Inferno | Draco Malfoy

052 | Obviously Oblivious

"Something is seriously brewing." Daphne folds her arms, raising an eyebrow as she sits on her bed. "No, bubbling. The cauldron is bubbling."

It's a Monday morning and I couldn't bring myself to go have breakfast in the chances of seeing Malfoy. I'm still fuming, more so after finding out that he cut my ribbon in pieces. How dare he? Not to mention his near-kiss attempt in the broom cupboard. What a man of nerve, the dauntless bravery he has is most unchivalrous. I'm hiding from him because being around him is a threat. I'm not trying to have him come up to me and Cormac and start throwing punches like a bloody drunk maniac.

Daphne senses something wrong with the way I've been acting these past two days. And how lovely it is that we are alone together in the dormitory because she's not letting me go to class until I spill my guts.

I'm not complaining, I need to tell her.

I take turns around the room, fiddling with my fingers. I hate beating around the bush but in situations like this, I can never help it. I tell her about the argument, the ribbon, the fall and...

"We kissed."

The girl doesn't burst out in laughter or giggles or anything. She stays silent, only piling up on my nervousness. Her arms are still folded and the quizzical look is no longer there; she has a pleasant smile on her face. She looks back at me and it feels personal, like she knew all along about it.

"Details will come in a bit but, took you two long enough." Daphne claps her hands and gives a few woos. "Biggest question, who kissed first? You or him?"

"He kissed me."

"Alrighttt!" She cups her mouth with her hands, letting her voice echo. All whilst I look at her in deep bewilderment. "I love you! Ah! Theo owes me the new Salvatore winter robe!"

"Wait hold on—" I rub my temple. "You're going too fast, retract. What do you mean by 'took you two long enough' and why is Theo in debt to you?"

Daphne giggles, for the first time ever in the whole discussion of breaking the not-so-news to her. The girl explains that she and Theo had gambled on Malfoy and I's kiss at The Three Broomsticks. Theo said I'd be the one to kiss first, Daphne rooted for Malfoy.

Idiots. Why am I always surrounded by idiots?

"Alright, whatever." I resume my pacing. "You still need to explain why you're not frantic, in hysterics or surprised."

"It's obvious, you're just oblivious." She says, "Have you not noticed how he's been treating you? You know he's jealous of McLaggen. Why? Because Draco wants you to act like that around him. Plus McLaggen is a huge knob. So he must be thinking 'oh why is she around this idiot and not me'." Daphne scoffs in fake offence, in her best Malfoy mimic. "That's not my only point here. At breakfast, Draco actually bothers to listen to you talk. And he usually falls asleep in History of Magic but so far, he's been awake. Oh yeah doing what you might ask, looking at you and your pretty arse."

I let out a laugh of disbelief. "Don't be daft, our O.W.L.s are this year, he's looking at the blackboard."

"You do realise that he's been staring at your lips for quite some time now, right? Everyone can smell that tension, everyone. It doesn't take no Merlin to feel that sexual energy. Every time that man looks in your direction he looks like he's about to have an erection—"

"What! Daphne! That's a horrid rhyme!"

"I'm pointing out the truth darling. We were all waiting for that string to snap. And I knew it was nearing when his eyes locked on you as you licked that peppermint lollipop. He probably imagined that the lollipop was his hard d—"