Bad Blood | Draco Malfoy

s e v e n t e e n

          After our first end of year exam, I walk up to Mira with a face full of worry.  "Question seven, what did you get?"  I ask her, referring to the History of Magic exam we just had.

          "What?"  She asks, raising her eyebrows.

          "Question seven, you idiot.  I didn't know you were that slow."  She laughs and rolls her eyes at me. 

          "Nothing - I don't remember learning about the first British Minister for Magic," she says.  "But the rest was pretty easy."

          "For you, that is," I sigh.  "I definitely flunked that."

           "You'll be fine Malfoy," Mira smiles.  It kind of bothers me that she doesn't use my actual name, unless she's still wary about me.

          "What are you doing this Saturday?"  I ask her.  I want to ask her to come to Hogsmeade with me the coming weekend, but I doubt she'll come.  She hasn't been at all this year, which makes me curious.

           "Are you asking me out?"  She teases.  "What's Pansy going to say?"

           "You wish."  I scoff.  "But seriously, what are you doing on Saturday?"

           "Nothing, obviously."

           "Come Hogsmeade with me, then?"  I grin at Mira.  "Please?"

          "I'll think about it, okay?"  Mira beams at me and then turns the corner and heads to the library.  "See you, Malfoy."

***

          "You've been spending a lot of time with de Lange, don't you think?"  Pansy asks, leaning against my shoulder in the common room.

           Today was our last set of exams, meaning the end of term is nearing us.  Currently, Pansy, Crabbe, Goyle, Theodore, Daphne, Millicent and Blaise are sitting in the common room with me, talking or exchanging funny stories.  After Pansy asked her question, everyone started to 'oohh' and laugh.

           "Weren't you meant to say that to Blaise, Pansy?  He's been obsessed with the girl since October," I side glance at Blaise, catching a glimpse of him rolling his eyes.  He knows Mira and I have been talking a lot recently, and I'm guessing he's suspecting something.

          "She's a friend, better than the rest of the idiots in Slytherin," he snaps at us.

          "So you don't fancy her like Draco does?"  Crabbe snorts, nudging Goyle who also laughs with his dumb friend.

           "Shut up," I spit.  Pansy puts her hand in mine as though she's claiming me for herself.  I don't want her like this.  Or at all.

          You want Mira, the voice in the back of my head says.  I don't agree... or disagree.

          "Mira's pretty," Blaise says.  "And she's got a great personality -"

          "You like her?"  Pansy scoffs.  "Wow, Blaise, and we thought you were hard to impress."  My heart races and something bitter diffuses throughout my mouth.