Because I Love You (D.M)

Chapter 24: The Carrows? More Like (s)Car(ec)rows!

"I've got a free period!" I said happily.

"Me as well, what period?" Ernie asked inquisitively.

"First, you?"

"Fourth," he replied glumly.

Hannah grabbed my schedule and compared our classes.

"We have Charms and Potions together!" Hannah beamed at me over our schedules.

"Great! Now let's see yours, Ernest," I said trying to tug it from his grasp. "Looks like we have Defense Against The Dark Arts and the Double Herbology Block!" I said smugly.

"I forgot I had to take that this year," he said with a chuckle.

"You've got Astronomy with Hannah, too," I pointed out and he perked up a little more.

I caught sight of Johnny, Gwen, and a few other second years comparing classes and I smiled. Johnny had already made himself a makeshift family here at Hogwarts.

As I was starting to indulge in my toast, a flash of white-blonde hair attracted my gaze towards the Slytherin table. Draco was just sitting down and Pansy Parkinson was clutching at his arm earnestly and saying something. He roughly pulled his arm from her tight grasp and I absentmindedly touched my wrist remembering Pansy's death grip.

"Earth to Queen!" Ernie's hand waved itself in front of my eyes and I blinked looking back at him.

"What?" I asked.

"You were staring at someone," he responded with a wink.

I felt a blush creep up my cheeks and I stared down at my half-eaten toast.

"Don't know what you're talking about," I said grabbing the toast and taking another bite.

"You may want to make your crush a teensy bit less obvious, Davis," Ernie said.

"Trust me, he already knows," I replied as I finished my toast.

"He what?" Ernie almost spat out his breakfast in shock.

"Again, napkin," Hannah jutted in handing him one.

He rolled his eyes, but compliantly re-cleaned his mouth.

"We told each other last night and he kissed me again," I said dreamily.

"Wait a minute, you guys kissed again? Did you taste mint toothpaste?" Ernie asked rather loudly.

The blush on my cheeks rose higher and I stole a quick glance at Draco who was glaring heatedly at Pansy before looking back at Ernie and nodding.

"What do you mean mint toothpaste?" Hannah inquired.

"The first time we kissed, his breath was minty from what I could only assume was from his toothpaste and when I told Ernie about it, he found it hilarious," I told her.

"Malfoy uses mint toothpaste, that's actually pretty funny," she chuckled.

We giggled over the thought of Draco brushing his teeth and before we knew it, the time for first period had arrived. Hannah and Ernie headed off to Astronomy and I meandered my way back to the Common Room. A few other seventh year students lounged about the armchairs and barely took notice of me as I headed to my dorm. Feeding Echo, I decided now would be the perfect time to take him up to the Owlery. Gathering him up in his cage, I departed the Common Room and made for the seventh floor corridor. If I remembered correctly, it was near the Room of Requirement where Hannah, Ernie, and Zach had gone for meetings with Dumbledore's Army that was formed during our fifth year. I never joined because I didn't know Harry Potter all that well and I had a full schedule alongside Quidditch back then.