It was the day before Serena left for home, meaning it was also the day of her date with Tristan. Yes, she was feeling a strong attraction towards Draco these past few days, especially ever since their dinner. But she also couldn't neglect her feelings for Tristan, she has liked the guy for two years and maybe this date could give her more clarity. Although, she doubt it could.
Instead of going out of Hogwarts, they decided to stay within castle grounds and have a picnic in the quidditch arena.
"Do you plan on becoming a professional quidditch player?" Serena asked while taking a bite of the blueberry parfait.
"I don't think so. I love playing the sport sure, but I don't see myself playing it professionally"
"So what are your plans after graduating?"
"I'm not sure but maybe something that has to do with Arithmancy, it's my best subject and it's what the professors suggested"
"Interesting, I never really had a heart for Arithmancy or anything with numbers"
Tristan smiled. "Not everyone does but it's okay.... You know, I'm glad Professor Slughorn made us partners for that project"
Serena looked at him "yeah? Why is that?"
"I get to have this date with you and I got to know you more and I still want to know more about you"
Serena could feel her cheeks blush. She's now hearing what she never thought to hear. "I... Me too Tristan"
"Should we go for a walk?" Tristan asked and Serena nodded.
Blaise and Draco were sitting in the Great Hall playing a game of wizard chess. Blaise was grinning from ear to ear since he was winning and since Draco was obviously distracted.
"Checkmate!" Blaise screamed, and Draco just grunted and laid his forehead on top of the table
"Oh don't worry mate, maybe next time you'll do better. Although, with a mood like that I doubt it" Blaise mocked but Draco didn't make any move or noise as a reply so Blaise asked him, "Have you decided what to do for this Holiday Break?"
Draco still didn't move for a while but then he lifted his head, and rested it in his closed hand, "Maybe I'll just take your offer"
"Great!" Blaise grinned.
"Just please remember to cast a muffliato spell whenever Pansy is around, I don't want to hear anything at night"
Blaise laughed and nodded. Ever since his parents' death, Blaise has the Zabini household to himself. Draco decided it was best for him to go with Blaise rather than stay here at Hogwarts or go back to Malfoy Manor. His mother would be travelling this holiday season and besides that, he didn't want to meet with her since she would probably just pester him with Astoria.
"Do you want to head back then? I haven't packed yet" Blaise asked.
"You go on ahead, I'll just take a walk first" Draco replied. Blaise nodded and both went on their separate way
Serena and Tristan were walking around outside the castle. They just finished playing a round of snowball fights and now just agreed on a truce.
"I have to hand it to you, Serena, you can throw a mean snowball. I think I'm going to have a bruise!" Tristan said while holding the side of his stomach.
"Having a very competitive older brother does train you into the art of throwing snowballs" Serena said smugly.
"Is that so?" Tristan laughed. "You're really funny you know that?"
"I'm glad I could be so entertaining to you" Serena bowed playfully and Tristan laughed again while throwing a snowball.
"Oh, you'll pay," Serena said vengefully and their snowball fight commenced once again. After how many thrown snowballs later, Serena got carried away, therefore hurling a large and fast snowball towards Tristan which hit him right in the face. He stumbled back and hit his head on the tree.
When Tristan didn't move, Serena hurriedly went to him and kneeled down beside him. "Tristan? Tristan? Are you okay? I'm sorry! I..."
"BAH!"
"Aaah!" Serena tumbled backwards, startled by Tristan's sudden scare. She could hear him laughing but she was not as amused, she could feel her heart racing from the scare. "Not funny" she said while slowly sitting up.
When she sat up properly though, her heart started racing again. Tristan was very near, only inches apart from her face and he was looking at her like never before and then he suddenly whispered "mistletoe"
Serena didn't move, unsure of what she just heard. So Tristan pointed atop them and when she looked up, she saw the mistletoe. She looked back to him to see he was much closer than before. She swallowed hard and closed her eyes.
Draco was wandering around outside. Unsure why he wanted to walk but felt like he needed to, as if his legs were just tingling. He didn't really know which part he was as the snow was covering almost everywhere. He heard someone shouting and thought it was Serena's voice, but then why would she be here? Wasn't she supposed to be on a date? He turned to look for the source and there it was.
He was very far from them but he was sure it was Serena. Door matt seemed to be unconscious and he thought 'what a loser'. He walked closer to see if he could help but saw the boy startling Serena and she fell back. He didn't want to see this and he was about to turn and walk away, he truly was but then he saw it.
He saw them looking at each other, and it wasn't the ordinary kind, it was the kind he and Serena would sometimes share and he didn't like Serena looking at door matt that way. He had to look away, he wanted to but he was glued to his position. And then the worst came, he should have looked away but he was too late.
He saw them kissing and it damned hurt. He's been hurt many times before but this one was different, it clawed his very heart. Unable to look anymore, he finally walked away.
She felt his lips soft and hesitant at first. She could not believe it, she couldn't. It felt like a dream come true, the boy she liked for so long was finally, finally, kissing her! And yet... She didn't feel as magical as she thought it would be.
The kiss was longer than the one she shared with Draco. She grabbed his face pulling him closer wanting to feel more than just a kiss. She wanted to feel fireworks, sparks, fire, anything.
But she couldn't. Draco kissed her only for a second and she felt all those things, and here she was kissing her crush, but nothing. They pulled away and Tristan smiled at her and she did too, she tried to mask her disappointment.
"Serena... Before anything, can I ask you something?"
Serena nodded, unsure what he would ask.
"Are you and Draco Malfoy seeing each other? Maybe you two are more than friends?"
Serena shook her head in disbelief. "What?! Of course not! I'm on a date with you and I just kissed you! What makes you think we're together? I'm not that kind of girl you know!"
"Sorry! I didn't mean it that way. I just wanted to make sure. It's just I see you two are really close and I even saw you before leaving a letter for him"
Serena felt the blood drain from her face. "What?" She asked in a whisper but he heard it.
"It was months ago. I was heading to our classroom early and I saw you leaving the other way. I was curious since I knew you didn't have class there and then I saw Draco open the letter and thought it was from you"
Serena wanted to say it was for him but how could she? She felt embarrassed about the mistake she did.
"Umm well since you're single, is it okay if we continue this? I mean let's officially date" Tristan asked sheepishly and Serena was taken aback, she couldn't speak. It was happening... "I know this is only what, our 3rd, 4th date but...." Tristan continued since Serena was quiet ".... But I like you, Serena"
Serena thought her eyes would pop out. He said it. He really did say it. Draco won the deal. Tristan likes her and she felt happy for herself. She was about to answer him when Tristan started to speak again.
"You know, I'm happy you and Draco aren't together. I don't even know why you hang out with those 2. You're very different from them"
Serena shook her head in confusion and found her voice "what do you mean by that?"
"It's just, he's a real Slytherin"
"And I'm not?"
"You are but you're not as evil as them pure Slytherins, especially that Malfoy"
And then Serena remembered how Draco said he wanted people to see him for who he was, how he desperately wanted himself and for others to believe that he wasn't evil . So she defended him, "I can't speak for all Slytherins since I do admit that there were a lot who joined the side of evil but my friends, especially Malfoy, is NOT evil and I am a pure Slytherin!"
"How can you even defend him? He was a bloody death eater for crying out loud! For all we know he probably still is! Just being a coward since his side lost"
Serena stood up, now furious. "How dare you judge him! You have no idea what he's been through! Yes he's made wrong decisions but he's acknowledged them and he's repented. He's now on the side of good! He's been trying so hard for people to see the real him"
Tristan's face suddenly became darker, he too became angry. He didn't know why she would defend someone who wasn't worthy of being defended. "I already see the real him. A traitor, a coward, a worthless death eater, a..." Tristan couldn't even finish his sentence when he felt his jaw hurt. Serena had just punched him.
He looked confused and she looked angry. He was still touching his jaw when Serena said, "I never thought I'd say this, but you're the coward! For refusing to see the good in him makes you more of a coward! I used to see you as my hero, the brave Gryffindor who saved me all those years ago yet I was clearly wrong! I can't believe I used to like you!"
Tristan was obviously shocked by Serena's confession but before he could speak Serena asked him, "If you detested Malfoy so much, why even bother with me? You knew we were friends"
Tristan looked at her with a menacing look and smiled "Because I thought, wouldn't it be fun to steal someone from Malfoy? I thought you liked each other, especially you, and it would feed my ego if you went from liking him to liking me. I'm sorry you had to find out this way though. But I really did start to enjoy your company and..."
Serena couldn't believe what she just heard. After Tristan's revelation she wasn't listening anymore. She was humiliated and betrayed by her very own 'hero'. She was beyond infuriated. What she did next was something she didn't even need to think about, it was pure instincts. She hit him with something far more worse than a hex, she kneed him hard on the most sensitive part of the male form and punched him again in his beautiful face and after he screamed and went down on the ground, she screamed "aguamenti!"
A huge splash of water covered him, she took his wand and threw it far away. He was now shivering badly while still hunched over. "Suffer from Hypothermia! You pathetic, worthless jerk!" She kicked snow in his face and lifted her middle finger as she was leaving. And because he was half-muggle, he knew all too well what it meant.