Beginnings of Bliss

Stars In the Sky

Tuesday. Tuesday was giving Monday a run for its money. If you thought Draco sabotaging your detention the previous night was bad, having to deal with his taunting and death glare the entire day was worse.

"I tried to tell her, you know. Bursting mushrooms do not belong in Erumpent Potion. But no, insisted she knew better. Snape was right to give me detention, though. I should have put a stop to it, but you know me. A softy, really."

You wanted to puke. How many times was he going to tell that same bullshit story? How many classes did you have together on Tuesdays? Oh, that's right, four. Four times you had to hear it. It was a wonder the other Slytherins' ears weren't bleeding.

"Oh, shut it, Malfoy. No one is buying your story. Snape gave you detention because you put the three of us in danger by sabotaging my potion, and everyone knows it. No sob story is going to change that," you'd finally snapped after Herbology.

"Ah, I see you think anyone would care about your side of the story," Draco mused, feigned empathy plastered on his face like a mask. "Well, I'm sorry to tell you this, but they don't." His raised eyebrows and pouty frown turned into a wicked grin as his friends laughed in a chorus around him.

You rolled your eyes and finished putting your textbook in your bag. You turned on your heel to face Draco directly. You looked into his clear blue eyes. The mirth in his eyes matched the annoyance in yours. You surveyed the rest of him, looking for any signs of injury from the previous night's explosion. His platinum hair was perfect as ever. There were no cuts or bruises visible on his porcelain skin. For some reason, you were thankful for that.

However, you had already confronted once him against your better judgment and Hermione's. You weren't going to do that again. You tore your gaze away and slung the bag over your shoulder. With one final huff, you left the greenhouse.

"Don't run off too quickly. People might think you're excited about detention with me," Draco called out to you.

"Don't stare too long, or people might think you want something," you called back over your shoulder.

Where the hell did that come from? Why couldn't you have just ignored him like Hermione said? Your cheeks flushed in embarrassment, but you kept your shoulders square and steps confident as you made your way to the Great Hall for a quick bite before detention.

The dungeon was noisier than the previous night as you walked through the stone corridors to the Potions classroom. When you rounded the final corner, you saw why. It looked like a 4th-year class had just finished, and the students seemed to be loitering in the hallway outside the room. Several of them were clambering around the door, poking their heads in to look at something.

What could possibly be in there?

You parted the sea of students and walked into the room.

Malfoy. He was sitting on one of the tables reading a textbook–Astronomy, by the looks of it.

"'Don't run off too quickly. People might think you're excited about detention with me.' Isn't that what you said to me, Malfoy? And now here you are, in the classroom well before detention starts. What might I conclude from that?" you asked as you closed the door behind you.

He jumped slightly, caught off guard by your arrival. He recovered and responded smugly,

"I couldn't keep my fan club waiting."

He gestured toward the crowd of students behind the door. Of course, they wanted to see the handsome Slytherin prefect, and he was going to enjoy every last bit of attention.