Dreams of Magic (Harry Potter)

Eleven: An Unexpected Gift

"I'm so hungry," Addy complained, slumping over in her chair and frowning. It was finally the weekend, and just having finished their assignments for class, the Ravenclaw trio was celebrating with a late breakfast in the dining hall.

"Then eat," Mei-Lin said plainly, taking a small bite of her own dinner.

"Thank you," Addy replied sarcastically, casting her a look, "But Jay made me swear up, down, and left to right that I wouldn't start eating without him. And if he doesn't show up in the next two minutes..." Luckily, Addy didn't have to finish her threat. Jay came barreling into the dining hall, a mischievous look in his eyes (as per usual).

"Well someone looks hangry," Jay announced as he approached the table and saw Addy's face. "Let's fix that and eat." Thankfully, Addy sat up and dug into her dinner as politely as she could. Jay sat down beside her and did the same, tucking into the warm meal. Satisfied silence wafted between the three of them for a few minutes, and the only sounds were the clicking of silverware against plates and bowls.

"Thank the Lord for that wonderful meal," Addy said after she had finished. She crossed her silverware in her plate and sat back contentedly. "Jay, if you had taken any longer, I would have probably thrown a fit." Jay laughed, finishing his last bite.

"Luckily, no one had to see that," Jay said teasingly. "That would have been embarrassing for you, especially since your boyfriend is coming this way." Addy sat up in her chair and quickly turned around. Draco was sauntering over to the Ravenclaw table, walking calmly and looking resolutely in charge of himself and his situation. Addy watched as he got closer and closer, and his walking path was headed straight for her. She was so distracted, she didn't even hear Jay and Mei-Lin teasing her for responding to the word 'boyfriend'.

"Hey Addy," He began, not bothering to do his usual spiel of looking loftily over the room before speaking. "Can I talk to you?" Surprised, Addy turned her chair fully around and nodded.

"Of course, what's up?" Draco's eyes quickly darted around the Ravenclaw table, where the members of the astute house were all suddenly deep in "conversation". Really, he could see that every single one of them was listening to what he was about to say.

"I meant privately," He continued, and Addy's eyebrows raised slightly. A murmur washed over the table, and when Draco sharply looked over at his peers, they continued to pretend to look busy.

"Oh. Sure," She said, standing up and brushing the fabric of her skirt with her hands. Draco motioned for her to walk in front of him, and after she pushed her chair back under the table, she led them both outside of the dining room. Draco didn't say anything the whole walk, nor did he ask her to stop walking until they were well out of earshot of the dining hall.

"I wanted to give you something," He began after a long moment of almost uncomfortable silence. Draco switched between looking at the floor and looking over his shoulder with an odd intensity, and Addy almost thought he was nervous. He produced a small blue box from his pocket, finally meeting Addy's gaze to hand it to her. She accepted the box gently, opening it to find a beautiful blue ring sitting inside. The band was made of silver and engraved with detailed, tiny images of forestry. In the middle of the band sat a small blue gem that glittered shyly in the afternoon light, as if it were afraid to show its beauty. She looked up at him questioningly, lifting the ring out of the box gingerly.

"Draco, this is absolutely stunning," She began, turning the ring to appreciate it at all angles. "What is it for? Why are you giving it to me? Thank you, of course!" So many things tumbled out of her mouth, but Draco answered each with ease, his in-charge demeanor returning now that the ring was in her hands.

"It's to keep you safe," He began, "And it doesn't hurt that it looks good in Ravenclaw blue. I don't want you to end up in such a dangerous situation again, like with the troll the other night. When you wear the ring, it will warn you when danger is near. Otherwise, it's just a normal ring you can wear." Addy's eyes shone, and she slid the ring onto her right ring finger. She was overwhelmed by Draco's kindness and actively had to suppress the urge to reach out and hug him without asking.