Dead Stars | Draco Malfoy

04 | DOUBLE TROUBLE

CHAPTER FOUR ; WILLIAM

Three days had passed since the near disaster with Malfoy in the library. Since then, Will had successfully been able to avoid him in the few classes they had together. He'd also managed to diffuse the almost palpable tension that had surrounded the group when they all came face to face again in the Arithmancy room on Friday morning. 

All the extra work he'd put into trying to avoid any possible fights, as well as the severe lack of sleep he'd been getting due to an increase in homework from all his classes, had made the week immensely more draining than usual. Needless to say, Will was more than grateful for the break the weekend provided.

As he sat at the Hufflepuff table in the Great Hall, mulling over the events of the past week, he filled his eager stomach with fish and chips. There weren't many people in the hall with him, and he was happy for the relative silence. Of course, that meant there was no way it could last. His relaxing day fell apart the second Mary sat down across from him.

At first, she didn't say anything, just snatched a few chips off his plate and chewed on them thoughtfully. 

"All right, what is it?" he asked once he grew tired of waiting for her to speak.

She raised her brows at him, opening her mouth to speak, before changing her mind when a chunk of potato fell out. Her cheeks turned a light shade of pink and she let out a small, nervous giggle before swallowing the rest of her food.

"You have Arithmancy with Angela Roche, right?" she asked finally.

Will nodded slowly, squinting his eyes at her like the action might enlighten him as to what she was leading up to before it inevitably hit him in the face. It did not.

"What do you think of her?"

"Uh, I dunno. I never really noticed her before this year. I don't think we've ever had any classes together."

Mary frowned at his dance around the question.

He sighed. "Okay, fine. She's  . . . really smart. And pretty, I guess."

"You have got to give me more than that." 

Will groaned loudly enough to attract the attention of a sixth year a few seats away. 

"All right there, Davenport?" asked Maxwell Addams, brows raised in interest. He was a tall boy with a baby face and freckles scattered across his cheeks and arms. He was also one of the only Hufflepuff students that still wasn't deterred by Will's constant moping, something he silently appreciated a great deal.

"Peachy." Mary answered brightly.

"He was talking to me, you clod hoppe- Ow!" She had silenced the insult with a swift kick to the shin. 

"My apologies, I should have specified," Maxwell laughed. "I was talking to him though."

Will sent Mary a pointed look - to which she huffed indignantly - and turned to Maxwell. "I'm fine, thanks. Sorry to disrupt your lunch."

"S'fine. Don't worry about it," he waved off as he moved to stand. "It was nice to actually hear something from you for a change. I'm glad you're good."

Will offered him a weak but genuine smile. "Thanks."

"I'll see you around then."

"Yeah, see you." Will echoed softly, heat rushing to the tips of his ears at the grin that flashed across the older boy's face when he walked away. It took him a minute to realize Mary was grinning at him too. He pretended not to notice. "So why exactly were you asking about Angela before?"