Silence is Deafening

Chapter 9

"So, what's going on with you and Blaise?" Bonnie whispered, checking to make sure Snape wasn't paying attention.

It had been a few days since Malfoy and I almost got detention in the halls, and we had successfully avoided each other ever since.

"I-well-I'm not exactly sure." I said truthfully. Bonnie nodded slowly, tapping the feathered end of her quill up against her bottom lip.

"You need to ask him, Lizzie. I mean, everyone can tell there's something." She said. I sighed, staring out the window and wondering how that conversation would go.

"I can't, Bon. How do you just go up to someone and say 'What are we?'" I asked.

"Just like that." She said, as if she was explaining the most simple concept in the world.

I shook my head quickly, clamping my lips shut when Snape looked in our direction. Once he was turned around again, I lowered my voice even more.

"I can't." I repeated again, and a sly smile caught Bonnie's lips.

"Because of Draco?" she asked in a taunting voice. The air caught in my throat and I started to have a coughing attack, causing the whole room to look over at me. Snape looked at me with disdain, and I sputtered out a "Sorry."

"Bonnie, what? Draco Malfoy? He hates me and I hate him. What are you on about?" I hissed, barely moving my lips. She covered her giggle with the back of her hand.

"I saw you two come into the common room together the other night. Come on, you don't need to sneak out to see him. Millicent's never there, Astoria would keep her mouth shut, I wouldn't say anything...you could bring him up to the dorm." She whispered suggestively. The shock on my face was evident.

"Bonnie, no. I went to the owlry and he was coming back in at the same time. That's all." I said quickly. How in the world had I not seen her in the common room? Had she not noticed that Draco and I hadn't even looked at each other in days?

"Sure, sure." Bonnie said flippantly, and I made a small noise of exasperation. She caught my eye and scrunched her nose, and I knew instantly that she was just kidding.

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"Fucking hell." I muttered to myself as I bent over my Defense Against the Dark Arts essay. I couldn't figure out what all of the side effects of an illegal growth hex were. Snape had assigned a 5 page essay on a different hex for each student, and I was convinced I had gotten the hardest one.

My D.A.D.A book was open on the floor next to me, and the only light was coming from the large fireplace in front of me. It was somewhere in the early hours of the morning, long after the entirety of Slytherin house had gone up to bed. I yawned again, wishing for a very strong cup of tea.

I heard shuffling coming down the stairs behind me, and I whipped my head around. Malfoy, clad in a dark green robe and black bed pants, was rubbing his eyes harshly. He blinked into the light of the fire, and his grey eyes fell upon me.

"What are you doing up?" he snarled, throwing himself into the armchair 2 meters away. I cast my eyes down toward my book, not wanting to verbally answer him. Anytime I talked to Malfoy, it always ended with being insulted or getting angry. Or having my life threatened.

Malfoy looked over, his eyes scanning the contents of the book and scoffed rudely.

"It's easy." he said simply, and I completely ignored him.

We sat in silence for a few minutes, only the sound of the crackling fire and the ticking of the grandfather clock to remind me that it wasn't totally silent.