Casualty Of Love {Harry Potter FF}

Just The Usual Malfoyness.

"How'd you even know I would?"

"I knew you'd wait up for Potter and that he would tell you I was out here."

"Uh huh. What did you say to him anyway?"

"...Nothing," he said, a guilty expression swimming across his features.

"I don't want you being mean to my friends! Especially right now. Harry's going through a lot," I said, searching his grey eyes for any sign of remorse.

"Okay, I won't," he said, looking at my lips. He began to lean in but I pulled back, looking at him incredulously.

"I'm serious Malfoy! I can't be with someone who's horrible to my friends!" 

"I promise. I won't." The declaration seemed sincere, so I finally let him kiss me. 

The next morning at breakfast, the tension in the air was tangible. Apparently, Harry and Ron were no longer on speaking terms. The whole thing felt a little juvenile to me but there was no way I was getting in the middle of it. But since Hermione seemed to be hanging with Ron more often, I felt obligated to spend my time with Harry.

Because of this, Harry and I were sitting outside doing homework when Draco happened to walk past. I smiled at him while Harry was concentrating on his work, but Draco immediately eyed the proximity in which we were sitting. Rolling my eyes, I casted off the look as nothing more than petty jealousy.

But that night when Draco and I met as usual, he wasn't acting like himself--at least not the person he was around me.

"Are you mad at me?" I said, guilt laced in my voice. He looked at me for a moment, before returning his gaze to the floor.

"Is this about me sitting with Harry?" When he nodded, I sighed exasperatedly

"Why would you be mad because of that? He doesn't have anyone else right now! Besides, he's my friend! That's it!" I said, cupping his chin between my thumb and index finger, looking straight into his gray eyes.

"I just don't like seeing you with anyone else. It makes me feel guilty because it's not me. And you know how bad I want it to be...," he said.

My heart fell. I could have probably cried in that moment but instead, I said, "And you know how much I wish it was you... But you can't be jealous over my guy friends. I don't get mad at you for sitting next to Pansy at meals, even though it does make me jealous." I grabbed his hands. "But I don't want to be with anyone but you."

"I don't even like Pansy. Never have. And I don't want to be with anyone else either, so let's just pretend this never happened." 

"Or how about a lesson learned?" I said smiling, knowing the argument was over with.

"Okay, a lesson sounds good. Now let's go back. You need sleep." He said leading me back to my common room by the hand. 

-------- 

Only a few days remained until the first task was to take place. I was going back to the common room after meeting Draco, as usual, when I heard Harry talking to someone by the fireplace. I froze, holding my breath.

It was a man talking to him about the tournament. It sounded like a warning. Someone else was coming down the stairs. I ducked lower so I wouldn't be in their level of sight. There was a slight confrentation that I managed to miss completely because I was concentrating on breathing quietly.

But soon, Harry was stalking up the stairs while Ron stood by the fireplace. I took this opportunity to 'come in' through the portrait.

"Where have you been?" Ron asked suspiciously.

"Just taking a walk. I couldn't sleep." I said sheepishly.

"That's odd, never heard of anyone doing that."

"Oh, well, I do it all the time." I said. "Goodnight."

"Yeah, goodnight," Ron said absentmindedly, sitting in front of the fire. I assumed he was going to stay in there.

I took the stairs two at a time and quickly climbed into my bed and took off my shoes, closed my curtains and changed. Suddenly, there was a shadow outside of my curtains.

"Allie?" said Hermione. I opened my curtains up and looked at her.

"Yeah?"

"Why have you been getting in so late every night?" Again with the questioning. I was going to have to come up with a better story.

"Taking a walk every night helps me sleep. Insomnia." I said with a shrug. I was beginning to feel very guilty.

"Oh, I was just worried." Guilt hit me with an even sharper pang.

"Oh well, I'm fine. Just a little sleeping problem." I smiled. "Goodnight Hermione."

"Goodnight," she said, walking to her own bed. I fell asleep soundly, knowing that I had a friend who worried about me when I was out.

The next morning, as I was walking to Care of Magical Creatures with Harry alongside me, we passed Draco and his friends. I quickly caught sight of the buttons they were wearing on their shirts. They flashed with the words: Potter Stinks. Anger swelled up inside me, boiling over until words came out like spilling water.

"What the hell are those?" I said abruptly, surprising everyone, especially Draco.

"Allie, it's fine," said Harry, putting his hand on my shoulder to halt me in my tracks. 

"No, it's not actually. Why would anybody wear those? It's pathetic! Look, Harry didn't ask for this. I hardly think that he deserves this ridicule." Draco looked at me with wide eyes which I met with malice.

"This is the precise reason none of you have girlfriends." I said. His mouth fell open. "C'mon Harry." I said, grabbing his hand and stalking off.

"Thanks but you really didn't have to do that," Harry said.

"Yes, I did," I said quietly. My teeth grinded together at the back while I glared at Draco through the entire class. He didn't look at me, or anyone else, throughout the class. That was the last time I would let him get away with being a jerk.