✓ | RECKLESS AND BRAVE | Draco Malfoy

25 | YONDER

Tessa glared at him. "I don't give a damn if you're my enemy or not," she paused to take a deep breath and lowered her voice. "That was a terrible gash, there was blood everywhere, Malfoy. I was there when Madam Pomfrey fixed you up. I was there when Hagrid took you to her. And when I saw how scared you look, I felt — " she tore her gaze away and muttered, "You know what? Never mind, it doesn't even matter anymore."

She made a move to walk away from him, but Malfoy reached up to grip her wrist and stop her from moving. "What did you feel, Valentine?" Malfoy's voice was low as his eyes bored into hers with an unreadable expression. He dipped his head to level to her height as he swallowed and repeated, "You saw that I was scared, and you what?"

"I was worried for you," she growled under her breath, yanking her hand away from him. "But who cares, right?" She laughed bitterly, watching his face shift into something she couldn't put a finger on. "We're enemies. So just go back to being a prick, and I'll go back to thinking you're the scum of the earth. It's what you want, right?" She smiled saccharinely at him, pretending to curtsy. "What the Slytherin Prince wants — he gets."

With that said, she spun on her heel and stomped her way to where her usual spot next to Theo was before class started.

ϟ ϟ ϟ ϟ

     Potions went by even worse than Tessa had thought. Malfoy was in an exceptionally grumpy and snappy mood, even to Pansy. He'd gone out of his way to purposely avoid having to do work with his arm as his excuse. At the end, Neville had created his potion well, but the greasy monkey had taken away points from Gryffindor instead. Apparently, Hermione had helped him and it was a big no-no for Snape.

     "Five points from Gryffindor because the potion was all right! Why didn't you lie, Hermione? You should've said Neville did it all by himself!" Ron cried out as they all glanced around when Hermione didn't answer. "Where is she?"

     "That's odd," Tessa mumbled as Harry whirled around in confusion.

"She was right behind us," Ron said with a frown.

Malfoy strutted by, sending Harry and Ron a smirk like the ferret devil he was. Tessa scowled, crossing her arms as she blatantly looked away from him. Malfoy faltered in his steps for a second, his smirk shifting as he sent her a heated glare before he walked away with Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy who clung onto him.

"There she is," Harry said and they all turned to see Hermione running up the stairs. She was panting, one hand clutched to her bag, and the other tucking something down the front of her robes.

"How did you do that?" Ron asked bewilderedly.

"What?" Hermione asked in surprise as they made their way to the Great Hall. Tessa tucked her hands in the pockets of her robes as she quietly walked alongside them.

"One minute you were right behind us, the next moment, you were back at the bottom of the stairs again."

"What? Oh — I had to go back for something. Oh no —"

     Hermione's bag tore open with an ugly rip, and her dozen heavy books came spilling out. Tessa bent down to help her pick them up.

     "Why are you carrying all these around with you?" Ron asked her.

     "You know how many subjects I'm taking. Couldn't hold these for me, could you?"

     "But — You haven't got any of these subjects today. It's only Defense Against the Dark Arts this afternoon."

     "Oh yes," Hermione said airily.

     Tessa gave her the last fallen book and frowned at her. "Mione—"