My Father Can't Hear About This | Draco Malfoy

Getting Ready

It was finally the next weekend. I went through the entire week without speaking to Draco. Well, he didn't speak to me either. He didn't seem mad necessarily. He just didn't seek me out as he normally did. He ignored me, rather. It was beginning to piss me off how often he flip flopped on me. One day he'd show me his soft side and care about me, and another day he'd either hit me with insults or not speak to me at all. I wished he'd just pick a side.

Half of the week, actually, Draco didn't even show up to class, leaving no option for talking anyways. It was the last week of school before the Christmas break, so he'd show up for his exams and he would be out of sight almost immediately after taking it.

I often wondered where he always scurried off to to hide. Was he with Pansy? Probably not because of how much he seems to dislike her. But who knows, with the way he's been acting he could be putting on a show with her the same he's been doing with me. But that's none of my business. I didn't care if he was with Pansy. I just wished he would make up his mind about me. Does he hate me? Does he feel something for me? Am I ever going to make him a better Draco Malfoy? It didn't seem to be heading that way.

At this rate I figured if he was barely showing up to class, he would be too busy to go to the Yule Ball. If he was upset with me, which I was still frustrated with him anyways, then it was highly likely that he wouldn't show up to the ball, especially with ME. He had been preaching that he didn't even want to go anyways.

I had asked Hermione earlier in the week if she happened to know if Cedric had asked anyone else to the dance. She told me that she didn't think he asked anyone else after I rejected him, but she had heard him say in passing that he was still going. I replied telling her that I was still going alone, trying to play off the whole Draco thing since I'm expecting him not to show, and I wanted Cedric as an option if he was alone at the ball. She understood.

~~~

"Ouch, that hurts!" I squeal as Hermione yanks pieces of my hair back to comb it.

"Sorry, your hair is a bit messy tonight and we need it to look nice for Ced." I watched her wink in the mirror in front of us.

It was the night of the Yule Ball, and Hermione had allowed me into her room to get ready with her, Ginny, and Luna.

"You're going with Cedric? Cedric Diggory?" Luna questioned in her soft angelic voice as she fixed her hair in another mirror opposite the room.

"Well, not going with." I explain. "I'm going alone so I don't have to commit to a date." I laugh it off, causing them to chuckle along with me.

"About done here, Elle." Hermione chanted as she played with the last few strands of my hair. "Take a closer look."

I lean forward in the mirror to get a better view of my new hairstyle. My waves were more defined than normal somehow, and she had pinned half of my hair to the back of my head with a beautiful silver clip, leaving the pieces at the front of my head to frame my face. "How did you get my waves to look so much better than normal?"

"Magic." She winked again, and went on to finish getting ready herself.

I checked my makeup. I never usually wore a lot, but I had put a bit more brown on my eyelids than normal in my crease area, and popped on a bit more mascara than I normally would wear. Darkening my eyelids really brought out my blue eyes. I put on a nice blush colored lip, and turned to grab my dress.

I know the girls will probably judge me for this dress. It was a little more risque than something they would wear. In fact, Luna was wearing a gaudy silvery brown iridescent mess of a dress. I wouldn't dare tell her that, though. It kind of fit her. As long as she liked it, I guess.

Ginny had picked out a very light green sheer dress, with a pink waist and pink underneath the dress. She did look cute in it - it definitely fit her simple style. She was sitting on the bed waiting for the rest of us to finish changing and putting our shoes on.

Hermione stepped out in her dress, and I went in the restroom after her to change into mine.

I slipped it right onto my body. Perfect fit. I adjusted the silver chains that lined my chest and neck and grabbed the garter I had bought. It was black, but it had a snake hanging on it. I laugh it off now because I originally found it and bought it thinking that it was a necklace, until Iris informed me that it in fact was supposed to be worn on your thigh. I figured the perfect time to wear it was tonight while I'm wearing a dress with a slit.

I step out into their view. They turn and I can see the shock in Ginny and Luna's eyes as they see my dress.

"Wow, Eleanor. It's a beautiful dress. I mean.. I-"

"You wouldn't wear it." I cut Luna off and giggle. "I know. And that's okay. I'm trying to make a statement."

"What kind of statement?" Ginny asked, eyeing me still.

"I want to finally be accepted as a Slytherin, whether it's the right house for me or not. If I wear this, I know I can stand out and represent my house as a true Slytherin."

"You probably will." Hermione coldly stated as she placed her shoes on her feet.

I sat down and began to slide my feet into my silver heels I had bought. I glanced over at Hermione. She seemed fine earlier when she was doing my hair, but something had seemed a bit off still.

"Are you girls ready?" Luna turned from her mirror. We all nodded, knowing that Ginny had been ready for at least 30 minutes now. We marched out into the Gryffindor common room headed to the ball.

"You guys go ahead, I forgot something in my room." Hermione waved them on. I began after Ginny and Luna. "Not you, Elle. Over here." She handled me by the wrist and pulled me to an empty corner after the other girls had left the room.

"What's up?" I furrowed my eyebrows.

"Is there something going on between you and Draco Malfoy?" She questioned me again.

"I've told you, no."

"Hmm." Her eyes drifted off. She had more to say.

"What else are you wondering about?"

She looked back at me. "I've seen you on Marauder's Map a lot.. with him."

Oh shit, I forgot about that map. That stupid fucking map.

"Where?" I ask idiotically.

"I saw you in his room for starters." She crossed her arms. Is she getting mad? I have to give her another excuse.

"He kidnapped me one time."

"Kidnapped you?" She didn't seem to be buying it, even though it was true that he practically did kidnap me the other night.

"He had to share some information with someone that wasn't going to blab about it to anyone else. Something personal."

"And he trusted you for that? What information? So you do know something.." She inquired.

"He wanted someone he wasn't close with. I know nothing. It was personal, it was dumb, and it doesn't mean anything. He insults me every encounter I have with him anyways so it's not like the pitiful relationship we share means anything." Hermione did not respond. Maybe I was a good liar. At least if I was, that may make me a good Slytherin.

"Okay." She responds and heads towards the doors turning back to me once she reaches them. "and I hope to Merlin Cedric is waiting for you down those stairs." And she leaves me alone in the Gryffindor common room. Stunned, I follow her out.

Did she buy it? Did she take the bait? I really hate lying to my sister, but I would never in a million years tell her the conversations Draco and I had or the night we had together. It was wonderful, but it was personal. And with the way Draco had been acting recently, I didn't want anything to do with him anyways. He was a mean, egotistical bully that always found a way to look down on everyone, and I hated him for that.

I see her from the top of the stairs round the corner to meet Ron at the bottom. I did not turn the corner yet. I wasn't ready. I had just realized that if Draco was down there waiting for me, it would confirm all of Hermione's suspicions about me and Draco having more of a relationship than I had been perceiving.