The Years of Blue [2]

Chapter 31: An Unwelcome Reunion

And we wouldn't want that, would we?

"Whatcha doing Malfoy?" I cooed from the grass, making him jerk in his fast-paced walk and catch me smirking his way. He deadpanned and I suddenly felt a realization that this was the first time I felt our roles were reversed. Wasn't he always the one to call me out?

"What's it look like?" He retorted quickly, his gaze shifting from me to the tent opening. "Father's sent me on an errand and I need to be back before everyone leaves." I didn't buy it and by the look on his face, he knew it.

"Oh really?" I asked, placing the plate on the grass. "What's the errand? Krum jersey and program purchases?" He just gave me a stuck up look before racing off, leaving me to quickly hop off the grass and race after him. When he saw me catching up to him, he increased his speed.

"Don't you have anything better to do than follow me?"

"No, not really. All my brothers ditched me and I'm bored enough to find walking with you to be entertaining. Plus I need to talk to you about your letters."

"What about them?" He quipped back, making me smile as I dropped my face down to the ground.

"You wrote to me. Even when I didn't answer back. Thought that to be a bit odd of you." Draco pushed past a group of adults that were walking at a snail's pace, making one of them flick us off as I ran to catch up.

"Really? You can't just race around the path like normal, polite people do?" I spoke up as I caught back up to him. He wasn't looking at me, his eyes focused up ahead eagerly as we started to walk past more and more people.

"I've been waiting all day to get something before the cup, but my mother has kept me with her, even when Father was in meetings. You'd think I could slip out then-"

"Your father was in meetings this morning too?" I repeated curiously. That seemed to skip Malfoy up, as his eyes went down to my level for the briefest moment and I swear I saw that same "I know something you don't" look he always wore at school. "You told me you wanted to know what was happening at Hogwarts, so I told you. Happy?"

"No! You made Sam think things that weren't true. And if she was thinking these things, the rest of school-" Malfoy's fine line of a mouth quipped up at the corners at my words before stopping me.

"Upset about rumors, Fountaine? Really, I thought you'd care less. Especially with your close friendship with Spencer." A flick of his grey glance took me back, making me drop the conversation.

Malfoy looked back to the path where stands filled with merchandise lingered the way. I followed him towards one of the salesmen with a tray of luminous rosettes- green for Ireland, red for Bulgaria- that squealed their teammates names in a high voice. I turned around and saw other salesmen come by with carts filled with tiny models of brooms, teammates numbers on jerseys, collectable figures that strolled your palm, and even scarves with their teams' mascots moving and crying out at you.

"Come on," Malfoy said, as he pulled my arm through the crowd, gaining my attention. He had a red rosette in the other hand along with that grey pouch of his before I brushed his hand off my arm and stopped next to him as he peered at a stash of golden binoculars.

"Bulgaria? You chose Bulgaria as your team when the Irish are a quick country jump away from you?" I got another look from him before returning to the products on sale.

"You wouldn't get it. It's not about location, it's about the skill of the seeker. And Krum is the best seeker in the world right now. Fastest and youngest seeker for a world cup." I shrugged, obviously not caring as Malfoy gave me a comical look before looking into a pair of binoculars.