Chapter 7
Draco:
"It'll be well worth your time, Potter." I sneered as I confidently led them into the library.
"Malfoy." Weasel said, stopping midway, "We are not following you to the back of the library!"
Potter on the other hand looked curious, so I shrugged, "Aren't you even a little curious as to what Granger does in the library?"
Weasel looked flabbergasted, "She studies! That's what!" He said, turning around, "This is a waste of time."
"Ron." Potter sighed, grabbing Weasel's shoulder, "It's just 5 minutes, we can leave anytime."
"Why are you siding him?!" Ron asked, looking disgusted at the prospect. I just smirked.
Carina made me out to be joke, so it's only natural that I need to retaliate with something just as bad.
One of the things Carina accidentally told me back in third year was how she and Granger had become fast friends, their friendship was held together by their Pince stamped Library books of-course, but friends nonetheless.
Even back in third year, when I pointed out Granger's reluctance about informing Potter and Weasel about their friendship, Carina had brushed it off, saying Gryffindors and Slytherins had a bad history anyway, why bother.
Well guess I'm in luck now.
Putting a finger to my lips I led Potter and Weasel further into the library where a high-pitched giggle was soon followed by a request to quiet down.
"You cannot be serious!" Granger's annoying voice made it through to us, as both of them sat turned away from our approaching forms, but Carina just laughed again.
"Deny all you want Mione." She said in a childish voice, still laughing, "You know it's true, you like-"
So I cleared my throat.
And Carina's laughter died in her throat as her brown eyes met mine, before they moved to Potter and Weasel.
To their credit, they didn't look too shocked, just a bit, horrified.
I smirked, everyone knew how Carina never let any opportunity to insult Weasel go. Her being friends with Hermione just went against every code the trio ever had.
Granger shot off her seat first, looking pleadingly at Weasel, whose face was now turning paler, "Tell me you just ran into her."
"Just because she's sitting next to her doesn't mean anything..." Potter tried to say, trying to avoid the outburst that was going to follow.
"Didn't you see?" Weasel cried," She called her Mione! They've obviously been friends for a while!"
And as Potter and Granger winced at Weasel's tone, Carina seemed to snap out of her trance, standing up, "So what?" she asked, and even though I knew she didn't want to look offended, her tone kind of gave her away.
"You!" Weasel demanded hotly, pointing at her, "You forced her to talk to you!"
Carina turned to him, looking at him like he had lost his mind, "Seriously? That's a bit dumb even for you." Her tone however didn't sound like her heart was in it.
"Hermione." Potter said then, looking at Carina closely, "Ron, let's go."
"Harry no-"
But Weasel was cut off as Granger grabbed his hand and yanked him out of the library, Potter following behind both of them. But not before he almost saw Carina's face crumple into sadness.
That left just the two of us, staring each other down as again, her face slowly morphing into the contemptuous look it always has around me.
"Did you honestly think I would let you get away with what you did to me?" I scoffed.
She raised an eyebrow, slowly slinging her bag over her shoulder, "Do you honestly think just because you got back at me this is over?"
I smirked at her airy tone, as she shoved my shoulder, hard, walking out of my sight.
*
The common room was packed when I walked through the wall that evening, my eyes instantly drawn to the two blondes sitting in a corner talking among themselves.
A smirk lifted my lips as I saw the annoyed expression on both their faces, but I didn't get to bask in the moment for long, because as soon as I had taken a step, Zabini had grabbed my arm, pulling me towards a couch in the corner.
"What the hell, Zabini?" I exclaimed as I pulled my arm out of his grasp, Blaise looked at me with a pissed off expression.
"What did you do?"
I raised an eyebrow, "You have to be bit more specific than that..."
"With Hadley." He ground out, his eyes moving to her and Daphne briefly.
My face cleared, a proud smirk making its way to my face, "Oh that."
"Yes." He sneered, "That."
I rolled my eyes, flopping down, "What about it?" I asked, feeling bored.
"What about it?!" He cried out, "This is exactly what I was talking about last night! Whatever peaceful agreement you both had come to, is over isn't it?"
Anger slowly replaced my boredom as I levelled Blaise with my gaze, "Tell her that! She's the one who decided to make me the laughing stalk of the entire school!" I gestured my arms around, and sure enough a few people were discreetly looking at us, or rather me. Looking at me and giggling behind their hands that is!
I will not be treated that way.
Zabini rolled his eyes, "You didn't have to retaliate Draco!"
"And lose?" I scoffed, I can't even fathom the idea.
"Now it's just a game of who does what! You'll do something, she'll hit back, you'll retaliate and she'll do something again, it's like a never-ending cycle with you two!"
For some odd reason, that made me proud, "Wow Zabini, you almost sound jealous."
He looked at me like I had lost my mind, I just shrugged, standing up to leave when my path was blocked by a very angry Daphne Greengrass. She crossed her arms as she stood in front of me, so I just raised an eyebrow, "Move, Greengrass, some of us have actual work to do."
"I have a bone to pick with you." She seethed, her eyes narrowed.
I rolled my eyes again, this was really becoming a habit this year, "I'm sure everything you wanted to tell me is already covered by Zabini." With that I walked past her, barely missing her shoulder, but an arm grasped mine again.
"Now what?" I sighed, frustrated, I just wanted to sleep, is that too much to ask?
Daphne looked at Zabini, seemingly at a loss of words. Well, that's rich, didn't she come over here just to talk to me?!
Zabini recovered first, "You both need to stop." He said, finally looking at Daphne for approval, who for her part, looked terribly unsure.
I couldn't help it, I laughed. Out loud. For 5 fucking minutes.
"Stop laughing Draco!" Daphne said, whacking the back of head. I stopped just to glare at her. So I turned to her, "Have you approached your best friend with this grand idea?" I shot back darkly and she gulped. "Exactly." I muttered.
"She didn't cost you a friend Malfoy." Daphne quietly said, and I turned to look at Blaise, did he know? But he looked like he was trying to see how I would react, so I decided to give him something to look at.
"She cost me my reputation." I spat at Daphne before I turned around and left the Common room.
*
When I made my way to breakfast on Friday, I was somewhat relieved that the first week was almost over. But my good mood vanished when I saw almost everyone stare at me as I made my way to the Slytherin table. My stomach then completely lost its appetite when Daphne plopped down opposite to me and made me realise that I was sitting exactly opposite Carina.
It didn't help that people glanced at Carina with new-found respect in their eyes either.
So I dumped food on my plate with more force than necessary, trying and failing to keep, my eyes away from Carina's tired face.
"Here." She said, sluggishly, "Arch and Milo have left for school." She pushed a piece of parchment to Daphne who visibly brightened as she pulled the parchment over quickly.
Zabini came up then, Crabbe and Goyle tagging along with him, but to my biggest surprise, Theodore Nott came to sit beside me before Crabbe or Goyle got the chance.
"Malfoy." He said in a low voice as I glanced at him curiously. Theo never really bothered talking to me unless he had to. It's something everyone knew to be true about him.
"Nott." I amended, taking a bite of my toast as I discreetly eyed Carina play with the eggs on her plate.
"I need your help." That got my full attention.
"With what?"
"Some..." he faltered, looking at the table intently, "Something's happened..."
I nodded slowly, waiting for him to continue, but he didn't look like he wanted to. Instead he looked at me pleadingly, as if he wanted me to read his mind. Then he shot off his seat and walked out of the Hall. All of us staring in his wake.
"What's up with Theo?" Blaise asked, looking me.
I shrugged, still looking at the door when Carina sat up straighter, turning our attention to her.
She briefly looked at me, but continued anyway, "I saw Nott, shaking with anger as he tore a letter yesterday..."
"When?" I asked, leaning forward, she pursed her lips, thinking.
"When I..." she glanced at Daphne then, "When I left the common room last night to go to Owlery after curfew."
I nodded slowly, still unsure, in fact Crabbe and Goyle looked like they had been handed a test they hadn't studied for. Come to think of it, I think that's just how they looked most of the time.
"I'll talk to him tonight." Zabini said solemnly and we all nodded, he was closer to Nott than all of us.
So we all continued to eat, all in our own world until we were almost done, and out of habit my eyes instantly went to Carina.
But her plate looked untouched, her fork resting limply in her hand and her eyebrows furrowed as she continued to look at her plate, her eyes far away. I sighed, knocking the table in front of Daphne to alert her about Carina's absentmind-ness.
"It's not going to disappear if you keep looking at it." Daphne gently prodded Carina out of her reverie, "Eat."
Carina blinked, realisation dawning on her as she shook her head, presumably trying to force whatever she was thinking about away. When she had resumed eating I pushed my finished plate away, turning to Blaise, but before I could speak, I heard Daphne mumble, "What's up Care?"
Carina sighed, before she handed a crumpled up piece of parchment to Daphne from the hand hidden under the table, "Is that a letter?" Daphne asked, a bit unsure.
Carina nodded, going back to eating.
"What's first today?" I asked Blaise as we both eyed Daphne reading the letter, her eyebrows shooting upwards slowly.
"Charms." Blaise said.
I nodded and Daphne thrust the parchment back to Carina, "Well that's good news?" Daphne asked, looking like she had just received the opposite of good news, in-fact she looked unsettled.
Carina raised an eyebrow looking at her critically, so Daphne schooled her expression carefully into a blank one and asked, "Well its news then?"
Carina nodded slowly, "What do you think about the last bit?" she asked, conversationally, taking a bite.
Daphne looked back at the letter, her eyes skimming over the end of the page until a gasp escaped her lips and Carina smiled satisfactorily, "Sit with me while owl Arch about the grand development?" Carina asked looking at Daphne expectantly.
But before Daphne could reply, Blaise butt in with, "What are you girls talking about?"
Carina looked over at him, pursing her lips, then she smiled, "Blaise." She started pleasantly, "You would now what it feels like to have a new step-father every month right?"
Spoons clattered down, and four pair of eyebrows shot up, Daphne just rolled her eyes. Carina looked especially pleased with the expression of pure fury on Blaise's face.
"Keep your long nose out of my business." Carina hissed, standing up and storming off, Daphne shot Blaise an apologetic expression, "She's on the edge a bit..." that said she dashed off after Carina.
"I totally get why she gets on your nerves." Blaise said, turning to me, his expression hard.
I shrugged, "Something's up but," I mused, "and I want to know what."
"Maybe I'll help you this time." Blaise complied, still looking peeved.
I smirked.
**