It was Sunday, the day following the meeting at the Hogs Head, and my friends and I had found ourselves situated in the library on the pretext of studying.
Which meant that we were doing everything but study.
"Not that it matters but do you see Umbridge punishing us for this club?" Ella asked in too casual a tone for it to be natural. Her eyes raced up to the first person who moved at the table, Sam, before resting there for an answer.
Sam who had only nudged in her seat to grab another chocolate frog from her bag looked back defiantly at Ella before shrugging in answer.
"Scared or something?" Ginny questioned through a vail or red hair shielding her face as she pretended to study a portion out of her Transfiguration textbook. We'd been sitting for an hour and she had yet to turn the page.
Ella dropped her quill and in a rash voice exclaimed back in the negative. A sure sign that she was in fact a little stressed on the topic.
"It's just... I've heard rumors about her detentions. How they're a bit... unorthodox."
"Last I checked none of us were religiously hell bent on staying on the dotted line, Ella. I'm sure whatever Umbridge has under her sleeve for detention is nothing to get worked up about," Sam stated before beheading said chocolate frog in a bite.
"Famous last words," I muttered as I extended my arms above and behind me in a most welcomed stretch. The library, while a wonderful space to hide and gossip, was not known for their comfortable chairs.
Sitting back up and stifling a yawn, I caught Ginny watching me with a pensive smile.
"What?" I quipped back innocently.
"Nothing," she said back. "You just seem to be in a good mood is all."
"Oh so you see it too," Ella said, turning to Ginny. "I was about to say, I've noticed it recently myself. 'Thought perhaps it was just another layer of getting to know Ava."
"It is," I said back with a masked smile to the two schemers. Sam gratefully remained silent throughout this, working on that remaining chocolate frog.
"Though I will say this new club is the cause of it, of course," I added quickly.
"Of course," Sam added with a line of humor that remained undetected by the two across the table. I cleared my throat and continued.
"Anything to take my mind off Umbridge and her meetings. I just can't wait for it to start."
"Well don't hold your breath," Ginny said. "Hermione has to plan around all four Quidditch team practices which doesn't leave much time to go on."
"Especially if we don't want to be caught by teachers," Ella went on with a growing frown.
"So unless we do it on weekends when everyone is busy studying as it is," I said slowly, "we won't have much of a club to go off of."
Ginny nodded while Ella grimaced before turning back to her drawing on the parchment she was supposed to write a charm's essay on. Sam seemed the only one unfazed by this news. She was reaching for another frog in her bag when the sound of a curse followed by fast paced heels marching on wood came towards us. Pince appeared behind a line of books with a second year trailing behind her. At the sight of Sam holding an unwrapped chocolate frog, Pince made a fuss, and promptly kicked the lot of us out of the library.
"Thanks for that," Ginny said, barely hiding a grin as Sam joined us outside the library.
"And I was just getting into the essay writing mood," Ella added with a sigh. "I was going to finish that essay in time for dinner. Now look!"
"Fat chance of that," Sam said with a glance at Ella's dramatic display. "I don't suppose you have another place in mind to study?"
"Actually," Ginny cut in, "since I'm out I think I'm just going to go find Michael."
"Ooh, very nice," Ella said, quickly dropping her dramatics at the change in subject. Ginny gave Ella a comical glance.
"Well before you go, take your books from the stack," I said as I held up the lot of books I had grabbed from our table, no matter the owner. Ginny took the three books of her from the collection and thanked me before waving off toward the Great Hall, leaving us to watch her go.
"I really hate being single," Ella said a moment later, returning to her dark thoughts. She turned on Sam and I with regretful eyes. "Know what I mean?"
"Yeah, sure," Sam said unfazed, prompting me to nod awkwardly.
"Yeah," I added, "very lonely. By chance can you grab your books from this pile before my arms give way?"
"No," Sam said automatically and with little pity, making me give her hard side eye that she in turn, ignored. Ella on the other hand was a little more empathetic but no less helpful.
"You know I would but I kinda think you look so much better holding those textbooks," She said in a failed attempt of flattery.
"Seriously?"
We started in the opposite direction back to the first floor, meeting rarely anyone in the halls. The entire time Sam looked like she was biting back a snicker, her eyes gleamed, as she turned on Ella with new interest.
"By chance, has Ginny said anything to you about what she and Michael get up to?"
"What like how far they've gone?" Sam shrugged at the idea though I sensed she was thinking of something else.
"Sure."
Ella looked out the window for a moment, trying to recall something before starting, "Well, Ginny has always acted like she's the one in charge. So, knowing her I doubt she's done anything too out there."
"So you know nothing," Sam confirmed unapologetically. Ella spun on Sam with suspicious eyes making me just a little bit nervous.
"Sam.." I warned, but the rest was caught off by Ella.
"What did you expect to hear?"
"Oh I don't know," Sam mused, turning bored in tone. "Something bizarre. Like being pushed against bookshelves, hiding behind stairwells, wandering hands..."
I dropped the books I had been carrying, with my Defense notes going in every other direction on the floor.
"Merlin, Ava. Can you be any more of a klutz?" Ella exclaimed as she dived to the ground with me, leaving Sam standing, watching over the scene with a slow growing Cheshire grin.
"You know maybe if I had better friends I wouldn't be such a-" I started, only to pause as a pair of feet paused in front of me and my last page of notes. Slowly I looked up to see Draco along with Crabbe and Goyle standing behind him. He crocked his head to the side, his silver eyes laughing at me.
"Wouldn't be such a what exactly?"
"This isn't about you Malfoy," Sam said as I gave Malfoy a warning look before standing up.
"Actually," Malfoy started in a voice that was up to no good, "as prefect I have to make sure that fellow Slytherins aren't causing trouble-"
"How generous of you," Sam continued as Ella slowly rose back up, with her books in tow. She handed Sam her stack of books before turning back to Malfoy with a look of loathing.
If anything was a reminder as to why I wouldn't want my two words to collide it was exchanging expression on the three faces I saw around me.
"I just lost my balance and dropped my books. I think it's a bit obvious that there's nothing going on here," I said quickly turning on him in warning. He regarded me for a moment before turning back to Sam who was watching this scene with a masked expression.
"You better watch that attitude, Spencer. Wouldn't want to burn bridges before the tide shifts."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ella exclaimed, coming to Sam's side. A smug smile of knowing more than others appeared on Draco.
"I don't know how much I can let on. Professor Umbridge doesn't exactly like her news spreading before releasing it herself."
"But go on," Sam said. "I know you want to spoil. So, say it before we get bored and leave."
"Not with that attitude I won't," He retorted with a cocky grin that on other occasions I liked, but not in this situation.
"If you want a please, I doubt that's going to be forthcoming," I warned him as I returned to my friends side. Sam wasn't looking at me, but I sensed her wanting to step away from me in this discussion. As if this conversation with Draco shouldn't have me in it.
"Unless what Umbridge is planning goes against Dumbledore's rules I highly doubt it's worth any of our time. You're just causing trouble because you can't find enough first years to bully, is that it?" Ella asked, with an answer already in mind. I stole a glance at Draco to see he didn't seem the least bit fazed by Ella.
That must mean he does know something worthwhile.
"Dumbledore and his rules will be a thing of the past sooner rather than later. My father has already said as much. Let's just say," He went on, peering to me and then back to the others, "that prefect duties are powerless in comparison to the new student roles she's writing."
"New student roles?" I repeated, turning from Draco to my friends. They looked just as confused as me.
"Can't spell it out for yourselves?" He went on slowly, "That's fine. We can't all be that sharp."
"I'm done with this conversation," Ella said, turning to us. "Let's go."
"Imagine students being able to have roles like teachers. Monitoring house points and the like..."
The girls and I kept walking without turning back, but even so, his words had caught up to us.
The moment we got out of ear shot and started for the dungeon stairs, I released a breath in relief. Thinking she knew how I felt, Ella patted me on the arm kindly.
"It's alright. Knowing Malfoy's reputation, he's most likely lying. There's no way Umbridge can let students have that much control in a school."
"You're right," Sam said, sounding bitter. "The school would be chaos."
Ella waved us off at the end of the dungeons by the fruit bowl, leaving Sam and I to walk back to the Slytherin common room in an odd silence.
We had just reached the portal entrance when I stopped and turned back toward the stairs. Knowing Draco, he was probably expecting me to wait for him while he finishes his rounds.
But honestly I wasn't really in the mood to deal with him. That last conversation spoiled it.
"I know you two aren't serious but merlin, Ava. You've got to outgrow that tool."
"Sam," I said back in warning to stop. And she did, or at least, she remained quiet. "I'll meet you before dinner," I said after another pause. Sam shook her head slowly but didn't say another word other than giving the password and disappearing behind the portal.
I heard Draco before I saw him come down the stairs. He must have seen something entertaining enough to retell it to the two idiots walking behind him as I heard the dull laughter of theirs as the dungeon door to the stairs opened.
I pushed myself off the wall where I had been waiting but let my arms remained crossed as Draco, once catching sight of me, sauntered over with one of his sly grins.
"You should have stayed upstairs a bit longer. You missed Longbottom-"
"I don't care Draco."
Twiddle dee and dumb who only now caught up behind Draco snickered irritably at the sight of me. I turned around Draco so that I was looking at the two to their faces.
"Can you lot do anything without being glued to Draco's hip? This conversation doesn't concern you. Scat!"
Sensing he may be in deep waters, Draco shrugged them off coolly and waited until they had entered the portal before turning back to me with a long look.
"Can't seem to take a joke, now can we?"
"Seriously?" I snapped. "That's what you take from this? I gave you full warning to leave us alone but you just had to tease, didn't you?"
"I thought you liked when I teased," he said back with more confidence than I was expecting, grabbing one of my hands in his. I completely lost all form of thought for a moment, my mind had gone obnoxiously to mush, leaving me staring at him like an idiot with my right hand in his.
"I- no! That's not what-"
"Mmhm," He mused with his grin returning. "You just like the fight for attention is that it?"
That snapped me out of whatever mush my mind had gone to. I took my hand out of his and matched his gaze with one of my heated glares.
"You egged my friends on and for what? I told you, I don't want my friends and my time with you to mix. All you do is cause trouble!"
"Oh and what?" he snapped back, retreating any sort of humor from his gaze. "You think you're any better? Come on, Ava. We keep coming back to this conversation. This won't work," he said pointing to the two of us, "unless you learn to let go of all this rubbish with your friends."
"You can't expect me to tell my friends I'm dating you! They hate you and to be completely honest I don't-"
"Ava?"
I froze. I knew that voice.
I looked behind Draco to see Ella in the hall, with some parchment in hand. By the look on her face I knew she had heard every word.
"Ella, what-"
"I found this in the fold of one of my books," she said in a tense voice as she walked up to us and extended it to me. I grabbed it and saw it was one of my pages of notes. It must have tucked into one of her books when the pile fell. I looked up to see her purposely ignoring Draco who stood only a few feet from her. "Thought you'd want it back."
Having said her full, she turned away sharply and immediately walked off. I took a step forward but Draco grabbed my arm and held me back with a stiff shake of the head.
"Don't."
"Ella!" I called out, but she didn't look back but rather turned the corner just as fast as when she first came.
Merde
-
Hello there,
I feel like Ava and Draco have had more than enough time in their honeymoon phase of dating. Time to come back down to earth. I'll post again on Wednesday so expect a chapter update then.
With love,
-WG-