Want To Be (d.m.)

ten

I can't even begin to describe my horror at seeing Draco and Pansy together like that. And to think two minutes ago I was realising my possible (?) feelings for him. Ugh.

Suddenly, I feel myself doing the only thing I can think of amongst my jumbled and confused thoughts and head straight for Gryffindor. I could use a friend right now. But luckily, as I am walking towards the door to the common room, Harry opens the door to meet my stunned face.

"Oh, Naomi. Nice to see you," he says, flustered as I, and polite as ever. I feel bad catching him on his way out and in what appears to be a hurry.

"Hey Harry, I wanted to see Ron, is he in there?" I ask.

"Yeah, he's up in our dorm, I'll go grab him," He says. But no need, as Ron comes bounding down the stairs, smiling when he sees me in the doorway.

"Hello there, thought I heard my name," he teases, walking up to us.

"Yeah, I was wondering if I could talk to you about something," I ask, awkwardly, wincing slightly in embarrassment.

"Course, come on in then."

"I'll be back," Harry says quickly, walking out and closing the door behind him.

I hadn't spent much time in the Gryffindor common room, but it was cosy as ever. The fire roars in one corner, some books on shelves and big, comfortable couches with students sprawled out over them after dinner, some of them are giving me faces as a Slytherin in intruding territory, but others don't seem to care. The red and gold accents add to the homey feel and make me feel all warm inside. Ron plops down on one of the couches.

"Alright then, out with it," He says, smiling goofily as he motions for me to explain my sudden need to talk to him.

"Well," I begin. "So you remember how at the Ravenclaw/Gryffindor match a few weeks back you caught Draco looking at me?"

"Yeah... and in the great hall, too," He nods.

"Well, and this is kind of embarrassing to admit since I've kind of only just come to terms with it myself but," I struggle to admit the words. Ron nods along, slowly catching my drift.

"I think you like him, Naomi," he teases, shoving my arm as I cover my face with my hands, completely and utterly embarrassed.

"But that's just the thing isn't it! I saw him in the common room just now with Pansy."

"Well they are friends, you know."

"Well friends don't hold each other like how I saw," I say quietly, looking up at Ron over my glasses, my cheeks flushing an even deeper shade of red than before.

"Like how?" he asks, his curiosity overtaking him.

"Well... close. It was like they were slow dancing. His hands on her waist and hers around his shoulders. I don't know, close," I mumble quickly.

"Bloody hell, that might be a problem now that you're in love with him," he nudges my arm again.

"I'm not in love with him."

"Well then what?"

"I'm not sure, I thought he might have liked me or something," I shrug, feeling stupid and vulnerable in front of Ron.

"Well he must have to have told Blaise to shove off when he asked to be his new partner in potions. Come to think of it, he wouldn't let anyone sit with him this morning after Snape announced changes," he says thoughtfully.

"Ronald. You can't be serious."

"I am serious. It pushed Hermione right into Blaise's arms," he scoffs.

"I've been meaning to talk to you about that actually," I smirk.

"About what?"

"Hermione,"

"And what about her?" he shoots up defensively, I hold up my hands in defence. Just as I do though, someone rushes down the stairs to the girls dormitories and we both turn to look. Hermione herself bumbles into view and Ron shuts his mouth straight away. I guess we'll save that for another time. We make pleasantries with Hermione for a while before I turn to start leaving, Ron follows.

"Hey Ron?" I ask.

"Yeah?"

"What was that you said about Malfoy turning down partners?"

"Well, just that he seemed very determined about it." I think on this for a moment and swallow the butterflies rising in my throat.

"Was he late this morning?"

"Not at all, was there when I got there and you know Hermione," he shrugs, seeming not to think anything of it. "But anyway, I'm sure he and Pansy are nothing, you know she's been after him for ages now," he offers. I nod, gratefully.

"Besides, he doesn't really seem like your type, does he? I mean, if I were you, I would stay away from him. He's never been all that nice, you know?" he continues.

"And what is my type?" I ask, stopping to put my hands on my his and glare jokingly at Ron.

"l-I didn't mean that," he says, regretfully. I laugh it off and so does he.

"You're right, I guess, but I wouldn't know. I suppose I don't know him very well, do I."

And as if it were planned and almost on cue, who should come speeding around the corner by Draco himself, as if in a chase or perhaps looking for something lost. My stomach drops once more and I suck in a breath, hoping to God he didn't hear us talking about him. That would be even more humiliating.

Ron grips my arm, holding me steady as I shake as we pass each other. However, he slows when he sees us, sauntering past as always, barely looking me in the eye. Once we round the corner, Ron and I press against the wall and look at each other.

"You had better hope to Merlin he didn't hear that," he chuckles softly, looking down at me. I put my hand on my chest, catching my breath from the shock.

Shortly after, Ron returns to Gryffindor and I to Slytherin. I guess the homework will have to wait.

I keep overthinking what Ron told me about Draco refusing partners and not letting people sit with him. Some of the partners did seem a little weird to me, but I thought nothing of them. And he was being slightly kind to me after he burnt my hand, flirty almost. I blush at the thought. He couldn't possibly.