Villain, D. Malfoy

12. White Lies

Draco

Everyone knows that when you begin spending time with two different types of friend groups, you're bound to leave one for the other. Life should never be that good to be true. So, we usually end up preferring one over the other. According to my plan, that cannot happen.

I frown at Emerald, who was, once again, chatting away with that ridiculous Gryffindor trio. She and I are back on our good terms, or whatever terms we were before, so why does she keep speaking to them? She has allies now; me. She doesn't need to do community service and talk with those low lives.

Of course, I have to send Crabbe and Goyle out on a mission to get to the bottom of this.

"What do you want us to do again?" Their troubled faces let me know that they were a bit slow.

"You're not too quick at understanding apparently, but I'll recite the plan again. Pretend you're looking for utensils you 'lost' and overhear their conversation. See who's making an effort to keep the dialogue, too. The plan is idiot-proof; you cannot mess it up."

They nodded and went through with it. I stared as they dropped their forks on the floor and gradually crawled towards Emerald, Harry, Ron, and Hermione's table to "pick them up." The Great Hall was noisy and active, so there was no need for Crabbe and Goyle to be caught with their sneaking abilities.

I saw them glimpse at each other as they heard in on the trio's discussion and their manners just made me even more uncertain. After a few minutes, I grabbed their attention and ordered them to come back to our Slytherin table.

"So!?" I hurried them to tell me any fascinating piece of information they just listened to.

"Ron said something about Professor Snape, and then they all chuckled."

"Emerald chimed in saying that Dumbledore's speeches were even more lengthy and tedious."

"And then Hermione said something about how she hates you?" Crabbe pointed at me.

"Oh, because Harry was clarifying what happened last week between you two!"

"Stop," I lean my head to the side. "How does Potter know what happened between Emerald and me?"

"Emerald told him, I suppose."

"Of course she did; I'm not stupid. It was a rhetorical question, you idiot."

I begin thinking for just a moment. If Emerald had told Harry and that pathetic trio about our occurrence, then she considered it something worth talking about. Perhaps, she truly relished how I stroked her face, and she was babbling to her friends about it. Isn't that what girls do, anyway?

Or maybe she just brought it up because she thought it was necessary. Either way, she spoke about it. She talked about me, about us.

"You two can sit down, now. I've got it covered from here." I shoved them down to the table seats, standing up myself.

I fidget in my Slytherin robe, seeming as confident as I could be. Their heads turn to stare at me, but only one of those four faces seems amused.

"What are you doing here?" Hermione narrows her eyes at my presence. I bow my head down, smiling. "You're gonna let your little friends talk to me this way, Em?"

She perks up at me, and a humorous smile plays on her rose lips. She didn't mind the nickname I just made up on the spot, to piss off the Golden Trio.

"Well, of course, why wouldn't I, Malfoy?" She fooled.

"Ouch, that hurts. Almost as painful as recalling the fact that we have an unfinished conversation, don't you think?" I angle my head to the right, now standing in front of Emerald while they all hunched down and stared at my every move.

"How could that be feasible? Last time I checked, we weren't missing any discussions."

"Perhaps a recheck should be nice then." I snatch her fingertips and make her stand up with one pull from my arm. Her eyes finally meet mine entirely.

"Did you tell your little friends about last week?" I whisper, so only she could hear.

"N-no, why would I? What makes you think?" She stuttered, shifting her glances all around the Great Hall.

"Nervousness is always a nice look on you, darling. Crabbe and Goyle overheard you conversing about it with your friends."

"Oh, how attentive of you; sending your minions to spy on me?"

"Kind of thoughtful, isn't it?" I took a step toward her, smirking.

She places her palms on my chest, attempting to push me back. I recouped my strength and bounced back, getting closer to her than ever.

"Oh, but why do you always leave me deserted with my unanswered concerns. Did you or did you not tell your friends?"

"I didn't; you just heard wrong." She picked at her clothing.

"Yeah, and how does Potter know?"

"Guess he must have been in the forest with his invisibility cloak. Why did you want to know, anyway?"

I saw straight through her trivial lies. She was stubborn. Everyone here knew that. If she were to admit that she told her friends about our little moment, she should have to explain why. And she doesn't want to confess that reason; we both know why.

"Since you won't acknowledge the fact that you spoke to your friends about me, for whatever motive that was, then allow me to tell you that what happened last week was nothing but just another game," I lie through gritted teeth.

Since she doesn't want to confess the real reason behind her telling her friends about me, then I'll pretend nothing happened. Because nothing did. Right?