I'm Here When You Need Me- Chapter 3
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, or his friends, or his enemies...I don't even own his owl. I give all credit to J. K. Rowling, who has my complete respect. Without her, my life would be pretty boring.
A/N: Here is chapter 3! Thanks to all of you who have read my other stories and previous chapters of this story! You all are spectacualr! Review PLEASE!!!
As they went through the day, things between Sarah and the boys didn't improve much. However, she was getting along splendidly with Malfoy. They had sat by each other in Transfiguration, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and lunch. Harry didn't seem to like the situation at all.
"What is she playing at? Why won't she sit with us?"
"Yeah. This is ridiculous. She is spending all her time with him," Ron said.
"How quickly you two forget. This whole thing was your idea. She would probably be here with us if you hadn't suggested that plan of yours. But, if you hadn't noticed, he hasn't said one snide thing to any of us all day. And anyway, I know he is absolutely horrible to most people, but he seems to really fancy Sarah."
When Hermione was finished, both Ron and Harry seemed to think about it. It was true that Malfoy hadn't said anything mean to them, and it didn't look like he was hurting Sarah. Maybe Hermione was right and Malfoy did have a crush on her.
That night, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Sarah were sitting in the common room, finishing up their Transfiguration homework. The whole time they were working, Sarah had a distant look on her face. Harry noticed this and asked her what was wrong.
"Nothing is wrong. I'm just thinking," she said in a faint voice.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure. Thank you for your concern. I appreciate it."
"No problem," Harry said, turning slightly pink.
What Sarah hadn't said was that she was thinking about Malfoy. It was really nice to get to know him today. I think I know more about him than anyone else, she thought. He had told her about his father being gone a lot with work, about how much his mother was worried about him, and about his plans for after Hogwarts. He wanted to be Minister of Magic. Sarah had made up her mind. She had a crush on Draco Malfoy.
The week went by in a blur of ruined parchment and broken quills. There were many more assignments and essays than the fourth years had ever expected. This had made it difficult for Sarah and Malfoy to see each other out of class, but not for a lack of trying. They had dinners together, sitting in an empty place at the Hufflepuff table (neither of their own Houses wanted them sitting together). Then, during classes, they would sit together, close to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. This was so that she wouldn't have to put up with Pansy Parkinson hissing rude remarks to Sarah under her breath, and also because Harry wanted to make sure that Malfoy wasn't up to something. For all of his suspicions, Harry could only tell that Malfoy really did seem to like her. Malfoy acted like a totally different person around Sarah. He was polite, kind, and even sensitive. The whole thing made Harry sick.
On a Friday at the end of October, Sarah walked into the common room and saw that Harry, Ron, and Hermione were sitting by themselves, doing some of their school work. They didn't notice her come in, so she decided to sneak up on them when all of a sudden, Harry slammed his quill down.
"I can't take it anymore," he burst angrily.
"What can't you take?" Hermione asked, not looking up from her parchment.
"Sarah and Malfoy. They have been going out for a whole month. I just don't get it!"
"You should have asked her yourself then," Hermione replied, setting her quill on top of her newly completed essay. She continued.
"I know you like her. It was obvious from the time she sat with us on the train. You have liked her ever since that first day you met. And you haven't exactly been hiding it either. Whenever she walks into the same room as you, you can't stop looking at her. Whenever she isn't around she is the only think you will talk about."
Harry and Ron were at a loss for words. They both looked shocked. Just then, there was a noise coming from the portrait hole; a sharp intake of breath. Right after, the portrait to the common room slammed closed.
"Was someone listening to that?" Ron said getting up.
He hurried over to the portrait hole and opened it. There, walking quickly away, was Sarah. She had heard what Hermione had said, but couldn't believe it. If what she was saying was true, then Harry did have feelings for her. She couldn't take it. She had to see the one person who could make her feel better, even if she couldn't outright tell him what was going on. Draco.
It was true that Sarah and he had been officially going out for the past month, and the news angered many of the students. The Gryffindors thought that he was way beneath her and, well, he was Malfoy. The Slytherins considered her a blood traitor for hanging around Hermione and the others. The other Houses didn't feel as strongly about it, however, a Gryffindor was dating a Slytherin, so there was defiantly something wrong with it. It didn't help that many of the boys in all Houses wished they were in Malfoy's place, including Harry.
Nothing more than snogging and holding hands had gone on, but it wasn't for lack of trying on Malfoy's part. Every opportunity he had, he would try to get Sarah to go further. She never felt comfortable with it, and when she would refuse him, he would fly off the handle. This upset Sarah, making her feel like she would have to give in eventually, or risk losing him. This is what angered Harry the most. He would never treat Sarah like that. She deserved better.
Sarah had just left Malfoy at the Great Hall, so she went there first to go and find him. She only found Crabbe and Goyle there still stuffing their faces, and walked up to them.
"Have either of you seen Draco?"
Goyle swallowed before answering, "No. Thought he was with you."
"Alright. I'll see you two later," Sarah said, giving them a small wave.
'If he wasn't with them, then where is he?' Sarah asked herself. She began to walk down toward the dungeons. Maybe she would be able to catch him before he got to the Slytherin common room. She didn't even have to walk ten feet, when she heard muffled voices coming from one of the classrooms. She thought she recognized one of them, so, against her better moral judgment, she put her ear to the keyhole and listened.
"… You know I don't really like her. I'm just dating her to piss off Pot Head, Weasel-bee, and the Mudblood. She's cute and all, but you're much more beautiful," a male voice said.
"Oh, thank you Draco. I didn't think that you noticed me," said a female voice, feigning modesty.
"I noticed. I saw it the first time I met you. Ever since then, I have wanted to be with you," Malfoy said. The two then proceeded to snog.