The Mudblood

Chapter 43 : Year 3

"What was the bet?" Anderson asked between bites.

"Melody thought that Crabbe would ask me before Astoria could get a date, but she was wrong," Ashley said triumphantly as she slid the Sickles into her pocket.

My brow furrowed as I glanced in Ashley's direction. "So...you basically bet against yourself?"

She pondered my words for a moment before shrugging. "Basically."

"What about you, Mudblood? You got a date?" Melody questioned roughly.

"She's going with one of the champions," Astoria bragged haughtily.

"Diggory asked you, for real?" Harper blurted, his eyes widened in shock. "I figured that was a rumor, since he's way out of your league, ha...."

I narrowed my eyes at him, but Astoria spoke before me.

"She's not going with handsome Diggory—she's going with scarhead Potter. Fourth best option out of the champions, I know, but still better than just some average guy."

"So...better than the guy you're going with?" Melody confirmed dully.

"Wait—fourth best option? You do realize that Fleur is a girl, don't you?" I questioned.

"Don't talk about it, Lainey. I like to imagine that she's a boy because I can't bear the thought of a girl being prettier than me—"

"Well, no one tell Vaisey that the Mudblood got asked," Melody said before looking down at her book. "I don't have enough money to pay him."

"Vaisey thought I'd get asked to the Ball? That seems unlikely," I commented flatly.

"Once I told him about all of the guys you like, he didn't need much convincing. The whores always get asked," Melody replied coolly, not even bothering to glance up at me.

"That can't be true, no one's asked you yet," Anderson teased before letting out a loud howl of laughter. I smirked vaguely, but the other two girls didn't even seem to comprehend the joke.

"We should go together, Mel," Harper said smoothly.

"I'd rather eat a live snake," she droned.

"Well, that doesn't seem too unlikely for you, so I'm assuming that's a yes—"

"It's a no, you dumb shite. I'm not going to some girly-ass ball," she snapped with frustration. "We're too young anyway, so quit asking before I silence you eternally."

"We wouldn't just be going to the Ball, though; we'd be sneaking into the Ball. Badass, right? Plus, you love making fun of people—how great will it be to make fun of Lainey and Potter? And Astoria and that shag Weasley—"

"Harper," I groaned, but Melody cut me off before I could continue.

"All right. We'll sneak in. I'll never dance with the likes of you, though," Melody replied, surveying Harper with her eyes.

"Would you dance with anyone?" Astoria asked doubtfully.

"No, but especially not Harper."

"...C'mon you fat lard..."

I turned my attention down the aisle along the Slytherin table to where Malfoy was now attempting to push big old Crabbe in our direction. He was blubbering something incoherent as Malfoy spat insults at him.