Saving Draco

chapter twenty-four

Tala. 498 days before the Battle of Hogwarts.

Slughorn's Christmas party was huge. The guests ranged from students and professors to important Ministry wizards and celebrated writers. There were even famous quidditch players that attended and a few members of a wizarding rock band that Ron listened to.

I arrived alone, meeting Luna and Harry already enjoying themselves at the party while Hermione looked miserable. She kept running away from McLaggen but he thought that they were just playing a cute game of chase.

"You lot's friend is like a minx," Mclaggen said to me and Harry as he ate a piece of Dragon Tartare. "What is this I'm eating by the way?"

"Dragon balls," Harry lied bluntly, making me snort and giggle into his suit to hide my face as he laughed too.

Snape moved the curtains away to reach us but at Harry's words, Mclaggen had thrown up on Snape's shoes, making me giggle into Harry's suit even more as he chuckled with me. Harry took my hand so we could escape as Snape gave Mclaggen detention for the rest of his miserable life, but Snape stopped us before we could.

"Potter," Snape called him blankly, visibly annoyed.

"I didn't hear my name," I smiled at Harry who pouted out of betrayal, patting him on the back before I left. "See ya!"

As I walked away from Snape and Harry, I spotted Neville with a tray full of glasses filled with alcohol since he was working the party, making my stomach flutter at the sight of it.

"Would you like one?" Neville asked sweetly.

"I'll take the whole tray," I joked pathetically.

"Ha ha," Neville teased me before handing me one single glass. "Here you go, love."

"Thanks Neville," I said and kissed his cheek, making his fair face blush red as I chugged the glass down.

Trelawney was enjoying herself the most out of all the Professors, mostly because of the alcohol. We even drank a glass together since I was considered "of age" in the wizarding world. McGonagall giggled at that while Snape only shook his head in disapproval, still bitter over his shoes.

Halfway through the night, the party came to a sudden stop when we heard a boy yell, "Get your dirty hands off me, you filthy squib!"

Everyone turned around and watched as Filch angrily dragged Draco by the collar into the middle of the room.

Draco's journal had been empty for the day and I hadn't seen him since last night.

Was I avoiding him on purpose?

Maybe.

I'm a little confused right now.

It's not like I'm falling for him, I could never let myself feel that way again.

But I was definitely not expecting anything that happened tonight to happen.

"I discovered this boy lurking in an upstairs corridor," Filch wheezed, saliva drooling out his mouth as his ugly teeth gritted together, "He claims to have been invited to the party." He taddled to Professor Slughorn.

Draco pulled himself free of Filch's grasp, looking furious and patting off Filch's filth from his black suit before his glance fell on me.

His face then softened.

Draco glanced at me up and down, just as I did for him and I felt my ears turn warm as his fair cheeks became rosy. He wore an all black suit like I had met him on that bridge and his bleach blonde hair was styled, featuring his sharp features nicely. And once I met pale grey eyes stare at me, I found myself holding my breath.