dinner as Granger entered the hall excitedly and then went straight to her two dunderhead boyfriends to speak to them animatedly. All three of them then left together.
Neither Daphne nor Prudence were in the Great Hall so he deduced that they were all going to be somewhere together... His fists curled into tight balls, it didn't matter what he told himself, his heart always won out...
He was starting to believe that maybe Blaise was too wise for his own good...
The fire whiskey swished down Pru's throat with a burn and immediately warmed up her entire body. She was already a few shots in when Hermione had returned with boys.
Harry watched Pru's eyes light up when he, Ron, and Hermione entered the hidden room where the two drunk girls were swirling ribbons in the air.
"HIIII GUYS!" She practically squealed.
"Prudence!" Hermione scolded, noticing that they were already pissed.
"Hush Granger!" Daphne chided followed by a fit of giggles.
"Feeling better?" Harry asked her loudly, trying to get her to hear him as she continued to twirl about in circles.
"All better!" She replied without skipping a beat.
Finally, Prudence felt happy and care free! She hadn't had fire whiskey in such a long time, she forgot how cheerful it could make her feel.
Harry gulped when he noticed her skirt whirl up as she continued to spin, he had forgot how gorgeous she was...
It only took another hour for all five of them (Hermione included) to be just as lit as Pru felt.
Once the whiskey had warmed up Harry's body, he felt the words didn't stick in his throat so much when he tried to speak to Pru, they sort of just tumbled out...
"So, what's the deal with you and Malfoy?"
Pru's eyes widened at the mention of him, "Draco?" It was hard to ignore the way Harry's face scrunched up at the sound of his name. "You don't like him because he was a Purist?"
"Was? I wasn't aware that he quit..." Harry laughed, like Malfoy could ever be anything other than a slimy Purist.
"Harry Potter! Draco is nice!"
Harry knew that she was reprimanding him, but the thought of Malfoy being nice was quite hilarious, "Of course he's nice to you, you're hot, he wants to shag you."
Prudence felt her blood getting hot in her veins, she felt very defensive about the boy she hasn't even seen in three days. She knew people had their ideas about who Draco was, but she really knew. She had witnessed the real him when he found her in a classroom writhing in pain. She jabbed Harry's arm with her finger, "He does not!"
"Everyone does!" Ron hollered from across the room.
"Oi! You shut it over there!" Pru yelled back before turning her stony eyes back on Harry, "Now listen here Harry Potter..." Harry smiled at her and wiggled his eyebrows as he crossed his arms to give her the best impression that he was listening intently. His blatant silliness momentarily threw her sourness, but she pursed her lips and tried not to laugh, "He-he's a nice guy! And doesn't want in my pants!" Harry's face looked delighted and amused with her weak drunk argument, "Oh, what did he ever do to you!"
"Where do I start!"
Pru's frown continuously became more grim as Harry went on and on, with Ron's side commentary, about all the horrible things that her beautiful blonde had did to them. All the cheating, fighting, name calling, sleeping around, dueling and near murder... When Harry had finally stopped talking Pru didn't feel drunk any longer, she thought her heart may have slightly cracked...
So many terrible things, terrible words...maybe he wasn't what she thought...
But she had observed for herself the other side she knew he had. He said that he would change for her...
Now she was confused...
It was past midnight when Draco and Blaise heard the giggling girls come back to the Slytherin common room.
The two boys had sat in front of the fire the entire night in silence, not admitting to one another that they were both waiting for a certain girl to come home.
The girls both stopped in their tracks when they noticed the boys sitting, looking as if they spent the night brooding. They tried to hold in their giggles, it was funny to see that the guys waited up.
Then Pru wasn't sure what to think. It had been three days...and he never even came for a visit...not to mention all the stuff Harry said still swirled about her head...
Draco saw her staring at him, a deep frown etched in her face. He had been mentally preparing himself to see her, but he realized, no amount of prep could keep him strong enough to see her like this... in tight muggle clothes, cheeks flushed, and hair a curly mass.
Blaise had thought that he would be able to keep calm, but seeing Daphne drunk and entertaining the thought that she may have been with Weasley and Potter made him feel out of control, "Oi, where've you been!"
Daphne's eyes bulged from her head and her jaw dropped as she turned to Pru with an astonished goofy grin, he doesn't have the right to speak to her like that! "Are you serrrious Zabini?"
Her slurred words caused Pru to laugh out loud, maybe the whiskey did still throb inside her.
Blaise was very serious. He took a few steps toward them, his arms crossed like an angry father, "I am, it's almost one in the morning!"
Daphne could only laugh harder at his insistent audacity, "Alright Daddy, I'm so sorry!"
Draco watched their argument from where he still sat pensively on the couch. He wondered what he would say to her, if he should say something... He had nothing to say to her that would make sense while she was drunk anyway... He did wonder if they were with those Gryffidors...
"Now you're jealous of Ron Weasley?! You should be! At least he's a gentleman!" Daphne spat, pulling Draco from his thoughts.
One questioned answered. It made him feel sick to know she spent a night getting pissed with Harry fucking Potter...
Pru pulled her arm from her screaming friends to go sit beside the simmering blonde. She wanted to be beside him, there was a pulling deep inside her, so she went. In his presence it was easy to forget everything Harry said, he was so beautiful to look at...
Draco cleared his throat as she came and sat beside him unexpectantly and smiled, "Hello." He was angry at her for being with them, but he knew that he had no place to call her out on it, so he didn't know how to react to her calm voice.
"Why are you mad at me?" She pouted.
"I'm not, " he replied evenly.
"But you didn't come see me."
Merlin, why was she always so forward? He shouldn't be surprised, she was always brutally honest with him. It was impossible to act passive with her like he wished he could, but it was practically useless. He felt idiotic for being speechless, he just didn't know what to say, certainly not the truth...Sorry I didn't come see you, but I was trying my best to avoid you because you make me feel weak in the knees, speechless, breathless, unable to think proper...and I don't think I can be what you want me to be...I'm just not good enough for you...
Damnit she was lovely. All the thoughts banging around his head stopped abruptly when she scooted closer to him, touching his side, their faces a small space apart. She was pouting her lips with her brows knitted together in an almost adorable puppy dog saddness.
Pru felt even more upset when he didn't answer her right away. So she moved herself even closer to him, close enough to see that his eyes were blazing behind his serene facade.
"Tell me honestly, " He heard her say so sincere it was brutal.
"I'm sorry, " he blurted. He was drowning in her honey colored eyes, " I wanted to...but I just couldn't." He turned his head to break their eye contact and glance at Blaise and Daphne, still at each other's throats. It was the truth, just a very vague one.
Pru nodded, then said boldly, "Is this still about you thinking you're no good for me?"
Draco felt his jaw harden as he looked down at his hands. She was incredible, her boldness was some what intimidating.
He kept quiet again, his face ignited with what looked like anger. She had come to realize that he was never really angry with her though, "It is." She confirmed firmly from his silence.
Draco licked his lips nervously, flustered with how close she was to him, and how forward she continued to be, "Pru, don't you get it, don't you get how wrong it will turn out?"
Pru blanched, like his words physically hurt her as her jaw went slack. She could only stutter, "How?! Ah, how could you-how could you say that!"
He hated how wounded she sounded, but it also flattered him that she disagreed with him so strongly. He has never dealt with a person like her, so the only emotion he could grasp onto was his animosity. He leaned in to whisper to her, now furious, "Let's not talk about this right now." He had too much pride to say all the things he really wanted to. Damn, she was stronger than him.
Pru heaved a dramatic breath and leapt to her feet, "You waited up for me all night just to tell me you don't want to talk to me!" Her anger came so rapid it almost stunned Draco, that is not what he said!
Pru's feet began hastily carrying her away, leaving Draco to gape after her. She only managed a few steps before she turned on her heel lightening fast and came back to him, where he now stood on his feet. He thought that she was going to punch him, so he stood to take it like a man, but she only got inches from his chin before she screamed at him, "By the way! Thank you for taking care of me the other night! I really appreciated it!" Her words were sweet, but she spat them like venom. Then, if she hadn't startled him enough, she stood on her tippy toes to to place a quick, and very chaste kiss on his lips.
Then, she was really gone.
Pru was well aware of how drunk she really was now. How could she have just kissed him!? But he was being so stupid! He was treating her as if she had some sort of disease! So to prove she wasn't a contagious leper she kissed him...and also, because she really wanted to! So take that Draco Malfoy!
Draco touched his lips in shock, looking for any lingering evidence to prove what had just happened. He could faintly taste fire whiskey and he hadn't been drinking...So... she did just kiss him!
He found himself looking at a silent Daph and Blaise who stared at him.
"Did-did she just kiss you?" Daphne hollered.
He thinks he nodded.
"You're such a fool Draco Malfoy! You're lucky she even gives you the time of day after all the stuff Potter told her tonight! You-"
"What?!" Draco heard his own voice roar, Potter was talking shit about him to Pru?
"Potter told her everything you've done to him since first year and she defended you until she was blue in the face! Why are you both such idiots!"
Then, she was gone too and the two boys were back to being alone on the couch in front of the burning flames.
"Why are we such idiots?" Blaise asked placidly.
"Bloody hell if I know!" Draco was seething, Potter was running his mouth...but she didn't buy it. He was relieved she defended him, angry the twat said anything at all, and still very confused as to why she kissed him.
Bliase then growled in annoyance, "Ugh! She likes you at least, and you're pushing her away! I would give anything to have Daphne treat me like Pru treats you, it's not fair!" He stood up angrily, "I'm going to bed."
And that makes three friends to walk away from him in resentment...