yule ball

the common room

 Draco stared at the sleeping woman in front of him. The Fat Lady.

He cleared his throat and she awoke with a start. He heard he mutter, "I thought the students wouldn't be back for a while..." When she looked up at him, she gasped.

"Draco Malfoy!" Her eyebrows shot upwards.

"That's my name." Draco frowned. "I need to get into the Gryffindor common room."

The Fat Lady laughed nervously. "And what makes you think I would let you do that?"

"Because it's a matter of love- well, at least like." Draco said, confident she would swing open.

"Sorry, but I can't let anyone in without the password." She shook her head. Quieter; "Especially a Slytherin."

Draco rubbed the bridge of his nose, exasperated. "I need to get in. You can't cut me some sla-" Before he could finish, he heard a thump from behind him and spun around to face Neville Longbottom, who had obviously tripped, as he was lying on the floor a couple feet away from where Draco was standing.

"Longbottom." He sneered. "What are you doing here?"

Neville looked terrified as he stuttered out, "I-I could ask the same of you, M-Malfoy."

Something about the boy stumbling to his feet gave Draco a pain in his chest. Why was Longbottom so scared of him?

Oh, right. Draco could think of more than a few instances where he hadn't been the kindest to the Gryffindor boy.

"I'm trying to get into the Gryffindor common room. And I need your help."

"You cant- I won't-"

"Please?"

Neville stopped in his tracks. "What?"

"I'm trying to find Harry- my partner for the Yule Ball, and I'd like your help. Please." He added again.

"I-" Neville stammered. "I- okay."

He whispered a password into the Fat Lady's ear and she swung open. He still didn't trust him.

He doesn't have any reason to.

All thoughts of Neville had flown out of Draco's mind by the time he reached the common room. Plush chairs surrounded a crackling fire, and the glass windows showed a stunning view of the castle. Both the Slytherin and Gryffindor common rooms had their strengths and weaknesses, but the Gryffindor's was certainly homier.

You're not here to admire the common room, Draco scolded himself.

He saw a door on the other side of the room and dashed to it, flinging it open. 

Once he had entered the smaller room, he found a set of oak stairs directly in front of him. At the very top was a door, strung with red and gold lace. 

When he was halfway through, he felt the stairs morph under his feet, becoming smooth. He flailed his arms but ultimately failed at keeping his balance, falling onto his stomach. It knocked all of his breath out, and he slid down what was now a slide. When he landed at the bottom, it took a few moments for him to get his bearings again, before he leapt up and opened the door again, finding Neville Longbottom on the other side, stifling his giggles.

He glared. "Why can't I get in?"

Neville said between laughs, "That's... the girls... dormitory!"

Draco huffed and brushed past him, spotting another set of doors at the other side of the room.

"Thank for your help!" He called sarcastically over his shoulder before ascending the stairs to the boys dorm.

When he got to the top, he faced the door that led to where Harry must be. He had his hand on the doorknob before he paused, realizing that he hadn't thought about what he would say to him.

It's too late for thinking ahead now, Draco told himself, and turned the knob, pushing the door to the boy's dormitory open.