dislike ↠ draco malfoy

fourteen

Hermione and I were sitting outside in the courtyard, chatting. She was telling me all about what had happened to Katie Bell.

"She touched that necklace, and then she just flew up into the air," she explained, "like she was being possessed."

"That's horrible," I replied. "Is she going to be okay?"

She nodded. "She should be, but it was awful..."

"Who does Dumbledore think did it?" I asked.

"They don't know," she said darkly. "But honestly, Harry, Ron and I think it was Malfoy."

I raised my eyebrows. "Malfoy wouldn't do that."

She looked at me pointedly. "You don't know him, Eva."

I felt like telling her that I did know him, probably more than she did, but I kept my mouth shut.

"Why do you think that it was Malfoy, anyway?" I asked.

"Harry, Ron, and I saw him at Borgin and Burkes before school started," Hermione said. "He asked the shopkeeper to keep that necklace on hold for him."

My face fell. Draco couldn't have done something like that, could he have?

* * *

On the evening of Slughorn's Christmas Party, I put on a dark green dress that grazed my knees. It cinched at my waist, giving me an hourglass figure. I wore black shoes with a slight heel. I styled my brunette hair with a few curls. I also had on a silver bracelet and necklace.

I hadn't asked anyone to the party. I was just going to be attending it by myself. I figured that I didn't need anyone, I could be independent.

When I finished getting ready, I descended down the stairs into the Slytherin Common Room. Draco wasn't there this time. There was a group of fourth year boys huddled in a corner, deep in conversation. I walked past them quickly.

One of them whistled. "Damn." They all laughed.

I whipped my head toward him. "Mind your own business," I snapped.

Their laughter died down immediately. They probably hand been expecting me to fight back. I glared at them one last time before exiting the Common Room.

I made my way toward Slughorn's office, which was where the party would be taking place. When I stepped inside, I gasped. The ceiling and walls had been draped with emerald, crimson, and gold hangings. It was bathed in flowing red light from lanterns on the ceiling. There was loud singing and instruments playing.

"Welcome, Miss Hastings, welcome," Slughorn greeted.

I flashed him a smile. "Hello, Professor."

"You didn't bring anyone?" he asked.

I shook my head. "I just decided to come by myself, is that okay?"

"That's quite alright," he replied. "Have a good time."

As I walked past him, I could hear him greeting other members as they entered. In the corner, I spotted a very disheveled looking Hermione. I made my way over to her.

"Hey, Hermione," I said. "Are you alright?"

"What happened, Hermione?" I heard a voice say.

I turned around. Harry Potter and Luna Lovegood had just arrived.

"Oh, I've just escaped— I mean, I've just left Cormac," Hermione said. "Under the mistletoe," she added.

My eyes widened. "Why'd you even ask him?"

"I thought he'd annoy Ron the most," she said. "I debated for a while about Zacharias Smith, but I thought, on the whole—"

"You considered Smith?" Harry asked, looking revolted.

"Yes, I did, and I'm starting to wish I'd chosen him, McLaggen makes Grawp look like a gentlemen. Let's go this way, we'll be able to see him coming, he's so tall..."

I didn't have a chance to ask who Grawp was before we had made our way over to the other side of the room. We got glasses of mead on our way over. Professor Trelawney, the Divination teacher, was standing there, looking rather tipsy with a glass of alcohol in her hand.

"Hello," Luna said politely in her dreamy voice.

"Good evening, my dear," Professor Trelawney said. "I haven't seen you in my classes lately..."

"No, I've got Firenze this year," Luna said.

Professor Trelawney began to rant about Firenze, and Harry leaned in closer to Hermione. "Let's get something straight. Are you planning to tell Ron that you interfered at Keeper tryouts?"

"Interfered?" I asked. They both looked at me. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be nosy."

"Hermione Confunded Cormac at tryouts," Harry told me. "So he wouldn't get the spot."

"Brilliant, Hermione!" I said with a smile. She gave me a small one back.

"It's not brilliant!" said Harry. "It's cheating!"

"It serves McLaggen right, that great git," I said.

Harry ignored me and turned toward Hermione. "So, are you going to tell Ron?"

Hermione raised her eyebrows. "Do you really think I'd stoop that low?"

"Hermione, if you can ask out McLaggen—"

"There's a difference," said Hermione indignantly. "I've got no plans to tell Ron anything about what might, or might not, have happened at Keeper tryouts."

"Good," Harry said, "because he'll just fall apart again and we'll lose the match—"

"Quidditch!" Hermione exclaimed angrily. "Is that all boys care about? Cormac hasn't asked me one single question about myself, no, I've just been treated to 'A Hundred Great Saves Made by Cormac McLaggen' nonstop ever since— oh no, here he comes!"

She quickly disappeared from sight.

"Seen Hermione?" Cormac asked.

"No," me and Harry both said together.

"Oh," said Cormac. "Well, tell her I'm looking for her, alright?"

Harry and I nodded.

Cormac looked me up and down. "You look... nice."

"Thanks," I stammered as I watched him walk away.

"Git," Harry muttered.

I giggled softly. "Well, I'm going to go powder my nose, alright?"

He nodded. "See you later."

I left Slughorn's office. I honestly just needed a second to breathe. I had never been a very big fan of parties, they were just so overwhelming. Too many things were happening at once.

I wandered down the dark corridor, until I collided with someone. We bumped our foreheads together. I stepped back and rubbed my head. "Ouch..."

"Watch where you're going," the voice drawled.

I looked up and I was looking right into the grey eyes of Draco Malfoy.