Make Me Fall

3. Her

Word has been going around that Draco and I are a thing now. We're NOT a thing. We're just friends. Even Hermione brought it up with me. She really hates Draco. He called her a mudblood. She won't tell me who she's going to the ball with. Harry and Ron haven't found dates yet. I guess I wasn't the only one struggling.

Pansy spends most of her time following Draco and I around, throwing me dirty looks and trying to get Draco's attention. We took out lunch down to the lake today. It was freezing, but nice. Draco showed me how you fill a cup with snow, then pour a bit of pumpkin juice over it and it becomes like ice cream. He called it a snow cone, I think. It was delicious.

I'm nervous about the ball. I don't think I'm very pretty, despite Mum telling me I am. I'm scared I'll make a fool out of myself. Maybe Hermione can help me with my hair.

The bell rings, interrupting my writing. I glance over at the Slytherin table. Draco catches my eye and smiles. I feel heat rush through my cheeks as I smile back. I don't sit with him during meals, because we both feel out of place at the other's table.

I pack up my bag and head to Herbology. I take a seat next to Hermione. Harry and Ron sit down with us too.

"Why does she always sit with us?" Ron mutters. I feel a little stab of pain in my chest. I pick my things up and move across the room. I glance at Ron. He looks guilty. He should. Hermione is scowling and muttering to him. I hope she's telling him off.

After class I walk over to Care of Magical Creatures hoping against hope that we don't have to deal with the skrewts.

"Hey," Hermione touches my arm, "sorry about Ron. He's in a foul mood because he can't get a date."

"It's fine," I shrug. I see Draco approaching with Crabbe and Goyle. Pansy is tagging along behind, looking sour. Or maybe that's just her face.

Draco walks straight over to me, smiling like Christmas has come early. Crabbe and Goyle hang back, looking awkward. Pansy walks over to the group of Slytherin girls and starts whispering. They're all glancing at us. It makes me feel uncomfortable.

My discomfort is soon forgotten as Hagrid decides we're going to take the skrewts for a walk.

"Here," Draco hands me a lead, "this is ridiculous. Stupid oaf."

I ignore him. I quite like Hagrid, but he's not the best teacher around.

***

After the lesson I walk with Draco up to the castle. We're both covered with mud and scratched from being dragged around the grounds.

"Do you want to have dinner together?" he asks.

"I want a shower," I say, "I might see you in dinner."

I walk up to the dormitory and have a shower. As I walk down to dinner I hear people talking under a staircase. I hesitate, listening.

"She's only using Draco for his money," someone says, "and he's clearly only with her because he feels sorry for her."

"Don't worry, Pansy," someone else says, "he'll get sick of her soon enough."

I roll my eyes and change direction, taking the long way down to dinner. I decide to sit with Draco if he's there. A part of me hopes he isn't. When I walk in, however, I can see him sitting at the Slytherin table. He sees me and waves me over. I sit opposite him. Pansy and her friends are sitting a little way down from us.

"Have a nice shower?" he asks.

"Yep," I blush, "I'm glad it's the holidays now."

"Me too," Draco grins, "uh, hey, do you want to go to Hogsmead tomorrow?"

Alarm bells go off. That sounds like a date invitation. I glance at Pansy.

"Sure," I agree.

***

What are you supposed to wear on a date? I look through my clothes, feeling depressed. I don't even know if it is a date. Does Draco even like me or is he just using me because of Pansy? Do I like him? I don't think I do. Not as anything other than a friend. I sit down on the floor in my pile of clothes and sigh. Hermione left ages ago and the other girls are in the bathroom doing their makeup. I can hear them giggling. I chose a pair of grey skinny jeans and a loose fitting, longsleeved shirt. These will do.

I meet Draco in the entrance hall and we walk down together to Hogsmeade. We go to Honeydukes, Zonko's and then the Three Broomsticks. That's when I notice Pansy and one of her friends are following us.

Creepy.

Draco either hasn't noticed or doesn't care. We sit in a booth with our butterbeer, talking about our families.

"I always wanted to have a little brother or sister," Draco is saying, "I think Mother wants a daughter, but Father. . . Well, he's so preoccupied with work."

"You can have one of my siblings, any day," I say, "at least they're your real parents."

I look down at the table, blushing. Draco puts his hand softly on mine.

"Do you know who they were?" he asks. I shake my head.

"It's sort of a taboo subject," I sigh, "my parents don't like talking about it."

"If you want to know, they should tell you," he says gently, "you have the right to know."

I look up and get caught in his bright, blue eyes. There's a smash from behind us and I jump and look around. Pansy is standing with a pile of shattered glass at her feet.

"I'm so sorry!" she says as the bar maid flicks her wand, "I'm so, so sorry!"

But she catches my eye and I know she did it deliberately.

But why? What did she gain by interrupting us? We just went back to talking right after that. I mean, we didn't talk about family any more, but how could she hear what we were talking about any way? It was so loud in there.

Maybe it would be better to just call all this off. It's clearly causing a lot of drama, and I really don't want to get caught up in that. I already am caught up in it, though. I don't know what to do! I wish I was going home for the holidays. I don't want to miss my Mum having the baby and all this drama is messing with my head. It's only a few more days until the Ball and then this will all be over.