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

Chapter Twelve: Taking A Chance

December 1996 - Hogwarts

You wouldn't have guessed that Harry and I were officially broken up. We seemed a lot more comfortable with each other. It even took Ron and Hermione a minute to catch on. We sat next to each other at breakfast the next day, waiting for Ron and Hermione to join us.

"So who are you going to ask to Slughorn's dinner party?" he asked me.

"Who am I going to ask or who do I want to ask?"

"Come on," he said. "You don't want to go alone."

"I went to the Yule Ball alone," I said. "Right after breaking up with Cedric. It wasn't that bad."

"You cried," he said.

"How did you know that?"

"I saw," he said. "But you stopped crying when he talked to you."

"Yeah," I said as I stared at Draco, sitting at the end of the table looking incredibly lonely.

"Are you going to try?" he asked me. I took a deep breath.

"Yeah," I said. "I'll give it a try."

Later that day, I saw my opportunity. I was walking to my next class, when I saw Draco heading my way. I tensed up as I locked my eyes and walked right up to him. I didn't have words prepared, but I walked right up to him anyway. When our paths eventually crossed, I stopped and looked directly at his face.

"Draco," I said. But it was no use. He walked right past me, not even looking at me. Not even acknowledging I was there. And I wanted to be so disappointed. I wanted to be devestated. But I felt like I had no right to be. As I watched him walk away, I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"You ok?" I heard Harry's voice say.

"Yeah," I said. "I'm fine. I just...I need some air."

Later that night I sat by the fire in the common room going through the motions.

What was I thinking?

"So," Harry said as he sat next to me. "How did it go?"

"It didn't," I said. "He ignored me."

"Oh," he said. "I'm sorry."

"No, it's fine," I said. "But I was wondering...since neither one of us can go with

who we really want to, should we just go as friends?" I suggested.

"Oh," Harry said. "Well, if I'm being completely honest, I've never seen you not get what you want, so I was confident you were going to go with Malfoy. And so I suggested the same thing to Hermione, and she already has a date. So, well, I got one too."

"Oh," I said. "Ok, that's fine. I mean I was just thinking out loud."

"So what's your plan, then?" he asked.

"I'll go alone," I said. "It'll be fine."