And if we dream - Draco Malfoy/ OC
Chapter 19- Cheating and Hermione's pain.
Summary: Like some magnetic force, like some unbreakable bond she was drawn back to him again and again. And now, staying away was an inconceivable notion. "Always." she murmured, one hand finding his, the other tangling into his platinum hair, "Always."
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THIS CHAPTER IS also dedicated to Saskia.. Aka- thislookslikeajobforme. INFACT! Have the whole fic! You're brilliant! Aha!
Please remember readers, that I m rewriting this to my own liking so you may not recognise a lot of the speech etc as I am changing everything.
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Avery knew immediately, the moment that Ron entered the great hall in his brand new Quidditch uniform, because silence crashed upon the room.
It was not uncommon for new players to be gawped at of course, but extremely clumsy Ron Weasley, taking the place of keeper for what was considered the match of the year, as were all matches between Gryffindor and Slytherin, was something to behold.
Avery would admit, that she herself had had her doubts when Ron had first said he wanted to try out for the team, and the fact that Hermione had helped him along with his tryout didn't exactly fill her with a bucket load of confidence, she wouldn't tell Ron however, from the terrified look in his eyes to the grimace of his mouth as he sat beside them, he needed all the encouragement he could get.
"Are you okay Ron?" Hermione asked, obviously sharing Avery's concern.
The ginger swallowed audibly and nodded, "Yes… no… I cant do this Harry."
"Yes you can Ron," Harry said, smiling encouragingly at the same time another student, Slytherin probably, pointed openly towards Rons helmet and laughing loudly.
"I cant, I'm going to mess everything up!"
"No you… Oh will you shut up!" Avery shouted towards a group of Slytherin girls who were still giggling behind Ron, "You'll do great Ron, Harry wouldn't have let you on the team if you weren't good enough."
"Exactly, friend or not Ron, if you were rubbish I would have said no." Harry reaffirmed.
"Ron?" a high pitched voice said from behind him, Avery and the others glanced up quickly to see Lavender Brown, bouncing on the spot and grinning almost manically.
"Yeah?" Ron asked, rather rudely, Avery thought.
"I just wanted to wish you luck. I know you'll be brilliant." She said before she swanned off, glancing back regularly as she sat down with her friends.
"I cant do this Harry," Ron cried, "Give the place on the team to McCormack after this match. He'll do better."
"Fine." Harry sighed, "At least have some juice."
Ron took the offered goblet and moved to drink it, interrupted however, when Luna's dreamy voice sounded. Avery wasn't sure how she hadn't noticed the girl until now, her hat, a huge lion head was simply impossible to ignore.
"Hello everyone," she said, "Ron you look awful, is that why you put something in his drink Harry?"
Hermione's head shot up from her breakfast, scowl firmly in place, Avery frowned as Luna asked, "Is it a tonic?"
"Liquid luck?" Hermione asked, just as Avery caught a flash of the familiar tear shaped glass vial as Harry returned it to his robe pocket.
"Don't drink it Ron!"
Avery had possibly expected betrayal, sadness, anger to pass across Rons face, not determination, however, before she could even blink the goblet was empty and Ron was smiling.
Avery laughed as Ron said, "Come on Harry, We've got a game to win."
"It's not funny Avery. It's cheating." Hermione said harshly as Ron practically skipped away.
"If we win, what does it matter?" Avery asked, following after her friend, wrapping her scarf around her neck as she did.
"You know," Malfoys voice sounded, beside her, a waft of familiar vanilla invading her nostrils, "I've always thought it rather mean that the sorting hat continuously places gingers in the house with the colours that will clash most with their hair."
"I'm hardly a ginger Malfoy, its red." she paused, "Should you be talking to me? In public?"
"Technically, I'm insulting you."
"Technically you're annoying me." Avery shot back.
A small chuckle met her ears and Avery found herself smiling slightly, "Why aren't you in your Quidditch robes?" she asked the blonde.
"Didn't you hear?" Malfoy asked, as they pushed through the doors into the cold school hallway, straightening his black blazer, "I quit the team."
"Fed up with losing to Harry?" Avery asked.
"More important things to do." Malfoy replied.
"Oh?" Avery laughed, "What could you possibly have to do that is more important that losing a Quidditch game and making Gryffindor look good?"
She received no reply from Malfoy as they walked together through the empty hall way, most students either already at the pitch in anticipation for the big game or still eating.
"So, how many people have laughed at you for the Herbology incident?" Avery asked, "Even McGonnagal smiled about it."
"It's not funny." Came the petulant reply a few steps behind her, she stopped as she had realised that she had walked ahead.
"You're not coming? To the match?" Avery asked. Icy eyes met hers.
"With you?"
She shook her head, "In general."
"Like I said, Red, I have more important things to do." The blonde said, as he moved to turn back the other way.
Avery snorted, "Of course."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You just don't want to watch your house lose again." Avery shot, stepping out onto the snow to move towards the Quidditch grounds.
She found herself held in place however by a strong hand wrapped around her wrist.
"You don't know anything." Malfoy growled against her ear. Avery felt herself shiver as the hand left her wrist and Malfoy moved away. She glanced towards him and found herself wondering, really looking at him and realising, she didn't know this boy, not really, not as anything other than a big pain in her arse. But looking at him now, she saw something else, something more human if you will. Something in his eyes, a type of dread maybe? Fear? She truly didn't know nor did she understand what it was that pushed her to say, "Then tell me." What the hell was she doing?
Apparently Malfoy was as shocked by the statement as she herself was, his eyes widened slightly, and he said, "Can't."
Avery frowned as the Slytherin stalked away. "Get a grip, Avery." She growled, moving towards her own destination, hand unconsciously seeking out the place on her wrist where Malfoys skin had touched her own, the smell of vanilla still lingering, her curiosity irrevocably piqued.
-….-
Ron excelled, Avery knew he would, Liquid luck certainly made sure of it.
She had no problem with what Hermione perceived as cheating, the house deserved a bit of a pick me up, what with everything going on as it was, they needed something to cheer about, Ron especially, he had so little self confidence as it was, always needlessly comparing himself to Harry.
It was a good thing. The Gryffindor students cheered loudly, numerous voices ringing through the trough the halls and echoing off of stone walls excitedly. Dean Thomas seemingly the loudest of all. "You were brilliant Ron!" "Ron! Ron!" They chanted to the brightly bushing boy who was grinning almost manically.
Avery trailed behind the horde with Hermione and Ginny, the latter of which was complaining about how horrid her own uniform felt.
"Why didn't you change then?" Avery asked.
"And miss this celebration? Not a chance, Ill do some spells in my room that will sort it!"
"You're incorrigible." Hermione laughed.
"What Hermione meant to say is that you were brilliant!" Avery amended.
"I'm always brilliant" Ginny replied and it was as Avery was rolling her eyes, brain formulating an appropriate response that she noticed a flash of white blonde hair, moving quickly through the crowd, unseen by everyone except herself it seemed.
She narrowed her eyes nodding numbly to whatever it was Hermione was saying, mind immediately consumed by her vision of the blonde, skulking away from the crowd, eyes shifting side to side. She remembered how strange he had acted before the game, also that he hadn't gone to said game. So what was he doing?
"What is he up to?" she murmured.
"Sorry?" Ginny asked.
"Nothing." Avery started, "I have to.." she watched Draco disappear around a corner, "Bathroom." She didn't wait for her friends to respond, only began to push through the crowd, moving against the current. It was possible Hermione said something, she couldn't be sure though.
Once free of the crowd she sprinted forward, Malfoy walked steadily ahead of her and she found herself calling his name before she had even thought about her approach or even about why she was following him in the first place.
The Slytherin stopped abruptly, tensed, then seemingly relaxed, "You following me now Greenwood?"
"No. Yes." She laughed, "What are you doing?"
"Why do you care?" he asked, shifting from one side to another.
"I don't, I just saw you walking and.."
"Gave into your Gryffindor curiosity?" Draco spat, defensive.
"I guess so, you looked so suspicious." Avery joked.
"I'm not suspicious, Greenwood." Malfoy growled, angrily.
"What is your problem? I was joking." Avery replied, taking in how tense the blond stood, how his eyes kept darting around the room, "What are you doing?"
"Nothing Greenwood. Stay out of my business." Avery frowned, she was used to Malfoys attitude but she had found herself thinking that maybe they had been getting along better recently, that maybe… she shook her head and concentrated instead on what was around her, this hall, she knew from experience, led mostly towards classrooms and the room of requirement. She studied Malfoy intently, what was he hiding?
"What?" Malfoy asked, face reddening with anger.
"I was just checking, to see what you were doing." Avery attempted to explain.
"Because I'm so suspicious?"
Avery wanted to say no, though she obviously meant yes. That was why she had followed him after all. She wanted the easy camaraderie from this morning, but instead she kept quiet.
"You know how much I hate that?" Malfoy shouted, Avery started, through all the insults and fights Malfoy had never shouted before, "That silence instead of a reply? You're just as bad a your mother!"
Avery jumped, felt as if she had been smacked in the face, hurt.
"I'm nothing like my mother." she said, angered.
"You'd be surprised." Malfoy replied.
Averys wand felt as if it were burning in her robe pocket, se wanted nothing more than to pull it free and hex Malfoy into next week, instead she spun on her heel and walked, steadily as possible lest Malfoy see how offended she was, in the direction her friends had headed.
The Grffindor common room heaved with activity. Her friends and fellow housemates cheered still and Ron basked in the glow of being their hero.
Avery couldn't help the smile as she stepped through the portrait hole, feeling the heavy weight leaving her shoulders. She found she could ignore the dark feeling that had over taken her since the comparison to her death eater mother in the soft glow of the common room, in the loud celebrations of her housemates.
She noticed, through the mass of bodies, Harry and Hermione stood slightly off to the side, Hermione's arms crossed over her chest, speaking animatedly.
She sidled up to them , "…Cheating Harry."
"You still going on about that Hermione?" Avery interrupted, guessing at the subject matter. She earned a withering glare for her efforts and Harry replied, "So it wasn't cheating when you confunded McCormacks broom?"
"That was different Harry! That was just try outs!" Hermione defended herself, "This was a proper match, it was dishonest!"
"Was it?" Harry asked, smirking as he reached into his robe pocket and pulled forth what Avery immediately recognised as the vial of liquid luck.
"You didn't put it in!" Hermione cried astonished, "Ron just thought you did."
"Yup." Harry grinned towards his ginger friend who was once again being lifted by the crowd. "Ron got onto the team on his own merits, he just needed to believe he would do well."
"Brilliant!" Avery grinned.
"Yeah.." Hermione said quietly, stepping forwards. She stopped short however when Lavender Brown pushed through the crowd, grabbed Ron and "Oh no," Avery grimaced, kissed him.
She noticed Hermione's shoulders slump, then straighten out and watched her mousy head move through the crowd and out of the common room.
"Bloody hell. Should've seen that coming." Harry sighed also watching Hermione retreat.
"I did see that coming." Avery groaned, "We should go and find her."
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Thanks for reading! More up soon!
