My Father's Only Rule

Chapter Fourteen: The Backfire

 December 1994 - Hogwarts

I hadn't authentically smiled around Cedric in a week. I couldn't stop thinking about Draco, but I hadn't seen him because he started distancing himself from the group. But as Cedric was walking me to Charms class, I realized something. I couldn't let it go on any longer.

Even if it wasn't allowed. I still wanted him. And as long as I was with Cedric, I'd only long for Draco. And that wasn't fair to Cedric. I can't explain why it hit me in that moment, but it just had to be done. We were walking to class, getting the usual amount of attention. Then I stopped right in the middle of the hall.

"This isn't going to work," I said. Naturally, this caught Cedric by surprise.

"What?" he said.

"I mean us," I said. I was practically spitting words out. "It's not going to work. We should break up." He stared at me.

"Are you joking?" he asked.

"No," I said. I looked up at him in full seriousness. He looked heartbroken. "You can tell everybody it was you that broke up with me if you want. Or you can tell them my dad gave you a hard time. I don't care. But we have to break up." He looked at me, speechless. Before saying anything else, I raced off to charms.

"Grace, wait!" he hollered. But I was gone. At first, I was sad. He was my first boyfriend. And he was great. But I was the problem. I liked someone else. I loved someone else. And I knew he loved me. And I was willing to keep it a secret from the world. But Draco wasn't in charms that day. And he wasn't in any class.

I was laying in bed that night. I had been crying a little. Just because I had broken up with Cedric for someone else didn't mean that I wasn't a little sad about losing him. Jane busted into the room with a smile.

"Now that we both have dates to the ball, I think it's time for a shopping trip," she announced.

"You have a date?" I asked. "Who?"

"Blaise asked me," she said, smiling her mouth off. "Just now. In the common room. It was amazing." Of course. I think we all saw that one coming.

"Oh, that's great. I'm happy for you." But I didn't sound happy. She walked over slowly and sat on the edge of my bed.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Cedric and I broke up," I said.

"He broke up with you?" she yelled. "A week before the ball? That's so rude."

"No," I said. "I broke up with him."

"Oh," she said. We let the silence sit as it sank in that I was the rude one. "You wanna talk about it?"

"Not really," I said.

"That's ok," she said back. "Well, we'll find you a date. A week isn't too short notice. Before you started dating Cedric, every guy wanted you. I'm positive someone will ask you. Is there anybody you want to go with?"

Draco. Nobody but Draco.

"I don't know. Maybe Draco," I said. "As friends, of course," I added. Jane gasped.

"Oh," she said sadly.

"What?"

"You didn't know? He asked Pansy already." My heart dropped and shattered into a million pieces.

"He did?"

"Yeah," she said. "That's why he's been ditching us. He's been hanging out with her."

"I thought he found her annoying," I said.

"He does," she insisted. "But when you started hanging around Cedric more, well that's when Blaise and I started to like each other. I guess he got tired of third wheeling." I wanted to cry. I didn't have Draco, and I didn't have Cedric. I didn't even have Jane. I didn't have anyone. And it was all my own fault.

"Snape!" we heard a voice say. My head snapped to see Pansy in the door frame. I scowled. "Your father wants you downstairs." I clenched my jaw as I got up. As I walked out the door, I stopped right in front of her and glared at her until I saw fear form in her eyes. Then I walked out to see my dad waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs.

"What?" I asked.

"It has been recently brought to my attention that I have very important things to attend to over the holidays," he said, not even looking at me. "Therefore I won't be going home." I scoffed.

"You too?" he looked at me, confused. "You're just abandoning our first Christmas together? What am I gonna do? Stay at school?"

"I was thinking perhaps you'd like to spend the break with Mr. Diggory. I know you and him are getting...close," he said.

"We were," I said. "We broke up. Not that you care."

"Oh," he said. "Well in that case, perhaps you'd like to spend the holidays with Miss Baldwin then. Or any other friends you may have would be fine with me." I couldn't believe this. My own father was abandoning me on our first Christmas together. And on top of that, he didn't care where I was going to spend it.

"You know what dad?" I said. "I'll let you know when I figure something out." I turned to walk away angrily and stormed into the boys dorms. Draco was alone on his bed. He looked surprised to see me. I picked up a random pillow off of one of the beds and threw it at his face as hard as I could.

"Ow!"

"You asked Pansy Parkinson to the yule ball?" I screamed.

"Why do you care?" he said back. "You weren't going to go with me."

"You didn't bother to ask?" I asked.

"No, Grace," he said. "Forgive me if I didn't bother to ask Cedric Diggory's girlfriend to the ball. What's your problem, anyways? You've made it very clear that there's nothing going on here."

"What's going on between you and Pansy?" I demanded.

"Why do you care?"

"What is going on between you and Pansy!?" I repeated, on the verge of angry tears. "Is there a reason why you abandoned the group to hang out with her?"

"Oh it's no different then when you abandoned us to go hang out with Cedric." I choked. It's no different. Did that mean Draco and Pansy were together?

"You're not allowed in here," Blaise said as he walked in the door.

"Oh piss off, Blaise," I snapped.

"Geez, Grace. I was only joking," he said. He turned to Draco. "What did you do to make her so angry, Draco?" he asked.

"Why is it always my fault?" Draco said. "Maybe she's just in a mood."

"I'm right here! Can you not talk about me as though I'm not even in the room?" I said.

"Well if you leave then you won't hear," Draco snapped. The silence filled the room as I looked at him, heartbroken.

"That was kind of harsh, Draco," Blaise said.

"It's fine," I said. I walked out of the room and walked over to the girls dorm. Now Draco hated me.

"What were you doing in the boys dorm, Snape?" Pansy asked me as I got out. I saw Jane standing outside the door to the girls dorm waiting for me.

"Hey Pansy," I said. I was inches away from her face. "How's your brother doing in Azkaban?"

"How did you know that?" she said quickly.

"I know everything," I said threateningly. "Remember that." She raised her hand wand at me. But without even flinching, I raised my fist. "Do something. I. Dare. You." I whispered. She didn't budge for a second, but she finally walked away after I stared daggers into her eyes long enough. Jane was about to die of laughter.

"Damn," she said. "She had that coming. I wouldn't hesitate next time. And nobody would be mad at you if you actually did something to her."

"I can't deal with her tonight," I said. "Grab your stuff. We're sleeping in my room."