It seemed that although he had just walked in, his eyes met mine immediately.
Those were a pair that I was quickly growing tired of seeing.
By some stroke of luck, this contact was cut short by his friends. Cronies, actually may be a better term for it. Not that I would really know, but if he didn't choose to tell Crabbe and Goyle about his marriage then he really must not care much for their friendship. It's likely he just keeps them around to boost his ego. I wouldn't be surprised; an ego that big needs constant reassurance.
The two henchmen-like characters pulled him from our mutual gaze and sat him down near the middle of the Slytherin table a sizable distance away from my own group, which I was happy about. Daphne continued on, telling the other girls we were sat with about her summer lover. It was actually quite cute, I could tell she must have been crazy for him. A lovestruck look like that must mean that it was important to her.
After some girly talk which I half-heartedly participated in (since I already heard all about Frenchie earlier), I saw McGonagall usher in the newbies. The little first years gawked around the room, like we all did when we were that doe-eyed age. A chatter of excited whispers came from the small children.
It bored me to a great extent having to sit through their house-sorting. I understood the importance of it, and I had always tried to make the lower years feel welcomed into our house. Slytherins tend to pride ourselves on a sense of fraternity, which I interpret as trying to help my own housemates. However, that doesn't make the sorting any less boring.
Name after name was called. A Gryffindor here, a Ravenclaw there, the all-too-happy Hufflepuffs cheered. I only bothered to look up from the table when a Slytherin was called, just to make a mental note of their appearance.
Especially since I was a Slytherin prefect this year (like last year, and the year before), I'd probably get stuck having to show the first years their rooms and organize some tours around just so the little ones know where to go and don't get lost. If we lost house points because a child couldn't find a class, it'd be wildly embarrassing.
When the old Sorting Hat finally finished its assessment (which took much too long— it must be seeking some attention these days after being shoved away all summer), Dumbledore finally allowed for us to eat.
If there was one upside to attending Hogwarts, it would be the food. Thank Merlin we had so many elves to prepare meals for us.
I scarfed down my dinner until I felt satiated. I was done a bit early, with a tinge of a stomachache probably from how quickly I just inhaled all my food. I held my hand to my abdomen as if that would somehow aid in the digestion process.
"Feeling alright?" I heard a voice from behind me inquire.
I craned my neck to look behind me and saw the figure of Cedric Diggory with a look of concern casted in his eyes. At this, I turned around fully so I was facing him. I mentally groaned but tried to keep my outward composure as neutral as possible.
"Yes, thank you," I quickly dismissed the topic, dropping my hand from my stomach. Merlin, I've made a fool of myself on the first night back. And to him, of all people.
"Right," he mused, a smile tugging on his lips. The smile he gave me didn't match his eyes, however. It looked more like he was battling some inner turmoil... and I had an inkling as to why. "I was wondering if you'd mind showing the first year Slytherin girls to their dorms? I've asked Malfoy to do the same for the boys."
"Malfoy?" I echoed. Of course, his father must have bought him the prefect position if I was given the title, as well.
"Is that a problem?"
I shook my head and sighed. "No, sorry about that. Of course I will, Ced. "
He seemed to light up the tiniest bit at the familiar moniker I used to refer to him as all the time. I haven't called him that name in a month, now. I took note of his reaction immediately and chose to change the subject.
"I take it you've made Head Boy, then?" I assumed, trying to change the subject to anything non-personal.
That hope that appeared in his eyes subsided all too quickly. Instead, he tried to mask it by feigning some sort of pride. It didn't suit his personality... he was too genuine for that arrogance he faked. He puffed his chest in a manner of peacocking and showed off the head boy badge that clung to his Hufflepuff robes that I once loved so much.
"Dumbledore told me right before the Feast," he simulated the face of someone who actually held the haughtiness of what he was trying to play up. He undoubtedly deserved the title, but whatever this act of pompousness was he was trying to achieve just didn't fit his demeanor. He's too good for this.
I wouldn't let him know that, of course. If anything, I just wanted this conversation to end.
"The workload won't be a problem, though. I know it's such an important role, to be Head Boy... what with the organizing prefects, acting as spokesperson for the students to the teachers, putting together extracurric—"
"You can handle it, I'm sure," I cut him off quickly. Merlin, Cedric was really trying to boast this position. How unlike him.
He definitely noticed my sudden annoyance at his bragging and seemed to drop it. "I'll see you soon then... for giving you your prefect schedule, of course."
I somehow doubted that was what he meant.
I gave him a curt nod in response and turned back to my friends without paying it a second thought. I didn't even bid the boy a goodbye... that was probably a tad rude on my end, but in all honesty, he was just hurting himself the more he carried on that conversation. I was doing the poor boy a favor.
"Trouble in paradise, y/n?" Tracey asked me.
"What makes you say that?" I coughed, trying to throw her off my scent. I was terrible at it, though, especially with these girls who knew me all too well.
"That's hardly any way to talk to your boyfriend," Millicent let out a devilish laugh. "Don't tell me you've dumped the guy... or worse, he's dumped you!"
"From the way that conversation went, you two might as well have been strangers," Tracey added.
Poor Daphne bit her lip, clearly trying not to egg the girls on. She knew full well that I wanted no part in telling more people about the situation I've been in.
"I'm sure y/n has her reasons," Daphne defended me. I gave her a weak smile in return for her kind response.
Unfortunately, Tracey was having none of it. "Yeah, right. Y/n's only been in love with Cedric for... how long were you two together? Two years? She would never talk to him like that unless something happened."
I stayed quiet, and tried to zone out and just disassociate myself from the conversation. As everything turned a bit hazy, I could still make out the voices of Tracey and Millicent pestering me about what had happened between Cedric and I.
After some amount of time, doing my best to ignore their chatter, I couldn't take it anymore. Against my better judgment, I let out a, "Fine! Yes, we broke up! Happy?"
Merlin, I probably said that too loud. I could feel the stares of a few students nearby me who definitely were within ear-range. "Over the summer," I tried to remedy myself by talking at a lower volume.
My friends exchanged looks of remorse between themselves. "Sorry to hear that, y/n..." Tracey mused. "Whatever for?"
This, I was definitely not letting onto. They may be my friends to some extent, but at this point, they just have no business knowing that I had to break up with Cedric to get married to someone I can't stand.
"We just did. I broke up with him, okay? Now, let's drop the subject before I get sick." I once again clutched my stomach like I had not too long ago, once again feeling churns of my indigestion. This time... probably wasn't from the food, though.
I could tell that Millicent and Tracey were uncomfortable with how I just spoke to them. They both choked out an apology or two under their breaths and continued eating, to avoid the situation. There's no doubt that they, and likely some other students nearby, would be talking about this.
I quickly glanced over at Cedric at the Hufflepuff table, hoping that he didn't hear that. Just my luck, of course he had. He was staring back at me with a sorrowful expression, his eyebrows knitted together in distress and his eyes glossy with what looked like to be the beginning of tears welling up. His lips were parted in a slight look of disbelief. Poor Cedric clearly wasn't over this, and I had just made it all the worse for him by making a big deal of telling everyone that we split.
Merlin, I'm an idiot.
Not just for doing this and embarrassing him, but breaking his heart at all. I didn't have the courage to tell him the real reason behind our sudden breakup, which meant that he was left thinking he did something worthy of being dumped. That was so far from the truth... he was an excellent boyfriend, a perfect one at that.
I hated admitting that I missed him.
The only consolation I had to offer him was that I wouldn't be seen with any other boys. How could I? It's not like I had my pick of the bunch anymore. Unfortunately, I simply couldn't tell him why that is. If it were up to me, I would have left this Feast early to sneak up to his room and make up for lost time with him.
I forced myself to look away from him before I got overly emotional as well. I certainly had my fair share of nights crying; I was nothing but a complete wreck over our breakup after I told him we were finished. Obviously, I wasn't fully over him yet, either... if at all.
A pang of guilt overcame me with how I spoke to him when he came over, cordial and polite, simply to ask me to perform my prefect duties. Sure, he was showboating and trying to make himself seem important, likely to show me what I'm missing, but he had no idea I already knew what I was missing. Trust me, I was missing it... and it wasn't his Head Boy status.
I made a mental note to try and be more polite around the Hufflepuff; it wasn't his fault by any means what happened and considering I still have some unresolved feelings for him, I owe it to him to at least offer him basic decency, as both a prefect under his orders and a human being in general.
I prepared myself a little speech of what I'd say to the first year girls when it was time to show them to their dorms. The typical orientation talk: here's your rooms, the password to our house, don't be late to classes, the prefects are here if you need any help... et cetera, et cetera.
I don't exactly love being a prefect at the best of times, but this was an especially bad time. Being forced to escort the lower years back to the dungeons with Draco leading the boys was borderline torturous. I put on my "prefect face", as one might refer to it, acting much nicer and helpful than I am in actuality. I couldn't scare these first years just yet; they're terrified enough as it is, having Snape as Head of House.
I showed the girls their dorm rooms and sorted out a few first day problems some of them were having. It was always the same; someone was missing a bag, some couldn't find the restrooms. Idle issues I solved in a matter of minutes. The girls were nice enough, so far... no doubt that would change with age.
Draco had been a bit less patient than I had, for whatever reason. I heard him shouting out aggressive directions from the boys' section all the way from the girls'. I made a mental note of reminding him to treat the kids with a little bit of kindness while they adjust.
After ensuring the girls had all their things ready, almost all of them went to bed immediately; the others just loitered in their rooms finishing putting away their things. This was a relief for me, seeing as I didn't want too much work the first night back.
I sat up in the common room, reading some trashy magazine that I picked up at the train station. A few pages in, I felt the couch I was sitting on sink with the weight of someone else at the other end.
I looked up from my magazine and saw Blaise Zabini. He shot me a lazy smirk in typical Blaise fashion.
"Evening, Zabini," I acknowledged his presence, giving him something of a warm smile. Blaise and I weren't exactly the closest of friends, but there was worse company to keep. He could crack a good joke here and there. However, I much preferred having Theo around; he and I were actually good friends.
"Hello, Vitelli," he replied, a dangerously handsome leer playing on his lips. "Or, shall I say... Malfoy?"
I could feel my eyes practically pop out of their sockets at that greeting. I frantically looked around the room, and to my relief, we were the only ones in the common room at this late hour.
"Blaise! Please, never say that again!" I chided him. "I do not need anyone here finding out about that!"
He let out an amused laugh; it made his head tilt back and he looked more than content with himself. "Relax, y/n, I'm just teasing. Don't worry, your husband already gave me the spiel."
I lightly slapped his arm with my magazine. "I mean it, Blaise! You better not go around telling anyone that... Draco swore that he'd only tell you and Theo. If I find out that somehow more than just the two of you know, you'll regret it."
He looked at me with that same, cocky grin donning his pink lips. His eyes were dark with mischief, like they usually were. "Take that up with your husband, not me, darling."
I rolled my eyes. Clearly, the threats weren't working. "Trust me, I have. I think he'll keep it quiet, but there's just no telling with someone like that." I crossed my arms and sunk back into the couch, a headache starting to spread over my forehead.
"Don't worry, y/n, I don't think Draco is exactly jumping at the opportunity to let every girl in this school fawning over him know that he's off the market."
I looked over at him with annoyance. "For all I care, he's very much on the market."
His eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "What's that supposed to mean?"
I sighed. "Blaise, I have absolutely no attachment to Draco, apart from the obvious. He can go with any girl he wants, for all I care... which is very little."
He cocked his head, again displaying his clear confusion with the situation. "You're saying you don't worry in the slightest about any possible... infidelity?"
I chuckled at his phrasing of "infidelity". I suppose that's exactly what it would be. The ends of my lips formed a smirk, like the one he had just moments ago.
"Worrying would imply care, which as I've made clear, I have none. I can guarantee you, he feels the same."
Blaise paused. He looked down and tugged on his Slytherin house ring on his left index finger, sliding it off and then back on again his ring finger. "You think so?"
I waited until he looked back up at me to entertain a response. His facial expression remained the same.
"I'm positive."
———
A/N: Hope you guys are enjoying! Like I said in my last chapter, this is my first Draco fic so I apologize if it's not the best... still working out the kinks here. I suspect the first few chapters will just be me getting the hang of things, so bear with me if you can! I'm also trying to figure out a good posting schedule so sorry if it's a bit all over the place right now. Thank you so much for reading! xoxo <3