| Puffskein
Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Canada
Posts: 2,438
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Chapter 23
The Talk
Another week had passed. I had begun to dread each coming day, dreading the possibility that Ginny Weasley might think I’ve put off telling people about my father too long and do so herself. As if things hadn’t been tense enough between Harry and me... now this? After my realization of how I really felt about him, though, I had started spending more time with him again. Every day, actually. Who knew how long I had with him now?
It was Friday evening. Dinner had passed and now was the only free time I’d have until Monday, thanks to Bryony. Her schedule hadn’t changed, even after she managed to make me faint and, a few days ago, another one of our chasers, Blaire McKinnely, passed out. I swear she wouldn’t slow until the entire team went down. At the rate she’s pushing us, someone will pass out in the middle of the big match and she’ll blame it on whoever does pass out, not her insanity.
“Rosa.” I felt my body being shaken. I realized my eyes were closed, so I opened them and turned my head, looking up at Harry.
“Yeah?”
“Am I that boring?” he asked, smiling.
I yawned. “No, it’s not you... it’s my team captain. You know why Gryffindor can rarely get the pitch times reserved? Go after... Montague...” My eyes began to close again, but Harry tightened his hold around me, kept me awake.
“I think I will talk to her. It’s been getting ridiculous, her hogging the pitch entirely for herself.”
“Oi.” I perked up, lifting my head from his chest and sitting back up again.
“Ok, entirely for her team.”
I smiled sleepily and patted his shoulder, replying, “That’s better.”
“You aren’t the only house that needs to practice,” he continued to rant. “Three weeks until the House Cup games start and she’s taken the pitch every day except for two... and there are three other houses. But, more importantly, she’s kind of started to kill your team. Who passed out today?”
“Dalton, actually. He’s still in the hospital wing; the bristles of another broomstick got lodged in his nose when he fell on it and apparently they’re a pain to remove. Quite literally, too. Not that I’d know personally, but I went to see him and he wouldn’t shut up about it. ‘Pulling out porcupine quills is better than this’ and all.” I smiled slightly, looking back on that visit just over an hour ago.
“How many does that make...?” Harry thought aloud. His hand absentmindedly stroked my back.
“Me, one of the other chasers, the keeper, and a beater. I repeat, it’s ridiculous.” I sat more upright, creating a tiny distance between us. “Practice isn’t just for improving and enjoying anymore, it’s a competition to see who goes down. I won five galleons when Dalton went down today.”
Harry sighed and shook his head, chuckling.
“Well I’ll try speaking to your crazy captain. If all else fails I’ll have to get the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw captains and the three of us gang up on her.” He looked out over the lake, thinking. He then smiled. “Yeah, that’ll probably end up happening no matter what.”
I smiled too, knowing it was true, and fell against him. My arm wrapped around his waist, looking out over the lake. His arm wrapped around my shoulder, holding me closer. We didn’t speak, we just looked beyond the lake. My thoughts started drifting to unpleasant ones, starting a raging battle between those thoughts and the better ones.
We chatted casually until the sun set. Once it was over the horizon, we got up and left the beach, heading for the castle. Once we were inside, we said goodbye and headed for our common rooms. When I did get into the Slytherin common room, I found it surprisingly empty for a Friday night at such an hour. As I was halfway through the common room, heading for the girls’ dormitories, I realized I wasn’t alone.
“Finally back?”
I stopped and turned around. Draco seemed to come out of nowhere.
“Yes, I’ve returned,” I said curtly.
He smirked. “Enjoyed your walk on the beach?”
“Enjoyed stalking me?” I retorted, putting my hands onto my hips indignantly.
“As always.” His smirk was triumphant, as though he was proud that he was a creeper.
I scowled and turned around, letting my hands drop, and started to walk away.
“You’re still leading him on, aren’t you?”
I stopped mid-step, my hands clenching into fists. “What makes you say that?”
“That he’s still with you,” he replied with a belittlingly obvious tone.
I spun around, glaring. “Maybe I did tell him and he accepted it.”
He laughed. “Right, and maybe I fell off a cliff and didn’t get injured.”
“It happens,” I snapped.
“With no water at the bottom or magic to stop.”
My jaw tensed.
“Look, Rosa...” his tone changed, sounding almost... gentle. He’s never spoken like this to me before, it freaked me out. “Just think about what you’re doing.”
“I am,” I growled, my clenched fists opening and going back to my hips indignantly.
“Not clearly enough to see what you’re doing.” He was smiling condescendingly.
“I know what I’m doing!”
Draco’s hands came up, either in surrender or to shut me up. “You say you care about Potter. Show it.”
My mouth dropped. “Excuse me?”
“You can’t really think you truly care about the freak while you’re still covering a fair portion of your life from him.”
I scoffed. “It’s ironic you of all people are trying to give me advice on how to show people you care.”
He scowled. “Not everyone knows how to show they care.”
I blinked, totally taken aback. I opened my mouth to respond, but shut it again. His smoky eyes were hard as rock on me, burning into mine.
“You’re right,” I managed to get out. I then turned around and jumped up the three stairs and walked down the hall, heading for my room. Did I seriously just admit Draco Malfoy was right about something? Something must be wrong with me.
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Last edited by MalfoyzBeloved; 09-28-2010 at 10:23 PM.
Reason: deleting un-story-related comment
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