Draco was always on my mind. I kept wondering what he was doing, where he was, what he was eating, if he was in the common room where I could sneak a peek at him. No doubt, I fell in love with him. Draco Malfoy, now the boy Rachel Farrell fell in love with. The first one. Whenever I saw him, I kept wanting to just grab him close to me and kiss him. I was constantly distracted in class and I kept stealing looks at him whenever I had the chance. It was no wonder OWLs results dropped by a few marks, nothing drastic. But this was something I could not keep up. I had to pull my grades up and I knew it. I couldn't fail at Hogwarts. Hogwarts was my home. I had Esme, who was like my sister. My teachers were my parents, for my real parents weren't my parents anymore. They sort of 'ditched' me when they found out their to-be-Griffindor daughter was put in Slytherin.
- - -
It was a long day today and I was walking back to the common room when I bumped into Hermione in the corridor. What was she doing down there near the dungeons, anyway? I was about to shove her off and tell her to go back to her proud tall tower.
"Um, Rachel? I was wondering if we could talk for a bit," she asked me so softly when she saw me I could barely hear a word she said.
"Sure," I passed my bag to Esme who said she'd help me to put it back in the dorms. I remembered to keep my wand in my pocket, though. Who knew what Hermione wanted to do with me all of a sudden.
"Let's go, then," Hermione took me to what I could tell was an attic. It was dusty and had a musky smell not to mention the extremely high ceiling.
"Okay, what do you want?" I asked her impatiently. Though I did appreciate the fact that she was still comfortable around me, I didn't want to stick with her for too long.
It wasn't very comfortable to be around someone you were once close to but not anymore.
"Listen, Rachel. Before you think of anything else, remember that I'm still your cousin and that I still... care about you," Hermione tells me in a tone that made me wish I were still best friends like we were three years ago.
"Mmhm. Okay?" I said, looking around the attic-like place. She should've picked a better place than this.
"I just want to say that I'm sorry if I've ever been mean to you in any way. I've been trying my best to make it up to you but Harry and Ron don't really... like you," she said, avoiding my gaze. Where was she going with this? "And, I was wondering if maybe we could be friends again. I miss being your best friend, Rachel. I don't want to lose you because of the fact that you're in Slytherin."
"Well, you should've said that earlier. You know-" she cut me off.
"I know, I'm sorry. I guess I didn't want you to be mad at me. I really miss being best friends with you and I just want to be as close as we were before, you know? I really missed your company over the past few years," she tells me. Her voice cracked and I could see tears welling up in her eyes. I guess I really meant a lot to her, because I know I did miss her friendship. Though Esme was closer to me now, I did miss having the close relationship I once had with Hermione.
A tear rolls down her cheek but she wipes it away immediately. "I'm sorry, Hermione. I didn't mean to be nasty to you or anything. I just thought we were suddenly different. I do miss your company, no doubt. But it's a bit more complicated now. But I guess we can try," I tell her.
"Really?" she asks me. She looks up and I see her eyes, now full of tears.
"Really," I take her in my arms and I felt like I was eleven again. Like Hermione failed a test at school and she'd came back crying. It's been a long time since I've felt close to someone in my family. I missed this, I really did. Until I realised that it was getting late, I let her go, pulling myself away from her.
"I've got to go. Bye Hermione, write to me," I told her before I left the attic and went back down to the common room.
I muttered the password and I stepped in. I saw Draco sprawled across the sofa once again and I walked into my dorm where I saw Esme reading a book on her bed. I sighed and I plopped myself down on my bed. I was exhausted. It was a long day and I just ran down more than twelve flights of steps from the bloody attic Hermione took me to.
"What's with Granger?" Esme put her book down and turned to me. She couldn't know that I was friends with a Gryffindor, she couldn't.
"Nothing much, she just wanted to ask me about some ruddy party she assumed I would be attending with my so-called parents," I lied as best as I can. Fortunately, she bought it.
"Filthy mudblood," Esme curses Hermione before she lay back down to read her book. I simply laughed and agreed with her before I washed up and got ready to go to bed.
Just when I get in bed, my mind turns to think of Malfoy again. Was he sleeping now? What was he doing if he wasn't? I wonder what he was dreaming of, was he dreaming of me? Wait no way, Malfoy dreaming about me? I must be out of my mind. He'd never like someone like me, I wasn't his type. Pansy seemed more like someone he'd prefer over me. As I continued debating whether Draco liked me or not, I fell asleep in exhaustion.
I wasn't awakened by Esme who pounced on me to get me to wake up. I groaned as I push my blankets off myself and fumbled around for my toothbrush. When I finished washing up, I made my way to first class, transfiguration.
"Good morning, students. For today's lesson, we will be learning to transform a teapot, which I will be handing out to you later, into a tortise," Professor McGonagall told us our task for today. With the swish of her wand, the stacks of teapots from the table distributed themselves to one-per-student.
"Now, when you have gotten your teapots, say the incantation, focusing on transfiguring the teapot into a tortise. See now," Professor McGonagall flicks her wand at the teapot on the table and the teapot transformed into a tortise!
"Bloody hell!" Weasel cried out. He's always so impressed with everything. Geez, he gets on my nerves.
"Thank you, Mr Weasley. Now, remember to say the incantation clearly and to flick your wand. Focusing on your transfiguration is important as well, now try!" Professor McGonagall gives us the green light to start using our spells.
I thought and concentrated hard enough on the teapot, with my mind wandering slightly about how Draco was doing. I was literally heads over heels with him. It was only depressing to know that he probably didn't feel the same way about me. I returned my focus to my teapot and focused on an image of a tortise. Quickly, I say the incantation and flick my wand to the teapot.
There was a poof before a small tortise was now sprawled across my table. It was brown, it's small head hugely in contrast with it's large body. I cringe when the tortise stretched its wrinkly skin. Esme looked at me in envy before seeing her teapot grow an extra leg.
"Well done, Miss Farrell! Ten points to Slytherin!" McGonagall praised me and once again, the whole class turned to look at me. I blushed as Draco looked at me, shooting a smile in my direction.
I glanced over at his teapot to see a small tortise tail appearing at the back of his pot. He frowned as he tried again, failing miserably. Transfiguration ended rather quickly and it was time to go to the next class.
When I was walking along the corridors for my next class with Esme, discussing what she did wrong at her attempt to transfigure a teapot into a turtle, Professor Snape comes over to me and tells me, "Miss Farrell, do mind if I take up a minute or two of your time. From what other professors have informed me and I have observed myself, I can see that you have a certain flair for spell-casting?" I have a flair for spell casting? What did that even mean? I was great at casting spells?
"Um... what do you mean by that, professor?" I asked him, curious as to what he really meant. Teachers didn't really praise me this year at Hogwarts.
"I mean that other professors and I have noticed that you are exceptionally brilliant at casting spells," Snape informed me. I guess I wasn't too bad. I did manage to cast spells and charms successfully on the first try but it seemed to slip my mind that I was one of the best.
"Oh, um... Then yes, I guess I am," I smiled awkwardly at him and let him continue.
"I was wondering, since you are so great at spell-casting, that maybe you could tutor Mr Malfoy. He seems to be having difficulties in this area of magic," Snape asked me for this favour.
"I guess I could help him, professor. When should I start, sir?" I asked him, eager to have one-to-one tuition with Malfoy. Tutoring Malfoy, another thing to involve him. I think I wouldn't be able to stop staring at his pretty, angel face the whole time.
"Is tonight a good time? I'll make arrangements with him myself and I will send you an interdepartmental note as to when and where to meet Mr Malfoy by four this afternoon," Snape told me firmly.
"Yes, sir," I said, before I got the signal so I left.
This was absolutely perfect. While tutoring him, I could just stare deep into his perfect silver eyes and just stay that way. It was as if Snape wanted to matchmake Draco and I together. It was impossible, I could never focus when he was just a few inches away from me. So it was just spell casting tonight. I rushed to my next lesson, Defense Against the Dark Arts, where I successfully mastered the spells on the spot. It was about three in the afternoon when I got Snape's interdepartmental note. It said -
Meet Mr Malfoy at the Astronomy Tower at eleven o'clock tonight. He'll be there, I spoke to him. Remember to bring your wand. I hope he improves with these lessons with you, Miss Farrell.
Professor Snape
Perfect, teaching Draco at the Astronomy Tower at eleven. I prayed hard that I wouldn't be distracted by his mere presence at that time of the night. The rest of the day passed by fast and it wasn't long before it was five before eleven. I found myself grabbing my wand from my dresser and running out of the common room to the Astronomy Tower.
A/N: So here, Rachel seems to admit to herself that she is in fact, very in love with Draco. I wanted something to bring them together, so I thought maybe having Rachel tutor Draco was a good start. I hope you liked the chapter, please leave a comment on anything I can improve on and please vote! Thank you! x