after dusk - draco malfoy

xii. | twelve

Harry smiled and shook his head. "Neville is getting me some Gillyweed," he replied. "It allows me to breathe underwater for around an hour," he added on before turning his head in my direction. "But of course, you would know that if you hadn't been getting all smitten with Malfoy."

I could feel my short temper getting the better of me by each growing second but I still tried my best to shake it off. "Oh, and another thing," Harry began, "Moody told Hermione and Ron they had to go to McGonagall's office before you ask of their whereabouts."

Neville walked in silence with us, not particularly wanting to get involved in the conflict. Regardless, Harry turned to Neville and pointed his thumb at me. "Can you believe she's letting Malfoy manipulate her into doing what he wants and when he wants?" Harry asked Neville. I could feel myself seeing red in anger.

Neville stuttered for a moment before clearing his throat. "To be honest with you, Harry, I don't see the problem," he mumbled, making me feel slightly better. "If Tasmin is happy, should it matter what anyone else thinks but her?" Harry still didn't reply. "Tasmin is old enough to make her own decisions, even if to others they feel like mistakes." Harry was still silent as we approached the portrait to the Common Room. "As Tasmin's friends, we need to support her."

Harry didn't like the fact that he'd just been disagreed with on a matter that for some reason meant so much to him. "Okay, Neville, I get it," he cut him off. "I'm a bad friend." With that, he went straight up to the boys' dorm and I was sent a handful of looks from the people sat by the couch.

I approached them and saw Stella, Poppy, Tommy, Seamus, and the twins. "What was all that about?" Tommy asked me, looking over his shoulder to the stairs.

I shrugged my shoulders and just took a seat in front of the fireplace to keep warm. "Draco," I replied, to which everyone nodded their heads in understanding, apart from Seamus. Everyone could tell he agreed with Harry and was about to say something. Poppy nudged him and shook her head. The two seemed to be getting rather close after the Yule Ball.

Fred pulled out an all too familiar book and placed it on his lap. "Anyone want to make any bets for tomorrow?" He asked the group before turning his head in my direction. "Not you, you're too ballsy and place bets that are too high."

I scoffed, smiling and shaking my head. "It's not my fault you overly underestimated Harry," I defended myself before reaching into my pocket to get some loose change. "15 Sickles?" I proposed as George eyed up the change.

He furrowed his brows and stared at me for a moment. "Who are you wanting to place your bet on?" He questioned me, showing me the stakes for the four contestants.

I paused for a moment, looking at them. I hummed in thought before deciding. "I'll put it on Diggory," I decided, with a final nod of my head. The twins looked at one another in consultation, almost sending messages across to one another, telepathically.

Fred turned his head back in my direction before holding his hand out. I smiled as I placed the money into his hand. "Just for the record, if this bet comes through and you don't lose your money, you're not allowed to place another bet," he concluded before writing my bet into the book.

We all stayed by the fireplace for a few more hours. One by one, we'd all go up to the dorms, leaving me left with the twins. We'd just talk about the most random things until we got on to the topic of what products they were planning on making.

Weasley's Wizard Wheezes was the shop they were planning on opening up on Diagon Alley once they had finished school. It was easy enough to say that Molly hadn't been too keen on the idea. "What are you wanting to do when you leave school?" George asked me, which got me thinking for a moment.

"I would quite like to become an Auror," I replied before realising that probably wouldn't be the safest job option for me considering You-Know-Who is after me. "Or it would be nice to come back here to teach," I quickly added on.

Fred scrunched up his face and shook his head. "I wouldn't have thought you would've wanted to stay here any longer than you had to," he told me, to which George nodded his head. "What would you teach?" George asked me.

Work at Hogwarts had been significantly easier than that at Beauxbatons so I was predicted to get Outstandings in all of my O.W.L.S if I carried on the way I had been. "Potions, Defence Against the Dark Arts, and Care of Magical Creatures are my favourite subjects, so probably one of them," I replied, knowing I would end up teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts as it had always been something that came to me naturally.

It was a good job, considering after the end of that year, I would need it more than ever. I would never know the seriousness of Harry being in the tournament until it was too late. My safety would forever be in jeopardy and there would be nothing I could do about it.