A/N: This is the longest I've worked on a fanfic. Dunno why. Sometimes, I get so scared that I'll abandon this before it's finished, and then I rush off and continue writing. As usual, enjoy!
Sunday noon, Heather was trying on dresses her mother sent for Deirdre Zabini's wedding.
"So, Heather," her roommate Parvati Patil began. "What's Malfoy to you?"
She looked surprised at the question. "Huh?"
"Well…" Parvati said coyly. "You were seen with him in Hogsmeade! Was it a date?"
"A date?" Heather repeated. "No way! He just dragged me with him."
"Really." Parvati drew out the word.
"Unzip me, will you?" she asked, turning around. Parvati got off her bed and helped Heather out of a white dress. "Yes, really, Parvati. I can't decide! Which one looks best?"
"God, your mum has fabulous taste. Let's see…" Parvati sat on the edge of her bed and leaned forward. "The white one looks good, but you might look like a bride, and you know they say you can't look like the bride on her day. I vote for the purple and yellow, it has a gorgeous neckline, but this black and gold one looks beautiful too, with that fabulous bubble skirt. Damn! Now I can't decide too! Well, why you?"
"Why me what?" She held up the purple and yellow strapless cocktail dress. "Isn't it too bare?"
"Don't be silly, Heather! If you put a shawl over it I will kill you. You have nice shoulders anyway. Put it on!"
"I don't know," she said, when she tried on the dress. She covered her chest area. "I feel so bare!"
"Oh please," Parvati chided. "It's perfect! Now, why did Malfoy drag you to Hogsmeade?"
"But if I don't cover up, it's my dad who's going to kill me!" she wailed.
"He won't kill his only daughter," Parvati said confidently. "You know, you should really take advantage of being an only child. I don't think parents in general can resist."
"I know," she laughed. "I wasn't brought up that way, though, because we were all expecting mum to produce another baby. When I finally realized mum doesn't want to have another kid, they already had me whipped into shape. But I'd like a little brother, though. Or a twin, like you and Padma. Do you have that extra special bond people talk about?"
"Yeah, I guess." Parvati shrugged. "If by extra special bond you mean finishing each other's sentences by six, and I absolutely can't lie to her." She paused. "You know, we always thought we'd be sorted in the same house. We already made plans on how to get house points and how to sneak out at midnight, and where we'd study together. So, after Sorting Night, we were crying when she got into Ravenclaw and me Gryffindor. Now, though, it's not that big a deal. We get together sometimes, but we have our own friends."
"I'd love that," said Heather. "You know what? Sometimes I wish I had a big family like the Weasleys. They look like they always have fun."
"I don't," Parvati declared. "I bet their house gets really crowded. You know they're not… rich."
"But still," Heather insisted. "I don't think that matters a lot."
"Heather! Damn it, you almost made me forget." She narrowed her eyes. "Nice try."
"What?" Heather widened her eyes innocently.
"Oh, please. Your innocent act won't work on me. So why did Malfoy take you, of all people, to Hogsmeade?"
Heather shrugged. "He ran out of people to take." She twirled around in front of the mirror. "I don't think I can get used to this kind of neckline." She tugged on the hem. "And this kind of length. Anything above the knee is unacceptable."
"So you're, like, a standby for Malfoy? And you're okay with that?" Parvati sounded incredulous.
Heather sighed deeply and faced her roommate. "I take a different view of the matter. I had nothing to do, and I wanted to see what he wanted, so I went. You know, Parvati, you talk as if we're going out."
"Well, aren't you?" Parvati raised an eyebrow.
She sighed deeply again. "No," she said with exaggerated emphasis. "It was not a date. I am not going out with him. Just because a boy and a girl go out together doesn't mean they're on a date." She took off the dress and put it back into its box.
"Yes it does!" insisted Parvati. "Unless they're friends. Well, are you friends?"
"That's ridiculous, Parvati. There are all sorts of reasons why two people go someplace together, and they do not need to be friends, or lovers."
"Ohoho, I beg to disagree!" She grinned. "Well, why do you think Malfoy brought you?"
"I told you, already," said Heather, beginning to get annoyed. As a result, she shoved the boxes into their paper bags with more force than necessary. "And I can tell that I'll have to repeat it over and over and over again. But can you please listen? There might be a chance that it'll get through your head. He didn't have anyone else to bring. He didn't have anyone else to bring. He didn't have anyone else to bring. He didn't have anyone else to bring. He didn't have anyone else to bring."
"All right, all right," Parvati held up a hand, grinning. "But I think you're missing the point."
"You certainly seem to have more thoughts about this than I do." Heather folded her arms, not amused anymore. "Do let's hear them. Oh, but before you start, I just have to take this last chance: He didn't have anyone else to bring, all right? He didn't have anyone else to bring. He didn't have anyone else to bring." She gathered the paper bags and stalked angrily out the room.
"I think it's a date, and I think he likes you!" Parvati shouted at her retreating back. Heather didn't hear her.
Heather fumed all the way down the stairs, prepared to dismember anyone who got in her way. She went out into the common room, where there were already a fair amount of people getting their homework done, or chatting.
Before she reached the portrait, a girl suddenly shouted, "Heather and Malfoy, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" All those present laughed.
She turned around. "All right!" she raised her voice, and the noise dwindled. "I can see that there are people who are prepared to make a big deal out of nothing, and that's just pitiful." She spat out the last word. "I'd tell them to mind their own business, but their business is probably so pathetic and miserable that they'd jump at any piece of information and twist it into vicious proportions to make themselves happy. Well then, go ahead. I'm sure it'll give a momentary bit of color in your lives, to have something new to chat over the fireside – " the people sitting by the fire looked at each other and moved away " – and to give the old topics a rest, that you don't even notice your skirt is burning." She clambered swiftly out of the portrait, the smell of smoke and the sounds of an uproar making her smile.
"Bravo!" she heard Fred or George clapping.
After she had gone to the Owlery and sent the dresses back home – picking the black and gold dress because it was pretty and colorful and not too immodest – she went out to the grounds for a walk to clear her head. She didn't want to go back inside the castle – she'd been accosted by people she didn't even know, asking if it was true she and Malfoy were an item now. Merlin! She fumed. It was just one measly Hogsmeade trip! Pointing and whispers followed her everywhere, and she was dangerously close to using an Unforgivable on someone.
She went into the direction of the lake, the bitter wind slapping at her face. She shoved her hands into her pockets, fisting them. She had forgotten her scarf and her gloves, but she didn't want to go back inside. Maybe she could go for a swim and continue on out to the sea. Oh no, those were rivers. Well, maybe the giant squid could eat her. At least that'll give those people something real to talk about.
Footsteps crunched in the snow behind her, but she ignored it. Maybe if she ignored it, it would go away. She kept her head down and walked faster. The footsteps also quickened. She felt her heart pounding madly, but she resisted the urge to run. Merlin, Merlin, Merlin…
Draco Malfoy fell into step beside her. "Oh, it's you," she said, disappointed and relieved at once. She thought a maniac was chasing her. "What now?"
"Where the hell is your scarf?" he demanded. "Don't you know it's freezing? You're turning blue."
"What's your point?" she snapped.
"Someone's tetchy today," he remarked. He removed his green and silver scarf and handed it to her.
"This is Slytherin," she said accusingly, not taking it.
"Oh, for fuck's sake, just take it! You're cold." He shook the scarf at her.
"People are gonna think I'm a traitor!" She shook her head vehemently.
"We'll deal with them later." He glanced sideways at her and smirked. "Although, I never pegged you as someone who cares what other people think."
She flushed as she snatched the scarf from him and savagely wound it around her neck. "I don't, but it would look bad for the rest of the Gryffindors."
"Fuck Gryffindor," he said, earning a glare from her. "Fuck Slytherin too."
"Well, I know you're worried about what other people think," Heather challenged.
"Oh, yeah? How?" Malfoy tried to keep his teeth from chattering at the sudden cold.
"Didn't you say you let Pansy Parkinson hang around because you're afraid people might think you're gay?" she raised her eyebrows at him.
"Well, that's different. That kind of rumor is damaging."
"I think it's something you can ignore."
"If something like that reached my father, he would punish me severely."
"Even if it's just a stupid rumor?"
"Even if it's just a stupid rumor," he confirmed.
"Well, what kind of punishment?"
Before he could answer, they encountered a group of Hufflepuff girls who
giggled at the sight of them. Heather's eyes narrowed.
"Hey, Heather and Draco," one of them said. "So you two are, like, dating?" They all laughed. "And here you are, pretending to hate each other, but you secretly meet! Look, she even has his scarf!"
"Fuck off and mind your own business, you miserable nosy parker," Malfoy said sharply.
"Wait, I think I recognize you," said Heather wonderingly. "I've seen you before! Yeah… I think you were in Mungo's, in the mental ward when I visited my gran! They let you out for school, huh? Man, those guys are careless, letting lunatics mix with normal people." She clucked her tongue and shook her head.
They left the girls openmouthed in shock.
"Fucking hell, those are the worst," said Heather irritably. "Now you understand why I'm tetchy."
"You have a gran in the mental ward?" asked Malfoy with equal parts curiosity and horror.
"Duh, 'course not," she snorted, and pulled the scarf tighter around her. It smelled fresh and soapy. This is what Malfoy smells like?
"You know, silver and green suits you," he said after a while, smirking.
"And red and gold would give you some color," she shot back.
"I can never win with you," said Malfoy, dragging his hand through his hair. "Merlin."
"Why, are we in a competition?" Heather challenged. Still, she felt secretly pleased and proud at his remark.
They turned a corner and saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione coming up from
the path to Hagrid's hut.
"Heather!" they waved at her, but stopped when they realized who she was with.
"So it's true?" Ron blurted out when they were close.
"Don't be such a bloody idiot, Weasley," Malfoy snapped. "Of course not. I'd have thought you'd know, seeing as you're all friends."
"'Course we don't believe the rumors," Harry snapped back at him.
"We were looking for you, Heather," said Hermione, ignoring Malfoy pointedly. "So we could all go to Hagrid's together. But Parvati said you were out."
"Oh yeah, I went to the Owlery to send a letter to mum. It got so stuffy inside the castle, so I went out for a walk." She smiled at Hermione gratefully. She turned to Ron. "And Ron, don't worry. It's not true. This slimy git just invited himself."
"Hey," Malfoy protested. "I'm here."
"Well… See you at the common room later?" Harry said.
"Sure," Heather gave her megawatt grin. "See you lot later."
When Harry, Ron, and Hermione were out of earshot, Malfoy rounded on her. "Slimy git?" he demanded.
"Yeah," she shrugged. "Want to hear the rest? There's bloody idiot, naffing asshole, miserable weasel, ridiculous prat, pathetic spoiled brat… There are a lot more, but I can't remember them. And then I –"
"Alright, fine, shut up," Malfoy cut her off. "You are a fucking bitch, Parker, you know that?"
She shot him a look of pure disdain. "So you keep saying. You know what the problem is with you, Malfoy?"
"I'm perfectly fine with myself, thanks," he muttered.
"You've no imagination," Heather swept on. "There are a lot more imaginative names out there to call me, but you stick with what you know! So, unfamiliarity upsets you, is that it?"
"Where the hell did you get that?" he looked at her, astonished.
"So it's true, isn't it? Right?" she asked insistently. "Right?"
"Fuck no!" Malfoy said emphatically. "How did you get from 'no imagination' to 'unsettled by unfamiliarity'?"
She crossed her arms. "I'm not bothering to repeat myself. If you're too slow to get it, it's not my problem anymore."
"Parker, you're full of shit," he ran his fingers through his hair. "Absolutely full of shit."
She grinned up at him, and he felt the blood rush to his head again. "Ha! Thanks."