Unforeseen Outcomes

Chapter 13- Draco

About a week has passed since the Halloween Ball, and Draco hasn't spoken to Greengrass since the incident in the alcove. She's been taking every possible measure she can to avoid being within five feet of him and hasn't made eye contact with him in days, an impressive feat considering they share the same circle of friends, same dining table, same common room, and they also have the same class schedule. It's as if nothing happened between them, like it was all a fever dream. Not that that bothers him, the whole fiasco was just a momentary lapse in judgement, a freak slip up. There was probably something in the punch they drank that he could blame for what happened between them. Truly, he couldn't care less. 

And yet, he's frustrated by the lack of acknowledgement he's getting from the Grass girl. Even now as she sits across from him in the dining hall staring into her bowl of oatmeal. She seems to be mentally absent from the present conversation, toying with her spoon as Theo drones on about his plans for the holidays, which are more than a month away. 

"I think we may be traveling this year, but I'm not certain, " Theo says between mouthfuls of scrambled eggs. "My mum keeps asking my father if we can go visit family in Paris, but he's insisting that our options are Amsterdam or nothing. Personally I think he's just refusing to visit my mum's parents because last time her father drank too much firewhiskey and crawled into bed with them to snuggle. I reckon it's not one of his fondest memories."

"Theo, what are you on about?" Blaise asks. "The holidays are ages away, I can't even plan far enough ahead to know what I'll be eating for dinner."

"Hey I just like to be prepared, no problem with having a detailed itinerary. I take after my mum, I am her son after all."

Blaise rolls his eyes and leaves early for his next class, just as Pansy joins them at the table, pointedly sitting beside Draco, elbow propped up on the table to block the view of Greengrass. 

"Pansy, lovely of you to join us. Any plans for holiday break?" Theo prods, inviting her into the conversation. 

She tosses her hair over her shoulders and sits up a little straighter. "I believe my aunt is taking us to Italy for a week or so before we return to her home to celebrate Christmas and the new year."

"Sounds grand, what about you Astoria, any plans?" He turns to Greengrass, who finally looks up from her meal, still avoiding direct eye contact with Draco. She brushes a strand of hair from her face and manages a small smile.

"I'm not certain, I may just stay on campus for winter recess, get ahead on my studies." She picks at the skin on her fingers, probably a nervous tick. 

Pansy scoffs at Greengrass's answer, smirking as Greengrass returns her gaze to its original fixation on her breakfast. "Yeah, good luck with your studies." She sneers, a malicious expression settling on her face as Greengrass sinks further into her seat.

"Aye come off it, we don't need a repeat of last weekend." Theo says defensively, subtly wrapping his arm around Greengrass's waist. "Don't attack the poor girl because you're stuck in Muggle Studies instead of useful classes like our little scholar here." He winks down at Astoria who has the smallest smile on her face to show her appreciation.

Pansy's face turns several shades more red, her eyebrows furrowing in rage before she slams her hand on the oak table and rises from her seat. "Whatever, I have to get to class." Pansy says, throwing her bookbag over her shoulder and stomping out of the Great Hall as everyone watched her leave. 

Theo gets up a few moments later, half pulling half helping Greengrass to her feet. "We should probably get going as well, " he announces, grabbing her bookbag for her. "May I walk you to class?"