Denying Draco

32 - A Surge Of Emotions

'Poppy?' Ginny got up from the sofa quickly as Poppy stormed through the Gryffindor common room and immediately headed for the dorms.

'What's going on?' Ron got to his feet too, followed by Hermione, all three of them turning to Harry who walked in slowly after Poppy.

'Harry?' Hermione questioned. 'Did something happen?'

Harry let out a gentle sigh. 'Malfoy happened.'

Ginny and Hermione instantly crossed the room to the dorm, following Poppy inside where she was sitting on the edge of her bed with her head in her hands. The two girls slowly approached and got down onto their knees in front of her, looking equally concerned and sympathetic.

'What did he do?' Ginny asked, quietly.

A heavy and shaky sigh escaped Poppy's mouth and she raised her head, staring at the wall with glossy eyes as she bit down on her lip to stop it from quivering. A sad and helpless laugh came from her mouth as she shook her head. 'I don't even know why I'm crying.'

'Talk to us,' Hermione said, softly, resting a hand on her arm.

'I just...I don't know what this is,' Poppy croaked, as she sniffed and dabbed at her eyes. 'I've never experienced anything like this before.' She was holding back the sobs as best she could, still unsure of where the sudden surge of emotions had come from.

'What happened, Pop?' Ron entered the room slowly and Poppy looked up and forced on a smile. Harry stepped in after him and his expression was vexed and frustrated.

'He was just being Draco,' Poppy stated, shrugging softly. 'Why am I acting like I expected more from him?'

'That doesn't make it right,' Hermione said.

'I think I'm just feeling emotional today because I can't stop thinking about my uncle and then he proceeded to just be a complete arse in Potions,' Poppy sighed, wiping the underneath of her eyes with her fingertips. 'He was just draped all over Pansy during class and purposefully looking at me to intentionally flaunt it in my face and...I honestly don't know why I feel so affected by it.'

'You're growing feelings for him,' Ginny murmured. 'I think that's becoming clear.'

'I don't want to have feelings for him,' Poppy replied, shaking her head, her face crinkling up again. 'Having feelings for him would be dangerous.'

'You can choose what you do with this now,' Hermione told her. 'You can choose to stay away from him.'

'Let's go.' Ron addressed Harry and nudged his arm, signalling for him to leave the room.

'Go where?' Ginny asked, turning to them.

'We'll uhhh...leave you girls to it,' Ron said, offering Poppy a comforting smile. 'You'll be alright, Pop. He doesn't deserve you anyway.'

The boys left the room and Poppy took in a deep breath and let it out again. 'God, I feel like an idiot.'

'He is the idiot,' Hermione replied.

'Yeah, if I'd been there I would have punched him straight in that fucking smug face of his,' Ginny muttered.

'I was this close to doing just that to Pansy, you guys,' Poppy chuckled. 'I really can't stand that bitch.'

'She has pined after Draco for years and he has never bothered to give her the time of day,' Ginny scoffed. 'Sounds like he's using her to make you jealous.'

'Ginny,' Hermione mumbled, shaking her head at her.

'What? That's my opinion!' Ginny shrugged and turned back to Poppy. 'Do you want me to spike her with a Puking Pastille, Poppy?'

Poppy giggled and shook her head.

'I have some that my brother's gave me for emergencies,' Ginny chuckled.

'Thanks, Gin, but I'm good,' Poppy replied. 'Can we go to the Great Hall now? I'm quite hungry.'

The girls nodded and the three of them left the common room and walked through the corridors together to the Great Hall. As they chatted, the sound of footsteps coming around the corner made them stop and Harry and Ron appeared, their robes looking messy and their expressions on their faces rather angry.

'What on earth...?' Ginny asked, as the boys stopped in front of them. Ron's expression was slightly guilty but too irritated to try and pretend not to be.

'Everything alright?' Poppy asked.

'Ron hit Malfoy,' Harry told them, to which the girls all turned wide-eyed. 'Don't worry, I intervened before it got out of hand.'

'You hit him?' Hermione snapped.

'Right in the jaw!' Ron exclaimed. 'He fucking deserved it!'

'For god's sake, Ron!' Hermione cried.

'I told him he was a piece of shit and he tried to pull his wand out on me so I just swung for him,' Ron said, looking rather proud of himself as he turned to Poppy. 'I warned him that he'd better stay away from you.'

'Oh, I bet he was so scared,' Ginny said, sarcastically, rolling her eyes. 'That wasn't your place to do that, Ron. She can handle her own shit with Malfoy!'

'Well I managed to drag him away just as Filch came around the corner before he landed us both in detention,' Harry said.

The group all turned as footsteps came around the corner again and a furious looking Draco appeared and stopped in the corridor. 'Think you're going to get away with that, Weasley, you scruffy bastard!'

There was silence as Draco glared at the group and the group stared back in silence. His eyes flickered over to Poppy and she shifted awkwardly, knowing that her bloodshot eyes deceived her. The twist on his face softened as he studied her and the group all turned to her too, waiting for her to say something.

As nobody said a word, Draco let out a slow breath and his face creased up again. 'You pathetic fuckers have no idea who you're trying to cross. Especially you, Weasley. If you dare try and cross me again-.'

'Nobody gives a fuck, Malfoy!' Ginny cried. 'Just pissoff!'

'What the fuck are you crying about anyway?' Draco asked Poppy, sharply. 'Still upset over not being top of Slughorn's class this morning? You really ought to grow up.'

'Yeah, that's exactly what it is,' Poppy mumbled, sarcastically, shaking her head and turning away from him.

'Well, maybe next time do better than sending a Weasley to fight for you,' he scoffed, sneering at her coldly.

He turned and walked away from them, leaving Poppy feeling even worse.

'I'm sorry, Pop, but I was just so mad,' Ron sighed.

'No, thank you for standing up for me,' Poppy said, as much as she wished he hadn't. 'You really didn't need to do that. Honestly, I'm fine.'

'You sure?' Harry asked.

'Yeah, I'm just not feeling so hungry anymore,' Poppy murmured. 'I think I'll just go to the library and do something studying.'

'Want us to come?' Hermione asked her.

'You guys go eat,' Poppy said, turning around to head back up the corridor. 'I'll be fine on my own.'