When we boarded the train for our fourth year, I was dismayed to see Pansy joining us in the compartment.
Ugh; I'd forgotten about that bitch.
"Drakie! Did you miss me?"
I was secretly pleased to see the look of horror flicker on Draco's face as she launched herself upon his lap.
"Did you hear?" She screeched looking excitedly between Draco and I as her arms snaked possessively around his neck.
"Hear what?" I sighed, trying not to look directly at it.
"Daddy says there's going to be a Triwizard Tournament held this year," she paused dramatically looking gleefully for our reactions.
When she got nothing, she continued. "In Hogwarts!"
"I wonder if Potter knows?" Draco pondered. "I'll expect he'll enter. Never misses a chance to show off."
"Drac," I sighed, tiredly rubbing my forehead, "you hear that our school's going to host one of the biggest events in the wizarding world ever, and your first thought is whether Harry Potter knows about it? Dude, just admit you love him already."
"I do not love him!" Draco roared getting immediately to his feet, causing Pansy to topple ungracefully to the floor. "Come on boys, let's go for a little walk."
Crabbe and Goyle immediately leapt to attention and hastily followed him out, stepping over a whimpering Pansy as they did so.
Twenty minutes later, they returned, Draco looking smug about something.
"You went to see him, didn't you?" I smirked knowingly up at him.
His pale face instantly coloured as he avoided my gaze.
"I knew it," I muttered, shaking my head. "Just make sure I get to be your Best Woman. I've got a great speech planned for the wedding."
Draco's eyes immediately met mine; flashing wickedly as a smirk twitched at his lips.
"Pansy, move along would you?" he demanded, beckoning down to where Pansy was sat next to me.
Pansy looked up startled, her bottom lip jutting out. "But... why?"
"I want to sit next to Blaire," he said unapologetically.
Crestfallen, Pansy slid across towards the door, leaving the middle seat free. Draco claimed it without so much as a thank you, and turned to me, pulling out a pack of cards from his pocket.
"For that, Zabini, you can play me a game." He said, expertly shuffling them without waiting for a response.
"What are you doing?" Pansy asked at once, trying desperately to peer over his shoulder. "Can I play too?"
"Sorry, Pansy," Draco drawled coolly, "it's a two player game only."
I found myself feeling inexplicably sorry for her when her lower lip started to quiver. As much as I didn't like the girl, Draco's cruel dismissal of her didn't sit quite comfortably with me, especially after he'd been so into her the previous year.
"Drac," I warned, giving him a scathing look.
"Fine," he grumbled, glancing resignedly back at Pansy, "watch how we do it first and then you can join in on the next game."
Pansy's face lit up in an instant; delighted at not being excluded.
"You know, one of the traditions of the Triwizard Tournament is for the hosting school to have a Yule Ball," Pansy started wittering on, not concentrating on our game in the slightest. "I've already got my dress; Daddy spent an absolute fortune on it. Of course you won't be able to see it until the night, Drakie, but I have some fabric swatches you can use to customise your outfit to match mine."
I couldn't help but snort loudly as Draco's face dropped in horror.
"Sounds delightful," I sniggered quietly out of the corner of my mouth, "please do let me help you pick that one out... Drakie."
"Oh, it's just going to be the best year ever," Pansy sighed happily as she grabbed Draco's arm and pulled him down so that she could smack her lips loudly and wetly against his cheek.
"Quit with the PDAs or I'm fucking right out of here," I warned fiercely; no way was I going to put up with that crap again this year.
Pansy gave a high pitched giggle and wrapped her arms possessively around Draco's mid drift.
"We can't help it, can we, Drakie?" She tittered, not seeming to notice how awkward he looked.
"Maybe let's not in here, Pans," he said stiffly, forcibly peeling her arms off of him as his eyes kept darting guiltily back to me.
I rolled my eyes and threw my cards in, suddenly not in the mood to play anymore.
Pansy continued to go on and on about this dumb Ball we were supposedly having, that in the end, I had to force myself to zone out, closing my eyes and pretending I was anywhere but there.
I hadn't realised I'd fallen asleep until Draco nudged me awake. "Want anything from the trolley, Zabini?"
I sleepily lifted my head up, looking around dazedly as I wiped the drool from my face.
"Sure," I yawned, stretching my arms up in the air and dramatically jutting my chest forward.
When I finished, I noticed Draco was wearing a peculiar expression on his face; his eyes quickly averting upwards and a colour rising to his cheeks.
"What's up with you?" I asked, getting to my feet.
"N-nothing," he stammered before turning to a furious looking Pansy, "Want anything, Pans?"
"No," she spat, furiously crossing her arms in front of her chest.
I raised my eyebrows, wondering what on earth was going on with these two.
Draco quickly scurried out, leading the way up the carriage until we reached the trolley at the end.
"I'll get this," he insisted as I went to remove my coin bag from my pocket.
I shrugged and re-pocketed my gold. Who was I to argue when someone else wanted to pay.
As I stood waiting for Draco to get me an extensive list of sweets and other crap, I found myself pleasantly surprised when I was approached by a familiar person.
"Hello, Blaire," Cedric smiled, his velvety voice causing a funny sort of flipping sensation in my stomach. "Did you enjoy the rest of your summer?"
"Hey, Cedric," I smiled back, already hypnotised by his sparkling silver eyes, "I did, thank you; I enjoyed it very much."
A soft chuckle escaped his lips; his eyes remaining fixed firmly on mine as he drove a hand through his hair, causing it to flop back messily down.
My fuck he was beautiful.
"I'm glad I bumped into you, actually," he murmured, his cheeks colouring slightly. "You see, we're having a little party of sorts in the Prefect carriage and I wondered, seeing as you're here, if you'd like to join me as my guest?"
"Oh," I said, suddenly feeling unnaturally flustered and needing to stall for time to think straight. "Are non-Prefects allowed?"
"They are when I say they are," he said smoothly, leaning in slightly closer so that I caught a whiff of his cologne; the musky scent somehow making my pulse quicken.
"What's going on here?"
Both Cedric and I snapped our heads up at the disgruntled voice.
Draco, complete with angry scowl, had finished at the trolley and was now standing next to us, his arms so full to the brim with chocolate, sweets and pasties that he could barely see over it.
"Feeling hungry, mate?" Cedric chuckled his eyes sweeping the array of crap weighing Draco down.
"They're for her," Draco growled, angrily beckoning his head towards me. "And I'm not your mate."
"They're not all for me," I said hastily, silently cursing Draco's balls off. He was making me look like a greedy pig in front of the hottest boy in school.
Draco made a loud scoffing noise in response and I turned my head to glare at him.
"Perfect, I was about to get some more supplies, anyway," Cedric said, relieving the lot from a spluttering Draco with ease, "these will do fine."
"What party?" Draco said with panic rising in his voice, his head whipping back and forth between Cedric and I. "Blaire? What's going on?"
"Cedric's invited me to a prefect party," I shrugged coolly.
"What - now?" Draco said fiercely, his scowl showing his disapproval. "But Pansy will be expecting us back at any minute!"
"Go back to your girlfriend, Malfoy," Cedric muttered, rolling his eyes disparagingly. "I'm sure Blaire would rather hang out with us than play gooseberry to you two."
"Actually," Draco bristled pompously, looking as though he might implode, "Blaire is my best friend who happens to know exactly where her loyalties lie!"
I looked from one to the other as they both turned their heads expectantly towards me, waiting for me to make my decision.
I mean, in the end, it was a no brainer.
And let me tell you, the prefects know how to party.
*****