Destiny and the Dragon (A Draco Malfoy Love Story)

Chapter Four

"Tracey! Blaise! I missed you so much!" I said to my two Slytherin friends as they walked into the common room. Tracey ran over to give me a hug, but Blaise only nodded discreetly, which, for him, was like overt emoting.

"Did you like the jumper?" Tracey said breathlessly as the three of us sat in chairs by the fire. I nodded profusely.

"Loved it! How about the scarf I got you?" She gestured to her neck, and I grinned.

"And the shirt, Blaise?" I asked him, wiggling my eyebrows. I wasn't one for jokes, usually, but Blaise was one of my favorite people to tease, so my Christmas present embodied that sentiment. He sniffed.

"I have no idea why you gave me a t-shirt with embroidery of myself in a tutu on the front. Where am I supposed to wear that? It's embarrassing." Tracey caught my eye and we burst out laughing simultaneously.

"You don't like it?" I choked out, "Well, I'm sure you'd love to know what I sent Malfoy then." Tracey's mouth fell open, and even Blaise showed interest in where this was going.

"I bought all the gifts with my winnings from the quidditch bettings, and he was the largest contributor, so I felt like I owed him."

"MUDBLOOD!"

"Speak of the devil! The man himself approaches..." I grinned at my friends. Draco Malfoy came flurrying into the common room in a rage. He stormed right up to me and pointed at something pink and cloth in his hand.

"How dare you?!" He roared, holding out a pair of hot pink underwear that said 'Property of Pansy.'" Blaise snorted, Tracey gasped like she was holding in an explosion of laughter, and I grinned.

"You bought those yourself, you know..." I told him slyly. "It was your money."

"Do you know what conversation this provoked with my mother? IT WAS NOT PLEASANT!" I laughed harder. "I'm going to get you for this! You will pay, scum!" I winked at him through my tears. He blinked wordlessly for a moment. "What happened to you?" he said in a much less hostile voice.

"Nothing. Bodkins," I shrugged with another grin, tucking my wrapped hands behind my

back, and he snorted before storming off to his dormitory, presumably, while Tracey shook her head at me.

"You are shameless," she said with a smile.

"Utterly," Blaise agreed.

"Hey, he's been a git ever since the first night. He shouldn't have brought up my parents."

"No, he shouldn't have," Tracey said, leaning onto my shoulder and wrapping me in a hug. "I don't know how you manage to get under his skin like that. Anyway, why in Merlin's name would you be playing around with Bodkins here?" I flushed.

"I wasn't... somebody mailed them to me," I admitted. "I don't know who." Tracey frowned.

"Those are seriously dangerous," she said disapprovingly. "We need to find out who wanted you hurt!"

"It could be anyone," interjected Blaise dryly. "You're not exactly well-liked in Slytherin."

"Thanks, Blaise," I said in a voice dripping with sarcasm.

"What? It's true. You're a mudblood, you can't expect to be popular here of all places." I knew he was right, so I didn't argue. Tracey was right, too... I needed to make careful observations of the people around me and find out who sent me that envelope.

Classes resumed, which I was glad for, except my hands were still too sliced to write properly. In Potions Professor Snape taught us how to make a Forgetfulness Potion, which I had already practiced over break and, in fact, made some small improvements. Tracey stared at me with confusion as I crushed half my mistletoe berries with a spoon that I struggled to grip in my mummy-like hands, and placed them all in the cauldron to boil.