Our Little Secret || Draco Malfoy

Chapter 2.

I was trying desperately to push the idea of being Michael's date out of my mind because I shouldn't be thinking about it in the first place. I was with Draco, even though it was a total secret. Of course, thinking about Draco and the Yule Ball made me even more frustrated. I wanted nothing more than to walk into the party proudly on Draco's arm, but I couldn't. People already hated Harry for being in this tournament in the first place - what would they do if they found out his twin sister was a "traitor"? He would be ridiculed, and I didn't want to make his life any more stressful than it already was. But if Draco couldn't ask me, that left the field wide open for Michael to swoop in and invite me to the ball.

Thankfully, for whatever reason held him back, Michael was too late. After Transfiguration one afternoon, Neville caught up to me, his cheeks flushed. "Hey, Isabelle, I, um, I wanted to...to...to ask you something." He said, stuttering a little. I stopped and hitched my bag back over my shoulder, smiling warmly at Neville. "Sure, Nev. What's up?" I said, and Neville appeared to take a deep breath before speaking. "Would, ah, would you like to...y'know, go to the, um, ball with m-me?" He said shakily.

I blinked in shock for a second before smiling widely and nodding. "Of course! I'd love to go with you, Neville." This clearly took him by surprise because his eyes went wide and he shook his head a little. "Wait, really?" I grinned, giggling a little. "Yes, really. I can't think of anyone else I'd rather go with. I have to get to the library, but I'll see you later, yeah?" I said, giving Neville a quick hug before heading off, smiling to myself. That was one problem solved, at least. I get to spend a whole night dancing with one of my friends, instead of a boy who could make my life incredibly complicated.

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I slammed the book cover shut, sighing heavily and running a hand through my hair. "Something on your mind?" I heard a deep voice say. I looked up and felt my traitorous heart skip a beat when I saw Michael leaning against the shelf, looking down at me amusedly. I blushed lightly, shaking my head and replacing the book on its shelf. "No, I'm alright. Sorry if I was making a lot of noise." Michael chuckled, shaking his head. "You're fine, Isabelle. I saw how frustrated you looked and wanted to know if I could help with anything." I hesitated for a second before pulling him a little deeper into the shelves.

"It's about the egg that everyone had to get in the first challenge. You've heard about it, right?" Michael cringed, and I knew he probably had heard the actual egg's sound from the look on his face. He had been inducted into Cedric Diggory's circle of friends, and they had apparently become quite the pair of buddies. It wouldn't surprise me if he had been privileged to hear the egg when Cedric opened it for the first time. "Exactly. Harry deafened the entire common room when he opened it for us. The clue for the next challenge has to be hidden in there, so I've been trying to find a way to make the screeching make sense. And of course, I've come up empty." I said with a final huff, crossing my arms.

Michael was smiling down at me, and I raised my eyebrows. "Something funny, Michael?" He shook his head, and the look in his eyes made my cheeks turn pink. "No. I just didn't really believe the whole Potter loyalty thing until now. Everyone's told me that you and your brother are like peas in a pod, but I thought they were exaggerating. You really want to help him, don't you? Maybe I could try to help you too." I nodded, looking at him a little suspiciously. "I don't mean to sound rude, but you're practically best friends with the actual Hogwarts champion, and I'm related to the other champion so I'm technically your competition. Why are you talking to me about this?"

Michael shook his head, looking down at me seriously. "They're both representing Hogwarts, and I'm supposed to root for the school that's hosting me and my friends. While it would be great for Cedric to win and be the Triwizard champion, it would be alright if Harry won. If either of them, Hogwarts wins." I hesitated for a second before handing him a book and taking him over to a deserted table that I had already left littered with various books. "Let's get started, then," I said, sitting down and opening yet another dusty, ancient book.

I closed what felt like the hundredth book I'd read and rubbed at my eyes, looking over at Michael, who was still immersed in his own book. "Michael, let's call it a day. I'm pretty sure we've missed dinner, and I still have homework to finish." Michael looked up from his book and over towards the window, his eyes widening in surprise when he saw the sunset beginning to fade from the sky. "Merlin, how long have we been in here? Time flies, I suppose. Have you found anything?"

I shook my head, huffing in frustration. "It's impossible, I swear. Merlin, I just want to forget that my stupid brother got himself involved in this death trap tournament. I'd give anything to be at the oceanside right now." Michael smiled at me amusedly, leaning back in his chair and gazing at me. "You like the beach?" I nodded, smiling dreamily as thoughts of cool, salty water and warm sand filled my head. "Yeah, I escape there a few times every summer with some of my muggle friends. When they're not looking I cast a bubble head charm and swim around under the water. It's so peaceful, everything is muffled and...wait...that's it!!" I yelled excitedly, earning some glares from nearby students.

Michael looked at me in alarm, jumping a little at my exclamation. "What?" He asked, and I pulled him forward excitedly, whispering. "Water muffles sound! I think if you listen to the egg underwater, you might be able to make some sense of the screeching!" I said excitedly, and a wide grin spread across Michael's face. "That's brilliant! You're brilliant, Isabelle!" I smiled, laughing a little in relief, then blushing when I realized how close our faces were. Michael realized this too and drew back, clearing his throat. "I, ah, I think I know the perfect way to do this. Do you...do you mind if I tell Cedric about this? He mentioned having a plan for the egg, but I just want to give him a backup option in case his idea doesn't work out." I nodded, smiling softly. "That's a great idea. I'm sure he'll appreciate the help as much as Harry."

I stood up and slung on my bag, stacking the books and carrying them back to the shelf, when I heard Michael call my name softly behind me. I turned to see him hurrying over, looking confident but his body language told me he was nervous. "Yes?" I said, putting up the last book and smiling at him. He took a breath, and he was visibly more relaxed. "I was wondering since we're 4th years if you'd agreed to go to the Yule Ball with anyone yet." He asked, his hands shoved in his pockets. I felt my heart begin to beat faster, and I wasn't sure if it was from nervousness or attraction. "Michael, I-"

"I just think we could have a really fun time together, and you won't regret it, I promise," Michael said, taking my hand in his. I stared at it for a moment, my heart beating erratically. If I hadn't met Draco last year, this would be going so differently. I would say yes without a second thought and spend hours picking out the perfect dress for my perfect date. But now, my heart belonged to someone else, even though the little voice in the back of my mind was screaming at me to take a chance on Michael.

"Michael, I'm so flattered that you asked me. But I'm sorry, someone else already asked me to go with them. And I said yes." I said, looking up into Michael's face, watching his blue eyes become sad. "But I'll save you a dance," I said without thinking, and my mind screamed at me in disbelief. "That sounds great. I'll be waiting for that dance." Michael said, leaning down to kiss my cheek before making his way out of the library. I let my hand drift up to my cheek, feeling the spot his lips had touched. "What the hell is wrong with me?" I muttered, walking out of the library slowly as guilt and confusion washed over me. Suddenly, the Yule Ball wasn't all that fun.

(A/N: She NEEDS to sort out her priorities. Sorry, couldn't resist, y'all. Thank you SO much for reading, my lovelies! I hope you loved this chapter - up next is the Yule Ball! Make sure you add OLS to your reading list/library so you can get updated every time I post a new chapter - Mondays and Thursdays! Feel free to leave feedback/votes, and also check out my other works, all listed on my profile! Love y'all!)