The Art of New Beginnings

Chapter Fifteen: A Quidditch Success

The next morning Erica was awoken by an excitable Draco, who immediately proceeded to drag her down to the common room as soon as she'd finished dressing, making sure to wear her thickest pair of tights and to pick out her warmest jumper to combat the chill of the cold air.

Draco was yammering on about how they were going to slaughter Ravenclaw in the Quidditch match, how the conditions were near-perfect and how he was pretty sure he was in love with Harry, and oh, he hardly thought he'd be able to eat anything at breakfast, what with everything else going on, and how nervous he was about it all despite being so sure that they were going to win.

"Wait," Erica frowned, so tired that she almost tripped as he continued pulling her up the dungeon stairs, still fumbling with the buttons on her cloak, her fingers stiff and unwieldy as she yawned widely. "What was that one in the middle? Slow down for a minute, and repeat it again."

"I think I might fail Charms this year?" Draco frowned back at her, a light dusting of pink coating his cheeks. He obviously knew what she was talking about, and was purposefully avoiding the answer that she was speaking. She knew immediately that what she thought she'd heard was right, and now she just had to get him to admit it.

"No," she grinned, "The one after that."

"I can't eat anything at breakfast?" He tried again, blush spreading down his neck, blotchy and red now as he avoided her gaze. It was rather sweet really, but she wasn't going to cut him any slack.

"Before that one," Erica laughed once more. "C'mon, Draco, I could have sworn you just said that-"

"I'm falling in love with Harry!" Draco burst out, cutting her off as they came to a standstill in the middle of the steps. "Okay, yes, that's what I said, and I meant it. I think I'm in love with Harry. It's crazy and amazing and I'm absolutely terrified so please... don't tell anyone. I don't think I can cope with only me knowing, and now you do, too, and it's all a mess."

"That's so sweet," she cooed at him, throwing an arm around his shoulder as she laughed, and they resumed heading up the steps again, though it was less Draco dragging her now and more like they were walking together. "For some reason, I forgot how honestly cute you can be sometimes."

"I hide it well," Draco grinned, lifting one shoulder in a shrug before he shook his head, expression evening out once more. "In all seriousness though, I don't know how to tell him. I don't even know what we are, and everything is confusing enough as it is."

"Well, he already likes you," Erica grinned some more, releasing his shoulder so that they could enter the Great Hall, which was bustling with people already despite it being so early. She knew that this was a highly anticipated Quidditch match, but still... why waste a lie-in when you can rock up to the match perfectly on time and perfectly refreshed? The only reason she was awake right now was because of Draco.

"I know," and Draco did look rather happy at that, shifting her from her condemnations of the other students. "It's just the telling him, and having him know that I really-"

As soon as they entered the Great Hall, they realised why it was so busy, and as she had expected, it was largely to do with the upcoming Quidditch match. Erica shot Draco a look that said 'we'll finish this conversation later' as they made their way over to the Slytherin table, but he only gave her a sheepish grin, shrugging slightly.

Harry was sat among his other teammates, looking rather awkward under all the attention that was being heaped on him, with the Firebolt laid out along the table in full view of the hall as Pansy and Blaise tried to force him to eat something, poking his sides as they shoved toast in the general vicinity of his face.