Stained Glass; Draco Malfoy

Chapter 2

So here's the thing. On this Saturday morning whilst getting dressed to meet up with my Gryffindor comradery, I decided to stop by Professor Babbling's classroom in hopes to talk him into changing my tutor. Four months have gone by, and I was ready to be free of uncomfortable silence and sharing a chair made for one. But at breakfast, he came to me first. 

I was shocked when he had appraised me for my recent test scores. I had passed the last Ancient Runes exam just barely, and while that may not seem like progress, I was getting some of the lowest marks in my year before Malfoy. Granted, I did guess on some questions but I did what I could considering my tutor refuses to converse with me for more than 10 minutes. It's 5 more minutes than what we started off with, at least. 

Now here I am under a tree in the courtyard with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Still in the same vicious cycle of storm colored eyes and platinum hair. 

"Have you heard the news? Dumbledore announced that there will be a Yule Ball at the end of the Autumn term!" Hermione excitedly informed us, as we gathered, pooling our individual stashes of Hogsmeade candy onto the grass, creating one giant pile to eat from. Our strongest point of common ground: having a sweet tooth.

"A Yule Ball? Hogwarts hasn't seen one of those in ages," Ron mumbled, his teeth coated in stickily sweet chocolate. He only flashes me a sheepish grin in response to my playful teasing of him. "But why bring it back all of a sudden?" Harry wondered aloud, his mouth full as he devoured the chocolate frog that had been playfully hopping around on his lap.

"Who cares about the reason? I, for one, am excited. We deserve it after all the academic stress us fifth years have been dealt with." I finally pitch in. "You've had it the worst Persephone, I cant imagine having to be alone with Malfoy every night." Harry mentions, "How's that going by the way?"

"Well my scores are raising... slowly. They'd be higher if he were not him and was anyone else."

"I'm sorry, things would probably be easier for you if we weren't in the picture." He looked at me with solemn eyes.

"I like you guys in the picture," I smile, it's not their fault I'm bad at understanding runes. "Out of some sort of Slytherin loyalty or understanding, he's always been less cruel to me than he has you guys. I'll be fine."

At that they all seem less tensed, and I'm glad. It's true that the last year or two Draco's been less of the pompous brat and bully he used to be than when we were children. He's matured out of malicious pranks and challenging Harry to late night duels. But its the little things still. I catch him smiling to himself when Harry, Ron, or Hermione get reprimanded by Snape, or the fact that he can't help himself but spread rumors about my friends whenever he gets the chance. He might not terribly hate me for our shared house, but I hate him.

When I arrive at Draco's dorm tonight, I find that there are two chairs at his desk instead of one. 

Initially in the heat of wonder, I contemplated if this was his way of being considerate. Maybe he was finally acknowledging that we exist in one another's life for the time being. But once I sat down in my own chair, I remember how much more comfortable it is to not share. He probably did this for his own benefit, tired of brushing shoulders with a 'blood traitor' like me. He hadn't used terms like that for a long while, but that doesn't mean I forgot that he did at all.

After 20 minutes, I hear shuffling on the bed behind me and I know my 10 minute lesson has commenced. I'm actually quite looking forward to it, there's a passage I'm supposed to translate to decipher a forgotten incantation and I'm genuinely intrigued as to what it could be.

But as he sits down in the chair next to my left, he just looks down at me. This sudden eye contact stirs so many uncomfortable feelings in me and I hate it so much, I Immediately break it and look at the papers in front of us. "So there's just a couple runes I'm still having trouble identifying." I start but he does not respond to that and instead asks something that put me completely in left field. 

"We are attending the Yulle Ball together in three weeks, you and I." 

I shoot him an aghast look almost instantly. Immediately filed with horror. "What did you just say?" 

"From now on I will help you for the entire hour on your runework, you have my word. In return, you will accompany me to the ball."

"Do you hear what your suggesting right now?"

"I don't like you, do not get the wrong ideas. It's a favor if anything. You won't get an outstanding before the term ends, but you'll get an acceptable at the very least. Accept my offer and pass."

Is he this desperate for a date that he'll make me go with him? No, he has a roster of Slytherin girls to choose from, there's no shortage. Not finding someone can't be the issue. He has to have some ulterior reasoning. He looks at me waiting for an answer, his face still and cold eyes fixed onto mine. "I'd rather fail than have to go with you Malfoy. In fact I wont even attend the ball if that's what it takes."