Bloodlines || A Draco Malfoy Romance Fanfiction

Rita Skeeter Strikes Again - 94

The second task came and went. For a week, I swore I heard Draco mutter 'moral fibre' with contempt on at least ten different occasions.

The month ended, and Snape thankfully did not give me any more 'detention.' Although I had not completely mastered the skill, he said we'd done all we could with our sessions. It was up to me to increase my skills. He did say he would be randomly 'testing' me.

I was glad to finally have a break from the drama of one flavour or another, but, of course, it seemed that was not going to be my fate.

Daphne and I entered the dungeons and headed to the potions classroom to wait. Draco and the other Slytherin boys were there as well.

"You girls get your homework finished?" Draco said teasingly. We had spent most of the lunch break in the library. "I'll not be having you ruin my Friday night slaving over your charms textbooks."

"Oh, well that only tempts me to get caught up on the next three chapters," I said cheekily as I looked into his eyes to challenge him. "I don't want to get caught up in whatever trouble Draco Malfoy can think up on a Friday evening."

Draco sauntered over to stand in front of me. "Daphne?" His grey eyes bore into mine. I schooled my expression, but I couldn't help the thrill his direct attention gave me.

"Yes," Daphne responded, sounding a bit confused.

"If Aphrodite is studying, neither of you get even a single butterbeer," he said. The other boys snickered at the threat.

I turned my head to Daphne, who shrugged. "You heard what the man said. I've got to keep you in line!...or is it out of line?"

Turning my head back to Draco, I couldn't help loving the smug smirk of a boy who'd just gotten his way. "You are incorrigible, Draco Malfoy."

He just responded with a wink. 

"Everyone, come look!" It was Pansy Parkinson, holding a copy of Witch Weekly and followed closely by her gang of girls. Because of course she'd come and ruin the moment. I controlled the urge to roll my eyes. "Harry Potter was mentioned in Witch Weekly and it's hilarious."

Draco was like a dog to a bone at the mention of the boy who lived experiencing misfortune, and he went to join the crowd around Pansy.

I felt a slight spark of jealousy, but my curiosity had also been piqued, so I also peaked over to see what Pansy was showing everyone.

It was another Rita Skeeter hit piece claiming that Harry was heartbroken because Hermione, dubbed his 'steady girlfriend,'  was also playing with Victor Krum's heart at the same time.

And of course, there was the quote from Pansy, who called her ugly and said that she was likely using a love potion to get the boys' attention.

"I thought Rita Skeeter was banned from school grounds," I said incredulously. "How on earth did she get material for this story? And how did she get a quote from you, Pansy?"

Pansy, on my right, looked over my shoulder to my left. Then my necklace tingled.

Draco was standing to my left. I looked at him. "Did you have something to do with this?" I accused.

The guilt was evident, but he still denied it. He put his hands on his hips. "What exactly makes you think that?" He said with his brow furrowed angrily.

"You might find something to interest you in there, Granger!" I overheard Pansy say, looking over just as she threw the magazine at Hermione.

Thankfully the classroom door opened just then or I just might've throttled Pansy.

I huffed, turning and walking into the classroom.

"Aphrodite," Draco said sternly, grabbing my wrist. I turned my head to glare at him, yanked my wrist from his grasp, and then walked toward the classroom door

I straightened my spine and cleared my mind as I walked toward Snape. He looked in my eye, and I felt the tug of him trying to gain access to my mind. Of course, he would take the opportunity to 'quiz' me and also figure out what had transpired between Draco and me. I gave as much effort as I could to keep my mind clear.

The tug stopped as I walked past the threshold, and I took a deep breath. I went to sit next to Daphne, who had gone in ahead of me.

When Draco came in, he tried to sit next to me.

"Don't talk to me," I said to him.

He ignored me. "Aphr-" 

"Did you hear something, Daphne?" I said, turning my back to Draco to face her. She gave me a face that said, plain and simple, that she was not getting in the middle of this.

Draco made a low growl-like noise. "You'll regret this, Aphry," he said as he grabbed his books to move. 

Oh, I doubted that. "Looking forward to it, Malfoy," I said testily. He merely glared at me before sitting with Crabbe and Goyle.