The Buddy System. *Updating In Process*

25. Avoidance, Austen, and a Very Determined Malfoy

Theo guided me inside with a gentle shove. "Come on. Let's get breakfast. You'll need strength for... whatever emotional hurricane you two are destined to cause today."

I slumped dramatically. "I hate everything."

"You love me."

"Unfortunately."

And with that, we stepped into the Great Hall—
Me bracing for disaster,
And Theo absolutely living for it.

By the time Theo and I stepped into the Great Hall, the morning noise enveloped us like a warm blanket. Students laughed, clattered cutlery, argued over owls and homework and whose cat had shed on whose robe.

Normal.

Blessedly normal.

We had barely taken two steps inside when Pansy practically vaulted over the Slytherin bench toward us.

"There you are!" she whispered loudly—so loudly that three Hufflepuffs turned to look.
She grabbed my sleeve. "Raelyn Diggory, do you have any idea the state Draco is in this morning?"

I blinked. "Uh... alive?"

Blaise snorted into his pumpkin juice. "Barely."

Pansy threw her hands in the air. "He has been looking for you since SEVEN A.M."

Theo whistled low under his breath. "Persistent."

"Persistent?" Pansy scoffed. "He's feral. He looked polished at seven, messy at seven-thirty, and by eight he looked like he lost a duel with a windstorm."

Blaise leaned in, elbows on the table. "Honestly he's deteriorating by the minute. Kind of impressive, really."

I slid into a seat, grabbing toast mostly to have something to hold. "Well... good luck to him."

Pansy stared at me like I'd grown another head. "You're eating?! At a time like this?!"

And apparently I was eating fast, because Blaise lifted an eyebrow.

"Careful, sweetheart," he said, "my anti-choking spell is rusty."

I flicked a crumb at him.

Harry Potter looked up from the Gryffindor table where he'd clearly overheard and strolled over with Ginny behind him.

"Morning, Rae," he said. "Er—Malfoy's been asking everywhere if anyone's seen you. Even me."

Ginny nodded. "Twice. He's... frantic."

My stomach twisted uncomfortably.

Pansy beamed like she'd been waiting for her cue. "Well of course he is. Draco has finally realised he's crazy about Raelyn, and she—thank Merlin—is finally making him work for it. I've never been prouder."

Ginny turned to me, head tilted.
"If you like him, why are you running from him?"

I bit my lip. "Because he literally just broke up with his girlfriend. Jumping him the first chance I get? Extremely disrespectful. To him and to Sophie."

Across the table, Theo—nowhere near us, mind you—shouted across half the Hall:

"I KNEW IT!"

The entire Slytherin table groaned.

Harry chuckled. "If you both like each other, don't waste time. Trust me—I wasted loads when it came to Ginny, and I regret every second."

Ginny smirked and kissed his cheek. "Correct answer."