The Shift (A Draco Malfoy Love Story)

The Pit

    Rashana woke up and glanced around to see that she was still at Hogwarts. She breathed a sigh of relief and got up from her bed to change into her uniform. She looked at her schedule and saw that she didn't have a class for another three hours.

Nice, she thought as she ran her brush through her hair, Enough time to let them know I'm still here.

   She was putting on some makeup when Pansy walked through the door. She looked over at Rashana and said, "Every time I walk in here you seem to be looking at yourself in the mirror", she smiled half-heartedly.

"Oh piss off I'm just putting some makeup on", she replied annoyed by Pansy's constant bickering.

"Trying to look good for Potter?" Pansy said sassily putting her hands on her hips, "I heard all about how you stuck up for him to Malfoy."

Rashana looked at her waiting for the ridicule but it never came.

"Not many people do that y'know. Pretty bold of you. Maybe you are a Slytherin after all", she proudly smirked. "Draco gets bored with bullying Potter all the time anyway so I suppose you can be his new target", she said with a smirk.

"You seem to talk about Draco a lot, are you two a thing?" Rashana said.

A serious face wiped over Pansy as she sat at the edge of her bed. "Kinda...not really. Let's just say Draco's not the type to open up...to anyone. I'm very close with him but he never lets it get to that level."

"So what I'm hearing is that you're totally friendzoned", Rashana replied playfully.

"No!" Pansy said smiling and throwing her pillow at her. "He's just not ready yet."

Rashana looked at Pansy sitting there talking about a boy and for the first time she felt they could be friends. When Pansy wasn't around the boys she was just a simple girl with a surprisingly big heart. If she didn't put on a face around the group she could be somewhat approachable.

"He's not as hard as he seems", Pansy said playing with the end of her hair, "He just goes through a lot, bottles it all up, and takes it out on all the wrong people."

Rashana looked at Pansy and for the first time she actually felt bad for Draco. She always felt that he needed more of a redemption arc in the movies but seeing him in person made her totally forget the soft side she had for him. Maybe she should apologize for her harshness toward him.

"Anyway", Pansy said looking up snapping out of her Draco daze, "The boys are going to the pit to let off some steam before class you should come."

Rashana looked hesitant. The boy talk and friendly energy between Pansy was surprise enough but inviting her to hang with the others just seemed plain odd.

"Listen there's no catch", Pansy said picking up on Rashana's suspicion, "I'm just sick of being the only girl. It gets boring."

"Will Draco be there?" Rashana asked half hoping he would be and half hoping he wouldn't be.

"Of course", she said, "I wouldn't be going if he weren't."

Butterflies filled Rashana's stomach. She thought of her last encounter with Draco, how his hands were wrapped around her neck, how she could smell his cologne and his lips nearly grazed her cheek.

"Okay", she said snapping out of it. She picked up her tie and put it on.

What's the worst that could happen, she thought, He already almost choked me out.