My Father's Only Rule

Chapter Ten: Girl Fight

September 1997 - Hogwarts

It wasn't terribly late when we returned to the common room. Jane and Blaise were still up, chatting in the common room.

"How was it?" she asked loudly.

"He made me dance," I said with a smile.

"I did," Draco said.

"Here, sit down," Jane said, pouring two glasses of whatever was in her bottle for Draco and me.

"This isn't a four thousand-galleon bottle of wine, is it?"

"It's butterbeer," Jane said.

"Oh, good," I said as I chugged it.

"Damn, Grace," Blaise remarked. "Draco, what did you feed her at that fancy restaurant?"

"More," I said, catching my breath from chugging the butterbeer. "Pour me some more."

"Really?" Jane asked, laughing.

"It's my birthday, I can have whatever I want," I said while Jane reluctantly poured me some more. And then Pansy strutted down the stairs. Draco caught her first and looked away immediately.

"Don't look now," Draco muttered. "Pansy's on the stairs."

"Damnit," Blaise uttered.

"Don't freak out, Grace," Jane said.

"I'm fine," I said. "I can control myself."

"Oh, so you're back," she said as she made her way down the stairs.

"Don't do it, Grace," Jane said under her breath.

"I'm not going to do it," I said.

"Draco," Pansy said. "That's a nice suit. Where have I seen it before? Didn't you wear it on our date?"

"She's taunting you," Jane said.

"I know," I said, the tension building.

"We didn't go on a date, Pansy," Draco said.

"I believe we did," Pansy said. "Christmas day. 1994."

"That doesn't count," he said. "Come on, Grace, let's just go to bed."

"No, Draco," I said. "I am fine right here, talking to my friends."

"Oh," Pansy said sarcastically. "I get it. Your friends. So I can say whatever I want and you won't say anything back because we're not friends. Isn't that right, muggle lover?" Draco stood up sharply, but I pulled him back down.

"Sit down, Draco. You can't hit a woman. You'll go to jail."

"Grace, calm down," Jane said unnecessarily. I was calm. Not in the kind of way where you say you're calm but you're very obviously not. I was genuinely calm.

"I am calm," I said. "Seriously. Guys, I'm fine. I'm not going to snap."

A brief moment of silence filled the room before...well...someone snapped.

But it wasn't me.

"Alright, that's it!" Jane screamed as she lunged at Pansy over the couch.
"Oh my god, Jane!" I yelled but with the biggest smile on my face.

"Hell yeah!" Blaise screamed.

Pansy and Jane were rolling on the floor, scratching and pulling hair. I looked at Draco.

"Do something!" I said.

"I can't do anything!" Draco said defensively. "I'm a seventeen-year-old male. If I get within three feet of this, I'm going to jail."