PRINCESS ➳ harry potter , draco malfoy (OLD VERSION)

85 || Nothing Like His Father

A/N: I cringed like twelve times while writing this chapter welp I'm so sorry

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Slytherin's first Quidditch match of the season was swiftly approaching and Katie was beside herself with nerves. Although this was her second year as Captain, she almost felt more anxious this year than she did the year before. Maybe it was because many of her strong players had graduated since last year, and the newly appointed players weren't bad, per say, but they didn't even come close to matching the skills of the old players.

It was a Thursday afternoon and Katie found that she had two consecutive free periods — one of which was a free period every week, but the second one was a once-off because a spell had gone wrong in the classroom, so the lesson had been cancelled.

Like Katerina, Draco Malfoy also had two free periods, so the pair found themselves sitting in each other's company by the vacant fireplace in the Slytherin common room.

"Uhm — Draco..." Katie began reluctantly. "Can I talk to you about something?"

Draco had been deeply indulged in his Potions essay and looked up slowly, blinking in mild curiosity.

"Sure." he mused.

Anxiously chewing her bottom lip, Katie spent the next ten seconds furiously thinking about the least harsh way to word what she wanted to say to Draco, who had placed his parchment and quill down and was leaning forward, his chin resting on his interlocked hands, staring at Katie avidly.

"OK," Katie took a deep breath. "Draco, lately you've been sort of... off at Quidditch practice. I'm not saying you're bad," she added hastily upon seeing the offended expression that was growing on the blonde's face. "I just mean that you've been a bit off your game."

Draco seemed to contemplate Katie's words for a few moments. He idly twirled a black ring on his finger as he stared rigidly at the blazing fire before him.

"What do you want me to do about it?" he asked.

"Tell me what's been distracting you." Katie said shortly.

Looking mildly alarmed, Draco rapidly tore his gaze away from the dancing flames, instead focusing his eyes, which were bulging in what could only have been assumed to be fear, on Katie.

"Nothing's distracting me." he forced out, his voice croaky and quavering.

Katie arched an eyebrow in suspicion. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Draco said quickly. "I just need a bit more practice, that's all."

Katie smirked and leaned back in her seat. Draco Malfoy admitting to his imperfections? Now that wasn't something you'd see everyday. The Slytherin girl eyed her housemate smugly. Her lip twitching, she stood up off the plush green couch and walked over to Draco. He didn't have time to ask her what she was doing before she grabbed his hand and started dragging him from the Slytherin common room.

"Woah, woah, woah, where are we going?" Draco questioned as Katie pulled him along the dungeons.

"To practice!" she called back as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Taken off guard, Draco glanced down at himself, then back up and the girl who was pulling him along behind her.

"But we're not even in our Quidditch robes." he pointed out.

Katie was smirking but, of course, Draco didn't see that.

"Well then we're just going to need to be extra careful not to fall off our brooms."

Katie didn't stop powering ahead until they reached the broom shed on the outskirts of the Quidditch pitch. Using her key, she unlocked the door. Only when she had swung open the rickety door did it dawn on Katie that she and Draco had left their Nimbus 2001s in their dormitories, so they would just have to make do with the school brooms. Katie grabbed two Shooting Stars and tossed one rough, almost bent broomstick to Draco. She also grabbed a crate that contained the balls and tucked it comfortably under her arm.