Slytherin Royalty (Draco Malfoy)

xii) The Game

Finally it is the day of the quidditch match between Gryffindor and Slytherin. Everyone is excited and the players are nervous. I am trying my hardest to keep a straight face and it seems like Draco is too.

The entire Slytherin team has only two returning players and one of them is not even supposed to play. I have heard the rumours circulating around Hogwarts.

At breakfast Blaise is barely eating anything. Pansy is sitting beside him, rubbing his back. I try not to roll my eyes as I eat calmly. I don't know if I will be able to keep the food down. The only reason I am eating is to show everyone that I am not nervous at all.

Suddenly, surprising all three of us, Draco sits down beside me. "Potter." He greets me. "Malfoy." I greet bim back.

Draco turns his attention to Blaise. "You need to eat something unless you want to fall off your broom." Draco says. I roll my eyes.

"If that is your way of making me feel better, you are doing one hell of a job!" He snaps. I look over at him.

"Don't mind him. I played my first game without eating anything and I performed perfectly." I tell him. He opens his mouth to say something but I cut across him. "I was eleven."

This even makes Draco stare at me. "That makes me feel slightly better." Blaise says and takes a small amount of soup.

Draco looks at my hand. I quickly put my left hand under the table. It's shaking badly from the nerves. He leans over to take some bread and whispers, "You should visit the bathroom once."

I glare at him. He isn't wrong, I should do it. "Excuse me." I say getting up. Pansy and Blaise give me quizzical looks while Draco acts as if he's unbothered. "I forgot my gloves." They nod satisfied and sighing I get away from there.

I empty my stomach completely. I don't know why I bothered eating. I could have just made up some excuse. After I am done I walk out to find Draco at the Entrance Hall.

"Who's giving the pre-match speech?" He asks me.

"I wish I could say I don't care but I will do it." I answer. "I am heading down now. I want to be there before the others do."

Draco nods. "I am going with you as well."

I give him an exasperated glance. "Fine but don't talk to me." I warn and walk out not waiting for a response.

Draco enters the tent after I have gotten rid of my robe. We both change without a word. "Are you sure you are well?" Draco asks after we are both done.

"Why do you care?" I snap at him. I know I am being unfair but the nervousness is getting to me and he is the only one here. I take a deep breath. "Don't talk to me, I am nervous enough."

Draco shrugs. "Fine." He goes silent. Not much time passes before everyone starts filling in one by one. After everyone is changed, they sit down to listen to me. Draco quietly slips nearer to me.

"I don't like to waste my time on words but-" Somehow my voice is perfectly steady as I say this. "-I will say this. You have all performed very well in practice and if you do it today, we will win without any doubt." I don't know what else to say and Draco quickly takes over.