The next morning, at the breakfast table, Draco glared at Harry across the way. Fleur was draped over Harry's shoulders, cooing into his ear. "Why should that idiot get a girl like Fleur," he thought, grumbling to himself. Pansy ignored him, to his relief, all throughout breakfast, paying extra attention to Crabbe and Goyle. Shani arrived late to breakfast, sitting down at an empty seat by herself. Harry glanced over at her, catching her eye briefly. Draco noticed this and gawked. In his mind he decided that there was no way that Harry was going to touch Shani as well.
"Ooh 'Arry, I must go sit with my house, but we shall talk later, no?" Fleur bid Harry goodbye with a brief kiss on the cheek.
"What? Oh, yeah," Harry responded, distracted.
"Jesus," Hermione rolled her eyes. "Could she be any more all over you?"
"Leave him alone, he's living every Hogwarts boy's dream," Ron said as he pulled a large pastry onto his plate.
"It's stupid really, she's not THAT pretty," Hermione sighed. Ron dropped his jaw.
"Not...THAT pretty? Are you mad?" he laughed.
"No I am not mad," Hermione began just as Ginny pulled up a seat.
"Hello all," Ginny said happily.
"Why are you so perky?" Ron asked, offering Harry a bite of his pastry.
"Oh nothing," Ginny grinned.
"Ok," Ron went back to eating. There was a moment of silence before Ginny burst out with the good news.
"I have a boyfriend!" she smiled widely. Ron coughed and looked at her with a skeptical face. "What, I do! He's in my year, Colin!"
"Oh hell no," Harry laughed.
"What?" Ginny blushed. The friends continued to laugh and chat through breakfast. Meanwhile at the Slytherin table, Draco was eyeing Shani with great interest. Many of the Slytherin boys were trying to talk to her and get her attention, but she didn't pay anyone any more attention than was necessary.
Draco stood up slowly, brushing his blonde locks out of his steely gray eyes, and walked over to her. She looked up questioningly as he approached her chair.
"I'm Draco Malfoy, pleasure to meet you," he said smoothly, holding out his hand for hers.
"Shani Anhur," she replied, smiling briefly. Draco also smiled briefly, which was rather rare, unless he was teasing Potter. A moment of silence passed as they maintained eye contact. Shani looked down, blushing slightly. Draco was used to this, he always had this effect on girls. "I think I have potions first," Shani said, looking back up.
"Would you like a guide?" Draco smirked his sexy trademark smirk.
"I'd love one, thank you very much," Shani responded. She smiled, somewhat taken by his charm. He picked up her book bag and held his arm out for her.
The two of them walked off to potions under the hateful gaze of many boys. "What is that stupid git doing," Harry muttered.
"He's doing exactly what stupid gits do," Hermione said, popping a grape into her mouth. Ron rolled his eyes.
"Anyhow, if there's one thing Fred and George said about being a 7th year, it's the parties!" Ron said, his eyes twinkling with excitement.
"And if there's one thing I know about 7th year, it's studying for N.E.W.T.'s, not partying Ronald," Hermione scolded.
"Oh bother N.E.W.T.'s, I hear that the parties are fantastic," Ron said to Harry. "Common room parties, parties at the Three Broom Sticks, parties-"
"Come on, we've got potions with Slytherin first thing," Neville interrupted Ron's rant. Hermione groaned.
