First duel (Merula Snyde x Slytherin female reader)

The Duel

I walked down to the courtyard to see what Rowan wanted to meet me about. She really thought we were best friends. Pfft, as if. Even though I didn't want to, I still went down to see what she wanted. I saw one of my actual friends, Ben Copper. He was being antagonized by the same girl who blew up my potion and caused me to lose house points, Merula Snyde.
"Say I'm the most powerful witch at Hogwarts!" She hollered. She held her wand up and indicated that she was about to use an unforgivable spell on Ben if he didn't say so.
"N-no.." Ben whined.
"Dirty mud-bloods like you shouldn't be allowed in a school for actual witches and wizards!" She yelled and brought her wand up even closer to him.
"L-leave me alone!" Ben cried, backing away from Merula.
I ran forward, grasping my wand.
"Leave him alone, Snyde! I'll fight you if I have to!" I yelled, holding my wand up.
"Again, I said to leave the fighting to the real wizards and witches," she said. "And you're not a real witch, (last name). You're mad. Just like your cursed brother."
I stood in silence. Something about her just made me angry, while another part just had something that I liked about the way she was speaking to me. She was my enemy. I should like absolutely no part about her, yet there was something I didn't just like, but loved, and I honestly couldn't tell what it was.
"Listen up, Copper. If you say I'm the most powerful witch at Hogwarts, I'll leave you alone," She paused. "For now..." She added.
Some part of me took over and decided to speak for me.
"You're definitely the cutest witch at Hogwarts..." I muttered under my breath.
" 'Scuse..?" Merula asked, glaring at me. I could see some redness on her face, or it was just my imagination.
"Let's duel," I said, hoping she didn't what I just said. "It'll prove if you're really that powerful."
"Sure, (last name). Be prepared for a lot of questions from Snape when you ask him how to brew a healing potion."
We started out duel. I recited every spell I knew and decided I was finally ready.
"You can have the first move," Merula said, smiling at how she thought she was gonna win. "It's only polite when you know someone's about to lose. Might as well give them a head start."
I was angered, yet charmed. The anger took over and made me yell,
"EXPELLIARMUS!"
"Protego." She said, looking like casting that spell was easier than anything she's ever done before.
The spell had been blocked. No damage had gotten to her.
"Flipendo!" She said with a little bit of a higher tone. I didn't know that spell, so I was knocked down.
The duel finished. She won. Angry as I was, I felt happy about the fact that I had talked to her so much, even though we weren't the friendliest to each other.
Merula was laughing harder than ever.
"Wow!" She laughed. "That was too easy! Try to be powerful and not mad, (last name)."
"You should also keep up being cute like that..." She added, ever so slightly under her breath. I heard it, loud and clear, even though it was pretty quiet.
"I'll try, for you," I said, feeling the redness in my cheeks. "You should keep it up too, Snyde."
She turned bright red after I said that. I hadn't noticed it yet, but everyone else was gone. It was just me and Merula.
I decided it was time to go back to "enemy talk" with Merula.
"I'll see you later, Snyde." I said, knowing there was no more need to whisper. "We'll duel again. I'll be sure to win."
"Actually, I'm planning to win, (last name)." Merula said, pointing her wand to my chest.
I lowered her wand.
"The next duel against you is gonna be easy. Especially if someone teaches me more sp-" I began.
Someone had just walked into our scene... Flitwick.
"There will be no more dueling, or spell teaching for this matter," he said, walking to us with his hands behind his back. "It's only detention."