UnExpected

Chapter 48

Buffy did what she did best. She faked it. Forced her jittery leg to remain still. Glued a happy smile to her face. Let her shoulders relax. To the outside world it was all good. On the inside she was a ball of frantic nerves.

The whispers were there of course, along with the shifty eyes from Draco to Buffy. Neville had heard about the interaction between them, with all the whispers going around. Curiosity shot up immediately but nothing else. If it was something he should know she would tell him.

Draco glanced often. Worry was on his mind and his vision couldn't help but look at the source of it. He wanted to be sure she was okay. Which she wasn't, no matter what she portrayed on the outside. She was paying too much attention to her lessons today. She smiled awkwardly at random moments. Her fingers kept playing with the quill in her hand. All little telltale signs that revealed she wasn't as calm as she claimed to be.

Pansy didn't like it. Any of it. Draco was looking at Buffy way too much and he was talking to her again. Why was he talking to her again?! He was supposed to hate her. Buffy abandoned him and Draco was supposed to hate her! None of this was going as planned. One thing was for sure, one way or another, Buffy had to go.

Tick. Tick. Tick. What happened to the tocks? Shouldn't there be tocks?! Buffy placed a hand at the back of her neck, hoping to keep it from tapping on the desk. Making noise would only cause more questioning glances and she's had enough of those. Of all the days for Professor McGonagall to assign reading in Transfiguration. Reading she had done months ago when she hid herself in the library, away from the world.

Tick. Tick. Ti—RRRRING!!!!

Lunch time.

Noise immediately filtered the room as everyone put their items away and began to leave. Buffy gathered her things as slowly as she could, not like it would help, time always seemed to fly by when you wanted it to last forever. Placing the last item in her bag, she quickly glanced up and found Professor McGonagall looking in her direction. A frown pulling the corners of her mouth and her eyes heavy with worry. Of course, she would know. Dumbledore probably knew as well. Buffy gave her a small smile, hoping to reassure her but the frown only deepened, and Buffy knew there was no use in pretending. Can't fool a person who was able to see right through you and knew what was to come. Buffy stared for a second longer before slowly moving her gaze away, her body following soon after.

So much noise. The laughing and talking. Friends walking with friends. Couples holding hands. The whole carefree existence-ness of it all.

And they sucked.

"I-I'm really trying," Neville said beside her as they made their way through the corridors. "But I cannot not ask."

Buffy snorted sardonically. "Double negative."

"What's wrong?"

"What would be wrong?"

He stopped walking and looked at her. "Something's wrong."

"Nothing's wrong. Everything's completely...un-wrong," she said unconvincingly.

She resumed her steps a little too carelessly and headed for the Hall. Oh yeah, something was definitely wrong.

Buffy and Neville settled into their seats, with Neville holding that concerned look on his face that Buffy couldn't stand. He didn't need to worry about her so much. She was the one who worried about other people not the other way around. Where were his priorities, damn it?

"Hello," Ginny greeted, dropping next to Neville.

"Hey," Buffy chirped back.

Chicken sandwiches, chips, and Pumpkin juice. Her could-be-last meal. How memorable. Buffy picked up a chip and was about to bite into it when it was suddenly taken away from her.