AN: Ok wow that was a long absence. I'm really sorry. I don't really have a good reason either, I just had terrible writers block. But I've been editing all the previous chapters and also doing real life study, so hey I'm going to stick up for myself and just say YAY! You did it! You finally got up chapter 10 you magnificent unicorn like creature! Hope you guys enjoy.
The next day when Scarlet and Zilah got up to go to breakfast Scarlet noticed a remarkable change in Zilah's countenance. Although Zilah had stronger character than to completely loose sight of her personality in times of romantic woe, she did use the time of her denial in liking Seamus after he asked her out to sulk a bit, though maintaining her inner fire and ability to make fun of her friend for going on walks with Neville Longbottom. Yes Today Zilah had a bit of a spring in her step and a light chime to her voice as she sung her good mornings to her Slytherin friend.
Scarlet of course called her up on this fact but Zilah simply rejected the statement and tried for all of 3 seconds to put a frown on her face. It was obvious to Scarlet that Zilah was 'secretly' happy to have Seamus still say he liked her, and of course Scarlet could understand this, who wouldn't want to have the boy they liked openly admitting to liking them and saying they were willing to overcome adversity for their affections. Thinking of this a tinge of jealousy settled on Scarlet's tongue, it tasted bitter and she wanted to spit it out as quickly as it came.
Watching how quickly her friend recognizing something she was trying to keep away increased her happiness made Scarlet feel almost ready to blurt out her long time infatuation with Draco... However she was a teenager and such an admission seemed momentously bigger than that to her.
It slipped past her mind how much easier it would have been if it were she who had fallen for Seamus, and Zilah Draco. Scarlet wouldn't have minded in the least about going out with a Gryffindor, in fact she had a part of her that felt connected to that house, it would be interesting, she also had a rebellious side of her that would have rather liked defying the norms; and Zilah, well Zilah could have Draco doing her bidding soon enough, both pureblood, both with long lines in Slytherin, they would be a great power couple.
But alas life isn't always easy, and it doesn't always make sense no matter how much Scarlet willed it to become more organised and reasonable. However she pondered that at least there's was a sort of magic to it's wild nature. Remembering this more kind perspective Scarlet was returned to her more loving side and was reminded that she was after all happy for her two love struck friends and wanted them to work everything out.
Zilah's happy mood was finally rubbing off on Scarlet and she was laughing about some silly story Zilah was telling her about a kid in second year with a serious case of the 'Gryffindor hero complex'. He had tried to save a first year Slytherin from a batbogy curse and got blasted himself instead.
The best part was that the first year wasn't even going to get hit; her and her friends were just practicing on rocks in the court yard ... It was true that they shouldn't have been doing this in the first place, but they were Slytherin's after all. However Scarlet's entire jolly mood left her when they got to the doors of the great hall.
Scarlet didn't even have the time to gather herself as she would have wanted as Zilah sped through the doors still talking. Scarlet's stomach churned when she saw Draco. He looked up at her too and it was one of the most awkward instances in Scarlet's life up to now.
She hadn't seen him since the 'good' incident and had really not prepared herself with a proper response for seeing him again as she'd been using all her attention on operation Zileamus (her decided ship name for Zilah and Seamus). She opted for not saying anything. All of Zilah's words seemed in another world half muffled as though someone had turned down the volume on the whole hall and amplified only her breath and a 5 centimetre radius around Draco.
She heard his shirt rustle as he looked down at his sleeves to roll the ends up slowly. Scarlet watched with her head down and mind foggy. It took her two or three moments to even realise that Zilah had stopped talking and was now looking at Scarlet.
All her senses came rushing back as she turned back to her friend's attention. Zilah was looking at Scarlet expectantly, she'd obviously asked her a question. Scarlet decided to wing it "Ah ye...yes?" Zilah's eyes bulged out "You think Potter is better than me in charms?" Zilah said shocked and offended. "Oh no I meant no... no" Scarlet tried to back track feeling the pressure, and then a look. A look that put fear into Scarlet's heart. It was a look of realisation that came across Zilah's face.
Now it was Scarlet's eyes that were big, but hers were widening in worry. Zilah looked at Scarlet, and then she looked at Draco, and then she looked back at Scarlet. "NO" Scarlet said before Zilah had even begun to speak. Her face read 'Oh MY MERLIN' and 'HOW DID I NOT SEE THIS BEFORE?'
"NO, Zilah, you've not" Scarlet tried to band-aid up the situation unfolding before her. However this was not a realisation that Scarlet could just cover up with a bit of plastic and some cotton wool. She'd already been trying to do that for too long and now look where she was. It was a huge ship full up with water and there was a big leak where all the water was rushing out from, threatening to burst the ship in half with the force of the water exiting through all the previously band-aided up areas.
"You" Zilah said pointing to Scarlet and cutting off her sorry excuse for a sentence. "Me?" Scarlet said weakly pointing to herself slowly with false calmness. "Outside the hall now" Zilah said in an obedience governing way. Scarlet followed her out the doors they had only just entered like a good little dog on a leash.
She could hardly bring herself to look at Draco fearing he had heard everything and sussed out what was happening, but thankfully when she peeped a glance Matt was talking to Draco loudly about some incident in the Slytherin boys dorms. Scarlet heaved a sigh of relief, but then took another deep breath in as she went through the doors to face Zilah.
Zilah pulled her aside to a little hollow in the passage way and literally put her hands on her hips. She had her hands on her hips for Merlin's sake. What was she Scarlet's parent? Scarlet thought it best to mimic this body language to assert that she had some power here too... but her hands felt awkward there on her hips and the false confidence was really skin deep. "What's up?" Scarlet said thinking that perhaps if she played dumb she'd get away with her secret for one more day.
In this moment it felt like the worst thing to have her secret come out. It had been just hers for so long, suddenly she didn't want to share it with anybody, and in some crazy logic she was feeling worried of Zilah misusing the information, did she trust her with this one? Scarlet asked herself. Scarlet took another breath, as Zilah still hadn't answered. As she looked at Zilah she knew that of course she actually did trust her. Zilah was her best friend, and this secret was actually making her really grumpy, un-trusting and slightly misanthropic. She didn't like it and she knew it was finally time to spill the beans.
"Scarlet, you and Draco!?" Zilah finally answered, she pulled off the hands on hips thing much better than Scarlet had. Scarlet simply came out with a high-pitched groan of annoyance and acknowledgement in only the fashion a whiny teenager can pull off.
"Argh I don't want to" Scarlet said in explanation. Zilah simply laughed tutting at her friend in good humour. "Well, well, well!" Zilah said looking at the ceiling smiling seeming to be thinking of all the times she had missed the signals with Scarlet liking Draco, ripping off those little band-aids keeping the water in the ship.
Scarlet wondered why now such a small little interaction between herself and Draco had Zilah picked up on it after it being years in the making. She assumed it might have been because of Zilah's own recent self revelations in liking Seamus. If she couldn't even notice her own romantic feelings how could she truly recognise it in her friend?
"Zilah" Scarlet said with short fuse. "Well" Zilah said further rubbing in her frustrating joke, that was obviously only funny on her side of things. "So Scarlet, how exactly did the two rivals become lovers?" Zilah asked still enjoying teasing her friend and reveling in her new found knowledge. "WE'RE NOT LOVERS!" Scarlet said in a shocked but muted shout so anyone around wouldn't hear her.
"We just, well I mean, there is no 'we' I just, I, oh Merlin I don't even know what it is Zilah, I'm just paddling in a middle of a lake with the anchor down!" Scarlet said failing in the attempt to explain her confusing situation.
"It's not that difficult" Zilah said laughing. "You like him, he likes you, you go out, end of story" Zilah preached. Scarlet looked at Zilah amazed. "You've got to be kidding me! HELLO" Scarlet said knocking on her friends head as in way of checking she still had a working brain in there. Zilah looked at Scarlet and folded her arms. "You're such a hypocrite, what about you and Seamus?!" Scarlett said as Zilah's expression didn't acknowledge her blatant hypocrisy.
"That's totally different" Zilah said looking away from Scarlet's gaze. "You and Malfoy would be cute together anyway" she teased her mood turning light and playful as she patted Scarlet's head in jest. Scarlet huffed and blew her now messy hair out of her face. "Weren't you just the one that mentioned Draco and I being rivals?" she said raising her eyebrows.
"Well yes and no, I mean you guys are great friends, I just never thought... well I guess I was preoccupied" Zilah said getting quieter towards the end of the sentence. "Yeah I guess so" Scarlett said rolling her eyes, and then Zilah's face dropped as a seemingly distressing thought came to her.
"Oh Scarlet, how did you not tell me when I said I was going to go out with him? What were you just going to let me go ahead and go out with your crush?" she said sounding now worried for her past deeds. "I didn't know Scar, you should have told me... I would have never gone after him if you'd just told me" she said putting her hand on Scarlet's shoulder in solidarity.
"Zilah, it's fine, it's not your fault. You're right I didn't tell you, you didn't know." Scarlet said a soft reassuring smile on her face to show Zilah she genuinely wasn't angry. "Yes but Scar. I ... well I didn't tell you because I didn't realise it was important, but I have to tell you something." Zilah said her face ashen. "What?" Scarlet asked curious and cautious at the look on Zilah's face. "Scar I-I kissed him... Malfoy, I'm so sorry".