Things I Write

Yule Ball (Part 1)

She was sitting in her common room with her boyfriend Draco Malfoy, everything was going just fine, they were hanging out and laughing and talking. But then Draco said something in an odd tone. A cross between sad and anxious.

"I know this is sudden, but I need to ask you something about the Yule Ball." Is what he said. Her bright green eyes shimmered.

"Yes?" She said hopefully, even though she thought she knew what the question was.

"W-Would you mind if I go...with Pansy?" Her smile dropped, and her hope plummeted into a sinking sadness right in the center of her stomach.

"What?" She asked quietly.

"M-My... I need to go with Pansy, okay? Slytherin image and all." Erin felt her heart breaking.

"You'd choose your image over your girlfriend?" She asked quietly, a blank look in her eyes.

"W-Well... I'm a Malfoy, I have to." He said, not looking at all remorseful. She stood up.

"Sure, fine, whatever. I guess I'll go alone. " She left into her dormitory and heard Parkinson squealing down the same hallway a few minutes later.

She wouldn't cry over this, no she wouldn't... She was.

She cried until the sun came up the next day, then slept through her first two classes. Obviously worrying her sister and her friends. And Draco.

"Where the bloody hell could she be?" He asked Crabbe.

"Oh don't worry about that cow," Pansy said from next to him, he felt his face heat up slightly in anger.

"Don't call her that." He growled and Pansy just blinked at him, with her beady little eyes. She then smiled.

"Oh come on Draco, I know you're finally over herm and you've finally come to your senses and decided to date me. " She smirked. Draco felt the need to vomit. Date this wretched pug-faced bimbo? Not even close.

"Actually-"

"Oh, you don't need to make up excuses for her sake." She grabbed his arm and pulled him close. "I know the truth." She smirked and leaned up on her toes, closing her eyes. Before Draco had time to react she kissed him. It felt wrong, and he hated it, but she kept him there. He heard a faint sob behind him and broke the kiss to find Erin being dragged along to her flight class but her sister, Irene, and watching them. She turned on her heel and broke out into a run back to the castle as soon as he looked over at her.

He vaguely heard Irene's vulgar yell, and barely registered Hermione's vicious glare before Potter was in front of him, wand in his hand and yelled a knockback curse that hit him straight in the chest. Draco went flying backward, and Pansy shrieked, running to his side. The rest was a blur, but he was suddenly vaguely aware he was in the hospital wing. Pansy was there, but that didn't matter. Erin wasn't.

A few days later he was in potions. Erin had been determined to ignore him at every chance, sitting in the back of the class with Potter and Weasley. Pansy had taken up her empty seat and had also taken to spreading unsupported rumors about her. Not only was Erin being bullied by Slytherins now, but almost everyone else in the school, except for a few Hufflepuffs who decided to take to help her out as much as they could.

He had noticed her normal invincible glow to just disappear. He was sure he knew the reason why. But before the rumors got to him, the damage had already been done. Pansy told anyone who would listen this story, ending with the same declaration every time, "I expect she'll throw herself off the astronomy tower any day now!" And an annoying cackle.

Meanwhile, Erin was in a perpetual state of torment. Either she was doing it to herself, or someone was doing it for her. She wasn't sure when she started the lie and false bravado and wasn't sure if she could ever stop anymore. She didn't want to worry her friends, but Hermione and Irene saw right through her. She always told them she was just up late reading or up too early to do her makeup if she put any on. She had just stopped caring. Eventually, she was going to snap, and she knew it, but until then she figured she would avoid everyone whenever she could.