Silver and Gold (A Dramione Fanfic)

Chapter 11

   The Christmas season descended upon Hogwarts as quickly and suddenly as ever.

   The twelve grand Christmas trees were suddenly up and beautifully decorated, people were making plans about their holiday whereabouts, and Peeves had begun to sing his warped, rude versions of Christmas carols. The attacks- Susan Bones' and soon after hers, Justin Finch-Fletchley's father- were suddenly forgotten. First years were seen sprinting about the castle in fear- for Peeves had tried to strangle them with pieces of garland. Not only that, but I had finally gotten my answer as to why Angus Dulcan hadn't been in the Astronomy Tower that night- he had been taken from Hogwarts to visit his parents and go to his uncle's funeral. I felt quite sorry for him during his recap of all of this in our chance meeting- oddly enough, in the very same corridor that we had first met- so sorry, in fact, that I straight- on hugged him again.

   On a rather chilly December morning, I awoke to the sound of loud knocking. Oddly enough, I didn't think the knocking was coming from my door- it sounded as if it was coming from Draco's.

   How was that possible? As far as I knew, Draco hadn't told anyone the password, and I was sure as hell that none of my friends would be knocking on his door. The knocking was growing incessant, louder and louder, and I was beginning to get annoyed. I jumped up from my bed, sighing in annoyance. I pulled on a dressing gown and threw open my door, looking for the cause of the incessant knocking.

   A tall, olive-skinned boy with slanting eyes and high cheekbones stood facing Draco's door. I recognized him from the Slug Club meetings and parties- Blaise Zabini. He looked over at the loud noise, his eyes narrowing with disdain.

"What're you gaping at, Mudblood?" He asked, looking me up and down. Too late, I realized that below my dressing down, which was tied rather loosely, I wore a revealing tank top and short shorts. Crossing my arms over my chest, I put my chin up defiantly.

   "I was woken up by someone's incessant knocking. " I said pointedly, glaring at him as fiercely as I could muster this early in the morning.

   "This someone happens to be your superior, you filthy little mudblood!" He snarled, "Now go pollute someone else's air. I need to go see Draco, and you aren't helping in the slightest."

   Without a word, I turned away and strode back into my own room, leaving Zabini to his triumph- and knocking. I slammed my own door shut and opened my trunk, extracting my robes from it. Then, pausing, I opened the door to the bathroom. It was miraculously empty, so I turned to go back to my room and grab my toiletries when an idea struck me. Why didn't I find out why Draco wasn't answering Zabini? Turning back, I crossed the tile floor in three strides and pulled Draco's door open, careful not to be too loud.

   I was greeted by... nothing. Draco's room was entirely empty. Why, though? Where was he this early in the morning? The Great Hall wasn't even open yet. Sighing at the unanswered questions spinning through my head like birds on Felix Felices, I turned and left the bathroom. Zabini was still knocking on Draco's door incessantly, so I flung my own door open once again and trudged out, thoroughly annoyed.

   "Back again, mudblood?" Zabini asked with haughty disdain as I approached him.

   "Yes, I am, in fact." I said irritably, "I'm trying to tell you to quit your knocking; Dra- er, Malfoy isn't in his room."

   Zabini's eyes narrowed suspiciously, "What was that, now? Did you just call him-?"

   "Goodbye, Zabini." I growled, though I was inwardly nervous. If Zabini told the other Slytherins about the way I had begun to address Draco, not to mention my knowledge of his whereabouts, I doubt any of us would be happy, especially Pansy. Word was, she was really torn up by Draco's rejection of her. I would be happy about this, as I more or less despised her, but I had a little sympathy because I knew exactly what it felt like to be rejected. Or cheated on, for that matter. With that thought, I skulked back to my room, slamming the door behind me. Sighing, I pulled my toiletries from my trunk, grabbed my robes, and went back to the bathroom. I stripped down, turned on the water, and stepped in the shower. The warm water relaxed me, and I found myself spending a little longer than I usually would have, letting the hot water caress my face and body. After what was probably an hour, I turned off the water and stepped out.