We Sorta Kinda Just Happened (A Drarry Story)

Chapter 4

Harry took the time to glance at Malfoy.

No, he was not going to call him Draco just because Hermione is.

He was rather viciously slicing a piece of chicken, and now he was playing with it.

Harry put another spoonful of potatoes into his mouth.

Were he and Ron the only ones eating today?

Suddenly, Dra-Malfoy! His name is Malfoy!-stood up with a green apple in his hand and left the Great Hall.

Harry watched his back leave.

Did he know I was looking?

Harry dismissed the possibility.

Nah, he probably just heard me chewing and couldn't take my "pig-like" manners.

=•=•=

Draco munched on his apple as he walked around Hogwarts. He poked around stairwells until he found a quiet alcove to eat his apple in peace.

When he finished, he amused himself by making the apple bob in the air, enlarging and shrinking as it went.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you not to play with your food?" A familiar and very unwelcome voice asked.

"What do you want, Smith?"

Zacharias Smith was one of the Hufflepuffs that had returned for eighth year.  He was the reason behind many of the spats Draco had had so far. For a Hufflepuff, he was a mean-spirited person.

"Nothing, just wondering why they let Death Eater scum like you back into Hogwarts."

Draco rolled his eyes.

"Better Death Eater scum than a Hufflepuff pansy."

Smith crossed his arms and stalked right up to where Draco was sitting. He purposely did so to make Draco feel small, but Draco had no inclination to stand up.He kept his cocky look on his face to let Smith know he was still beneath him.

"You know, you're pretty arrogant..." Smith said,drawing it out "for someone who could be thrown into Azkaban at anytime."

Draco increased the smirk on his face.

"That's where you're wrong, Smith. I'll have you know that I am a free wizard."

"Free wizard now..." Smith drawled. "But when you step one toe out of line? And the ministry finds out? Hello Azkaban!"

Smith was right on that point. Draco was under heavy suspicion from the ministry. He may have not been persecuted, but that didn't stop them from watching his every move. It was no small feat to convince them to let him come back to Hogwarts.

"Stumped you there, didn't I, Malfoy?" Crowed Smith. "But no matter, I just want to say...Watch your back."

With those ominous parting words, Smith left Draco in his alcove.

=•=•=

Hermione was excitedly gabbering away to Ron and Harry as they left the Great Hall.

"And you already know we share a table, and now you can see our common room, and everyone has their own room in the wing, I wonder if there are any extra for you two, and, Oh! We have all our lessons together because we have too many to join the seventh years and too few to split up..."

Harry was trying hard to follow what Hermione was saying, when he saw Ginny waiting by a suit of armor.

"Hey, you two go ahead, I need to talk to someone, okay?"

Hermione nodded as she was talking, and Ron shot him a grateful glance, thinking Harry had left so he can spend time with his girlfriend.

He gave him a smile back and walked over to Ginny.

Internally, he was grimacing.

This was not a talk he was looking forward to with her.

"Hi Harry!" She chirped when he got nearer. "I waited right here, just like you said! What do you want to talk about?"

Harry tried to keep the smile on his face,but eventually let it slide.

"Well, um, you see, Ginny, you know that I was an Auror for a bit, right?"

"Uh huh."

Her face grew confused.

Harry looked away.

"And I thought about, well, I think that I like being single."

Ginny was quiet. Harry went on.

"And I think, that now, now I don't want to get back togethe-at this moment in time!"

No! He moaned internally. That's not what you want to say! You were supposed to say you don't want her back, that you should see other people, the fact that you're over her!

Ginny's face had already brightened considerably.

"Oh, okay Harry! Whenever you're ready, then!"

She walked away before he could amend his mistake.

He ran his hands through his already messy hair.

This is what happens when you try and soften the blow. The blow doesn't happen.