Chapter 5: Halloween

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EMILY POTTER:

After having a few rows with Daphne Greengrass on whether or not I should put my hair up or down. Eventually, we came to a compromise. I wear it down, but she has to braid it. Aunt Minerva had sent me a dress, a very lovely white one. To be frank, I'm not very fond of dresses since they kind of restrict movement, but this one's really soft and comfortable; it makes me want to sleep instead of going to this silly Halloween ball. 

It's kind of a weak take on dresses, I know. It's just that growing up in an orphanage didn't really make a good impression on my health. When Aunt Minerva brought me to a Healer, they had concluded that I was malnourished. Which was obvious, of course. Wearing dresses only made me feel smaller, more frail-looking, and frumpy. It was just easier to stick with pants. I had gained some weight since then, but something in me still proved insecure.

"So, do you have a date?" Daphne asked, tying the many green ribbons in her hair. I helped her with the last one which she couldn't reach, "Yeah, I'm going with Draco." Her eyes widened a bit, her mouth curving into a devious smile, "I knew it!"

"Knew what?"

Daphne walked across the dorm, slamming the door shut before looking at me with the giddiness of a 4-year-old who had too much sugar on Christmas morning, "You two! You two cannot be separated, I swear to Merlin you can be mistaken for being connected to the hip." Daphne joked, squirting perfume on her entire body.

Had we really been spending that much time together? Well, we both have the same classes together and we are friends. What's so wrong about that? "Some people are just so stereotypical nowadays; just because a girl spends a significant amount of time with the opposite sex means she has romantic feelings towards him and vice versa?" I asked.

Daphne nodded with eagerness, "Yes! There's a reason why it's a stereotype, and that's because it actually happens," She giggled, hopping on one foot as she searched for her other shoe that her cat had dragged off somewhere, "You know the way Draco looks at you-"

"He uses both eyes. Stop reaching so far into this fantasy of yours."

She looked at me as if I were the biggest idiot on the face of the Wizarding World, "Don't tell me you haven't noticed."

"Sorry,"

Daphne groaned tiringly, "You are so clueless! The boy likes you, Em." She said.

Normally I would deny this and cover it up as all of it is just and purely friendship but what's the use? She's just going to say it relentlessly, over and over. On the other hand, she does have a point. Draco kept interacting with me even after I was sorted into Gryffindor, and by that time the other Gryffindors told me that the Slytherins were no good and mostly bullied my (former) house.

That does sound odd. I've heard Malfoy has been such a prick to the other Gryffindors... With me as an exception, maybe he's trying to copy off my homework or something. I doubt that he actually likes me in a way other girls wish to be liked as. 

One observation of Emily's managed to disrupt her suspicions. As troublesome Draco was, he proved to be just as intellectual and diligent of a student as Emily. He was rude, yes - but capable of holding a debate, able to defend his answers to a teacher, and mastered brewing a potion in one hour when it took Emily six trials during Severus' visits a year ago.   

Is this something to be worried about? 

~

"Good evening and Happy Halloween to everyone! Tonight we will be witnessing a duel among students, a beloved Halloween tradition in Hogwarts," Dumbledore said, raising his voice, "Will the following students come forward?"

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