Chamber of Love

Chapter 51

"Shooting Star. The worst and the cheapest broom you'll ever see." Draco informed, looking around with distaste. He stood by the threshold and leaned against the door as Juliette walked around, inspecting the identical brooms.

"Yours looks pretty. I want one of those." She said without looking at him, and therefore missing the faint smirk on his lips.

"You can't just buy a broom because it's pretty. You have to know-"

"I know, I know. Height and speed and... other stuff are more important." She interrupted, finally looking at him. "But I know you won't settle for anything less than the best, so..."

Draco wasn't sure if she was mocking him or praising him.

"Well, Firebolt is the new best. So that's not true." He shrugged.

"Then why don't you buy that one instead?"

"Because I don't need it. Mine is already great."

"You mean you don't want to use the same broom as Harry Potter." Juliette corrected him with a raised eyebrow.

"No." Draco denied firmly. "Choose a broom."

Juliette sighed and turned around, her fingers unconsciously playing with the corner of the book.

"I was talking to Harry the other day," She started without thinking. Her heart started to beat faster and her throat got drier. "Did you know that he thought we were a couple?"

The building suddenly got silent. It felt like even the wind outside stopped, just like her breathing while she waited for a reaction. Her eyes stayed glued on the Shooting Stars. She was way too blushed to look at him. She didn't even know why she brought it up.

"No," Draco answered after a short moment, his voice was void of emotion. "I didn't know."

Juliette waited. He didn't say anything else.

"Yeah," She murmured, feeling embarrassed for bringing up the subject. She walked away from him towards a lone broomstick across the room. It looked more intact than the rest. "It's stupid anyway."

"Why?" Draco asked, stopping her in her tracks.

"What?" She looked over her shoulder.

"Why is it stupid?"

Her arms tightened around her book. Why was he asking that question?

"Because– Because we're friends and we d- we didn't do anything that would make anyone think of us as a... couple." She said before gulping. Her little speech was kindly accompanied by a few stutters and the unnecessary pounding in her ears that left her breathless.

Draco looked at her with a thoughtful frown, never breaking the eye contact, fully aware that it was making her uncomfortable. Her cheeks were heating up by each passing second.

"Didn't we?" He asked, rendering her confused. "We danced together at the Yule Ball, alone. We spent most of our lunch breaks together, alone. We still do. And we–"

"We did those things as friends. Besides, he probably doesn't even know about–"

"I don't care what Potter knows or thinks. I'm just saying." Draco interrupted. "Now pick a broom."

Juliette stared at him, lips parted but no noise coming out. He was collected and calm, two things she wasn't. He didn't look affected by the thought of them being a couple. But that was all she could think of since her little talk with Harry. He probably didn't even care, but she did. And it bothered her so much.