(finally the chapter you guys have been requesting... enjoy.)
A M O R T E N T I A
———
Mal's POV
A couple weeks had flown by and the commotion of Harry being picked as a TriWizard competitor had not blown over, if anything it's increased since then. Cedric was also chosen, and despite me being very happy for him I'm also incredibly worried. As Draco said, those tasks are dangerous, what if something would happen to him? Draco would not be too mad about that. I laughed humorlessly as I thought about this. They had already completed the first task, the dragons. Cedric and Harry both got out safely but a new rumor and romance had started spreading across Hogwarts.
"What do we have here?" Fred snatched the most recent issue of the Prophet from Mione's hand and began reading out loud "'Close-Knit Friendship or Blooming New Romance?--'" Mione tried to snatch the paper away.
"Give it!" Mione insisted but Fred got up so Mione couldn't reach and kept reading.
"'Youngest TriWizard Competitor and legend Harry Potter was found affectionately embracing young Hogwarts' bright witch Hermione Granger before his first task...' ooo 'affectionately' huh?" Fred teased and Mione finally gave up and slumped on her seat, "'Could this be the start of a blooming new romance at Hogwarts? We'll find out.' Hermione Granger... tsk tsk tsk... who knew you would have time to date and hit the books?"
"My sister? Dating?" I exaggerated my words as I snatched the paper away from Fred.
"And not just dating..." George began.
"Dating the 'legend' Harry Potter." The twins and I all said at the same time and the whole table laughed with us.
"Shut up." Mione pouted and turned to have her back facing us. I rolled my eyes and went to sit next to her, tugging playfully at a strand of her frizzy hair.
"C'mon Mione, don't be mad."
"I'm not mad at you." She answered curtly.
"Am I supposed to believe that?"
"It's true. I'm not mad, not at you." She glanced over to another table where Ron was with his new 'girlfriend', Lavender. She was nice, I guess, but clearly too touchy. She's like gum, she never wants to be away from Ron, everytime I glance over at them they're locking lips. "It's disgusting, honestly." Mione rolled her eyes and I turned to look at them and saw them locking lips again. That's not even kissing, she's freaking eating his face.
"He can not possibly be enjoying that, can he? I mean that looks disgusting." I tried to cheer her up.
"I wouldn't know." She shrugged but I didn't fail to hear that tone of longing and sadness in her voice. "Can you... tell me? What it's like when you and Cedric... you know."
I felt heat rise to my cheeks at her intimate question. "Oh... I mean first of all it shouldn't be anything like that at all. That is disgusting, definitely. And we don't do it all the time, I mean he just occasionally steals a kiss from me here and there. It's not bad, I mean just between you and me..." we both leaned in closer and I whispered, "it gets kind of boring when it goes on for a while."
"Boring? Shouldn't it be a 'thrilling' experience? According to many books, isn't it supposed to be like your heartbeat speeds up and you blush and all that."
"I don't know, I guess it just wasn't like that for me." I shrugged and started pulling my hair up into a ponytail.
"Doesn't that mean that maybe, you just don't like him like that?" What?
"What?" My hair tie flew out of my hand and accidentally hit Lavender right as she was about to eat -- I mean kiss -- Ron again. Mione and I both quickly turned around to pretend like nothing happened and stifled a laughter.
We regained our composure and I continued, "of course I like him. I do. I mean..." I turned to glance at Cedric who was three tables across, "look at him. How could I not like someone like that? He's nice, and he treats me with respect." More than I can say about Draco. Wait... why am I comparing them? Draco is nothing like Cedric. And Cedric's nothing like Draco.
"Not to mention Cedric's very attractive." Hermione pointed out and I blushed a little.
"Yes, that he is." I nodded.
"Ooo Cedric again." Fred came and slung his arm over my shoulder. "A couple weeks ago it was Malfoy, now it's Cedric. You've got ample options."
"Malfoy? What did I tell you about Malfoy?" Hermione scolded me and I rolled my eyes.
"I told you there's nothing going on between us. It's strictly platonic."
"Yeah yeah whatever. Let's go. I want to get an early night's sleep before tomorrow's lesson in potions."
"Ugh... Mione you're such a grandma." I rolled my eyes at her when she whipped her hair in my face as she stood and followed reluctantly behind.
"Don't come then." Mione shrugged.
"No no, I want to go to my room and get my hands dirty." I was already thinking about the things I could paint.
"Finger Painting again?" She smirked and I nudged her.
"Haha... so funny. No. But regular painting, yes." She nudged me back and we went our separate ways to our dorms.
———
"Mal! Mal, wake up! We're going to be late." Hermione shook my arm gently.
"Late for what?" I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and turned to look in the circular mirror I had on the wall beside my bed and was surprised to see my wavy and long burgundy hair fall smoothly down my shoulders.
"Late for first period of course!" Mione took my hand and dragged me up off my bed.
"Right, ok. It's potions, right?" I threaded my fingers through my hair and pulled it into a messy ponytail as I walked over to the bathroom.
"Yes, did you inhale too many paint chemicals last night or what? You are processing a little too slowly today. Anyway, I heard we're covering love potions today." She sing-songed the last words.
I poked my head out of the bathroom with my toothbrush still in my mouth, "You sound a little too excited for someone who doesn't want anyone to know she's crushing on Ron."
"Shut it. Here." She threw me my uniform. "Change and we'll leave."
I slipped on my uniform and quickly brushed through my hair, letting it out as I walked with Mione on our way to class. On our way there Draco shoved me into the wall, calling out "Mudblood" while smiling and laughing with his friends. I hate his mood swings.
I glared at him and muttered underneath my breath, "Incendia" pointing my wand to the bottom of his robe. His friends and him desperately slapped his robe with books and even poured water on it until the fire ceased. He glared at me and I winked, taking Mione's arm in mine and walking away. We took our seats in potions class and kept laughing at what I had just done to Draco.
"Ms. Granger" the professor called out.
"Yes?" Both Mione and I responded at the same time, causing us to laugh once again. The professor pointed at Mione.
"Do you know what this is?" the professor pointed to a small golden cauldron on his table.
"Amortentia, the most powerful love potion to exist. It smells different to each person, depending on what attracts them."
"Thank you. Ms. Granger?" he pointed at me, "come and tell us what you smell." I looked at Mione nervously before standing up and approaching the intriguing cauldron.
I recognized the smell immediately and stayed quiet.
Bloody hell. It can't be.
It smells like... like him.
Merlin fucking damn it.
I stayed quiet for a while until the professor cleared his throat, instructing me to proceed. "I smell... expensive cologne, mint, and..." I was interrupted by the sound of the door slamming open, with none other than Draco Malfoy stepping through the doors. "Apples." I finished off and quickly went to sit down next to Mione.
"Ah, Mr. Malfoy, since you were late I'm sure you wouldn't mind coming to tell us what you smell." Malfoy rolled his eyes and walked to stand in front of the potion, and inhaled deeply.
"Coconut, books and... paint?" Malfoy went to sit back down quickly.
"Mal... that's you, isn't it?" Mione shoved me lightly.
I shook my head quickly and glanced back at Malfoy, who I caught looking at me, and we stared at each other for a few seconds before I forced myself to look away. I caught Cedric looking at me with a sad expression on his face and he immediately looked away when he saw I had caught him. I buried my face in my hands and sighed. What the hell have I gotten myself into?
Class finally ended and I packed up my stuff slowly, hoping to catch Cedric so we could talk but he rushed out as soon as he realized what I was doing. I sighed and walked out of my class books in hand, I was going to catch up with Mione but she had already gone off to 2nd period. I was interrupted by someone grabbing a hold of my wrist and pulling me into a more secluded part that branched out of the hallway.
"Hey! Who the hell do you--" a cold finger was pressed to my lips and I immediately knew who it was. Malfoy. I was about to call him out on his audacity when he leaned in, placing his nose inches above my neck and inhaled deeply.
"I knew it had to be you."
"Great job detective, now can I leave?" I struggled against his hold and rolled my eyes, giving up.
"I heard what you said... about what you smelled. Apples did you say?" He raised his eyebrows in the way he always does.
"Mhm."
"What else did you smell?"
"That's it." I lied. The cynical expression on his face told me he knew I was lying.
"Yeah, ok. And Longbottom's the bravest person I know." I shot him a dirty look in response to his sarcastic remark about my friend. "Tell me."
"I did."
"The truth Granger."
"I. Did."
"Granger!"
"Malfoy!" I mimicked, smiling slightly at his annoyance.
"Tell me!"
"Or else what?" I challenged and he leaned close to me, allowing me to feel his breath on mine.
"You don't want to know."
"I'm terrified Malfoy. Really look--" I pretended to shiver, "I'm shaking with fear." He sighed and rolled his eyes.
"You smelled me, didn't you?"
I scoffed to cover up the truth. "What? Of course not. You're supposed to smell the person that attracts you, not the person who bullies you." His face fell and I had to bite my lip to not tell him the truth.
"What did you smell Granger?" He tightened his hold on my wrists against the wall, causing pain to shoot through my arms.
"The forest." I blurted out. He was shocked.
"What?"
"The forest, and apples, and... sage." I lied completely.
"Who-- Bloody Diggory." He gritted his teeth and let my wrists go.
"Yeah. Cedric." He sighed and ran his hand through his hair, tugging at it. I went to put a hand on his shoulder but he pushed me away. Maybe I should tell him the truth.
"Leave me alone, mudblood, go back to your little boyfriend."
"Malf--"
"LEAVE!" I grabbed my books off the floor and bit back the tears starting to form in my eyes.
Why did I lie? Why couldn't I just admit it? What the hell is wrong with me? If I had simply admitted it maybe everything would be easier... oh right, of course it wouldn't. Because it's Malfoy. It's bloody Draco Malfoy. Why couldn't it have been Cedric? I wish it would've been Cedric. Cedric is sweet, and nice, and affectionate. And Draco is the complete opposite. He's mean, and rude, and controlling... but he's also smart, playful, and he's the only person that's ever let me sleep through the night. Why can't we control what our hearts want? If we could life could be so much easier.
I wiped a tear that started to fall and went inside my next class, sitting in the back so I could leave before everyone else.