"Stop smirking," I said, eyeing Sam who walked beside me. We were on our way to Herbology with Ella to Sam's right, following the conversation with the three girls. While Ella had returned to her calm self, Sam remained chipper.
"Nope."
"Well then at least admit that you enjoyed getting the yelling out of your system."
"I did," Sam replied. "But what really did it was writing out the extent of that jinx for you."
"You could at least pretend to stop picturing me with all of those gruesome mutations."
"I think the word you are looking for, Ava, is deformed."
I shuddered at the thought, making the two girls laugh.
During Herbology, thanks to most of the class being heavy in notetaking for a change, I was able to open that letter from Marie and read on quietly.
Ava,
I chose not to tell the others about this letter on the pretext that you were writing with this news solely for me and not the others to get involved. Though, if you do want their input, tell me and I will share your first letter along to the others.
As for my opinion on the matter, I can't say I'm surprised by how your friend, Ella, reacted. In a way, you did lie to her and in doing so, hurt her feelings.
Now if I recall, Draco Malfoy has been both a thorn in your side as well as a sense of happiness for you. You would hide his letters from us but then keep them in a box to look back on when it was just you. Everyone has two sides to themselves. One that we use around our friends and family, and then there's the side of us that is solely our personal selves. The side that you show late at night when you want alone time after a stimulating day. I think it is also a side that can be seen by significant others and very close friends. Of course, I don't mean to say that I've necessarily seen this side of you, but I do believe in it. And maybe Draco has that part to you that he understands that your friends don't always.
After all, how many times have there been fights between you and me over silly things that end up meaning the world to you or to me but are just slight differences in how we understand each other?
Now, I may be blowing this up too much. We are young. Draco probably isn't your significant other but he may still see a little bit more of that other side of you that not everyone else can. It would make sense then for you to willingly cling to him even if there is so much more riding on your relationships with your friends at Hogwarts.
So, with that in mind, watch for that, and take things slow. But also, try and keep those friends of yours close. Because it's those people that see that personal side of you that cause the most pain when they choose to walk away anyway.
I won't judge you for dating him. In fact, I'm pretty sure we all here in Beauxbatons saw it coming if I am being honest. Maybe even Sam did too though I doubt she will ever admit to it.
Let me know how it goes and what you decide. Either way I think you'll be just fine.
With love,
Marie
Marie's letter from her words down to her penmanship was like a soothing balm on my rising anxiety on the topic. I even read it in her voice that I was so used to hearing in our late-night rambles. That thought made me have a sudden sense of homesickness for my time in France.
But just as it came over me, it washed away when Professor Sprout's voice grew louder as she walked around the table towards us. I hide the letter before she came to our side and folded it into my journal as a reminder to respond to it the moment classes were over.
When class let out, just as expected I saw Draco waiting for me further down the hall. And this time he was watching the crowd for me. Ella took one look down the corridor and then scoffed and shook her head.
"I feel like such an idiot for not putting two and two together over this," she admitted at last. Sam seemed more pleased at this news then I, as she tugged a strand of Ella's blond hair with a big grin.
"Now we can gossip about how crappy a relationship they have while Ava ditches us," Sam offered making Ella laugh and I to chuckle at myself. But it felt good for a change to have this out in the open.
"You two are so funny," I teased, taking a step back, "Wish me luck."
"I won't," Sam said stubbornly but to my surprise Ella mouthed good luck in what looked to be a sincere gesture before I turned away from them.
When I stopped by Draco, he was quiet which was very odd.
"Not even a teasing comment in hello?" I asked good naturedly. He tsked under his breath as he joined me on a slow walk down the corridor.
"I didn't realize we were talking anymore."
"Well," I admitted, "I didn't know if I wanted to talk to you after what happened." He paused to look back at where we had came. Sam and Ella had since disappeared but he was looking in their direction anyway.
"It seems like your friends are still talking to you. Did they convince you to get rid of me?"
"No actually," I said with a sly smile, making him turn back to me as if to see if I was joking. When he saw, I was not, he grabbed my hand in his and pulled me with him on our walk.
"See, I told you were just over reacting earlier."
"No you didn't," I pointed out truthfully. "You just wanted to cause trouble. I know you, Draco," I said, pulling on his arm to look down at me again. "You're not that selfless."
"What does this have to do with being selfless?"
"Nothing, but still- Your friends don't care that I'm with you except perhaps Pansy but my friends don't like you and for good reason."
"I guess any chance of making friends with your lot is out of the picture-"
"Ha," I retorted through a stubborn glance before pulling him along toward the stairs. "But just so we are clear on one thing," I added as he opened the door for me. "You've got to stop teasing my friends and being mean around them. Otherwise I'm done."
The steel warning in my tone had Draco pause, as if checking my expression to see if I was bluffing. But I looked back at him firmly until he shrugged in resignation.
"The things I do for you, Fountaine. You don't know just how lucky you are." I replaced my warning stare with a cocky grin up at him as I intertwined my hand with his and walked together the rest of the way down to potions.
It turned out that I didn't have long to wait to see my new rules with him come into practice. The silver gang were waiting by the closed doors to the classroom with some of the other students milling around on the opposing wall. Snape must be delayed today in preparing the classroom.
At the sight of our arrivial, Nott came toward us, his gaze on Draco, as if expecting news.
"Well?"
"Well what?" Draco replied in a tone that showed he was playing around. "We're fine as I told you we would be. Umbridge didn't even hesitate when I asked her this morning."
"Brilliant," Nott said with a relaxed grin at the news. Twiddle Dee and Dumb came lumbering over at the news. "I figured you'd be the best out of everyone to ask for permission. Not that she should have said no to us anyway-"
"What's this about?" I asked, looking between the boys.
"Our Quidditch team," Draco explained with a raised brow. "Umbridge dissolved every team and group at the school. I thought you knew-"
"I did," I clarified. "I just am surprised Umbridge responded so quickly-"
"Oh I don't know about that," Nott said with a knowing grin from me to the Gryffindors who happened to be only a few feet from us. Amongst them I saw Hermione along with Ron and Harry. The three weren't looking our way but something about the tension in Harry's shoulders told me he was hearing something from this conversation.
"I mean," Draco said, raising his voice, "if it's a question of influence with the Ministry, I don't think the other houses have much chance. From what my father says, they're looking for an excuse to sack –"
I spotted Draco's grey eyes glance malevolently in Harry and Ron's direction before returning to his friends. As if sensing trouble, Pansy came snooping up to the discussion with batted breath, making my curiosity shatter.
"It's a good thing that's not how Umbridge is running things here-" I cut in, before he could say another stupid sentence. Draco immediately looked to me, and catching my annoyance, stopped but the rest of his friends did not have this understanding.
"You live in la-la land, Fountaine, if you think Umbridge doesn't have a preference for Slytherin house," Pansy stated with the tone of seeming to know better. Dee and Dumb snickered at her hackle while all I did was raise my brow at Pansy's naivety.
"I heard that the likes of Weasley and others at the ministry are looking to get sacked. Can't expect they'd have much use for loonys like him anymore-" Nott started, going on a topic that I was sure Draco was thinking of moments ago.
Sensing my growing agitation, Draco wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him. He didn't even look at me as he did it. He acted as if it were second nature to him. A moment later I understood what he was actually up to.
Pansy was no longer smirking from ear to ear.
She was looking at me with an expression I did not recognize. I pretended not to notice her and instead dropped a hand over Draco's resting on my hip.
Across the hall, unbeknown to Ava, Hermione stood watching what had just progressed between the Slytherins with interest. She saw the small cues Ava showed and to Hermione's surprise, watched as Malfoy also caught notice before retreating to Ava's side. The look that passed between the pair was something that also sent Hermione's mind into question territory.
It wasn't like Hermione now saw their relationship as healthy. Because that was still furthest from the truth. But, she couldn't exactly ignore the exchange the pair just had either. I guess she didn't realize just how intune Malfoy and Ava were. After all, she had just watched Malfoy step back from flaunting his father's power in the ministry. By his standards, that was a huge change for him.
As the door opened and the students started on their way to their seats, Hermione let those details circle in her head, completely ignoring Harry and Ron noticing Umbridge seated in a chair at the far back corner of the classroom.
As for Ava, she did notice the pink monstrosity the moment she crossed the threshold of the classroom. I nudged Draco and nodded in her direction, causing him to pause and smile at the teacher.
She smiled back and catching sight of me by his side, that familiar gleam I saw in her eyes weeks ago reappeared.
"Come on," Draco said, taking my hand, as we walked past her and to our seats. Pansy, I noticed, had sunk into her chair with her original set of friends, looking very glum.
Snape turned to the class, without seeming to take notice of any change to the back corner of his otherwise gothic black background. Rather he pointed to the board with his wand, letting words that were once not there, reappear in his cursive handwriting.
"All finished vials must be on my desk by the end of the lesson or you will be marked with a zero. Begin."
"You know you should smile at her if she decides to come talk to us," Draco urged as we returned together with our cauldrons. He had carried my basket of tools as well, and placed it by my side as I took a seat next to him. I looked from him to Umbridge who was making her way down the opposite side of the classroom, writing down notes, before I made a noise in detest.
"Seriously?"
He nodded.
"Don't act like you can't schmooze." I snickered at being called out before turning to the board to get to work.
As if listening to fate, Umbridge walked to our table at the first quarter of class, looking on at work with interest before turning first to Nott with questions on how he believed this class was going.
"As good as to be expected, Professor. Professor Snape knows what he's doing."
She wrote something briefly in her pad before stopping to look at Draco's potion steaming over a flame. She smiled before turning to him, asking questions that he answered all in favor of Snape. She nodded as she listened, writing a longer blurb before continuing on to me.
This time when she looked to my cauldron she gave a decisive nod though nothing as notable as Draco's, even if he and I had identical-looking potions.
"I see your studies in Potions has drastically altered since returning to Hogwarts, Miss Fountaine," she said with her usual girlish charm. I managed a smile toward her before returning to my work without another word.
So Umbridge kept talking.
"I assume Professor Snape has put in time more so than the others to help in furthering your education?"
"Not at all," I replied before I could filter. Sensing Draco's eyes on me, I returned to Umbridge with a smile before clarifying further. "He pushes me to excel in my studies. He knows I'm dedicated to potions so that is all I really need."
Umbridge gave me a sharper smile before adding a line in her notes before moving on. When she had finally walked away from our table, I relaxed a fraction before turning to Draco.
"Remind me again why I should be nice to that woman?"
"Because the outcomes out way the work," He replied smartly with a side smile as he chopped a root to cubes.
"Uh huh."
Lunch followed potions so I walked with Draco until I saw Sam by the Great Hall. Expecting to be able to peel away from Draco no problem, I was surprised to see him stop by her, as was Sam by the look she gave him.
"Quidditch is back on, Spencer. Thought I'd tell you so that there's no excuse for missing today."
"Already?" Sam responded, looking taken aback. Draco shrugged smugly before explaining further how easy it was to get Umbridge to sign. I noted that he also brought up how the other teams did not seem to have their signatures yet.
"Meaning we get more practice time," Sam concluded at the end of his story. Draco nodded, happy to see Sam get the picture.
"Practice is at 6. I'll see you both there-"
"Both?" I repeated as Draco turned to go. He looked back to me and I saw that glint in his gaze as if expecting me to react this way.
"Yeah. I want my girlfriend at practice. Is that a problem?"
I smiled lazily at him, giving him my answer. When I turned to look at Sam, she was watching me with heavy judgement.
"What?"
"Oh nothing."