The Tales of Hogwarts: Megan's Story

In Which Old Wounds Are Reopened

In the weeks after the kitchen incident, Draco seemed to avoid Megan at all costs. She told herself it didn't bother her at all. We will never know if that is true or not. But she couldn't help wondering what he thought of her. She hoped that he would think of her as an equal, not an inferior being. Not a "Mudblood." He had no idea how badly it had hurt her to hear that from someone, especially him. Megan had cut her finger to show him that there was no such thing, to prove to him that she wasn't who he thought she was. She closed her textbook, lost in thought.

"Megan. Megan. Megan!" Annie tried and failed to get her friend's attention. She snapped her fingers in front of Megan's face in annoyance. Fortunately, that did the trick. Megan finally turned to look at her.

"Hmm?"

"You okay?" Annie asked, worried for her friend's mental health. Megan blanched.

"Yes. Why?"

"Well, your face is pale, you had this blank look, plus you were staring at Malfoy."

"Oh, well..." Megan stammered, not wanting to blush in front of her friend.

"Megan..."

"I was just thinking," she told Annie, blushing furiously. Annie raised her eyebrows at Megan, and Megan looked down, angry with herself. She hadn't even noticed that Draco was in the library, let alone that she was staring at him. Did he notice her staring? Or was he equally oblivious to her presence? She hoped he hadn't noticed. Now that Annie had pointed him out, her eyes wouldn't stop wandering over to him. She had so many questions about and for him, but no way of getting answers. Megan sighed and went back to her homework.

As lunchtime approached, the Malfoy twins and their multitude of friends from Slytherin left the library, leaving it feeling quite empty. Draco turned to look at Megan with a grin on his face. Megan smiled back at him, before she'd even realized that she'd done it. Draco turned back to talk to his sister. He seemed happy, instead of his usual cruel and heartless self. He had even smiled at her. She'd smiled back. What was that about? Maybe... but Megan barely dared to think of that happening. Maybe he'd finally realized that there was no such thing as a Mudblood. That might explain why she'd smiled back at him. Otherwise, that would never have happened. Or at least, that's what she told herself. Satisfied with her explanation of the situation, Megan nearly skipped to lunch, but stopped after Madam Pince gave her a dirty look.

-o-O-o-

"Megan, what was that whole lovey-dovey smile thing with Malfoy in the library about?" Annie asked suspiciously when Megan reached the Gryffindor table and sat down.

"Smile thing with Draco?" Megan asked curiously. "What are you talking about?" Annie rolled her eyes fondly.

"Oh, come on. He smiled at you, and you smiled back. Then you got caught skipping to lunch," she explained. Then she furrowed her brow. "Did you just call him Draco?" Megan's heart leapt up into her throat. She thought fast, then came up with what was to her a plausible explanation.

"I don't call people by their last names." Annie smirked.

"Never stopped you before, did it?" Megan blushed and ducked her head, missing her friend's knowing look. "But that's beside the point, anyway."

"I wasn't aware that there was a point."

"Do you like him?" Megan's head snapped up.

"What?" Annie's gaze was steady, no trace of humor about her features to show that she was joking. Megan gulped. Her friend really was serious.

"Do you?"

"No!" Megan cried. She grabbed her book bag and strode angrily out of the Great Hall.