𝑆𝐴𝑉𝐼𝑁𝐺 𝐷𝑅𝐴𝐶𝑂 𝑀𝐴𝐿𝐹𝑂𝑌

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟑𝟑 - 𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞 𝐯𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

We were all wrong. My magic never showed much because my emotions were always in check. In the rare chances that I was unstable, however, a single touch to a glass of water could break it.

Mum only gave me paper cups throughout the last summer.

"Hello, Ophelia..." Hermione sat beside me. She was quickly adding food to her plate and grabbing hasty bites. It was another stressful day for Hermione, for she always ate slowly. "Ugh... I was hoping to get started with my Christmas break studying plan but we have this stupid party to go to..."

"Uh-huh... Yes," I said. Maybe she could help. "Who are you going with?"

"Ugh... Please don't judge me..." she said and curled her eyebrows in embarrassment. "Cormac..."

"Mione..." I shook my head and rolled my eyes. "These games you play with Ron are not going to get you anywhere."

I said this only so I could hear it myself.

"Well, I was in distress."

Then again, this little incident could be used as somewhat of a common ground. Hermione and I were not in exactly the same situation but we were both lead to questionable actions, all in the name of boys. Maybe... just maybe...

Who was I kidding? Making your best friend jealous was not the same as sleeping with him but then pretending you're still friends, never confronting the issue.

"Where are the boys?"

"Where would you think? Harry is off somewhere following Malfoy and I'd expect Ron to be snogging his girlfriend in some random hallway..." she said, her voice drenched in disdain.

"Did you say Harry is following Malfoy again? Is that still going on?"

"Well, he was briefly distracted for some time – that damned Potion book did us some favours after all – but I think after the Katie Bell incident he has become somewhat obsessed again. Apparently, Malfoy is still sneaking into the Room of Requirements now and then."

This is just where he gets his liquor and cigs, I wanted to say, but bit my tongue at the last moment.

"He still thinks he is a Death Eater," added Hermione.

"That is such bullshit," I said. I realized that at the moment, I completely and utterly believed that. If I had made any false assumptions about Draco at the beginning of the year, they had now disappeared along with my doubts.

"I didn't believe it either, at first," said Hermione indifferently.

If I were smarter, I would have stopped there.

"And do you now?"

Hermione kept biting, slowly now, to give herself some time to think about it.

"Does it really seem that impossible? For him to be a Death Eater?" she concluded.

After that, there wasn't much to say.

What would I say to a girl that has been bullied by Draco for five years straight? Would I tell her that he is more than he seems, that he didn't know better, that he is changing, that he is sweet, he is shy, he is brutal, he is Dray?

"Anyway, who are you going with tonight?"

"I'm going alone," I said.

"It's not too late to ask someone... Everyone wants to go."

I looked towards the Slytherin table. Draco was quietly eating but not eating. He had leaned over his book and didn't speak much. I didn't recognize the book. I was getting a feeling that he has already started selecting books for himself now. But it did seem muggle from afar.