Black Rose (Draco Malfoy)

Consequences

Chapter 28: Consequences

Draco kept his arm around me as we walked in the Great Hall together. All eyes from the Gryffindor and Slytherin tables, and several from the other two, were on us. I bit my lip, feeling uncomfortable. There was no way we could sit at the Gryffindor table, and I was not letting go of Draco now. I thought about my sister at the Hufflepuff table but soon decided against it.

"Let me take care of this," Draco whispered. He led me over to the Slytherin table. He smiled broadly at his friends upon our arrival. "Hello, mates. Mind if we sit here?"

"Of course not," Vincent said readily.

I smiled slightly and sat across from him while Draco sat next to me, across from Gregory.

When some of the Slytherins gave me leery looks, Vincent said, "Don't worry about her, guys. Crystal is cool."

Gregory nodded. "We've hung out with her many times."

"Well, if Draco thinks she's alright..." a Slytherin fifth year, who I think was named Blaise, said hesitantly.

"Are you all doubting my judgment?" Draco asked with raised eyebrows. I admired how cool he was being about all of this, like it was no big deal. Would it work?

"And did you see the way she humiliated Potter and Weasley?" another Slytherin boy said with a grin.

"I've never seen a Gryffindor get in the way of their won house," a girl agreed.

"You should have been in Slytherin," a boy added.

I smiled and shrugged. "That was a possibility. I'm from a different country. I guess I just think differently."

Draco slipped his arm around my shoulders again and looked around at the table members. "We're all agreed? We can accept her?"

From further down the table, I noticed Pansy glaring at me, but other than her, the Slytherins heartily agreed. I felt a great sense of relief. The whole school did not hate me. Draco had not been worried about much after all.

"The Gryffindors aren't too happy about this," a girl said with a grin, craning her neck to get a look at the table.

I gave her a weak smile. If I got in with the Slytherins, would that just drive me further away from the Gryffindors? Maybe I should have been put in Slytherin after all. I did not want to feel like an outsider in my own house.

After lunch, the Slytherins invited me back to their common room. I had never been into another house's common room before, not even Emily's. I found it to be acceptable. I was gratefully to not have to face the Gryffindors just yet. In fact, I spent the whole rest of the day with the Slytherins. Most of them were a bit rough around the edges, but I was willing to give them a chance.

Since he was a prefect, Draco walked me back to Gryffindor tower late that night. We stood facing each other outside the door. I was reluctant to part from him.

"Good luck," Draco said softly, cupping my face and kissing my forehead. "Let me know if they're too hard on you."

I gave him a small smile. "Good night, Draco."

"Good night, Crystal." His hand grazed mine one last time before he turned and left.

I waited until he was out of sight before turning and speaking the password to the portrait in front of the door. I hoped it was too late for anyone to be up, but I was wrong. Of course, it was a Saturday night. What had I been thinking?