dislike ↠ draco malfoy

nine

Full of embarrassment, I hurried out of Hogsmeade and back to Hogwarts's grounds. I usually wasn't the type of person to run from my problems, but I just couldn't take it anymore. I stamped into the castle and stormed down the steps to the dungeons. I wasn't lying earlier, I did have work to do.

"Pureblood," I snapped at the wall.

The bricks folded back and revealed a doorway. I walked inside and it closed behind me. I lept up the stairs and retrieved my class books and went back down the stairs to the couch in the common room. I plopped down and threw my books onto the coffee table.

Sighing, I opened my Potion's book. I would just do my work in order to take my mind off what had happened earlier. Yes, that would work.

I touched my lips slowly. That was my first kiss. No boys liked me at Beauxbatons. My first kiss, and it was a horrible one, with a boy that I didn't even like. I scowled in disgust and removed my fingers from my lips.

I stared down at my assignment. We had to write an essay on the pros and cons of using Amortentia, and whether or not we believe it is moral to use it. I thought for a moment. I didn't think it was right to use Amortentia. It's wrong to make someone fall in love with you against there will. I started to write with my quill, occasionally stopping to dip it in ink.

Suddenly, there was a rumble as the bricks in the entrance of the common room opened. I glanced up as Draco Malfoy strode into the room. Behind him was Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott. I was so surprised that I knocked my ink over, causing it to spill all over the carpet. I let out a loud yelp.

Draco smirked at me. "You alright, Hastings?"

"Fine!" I exclaimed. I didn't have a towel, so I was furiously trying to dab the ink out of the carpet with a spare bit of parchment.

Draco approached me, his eyebrow raising. "You do remember that you are a witch, don't you?"

"What?— Oh! Right! Scourgify!" I muttered, pointing my wand at the spilled ink. It instantly vanished from the carpet. I sighed in relief.

"You're welcome," he said smugly.

"You didn't even do anything," I replied.

He sat on the couch with his hands between his long legs. I watched as Blaise and Theodore walked up the staircase to the boys' dormitories. "I was the one who told you to use to spell."

I rolled my eyes. "Well, I think that I'm going to bed," I said and started to gather up my books into a small pile.

"It's only six o'clock," Draco stated. "That's a bit early for bed, don't you think?"

I bit my lip. I hadn't considered how early it was. "Well, I have class early tomorrow, so—"

"I know you're bluffing, Hastings. You just don't want to talk to me," he said. "Don't worry, I don't want to talk to you either." I watched him fiddle with his ring.

"If you don't want to talk to me," I said, "then why are you still here?"

A tinge of pink appeared on his pale cheeks. "I was trying to help you with the ink."

"Well, the ink's fixed now," I replied. "So you can go." I made a waving motion with my hand.

"Are you and Cormac dating?" he asked suddenly.

I looked at him suspiciously. "Why do you care?"

"No reason," he said nonchalantly. "I was just wondering."

"We're not dating," I answered.

"Good," he drawled.

I dropped my quill on the table. "Good? What is that supposed to mean?"

He rolled his eyes. "He's a blithering idiot. You're way too good for him."

"I thought you hated me," I mumbled.

He was very close to me now. Our heads were less than a foot apart. "I don't hate you," he whispered. "Do you hate me?"

"I strongly dislike you, Draco Malfoy," I said. "But I don't hate you."

He nodded solemnly. His cold grey eyes were staring down directly at my lips. I shivered slightly. There was a fluttering feeling in my stomach.

He grabbed my chin gently and raised it so I was looking directly at him. My cheeks were flushed red. There was something different about Draco. Usually, he was hard and cruel, but now, he was soft and gentle. I liked this Draco.

He was so close to me now that we were nearly touching. The smell of his cologne was overwhelming. I swallowed. Was he going to kiss me? Should I kiss him? I closed my eyes. His lips pressed against mine, and he kissed me slowly. His lips tasted like green apples. Suddenly, I heard a loud laugh coming from behind us.

I jumped away from him. A large smirk was plastered on his face. I turned around wildly. Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott were standing at the foot of the stairs, laughing hysterically. Blaise was clapping.

"What—"

"Did you think that I would actually kiss you?" Draco laughed.

I stared at him, my eyes filled with hurt. Tears were starting to form. "I don't understand."

"They dared me, you see," he said, gesturing at Blaise and Theodore. "To kiss you."

"Yeah, it was a bet," said Theodore. "I won. Blaise said that Draco would never dare kiss you. I thought he would." He held out his hand to Blaise. "I believe you owe me some Galleons."

Blaise sighed and ruffled around in his pocket. He dropped the gold into Theodore's hands. "I really thought he wouldn't do it."

Tears were streaming down my cheeks. "Why would you do that?" I snapped at Draco. "Why would you trick me?"

The smile on his face suddenly vanished. "Why are you crying, Evangeline? It was just a joke."

I was so busy crying that I hadn't even noticed that he had called me by my first name and not my last. I felt betrayed. I had honestly felt as if we had a connection. God, I was so stupid. I wanted to run away and curl up into a ball.

"A joke?" I exclaimed. "I'm pretty sure a joke is supposed to be funny!"

"Calm down," he said. "It was funny." As he said this, he looked genuinely worried about me. "You're overreacting."

I stood up and clenched my fists together tightly. My nails dug into the palm of my hand. "It wasn't funny," I snapped.

"Well, someone's angry," Blaise sniggered. Him and Theodore were both laughing.

"I take back what I said, Draco," I said. "I don't strongly dislike you. I hate you!"

I grabbed my books and stormed up the stairs into the girl's dormitories, tears still streaming down my face. First kisses were supposed to be amazing. I had two kisses today, and they were both awful.