Regret

Chapter fifteen

"Where the hell have you been?" Ginny startles me as I leave the Transfiguration classroom after my first class. Last night I fell asleep in Draco's lap next to the Lake and I didn't have time to go to my dorm this morning.

"Sorry, I was by the Lake."

"The entire night?"

"Yes."

"Oh please don't tell me you had sex by the Black lake."

"What? Ginny, no. I fell asleep."

"You fell asleep outside?"

"He was casting heating charms on us."

"You're joking, right? Tell me you're joking."

"I'm not."

"Ugh" she groans "he doesn't get to be nice for fucks sake." I laugh at that.

"We both knew seeing each other will be much harder so we soaked up that moment of calm."

"So what did you do?"

"I went over there, broke up with him and prayed he understood what I was doing. Thankfully, he did, so he came down to the Lake a few minutes later. Just in time for him to be a shoulder to cry on, but not to see me sob uncontrollably."

She laughs at that "Impeccable timing huh."

"Yeah."

We're standing at the entrance to the Potions classroom when a deep male voice sounds from behind us "Move it Weaslette."

"Oh sod of Malfoy, I'm talking to Ellie."

"I said move it, I don't care what you're doing."

"D'you want to go right now Malfoy? I'll fight you. Merlin knows I have a shit ton of pent up anger towards you."

"I would but, you see, I don't hit women."

"Bold of you to assume you would get to take a hit."

Despite how amusing this is, it's starting to get out of hand so I step in "Knock it off, both of you. Malfoy, into the classroom. Gin, I'll see you later." She makes a hurt gesture but I can see through it and turns away.

"At least you're feisty, unlike your brother."

"IN!" I yell and he walks into the classroom. I turn around and mouth "Sorry" to Ginny. She smiles lightly and shakes her head and then goes off to her own class.

We take our seats and once I've checked that no one is looking at us, which is odd considering they've been looking at us constantly for the past two days, I turn to Draco.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"What are you on about Lupin?"

"Why were you such a prick to Ginny?"

"You don't seriously expect me to suddenly love your friends? No babe that's not how it works. Bad enough I tolerate you." He says, laughing lightly.

"Oh, you TOLERATE me? Well, what am I doing wasting my time if you're just tolerating me?"

He casts a quick glance around the classroom and takes my hand under the desk "Okay, sorry, you're right. That was mean. I like you, not tolerate you. However, I still hate them, and I have no intention on changing that now."

"Fine, but I won't tolerate any slurs."

"Okay, no mudbloods, I promise."

"Draco!"

"Right, sorry." he says and laughs a little. This guy.

"Are you going to the library later?" he asks more quietly now.