Love in the Time of Death Eaters

Chapter 6: The Issue

I am utterly shocked at the events that just happened. I walk back to school and I find George waiting for me in the entrance hall.
"Hey." I try to say sweetly but I end up sounding rather annoyed.
"Hey. Why does Malfoy have your hat and why is he back before you if he was talking to you?" George asks.
"Uhhh...." I say as I'm trying to find a loophole out of this issue, "well um- we were talking,-and uh- I told him he could go back to the castle and he let me borrow his hat earlier so actually it's his hat that he had. I'm sorry I shouldn't have taken it but Draco can be scary when things don't go his way." I say.
"So he had you wear his hat so he could have his way? Why did you even take it? Does he fancy you? Is that why he gave you his hat? Do you fancy him? Am I not good enough for you? What is it Layla because you seem a little caught up in this story like you're trying to hide something."
"I'm not- he's just a friend and is it wrong to borrow a friend's hat because my ears were cold?" I say defensively.
"Let's just forget it and go to the common room, there's a big party in there for Harry." George tells me. I nod and thank him for waiting up for me. I guess he's not worried anymore about me and Draco because he grabs my hand I grab his hand back but I feel regret. Regret from hugging Draco so intensely and for falling for a rude bloke when I have George. I try to push Malfoy out of my mind but I'm fining it very difficult at the moment almost like he charmed himself permanently into my thoughts. We are almost to the common room and I can hear loud cheering and celebrating coming from that direction. We go up to the portrait of the fat lady and George tells her the password. Her face is strained trying to hear what George said. After two more tries of the password, we finally get in and I'm taken aback by the cheering. I noticed as I walked into the common room that it looked as if the Fat Lady had cotton balls in her ears trying to block out the noise. There is a full blown celebration and George scurries off with Fred to congratulate Harry. I give Harry a smile and he returns it. Fred and George lift Harry onto their shoulders and celebrate and congratulate Harry along with everyone else. After the occupants of the common room have convinced Harry to open the egg to get the clue for the next task, he does so and suddenly the common room was full of this ear splitting screech coming from the egg. Fred and George drop Harry to cover their ears as everyone else immediately does so as well. Harry shuts the egg as fast as he can and then Ron walks in. I knew this was going to be uncomfortable so I dash upstairs to my dormitory and sat on my bed thinking about what to do with the whole "liking a prat but having a different boyfriend" issue. I heard no more cheering from downstairs and awhile later Hermionie came upstairs.
"Hello- oh Layla what's wrong? You look dreadful." Hermionie inquires.
I hesitate on telling her but then I decide I should and I inform her with all the events that happened today with Draco. We talk for awhile and towards the end of our discussion, Hermionie comes to the conclusion that I need to break up with George.
"But Hermionie, I like him a whole lot and- and - you're always right about everything anyways. But what if I don't like Malfoy a lot?" I retort.
"Obviously you like him more than you like George. I know because it was just a hug and you're acting like you did something terrible like cheated on George. You obviously cared about the hug a lot even though it was just a hug." Hermionie argues back.
Shes always right I just need to listen to her.
"Fine I'll break up with him in the morning at breakfast." I tell her. She is happy that i, listening to her I can tell. I just want to go to sleep I've had a long day. I bid Hermionie goodnight and quickly drift off to sleep.
The next morning, I dread going down to breakfast because I know I told Hermionie I would so George wouldn't get hurt in case something else exciting happens between me and Draco. I find myself getting dressed and heading downstairs for breakfast, however, I'm not the slightest but hungry. I get to the great hall and sit next to George prepared to end it as Hermionie watches me. But I don't. I just peck him on the cheek as he wraps his arm around me and pick at my toast I out on my plate. I used to feel so exhilarated when George would put his arm around me but now I just feel as if it is just an arm instead of George's warm and caring touch. Hermionie looks upset with me and I ignore her stares urging me to break up with George. As George talks with Fred about Quidditch, Ginny leans over across the table and whispers in my ear,
"I think Malfoy is staring at you Layla."
I turn my head to look at the Slytherin table and see Draco eyes intently staring at me as Pansy touches his arm trying to direct his attention to her. Draco and I are transfixed in each other's eyes and then I feel a kick under the table and turn back around to look at Ginny.
"What??" I ask her. Her eyes dart to George and then back to me and I turn to look at him. He is glaring at Draco now with hatred gleaming in his eyes. I grab his shoulder and he turns to me.
"You look beautiful today." George says and he grabs my face and kisses me. This shocks me because he has never once in our relationship acted this way. I pull away and say thanks but I don't talk to him for the rest of breakfast. George was usually sweet and funny and witty now he was just acting jealous. It irritated me deeply. I got up from the breakfast table and went back to the common room feeling agitated.
A few weeks have past and I still have not ended things with George. The Yule ball was coming soon and I was avoiding George so he would not ask me. He continued to be jealous every time Draco would so much as glance at me. He was starting to become a prat. I missed the old joking George. Now he was more possessive. Hermionie is utterly upset with me for not breaking up with George. I have been avoiding everyone except Ginny. I would often vent to her and she was just so understanding. We had grown close ever since she asked me what was going on after breakfast with George kissing me suddenly and Draco staring at me. Iris was still dating Fred and they were as happy as ever. Her and Draco also made up and Hermionie Ron and Harry I had no idea what was happening in their lives at the time. I've about had it with myself sulking so I decided I was going to get rid of George today. It was about noon and I had an off period this hour as well as George. We were sitting separated in the common room so I walked over to him and asked to talk. As soon as he agreed to talk, I started talking,
"Our relationship is terrible and I'm just going to tell you the truth. I have feelings for Draco. I'm sorry but I can't help it. You have become possessive and I'm tired of it and honestly, you've been acting like a prat lately. We were better off friends, that's a cliche but it's true. I no longer want to date you and I hope we can retire as being a couple and maybe sometime in the near future go back to being friends. I no longer feel sparks when I'm with you and I'm sorry it's ending like this." I say. George looks shocked.
"Alright." Is all he says and I just pack my schoolbag and walk away. I can't believe that's all he had to say. Maybe I was being rude but I dunno. My adrenaline was running and my heart was beating very rapidly. I was walking to potions class deciding I wanted to be there early. Snape was foul to Hermionie and Ron and Harry but I had a secret liking for his class that I refused to confess to anyone not even Iris. Iris hates him and she's a Slytherin. I admit, I do not like it when Snape is rude to me and others but I find his class interesting and challenging. As I head down to the dungeons, Pansy is holding onto Draco's arm like he is under a levitating charm and he will simply float away if she did not hang on so tightly.
"Get over yourself." I mumbled mostly to myself.
"What did you say?" Pansy questioned me with a look of hatred.
"I said," I made sure to amplify my voice, " Draco acts like he likes the attention you give him but get over yourself because he doesn't like you Pansy." I hissed at Pansy.
"You bitch!" Pansy screamed at me. Luckily for me, McGonagall was right around the corner and heard Pansy.
"Ms. Parkinsons, detention this Saturday my office and five points from Slytherin."
"You can't do that you old hag!" Pansy screamed at McGonagall. I did not expect that.
"Come with me please." McGonagall told Pansy calmly. Pansy surprisingly obeyed and followed McGonagall.
"Want to walk with me now that you're free?" I ask Draco.
"Oh yeah sure. We have next class together so might as well." Draco said.
We walk down to the dungeons and wait outside Snape's classroom. There's no one else here. Probably because we are about twenty minutes early. I want to break the silence I'm just not sure how.
"You know, you're fantastic at hugging." I tell Draco. It was such a stupid thing to say, but it just kinda slipped out of my mouth.
"Are you trying to flirt with me?" Draco asks me suspiciously.
"Yes but I'm terrible at it sorry. Is it bad that I'm doing this?" I ask as my cheeks redden.
"Piss off Layla." Malfoy spats at me. All I say is,
"Alrighty then." calmly as I turn away.
"That's all?" Draco asks.
"Excuse me?" I ask
"I was only joking I just wanted to see if you'd cry or scream at me. Why didn't you?" He wonders.
"Because I know you like getting a rise out of people and honestly I'm too tired out to argue. I just broke up with George." I inform him.
"Hm, interesting. Would you like to go to the ball with me?" Draco asks smoothly.
I'm utterly shocked at this. That came out of nowhere.
"Did you only just ask me because I told you I broke up with George?" I ask Draco.
"No, if were being honest, I was going to ask you anyways. You just happened to mention that you were available."
"I never said I was available for the ball." I say just trying to argue with him.
"Bloody hell do you want to go or do you not want to go?" Draco growled
"It depends on you. If you're nice up until the night of the ball, and you prove you want to go with me then I'll go but if you're not you're out of luck." I say just now thinking of this. I really wanted to reset Draco to see how far he would really go and to see if he is a good person like Iris says he is. I'm not really gonna make him do it.
"That's not cool Layla." He says
"I know I was joking," I say as I laugh,"I'm not really gonna make you do that. Of course I'll go."
"No, I accept your challenge. I'll do it."
"Draco, you really don't have to." I try to tell him but he insists on the "challenge".
"Just wear something beautiful like you alright?" He tells me as he lifts my chin with his fingers. He liked to do this to me and it was adorable, I told him I would wear something cute and he smirked. Iris came down and waited with us. She started talking to Draco about Quidditch but I wasn't listening, I kept looking at Draco and he kept glancing at me and winking while she was talking to him. Each time I would turn redder and redder. Iris kept talking to Draco and finally after he winked at me once more, she said,
"Why is there so much flirting going on here? Draco I'm talking to you about something important."
"Later we can talk. I'm busy winking at Layla." Draco said to Iris brushing her off.
"L, did you finally break up with George?" Iris inquired.
"Yes. Draco is trying to impress me and flirt so he can win me as a date to the Yule ball." I tell her.
"It's about time you guys started to have a thing." Iris says rolling her eyes.