"Draco"

5

For (y/n), thankfully, she had only 4 days of detention and she had spent two days helping 1st years with their work. She hoped that she had to do the same for the upcoming 2 days too.

Unfortunately, that wasn't a possibility. That dreadful day came when she'd have to face Draco for 2- 3 hours. Again, very unfortunately, Professor McGonagall decided that (y/n) had served her share of the actual punishment and decided that just for formality, she'd have to sit in the Detention Chamber and.... just sit and do nothing. That also meant no excuse for her to avoid Draco.

(Y/n) quickly went and sat down at the extreme back corner of the Detention chamber.

Draco entered and Filch locked the door.

He had a candle-stand in his hand. Probably had to polish it.

"Are you getting into detention on purpose?" Draco kept the stand on the table. (Y/n) shook her head.

"Listen to me." Draco started, " I have no interest in you. So, it's better if you back off."

(Y/n) just stared at Draco, trying to look the least bit challenging as possible.

He started scrutinizing the candle-stand in order to figure out from where to start.

"Mind if I help?" (y/n) offered.

"What did I just say?" his words and stare bore holes into her, "Back off."

(Y/n) just shrugged and rested her head on the table.

She thought about the previous year, her first detention.

Hagrid's pet Buckbeak had attacked Draco and well, he was in the Hospital Wing. That night, she snuck out of the common room and went to see Draco and leave some candies for him. She didn't have an invisibility cloak so she had to be really very stealthy.

She made it to the Hospital Wing. Thankfully, Draco was asleep.

She left the sweets on the table by his bed which already had many many sweets. Girls had started crushing on him lately.

As sneakily as she had reached the hospital wing, she wasn't able to return that way.

Filch caught her and well, actions have consequences. She had to admit that she was returning from the hospital wing.

Unexpectedly, professor McGonagall understood about her crush on Draco and let her off with just a week's detention and did not suspect that she had anything to do with Sirius Black.

_____________

A year later, she was in detention with Draco Malfoy.

She decided to clear things out with Draco, "I think I should just tell you this."

"Huh?" Draco looked up from his ongoing working making his hair fall on his eye.

"I didn't do it." she told him.

"What?" Draco went back to his work.

"I didn't spread the rumour about us." she cleared, "Infact, I hardly told one person about it."

"Who did, then?" It didn't look like Draco was believing her.

"I had an argument the other day and all the people of my house hate me and so, they started they rumour."

Draco raised a brow and looked at her, "What makes you think I'll believe you?"

(y/n) went silent. She didn't say anything. If she'd tell him the reason for the argument, he maybe would believe but (y/n) didn't want to risk it.

"It must be difficult having your entire House hate you." Draco the platinum haired boy sarcastically replied when (y/n) didn't utter a word, "I would never know that because only the whole of Hogwarts' students hate me."

"That's not true." (y/n) differed.

Draco didn't say anything.

"I like you," she spoke without thinking.

Draco stopped his work and looked at her with a questioning face.

"No, no" (y/n) quickly corrected herself, "I meant I don't hate you. You kn--"

"I know what you meant. Don't talk to me." he cut her off and resumed his work.

____________________________

(Y/n)'s friend returned that week and well, life was a bit less miserable than before. Hufflepuffs still gave her dirty looks but, now, she wasn't alone. She had a friend.

Moreover, preparations and asking out for the Yule Ball kept their minds off of (y/n). She was grateful for the ball although no one had asked her out.....yet.

That morning (y/n) and her friend walked out to the Great Hall for breakfast.

"Guess who Cedric's taking?" (y/n)'s friend asked.

"You tell me. Is it you?" (y/n) teased. Her friend had always had a thing for Cedric but well, he was a bit too old for her was what Cedric had said.

"No" she shrugged, "he's taking Cho Chang."

"I figured Harry was taking her." (y/n) gave her opinion, well, because there had been some buzz about that.

"Cho is a lucky girl." (y/n)'s friend sighed, smiling at Cedric who was already sitting with his friends at the Hufflepuff table.

Harry passed them as he said, "Cedric is a lucky guy, too."

(Y/n) and her friend were both quite surprised. They weren't expecting that.

Harry turned around, looking embarrassed. To (y/n), it seemed that he wasn't wanting to say that out loud. She smiled at him. Harry smiled back, still red with embarrassment as he walked towards the Gryffindor table.

"Let's sit down already." her friend whined, "(y/n), Malfoy was staring at you when you smiled at Harry. Not sure but I think I sensed jealousy in his eyes."

"Jealousy?" (y/n) snorted, "It was probably rage seeing me since he doesn't believe that I didn't start the rumour about us or fueled it, for that matter."

"Whatever you say" (y/n)'s friend took the defeat, "So, are you staying back for the Yule Ball?"

"I have been asked by no one but I'll surely stay back. My mum worries that I'm lonely. She'll be happy to know that I stayed back for the ball and actually went with someone although I'll just be reading in the common room like a lonely cat lady." (y/n) said all that in a breath.

"Well, why don't you just ask Malfoy?" her friend suggested.

"Are you supporting me? Finally?" (y/n) dramatically said, "But, I won't ask Draco. That'll hurt his boyish, sorry, manly pride."

Her friend laughed, "I get this feeling that boys are not asking you out because they think that you and Malfoy are a 'thing' and, they fear him."

"That could be it." (y/n) joked, "Trying to see the positive side here. Who are you going with?"

"George Weasly asked me." she smiled, "I'm going with him."

"Looks like red heads will be calling me 'aunt' " (y/n) teased.

"We're going as friends. Goodness, (y/n). We were joking around about it.... and decided to go with each other since both of us didn't really get the date we actually.... wanted."

"All I can do is hope that someone asks me and that you enjoy even if someone doesn't ask me out." (y/n) rested her chin on her palm.

Across the Hufflepuff table, she could see Draco talking to Pansy. Draco's expression was indifferent but Pansy looked overjoyed as she shot (y/n) a look that conveyed her victory.

Soon, the news reached the Hufflepuff table and people gave (y/n) pity glances.

Turns out, Draco had asked Pansy to go to the ball with him.