My Father's Only Rule {DRACO MALFOY X SNAPE'S DAUGHTER}

Chapter Six: Cut All Ties

October 1995 - Hogwarts

A strange tension followed Harry and me around for the next few weeks. It seemed as if we both had something to say, which we did. Neither one of us had made a move, even though it felt like a move should have been made a long time ago. I could tell it was driving Hermione crazy to watch. Ron was completely oblivious, which I'm sure irritated Hermione even more. Harry and I sat next to each other at breakfast on the morning of our first quidditch match. Gryffindor vs Slytherin. I was nervous about the match, but I think I was even more nervous about the fact that I could feel something about to happen between Harry and me. I couldn't tell if I was scared or excited.

"Nervous?" Harry asked me.

"Yeah," I said lightly. Then there was an awkward silence.

"I think the red in your uniform suits you much better by the way," Harry said quickly.

"Thanks, Harry," I said. Hermione sat across from us rolling her eyes while Ron,

right next to her, only paid attention to his food and how quickly he could get it in his mouth.

Suddenly, Harry and I heard my dad's voice from behind us. My father and I had gotten on better terms. But I felt like I was becoming more relevant at Hogwarts as my own person and not his daughter. I felt like I was coming out of his shadow and into my own light. Especially after being resorted to Gryffindor. But Gryffindor still hadn't quite embraced me. And I figured the only way to cut ties with Slytherin and show my commitment to Gryffindor would be to win this match.

"Potter," my dad said, causing Harry and me to jump. "Grace. Good luck today." Then he walked away, his robes flowing behind him like a cape.

"Do you know why your dad does that?" Ron asked, his mouth full of food.

"No idea," I said, standing up. "Ready?" I asked Harry. Harry smiled and we walked out the door together.

When the time came to fly out in formation, I continued my tradition and flew over the Slytherin section to give Jane a high five. Some people thought it was strange, and many Slytherins didn't like it. But I wasn't doing it for them. I was doing it for Jane and me. As always, I heard the familiar scream from the crowd.

"That's my best friend!" she shouted. Both Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were supporting Gryffindor. I went to my post as keeper before the game started. I noticed Ginny was on standby. Then I noticed that Goyle had returned to the Slytherin team as a beater, and Roberts had been replaced by a 7th-year student who was twice the size of Goyle. He looked like he was bred for violence. I gulped as panic took over me. Then one look of affirmation from Harry, and I was alright again. Meeting eyes with him was like a breath of fresh air. He almost distracted me from the fact that the game had officially begun.

It wasn't until a quaffle almost grazed the side of my head did I remember that I was in charge of defending the hoops. I didn't like standing in one place very much. It was very different than flying around the field, doing the job of two beaters. It was easy to let my mind wander off, but I always came to my senses when the quaffle came close enough to my face. As I was analyzing the players and their strategies, I noticed Draco kept staring at me. I quickly looked away every time we locked eyes.

He's dead to you, Grace. Cut all ties. Win this game and cut all ties.

Out of nowhere, a bludger came flying and explosively hurled into my shoulder. This prompted gasps from everyone in the stadium as the entire game came to a halt. Everyone watched as I slowly fell off my broom and went plummeting down to the ground. When I first started playing quidditch, falling from my broom was one of my worst fears. Especially after it almost happened at the one game last year. But falling from that high in the air, I couldn't panic. I wanted to, but I couldn't. I watched my surroundings race past me. And then suddenly, somebody caught my arm. And then my first thought was how romantic it would be if Harry had saved me from falling. And when I looked up to see who my hero was, I regained my senses only to be shocked. Draco was holding my arm. It was only for a brief second before he dropped me into Harry's lap, and Harry flew me down to the ground. Madam Hooch and Madam Pomfrey were there to tend to me.