Draco got up early, making sure that he had plenty of time to spare. He got dressed and brushed his hair, paying more attention to his silvery blonde locks than usual. The last time he'd been this nervous was…hell, he couldn't even remember being this nervous before. Not even close.
The last week had been hectic. His so called "friends", as he was supposed to call those idiots, had detected a change in him over the holidays. He'd noticed it too. He no longer enjoyed pushing other people around. Where he'd once found it amusing, it now annoyed him. He saw what he'd once been, and was detested. A pure bully, nothing more or less, it disgusted him. This, and that slut Pansy Parkinson, always flirting with him, and acting as if any guy would die to get that sort of attention. She was so up herself. He'd actually had to tell her straught out that he wasn't interested in her, and she still hadn't gone away. He hated Pansy. She was so full of herself, she hadn't noticed that it was common knowledge that she'd lost her virginity to Marcus Flint, in a broom closet on the second floor. In her first year to make matters worse. Draco wouldn't have been surprised if she hung up fliers, offering herself up for money.
He made his way out of the Slytherin common room and up to the Great Hall for breakfast. He sat down and helped himself to as much as he thought he could handle, seeing as he had butterflies. He was partly through a piece of toast, when Pansy Parikinson entered the hall, strutting as if she was a greatly desired object. She slid onto the bench, sliding up next to Draco, rubbing her leg seductively on his. Rather then turning him on, he started feeling slightly nauseous. At this moment Mhera entered the hall. They had agreed only to tell close friends about their date. This way, gossip was less likely to spread. Not trusting any of his "friends", Draco had told no one.
"Hey Draco," said Pansy, trying to sound seductive. It just made him feel sicker, hell, you'd think she'd have had enough practice to at least get that much right. He tensed. Not wanting to attract any attention, he hoped that this subtle move would get the hint through to her. It didn't work.
"Hey, babe, you're tense," she said, interpreting the hint the wrong way. She moved to give him a massage, when he said in a low, voice, dangerously calm,
"Back off Pansy, I'm not interested. Move on." Draco went back to his food, with forced control. How he wanted to tell her what he thought of her. But not here, with so many people watching. Not getting the message, (brains weren't her strong point) Pansy continued, flirting with Draco,
"You're the only thing I'll back into," She whispered into his ear, her hand beginning to stroke his arm. Draco lost it, venting all his pent-up anger on her he yelled,
"Fuck off Pansy, you just can't take a hint, can you? Well, I'll have to spell it out for you then, I'm – not – interested – in – a – common – slut – like – you!" He spat at her, before storming out of the Great Hall, aware of the silence that followed him, before a clattering of cutlery, and running footsteps behind him.
Despite all her efforts, Mhera slept through her alarm. She got dressed quickly, in an outfit that she'd picked three days earlier, and applied a small amount of makeup. Brushing her long hair, she joined Caity in the common room and they headed down to breakfast together. Mhera was extremely nervous. Having turned down all the boys who'd asked her, she had never had a boyfriend, and didn't know what it felt like. She was still reeling from the fact that he'd asked her out. She was so nervous that she barely remembered the important thing that Caity had told her last night. She sat down at the Ravenclaw table, and had just picked up her cutlery, when Draco started yelling at Pansy Parkinson. Mhera had no trouble hearing what he said, as the whole hall fell silent. What she heard made her feel a mixture of emotions. She felt proudness, that he had turned down Pansy, in favour of her, and concern, about him. He was slightly red in the face when he finished, and stormed out of the hall. Dropping her cutlery noisily, she got up from the table, and ran after him, not caring that the gossip would now include her. She ran after Draco, getting more concerned. He stopped at the gates, and she saw that he was shaking slightly.
"Hey, are you okay?" she asked, letting the concern show in her voice. He turned to look at her, and the look on his face was so hopeless, that she immediately stepped towards him and pulled him into the warmest hug she could give him. He held onto her tightly, not wanting to let go for a while, while he calmed down. They pulled away from the hug, and she looked at him and said,
"You wanna go early?" He nodded his response, obviously not trusting his voice. When he found his voice he told her everything, feeling comfortable in her presence, they walked down to Hogsmeade, holding hands.