Some Like It Mild
By Kukaburry
Chapter 13- Nancy-boy: How to
Happy Birthday evil-little-sisterishness (That is a fun name to write out). Thanks for positive reviews everyone.
Laurie sat down behind Draco's usual spot in the great hall in anticipation. "Rye are you asking for trouble? This is way too obvious. Your stalking needs to be more inconspicuous."
"I'm not stalking him. It's more like research, right? He's the one acting weird." Lily wanted to smack Laurie's head repeatedly on the table. "Oh look, perfect timing. He's coming in. Act normal."
Lily sighed and looked towards the opposite side of the table, pretending to be interested in someone's boring conversation. Laurie's nervousness was at an all-time high. They heard footsteps nearing their table and stop directly behind them.
"Excuse me Rye?" Laurie turned around indifferently, acting surprised that Draco was behind her.
She shot him a placid smile. "Yes Draco?"
"May I sit with you?" Excited whispering broke out among several of the students at the table.
Rye cleared her throat, surprised at his forwardness. She wasn't entirely sure how she should respond. Should she be sassy and tell him to return to his own kind or should she play along and allow him to sit with her?
"Fine, just don't get grease on me." She smirked, satisfied with her response. She played both sides equally.
Draco forced back a sneer and sat down bodily next to Laurie. He turned to face her with a smoldering look. "Thank you, you are very gracious." Laurie almost choked on her tongue while avoiding laughing. She took a swig of pumpkin juice.
A petite blonde at the end of the table turned from her conversation with two other girls and asked in an excited voice, "Are you two dating?"
Laurie's glare could have frozen the girl where she sat. Draco simply smiled lazily. "That is a good question." He turned his grey eyes back to Laurie whose cheeks were flushed with a rosy hue. "Rye, am I your boyfriend?" An awed hush fell over the great hall. Pumpkin juice from Laurie's lips sprayed across the table.
Flames began coursing through her veins. 'He's asking me that? In front of the whole school?' Strangely, Draco seemed calm. That irritated Laurie more than anything. "No, you are not my boyfriend Malfoy." She took a dumpling and chewed in silence.
Draco gave her a crooked smile and turned back to the petite girl. "She'll fall for me soon though." He gave the girl a wink and she disappeared under the table with a surprised squeak. Laurie felt a prick of jealously when Draco winked at the girl.
"You're pretty cocky Malfoy." Laurie threw him a simpering stare.
"Well, you would know all about my 'cock'-iness after the other night, wouldn't you?" He was baiting her.
"Or lack-there-of," she replied quickly, quirking her lips slightly. They were back to their verbal sparring, and Laurie reveled in it.
Draco leaned forward, the heat from his body washed over Laurie like a welcome blaze, and spoke quietly in her ear. "When we're in love, does it matter?" Laurie swallowed hard and turned to meet him eye to eye. Draco's lips lingered over Laurie's for a moment before he removed himself from the table. "Sleep well, Rye." A pang of disappointment murmured through her heart, but she shook it away stubbornly.
Laurie recovered herself and turned back to Lily whose mouth had yet to close. "You look like a Guppy, Lily."
"That was the sexiest thing I've ever seen," she managed to sigh. "He is totally head over heels for you. What is wrong with you? Why aren't you running after him?"
Laurie flinched at Lily's condescending tone. "I'm perfectly sane- you're the one who's touched in the head. How many times have we said that he's the best con-artist we know?" Lily gave Laurie a doubtful look.
"To what end is he conning you? Pull yourself together and act like an adult, mate. He likes you Laurie! What don't you understand about that?" Lily said a little too loudly. Laurie hissed at her to lower her voice.
"I'm tired of this discussion. I'm going to bed." Laurie jumped up and escaped up the stairs before Lily could pressure her anymore. 'Why am I feeling like this? Lily can't be right, not about this.' Laurie suddenly realized that her insecure personality had finally surfaced after being buried beneath many levels of sarcasm and heartbreak. 'Double damn you Malfoy. I will not fall in love with you this time.'
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Two jays sat outside the Ravenclaw dorm and chirped loudly as the sun began to rise. "Oi fucking birds, shut it." Laurie ripped open her bedhangings grumpily and stomped over to the window. "Who said we needed a wake-up call eh? Go back to your nest." She shooed them away with her hands and turned back to her bed.
A large parcel at the foot of her bed caught her immediate attention. Curious, Laurie shook the parcel to try and figure out what it was. It was lumpy and easily bent. She tore off the wrappings and a gorgeous blue silk dress, that would have cost Laurie several years of allowance to pay for, floated into her lap along with a note.
'Dear Ms. Rye, please accept this gift as my thanks for helping me find my dress robes. As you are aware, there is a masquerade ball being held at the Malfoys next week and I would like to meet you there. Please reply if you accept. Either way, please keep the dress as it will look divine on you. –Damion Schrodin'
Laurie couldn't believe it. The gorgeous dress she had seen in the shop. "Rye, what is that?" A groggy Susan asked, head poking through her bed-hangings. Lily and Padma peeked out curiously as well. They gathered around Laurie and examined the dress. "Is it from dear Draco?" Susan asked jokingly, rubbing the fine cloth between her fingers. "Is this your prize after you won the bet Friday night?"
Laurie rolled her eyes. "No, it's from Damion." She shoved the letter at Susan who read it out loud. All three girls grinned in envy.
"Wait so it's not from Draco, but it's for Draco's party? And who's Damion?" Susan asked, still confused.
"Dur Susan. How are you in Ravenclaw again? She met Damion shopping yesterday, I told you that last night. I swear you're the most airheaded person I know," Lily poked her in the head and stole the slip of paper, reading it over again. She turned her attention to Laurie. "So are you going to accept?"
Laurie looked down at the gorgeous dress again and considered it. "I'm not sure. It's a very flattering offer, but…"
"But you'd rather shag the host?" Lily asked cheekily.
Susan and Padma began chuckling non-stop, unaware of the previous day's occurrences. "That's out of order. We all know Rye hates Malfoy. She'd rather eat her own head than snog Malfoy."
Lily and Laurie exchanged significant looks, but remained silent and went along with their joke.
"Well this is botched up." Laurie sighed as soon as Padma and Susan went to breakfast. "I guess I have to eat my head." She joked lamely.
"Honestly Rye, if you have feelings for Draco just admit it. I know you swore him off for all eternity, but come on mate, give it a chance. He's acting like a prissy-boy just for you. Why can't you see it?"
Laurie stamped her foot angrily and turned forcefully in Lily's direction. "Lily!" She began sharply, "Let me make my own decisions. I won't be pushed around anymore by anyone. Do you remember what my parents are like?" She gazed past Lily's shoulder, memories of Laurie's overbearing parents haunting her eyes.
"'Laurie pass all of your classes or we will forever be disappointed in you.' 'Laurie why are you wearing that? Dress like a normal girl.' 'Laurie, why are you talking about men? You're too young to understand it.' 'Laurie redo this, it's not perfect yet.' 'Laurie don't talk like that or everyone will think you're an idiot.' I'm damn tired of being told what to think and how to feel." A hot tear slid down her cheek. "How can you call me a friend when all you do is boss me around like a child? Just keep your opinions to yourself for once."
Lily stepped back, startled by Laurie's outburst. "I'm sorry I upset you. I just want you to be happy. I didn't realize I was acting like that."
"Well you are and it's damn annoying." Laurie's expression softened only slightly.
"Look, I'll keep quiet from now on and let you live your life the way you want. I swear on Merlin's pants." Laurie couldn't help but crack a small grin at that.
"I accept your vow, but you had better stick to it." A groan of hunger rumbled through their stomach simultaneously. "I am really craving some toast and marmalade though."
"Me too. Maybe we'll see our Mr. Malfoy downstairs while we're at it."
"Lily… what did we just talk about?" Laurie began threateningly.
"What? I didn't say anything? I was just making an observation. I'm allowed that privilege aren't I?" Lily replied innocently, pushing the dorm door open and exiting downstairs. Laurie rolled her eyes and sighed, following Lily's steps.
"What did I tell you? I must be clairvoyant." Lily stated plainly as soon as they entered the hall. Lily sat down next to a puzzled Susan, forcing Laurie to sit on her right.
"You're here again, Malfoy?" Laurie asked grudgingly, unhappily taking the seat between him and Lily and nabbed a slice of toast.
"Of course, I'm like a vampire. You invite me over once and I can come whenever I please afterwards." He grinned dashingly and Laurie couldn't help but laugh at his ridiculous response.
Blaise waltzed in and immediately squished himself in-between Laurie and Lily, resulting in Laurie half-sitting in Draco's lap. Laurie began to wonder if Lily and Blaise were working together to put Laurie with Draco. It seemed entirely possible, knowing their personalities. 'I musn't be so suspicious of my friends.' She reminded herself. Draco's shifting leg under her brought her back to the present situation.
"Do you find me comfortable?" Draco teased, refusing to shift farther down the table. He enjoyed the physical debacle Laurie was in.
It seemed as though her body temperature had just risen several degrees. "I can't say it's the most pleasant position I've ever been in," she countered, trying to push Blaise into Lily with her shoulder.
"But it's not the worst position you've ever been in?" Draco pointed out. "So that's a good enough position in my opinion."
Laurie, becoming annoyed by the looks she was getting from her mates, stood up and walked around to the other side of the table and sat down across from Draco. "This position suits me better."
"I enjoy it since I have a better view of you," Draco replied quickly, smiling innocently.
Laurie gave him a haughty glare. "You're annoyingly charming today, Malfoy."
Draco blinked and put on a sweetly confused look. "I'm not sure what you're talking about. I act like this every day." Laurie grunted in disbelief. "I do have a proposition for you, though." Laurie allowed herself to look mildly interested and raised her eyebrow in consent to continue. "My mum is hosting a masquerade ball this coming weekend. Would you like to be my date?"
She hastened a look at Lily who smiled knowingly. 'You knew he would ask me didn't you? Well joke is on you, because whatever plan you made is about to fail.' "Actually," she pulled Damion's letter from her pocket, "I already have a date to the party."
Draco took the letter from her hand and read it over slowly. "I see," he gave it back and let his hand brush softly against hers. "I'll just have to get you to change your mind then. I have high hopes of persuading you, Laurie." Her name sounded so sexy coming from his lips- his soft, supple lips that she could see herself kissing right at that moment, his large, skilled hands trailing down her back- a shiver ran through her body. She snapped out of her reverie as Draco stood up with a crooked grin on his face, as though he knew exactly what she was thinking, and exited the hall gracefully.
Laurie's face slammed against the dining table forcefully. 'Damn this is going to be harder than I thought.'
Laurie is totally like me when I wake up in the morning. I have these birds who always chatter in the morning and I'm like "I hate you!"
I hate the stomach flu, but not today because it helped me get time to finish this chapter.
Warning: Draco's hair is highly flammable. Do not let Weasley twins near. ~Kukaburry