Denying Draco

48 - Golden Cherub

Poppy was now into November at Hogwarts and she was excelling greatly in her classes. Over two months of being a student there but she felt like she'd been there all her life. She had received several letters from home, all written by her father to ask how she was, how her grades were, if she was enjoying it. Nothing from her mother. She knew her mother was giving her the cold shoulder so that when things went wrong she could say I told you so then swoop in to save the day but Poppy was determined not to let that happen and to prove Arvilla wrong.

Draco had been missing from school a lot and Poppy had wandered the halls looking for him, searched the Room of Requirement frequently and even snuck up to the Astronomy tower after curfew but he was nowhere to be seen. He popped up here and there for classes but swiftly left afterwards only to be gone again. It had been two weeks since their broom cupboard incident when Draco had been dragged away by Snape.

Heading down to the Great Hall after sleeping in later on Saturday morning, she yawned as she strolled down the corridor and turned into the Great Hall entrance, slowing as Draco, Blaise, Pansy and a few other girls approached the entrance too.

Draco slowed down in the doorway, looking at her hesitantly but his expression was soft. He nodded politely and shoved his hands into his pockets. Blaise was too busy staring at one of the Slytherin girls and they were too busy laughing together to notice.

'Hi,' Poppy said, quietly.

He looked like he wanted to speak but he turned away, looking at his friends. 'Come on, hurry up.'

Pansy and the girls moved forward again and when Pansy noticed Poppy, she sneered cruelly. 'Hey, Dumbledore, how's Cedric?'

Draco turned to slowly look at her and she watched as he moved his jaw side to side tensely.

'I wouldn't know, Pansy,' Poppy replied, shrugging nonchalantly. 'Haven't seen him for a while.'

'He dumped you then, in other words?' Pansy cackled.

'We were never together,' Poppy told her, scowling softly.

'He dodged a bullet I'd say,' Pansy said, walking forward and linking her arm into Draco's. 'Let's go eat, Dray.'

'Stop fucking calling me that.' He pulled his arm out of hers and walked ahead of them into the Great Hall quickly. Pansy frowned softly and turned to Poppy, giving her a final dark look before she hurried after Draco. Poppy waited for Blaise and the other Slytherin girls to follow, noticing Blaise giving her a quizzical look before he did so. She knew that he likely knew about her and Draco. Goyle had told her Draco's friends had their suspicions.

She waited a moment before walking in after them all, taking a seat at the Gryffindor table with her friends.

'Oh, Poppy! See! I win!' Ginny stuck her middle finger up at Ron. 'Hand over the Galleons, brother.'

'Fair one,' Ron chuckled, pulling some money from his pocket and handing it to her.

'What's this all about?' Poppy laughed, grabbing a piece of toast that was still just the perfect temperature.

'Just a bet,' Ginny told her. 'Ron said you'd sleep most of the day and I said you'd drag yourself down here before nine.'

'Umm...thanks?' Poppy replied, laughing at Ron's apologetic grin.

'Did you see Draco come in, Poppy?' Hermione murmured.

Poppy nodded and subtly glanced around her, seeing Draco sitting quietly at the Slytherin table, not talking to anyone.

'I wonder where he's been going lately,' Ginny said, as she shoved scrambled eggs into her mouth. 'He's been out of school a lot, hasn't he.'

'You know Harry still believes he's gone over to the dark side,' Ron said, looking slightly concerned. 'I'm starting to think he's right.'