The List (Draco Malfoy)

Chapter 6

Chapter Six - A New Hobby

Lainey watched as Malfoy slowly entered the hall, wishing to gods unknown that he would be normal and sneer at Lainey, crack a joke at her expense, any of the above. But no. Malfoy had to be the annoying twat he always was and always would be, didn't he?

Instead of snarling at her, or better yet pretend she didn't exist and last night didn't happen, he stared.

Just stared.

All through breakfast.

As if he didn't have anything better to do than make Lainey as uncomfortable as possible. He didn't touch his food, didn't talk to his friends. He just stared. Calmly. Across the hall. No smile, no snarl, no raised eyebrow. Blank face, he watched Lainey.

And Lainey, who could never eat after the treatment the night before or else risk emptying her entire stomach across the breakfast table, could do nothing but stare back. Ron hadn't come down to breakfast at all, and though Hermione had, she had sniffed and nodded but not yet said a word. The on again off again friendship was really pissing Lainey off, but she could do nothing but wait for them to start acting normal again. And until then, she had an unamused blonde git that wouldn't stop looking at her.

Why didn't he just hold up a neon sign?

Lainey sighed, moving her food around aimlessly. She really should have thought through last night better. Who the hell would allow their enemy and rival to sit through and watch that, a moment of clear weakness? And, now, he knew that Lainey couldn't use magic at all. He knew her Achilles' heel.

Lainey was fucked.

However, there was no staged whispering as she had entered that morning. And no one seemed to look at her twice. So what the hell? Why was Malfoy biding his time before he told? Because being a Slytherin and a Malfoy left no disguise that he would tell someone, and that it was only a matter of time before he did. But seriously, why wait?

Lainey glanced up again, rolling her eyes at Malfoy heatedly. What the hell was she thinking? She grabbed a piece of parchment from her bag, scribbling on it furiously.

"What are you doing, Lainey?" Hermione asked curiously, but Lainey just shifted it slightly, making sure she couldn't read her scrawl.

"Nothing."

Find yourself a new hobby.

Lainey folded her note, then paused. How the hell was she supposed to get it to the git if she couldn't magic it over there? There was no owl this time, and she doubted her mates would lend theirs. Glancing at Hermione's slightly furrowed face again, she turned back to Malfoy, lifting up the note with her eyebrows high.

"Lainey, what are you doing?" Hermione hissed again. She sounded so...disappointed. Why?

Thankfully Malfoy was bright, though Lainey would never admit it to his face, for the note snatched from her fist, flinging across the room and landing in the blonde's waiting hand. Lainey ignored all the whispers now as Malfoy read the note, smirking before popping it into his pocket. Did he have to do that to all the notes? It worked, however, as he turned his face away and instead began muttering to Parkinson. Finally.

"...Can you speak to me, Lainey?"

Oh, she had completely forgotten about Hermione.

Wishing she didn't have to, Lainey turned back to her bushy haired friend, groaning already at her expression. "Another joke, was it Lainey?"