You can't have a rainbow without a little rain.
Harry and Beth returned to the Gryffindor common room as the sun rose higher in the sky, greeting them brightly. No pun intended. How they manage to sneak past the teachers who were patrolling, Beth had no idea. The siblings barely made it back to the common rooms in time; everyone was already dressed and heading down for breakfast. Harry left Beth alone, seeking his own friends. And for once, she wished he would stay with her; she wanted his comforting presence. But she could feel his intense anxiety and didn't want to sound self-centered. So instead, Beth found Kat and Maggie, who were both energized for the day. "I get to see Collin Creevy!" Kat exclaimed happily; Maggie and Beth shared an exasperated look.Collin had been pursuing Beth's best friend since he first laid eyes on her at the Yule Ball. Those two had been on again, off again for the past three years. She guessed now they were on again. "Oh yay. Means grumpy Kat." Maggie muttered to Beth and she couldn't help but emit a short giggle. It was true. Kat demanded Collin's attention all the time and when he was busy, she grew pouty and grumpy.
Sometimes it was adorable but other times Beth wanted to strangle her. "Have you visited him over the summer?" Beth asked Kat curiously and her friend sighed, shaking her head.
"Well... no... my parents wouldn't allow me any contact with anyone. I was shut up in my room for half the summer while they discussed where to run and hide." Kat mumbled, picking at her robes. She had begun to lag behind and Beth turned so she was walking backwards.
Kat looked crestfallen and Beth knew she feared Collin had moved on. Maggie took Kat's hand and gave it a light squeeze. "Hey, cheer up. Collin adores you." Maggie told her, smiling. "I'm sure he's just as excited to see you." She added and Kat immediately perked up.
The group rounded the corner, with Beth at the head. The stairs leading down were presented to them. Potter turned around so her back was to the stairs and behind her friends, Beth spotted Collin. He was pacing back and forth, chewing on his lip. But when he saw Beth, his eyes searched for the girl he had been in love with and a beaming smile lit up his face. Kat still had no idea so Beth stayed quiet. But she paused and Kat copied her, looking at Beth in question. Collin ran at them and Maggie turned to see drawn by the movement. She grinned widely.
Kat began to turn her head, curious at what her friends were grinning at, when Collin collided with her. His arms were around her waist as he picked her up and Beth noticed that he had grown a couples inches. "Kitty!" He yelled happily and Kat squealed, laughing. "I've missed you over the summer!"
Still as strong as ever. Maggie and Beth shared a look before they both walked down the stairs towards Professor McGonagall. She was checking everyone's list and directing first years to their classes. When she took Beth's, Harry hung around, his expression hopeful. McGonagall nodded to herself, tsking. "Same things as Harry. Again. I thought they'd try to split you two up. You have free hour first." She shook her head and handed Beth her paper, moving on to Maggie. You and me both, Professor. She sighed internally.
Beth forced a smile, tucking her paper into her pocket. "Thank you Professor!" She answered, dipping her head before she turned on her heel. Throwing a look over her shoulder, Beth saw Maggie was walking away from her, arm in arm with Kat. Their heads were bent together and they were both whispering. A pang of jealousy hit Beth and she frowned, pushing the thoughts away. A hand grabbed hers and she instinctively jerked away, surprised. "Where are you going?" Ron asked her, frowning.
"Do you expect me to hang around? We don't have free periods for nothing. They're used to study." She answered smartly and he grew sheepish, releasing her arm. Hermione threw him an exasperated look before she smiled apologetically at Beth but the girl was already looking away.
Chuckling, Beth turned the corner and adjusted her book bag around her shoulder. Except, there was another wall right around the corner. Huh? "Oomf!" She grunted, rebounding slightly. She almost lost her balance and managed to steady herself. A wall in the hallway? Was it Peeves again?
"Watch where you're going, Potter!" A cold voice wrenched Beth out of her thoughts and her eyes snapped up to see Malfoy glaring down at her, his eyes looking angry.
Her thoughts retreated and she was left with nothing but the sound of blood rushing in her ears. "You look like a wall." She answered weakly, her voice shaky. Was that an insult? What in Merlin's beard was she doing? Her face grew warm and she desperately attempted to grasp some coherent thought that didn't include her blurting out how good his hair looked and how defined his cheekbones were. "Did you apologize to my brother?"
There. Better. Beth nodded, proud of herself. But Malfoy looked smug. "I have decided apologizing to filthy half-bloods is below me." He answered rudely and her hand reacted at the insult before her brain caught up.
Her palm was stinging and Malfoy's head was turned away from her, his cheek growing red. Beth was filled with rage. "Well, there's not a lot of things beneath you." She answered harshly. "After all, you are on the lowest level possible. So I suggest you figure out if you value your reputation enough or by the end of the day, everyone will know you were shagging a half-blood Ravenclaw named Pixie."
Her words were sharp and Malfoy stared at her, rubbing his cheek with the back of his hand. Suddenly, a sly smirk crossed his face and he took a step towards her. Immediately, she backed up and held up a hand to stop him. But he didn't stop his advance until he was right in front of Beth, with only her arm separating them. She could feel his heart beating as hard as hers in his chest and her breath left her in exhilaration.
His eyes were now dark as his pupils fully dilated. Slowly, he pushed against Beth's hand and it began to slip, allowing him closer to her. Her brain was fizzing and she knew that it was wrong. But where were the goddamn students? This was a corridor but why wasn't it not busy? As his body got closer to hers, her brain shortcut and she forgot all rational sense.
His lips met hers with an intensity that made her knees grow weak. She clung to his robes, her hands balled in the material. Their mouths moved in sync and she could taste hazelnut in his mouth. She was glued to his front and his hand was tangled in her hair. All she could think was finally. This new kind of frustration building in the pit of her stomach made her whole body fill with fire.
But then, just like that, a switch was flipped as she figured out she was snogging Draco Malfoy. Her hands that were pulling him against her now pushed him away and he staggered back, taken by surprise. Her brain was now full of electricity, overriding her emotions. He seemed to brush off her push and stared at her, his eyes still dark. "If you haven't figured out, most people like being beneath me." Malfoy's voice was low and husky.
Now she understood why girls threw themselves at him. "Stay away from me." She whispered, backing away from him. Her lips were tingling and she wanted to kiss him again but it was wrong. His grey eyes watched the dark skinned girl as she stumbled away from the drug of his lips. "You will apologize to my brother or people will know." She added breathlessly.
With that, Beth turned and forced her legs to carry her away from the Slytherin Prince. She reached the library and collapsed in a chair, resting her forehead on the table. Oh Merlin. Oh Merlin oh Merlin. What had she done? If someone caught them. Her mind banished the thought. Nobody would know. She'd make sure of that.
But there was a tiny nagging thought in the back of her mind and she knew that the paths had now changed. But to what, she wasn't sure she wanted to find out.

YOU ARE READING
Enchanted By The Thought
FanfictionBOOK ONE OF THE ENCHANTED SERIES "The ones with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approach... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark them as his equal, but they will have power the...