The New Girl

Chapter 9

Vivian Longbottom:

During the next few weeks, I spent more time in the library because that's where I could focus on my studies. I tried my best to ignore Draco and the feelings I got when he was around me. The only time I talked to him was during Astronomy and occasionally during lunch. He disappeared a lot. One day he would be totally normal, and willing to have a conversation and the next he would be gone for days and come back looking tired and isolated. We walked to our evening Astronomy classes together from time to time, and we talked about our shared passion of the subject. I had to stop myself from staring at him as he looked to the stars, moonlight reflecting in his blue eyes. He didn't smile often, but when he did, it made me tingle. I tried to make small talk with him during other classes and lunch, but he was always pretty quiet.

During my free time, I hung out with Dean and our other friends. Dean and I had gotten really close and I really enjoyed spending time with him. Tonight we were planning to all get together in the Gryffindor common room and have a few drinks before the end of term. Fred and George talked the house elves into giving them a bottle of whiskey and Angela and Jackie admitted they were growing a special strain of weed in the back of one of the advanced Herbology greenhouses and we could finally use it.

I walked to the Gryffindor common room with Angela and Jackie, and we sat on the couches with all of our friends. We took turns taking shots of whisky as others took hits of the weed. Ron wanted me to teach them some muggle drinking games so I told them I needed a table, 20 cups, and two ping pong balls. After explaining what a ping pong ball was, we managed to find two extra snitches which were surprisingly bouncy. We set up the cups on either side of the table and explained the rules to Beer Pong. Ginny and Casey picked up on it really quickly and both of them were really good. I couldn't say as much for Ron and Dean. All of us cheered on Ginny and Casey, and Fred and George booed every time Ron or Dean missed, just to agitate them.

Wanting to prove themselves, Dean and Ron wanted a rematch against Ginny and Casey, while the rest of us sat back on the couches. I took another hit of the joint and sat down next to George. We started talking about his and Fred's idea to start a joke shop and I gave them some prank ideas. I could tell how excited they were to go into business together and it was so cute to listen to them talk about it.

"Vivian, we can really use you to bounce some more idea's off of" Fred beamed as he jumped onto the couch on my other side. Sitting in a Weasly twin sandwich, they told me all about their Extendable Ears, Fanged Frisbee, and assortment of sweets including the Ton-Tongue Toffee. I noticed Dean glancing back at me while I laughed with Fred and George. I saw Ginny and Casey cheer, as they successfully beat the boys again at Beer Pong. Defeated, Ron plopped into a chair and took another shot of whiskey. Dean came over and somehow squeezed between me and George. He put his arm around me and gave me a cheeky smile.

"Have any other games for us Viv?" Dean asks.

"Oh, I have plenty but is anyone even down for another game?" I ask, since everyone was already drunk and or high at this point and I didnt want to spend thirty minutes explaining and re-explaining rules to a game.

"Maybe something that doesn't require a lot of brain power" Ginny chuckled.

"Okay, what about 'Never Have I Ever" I asked. Everyone nodded and I quickly explained the basic concept of the game. "I'll start. Um, never had I ever recieved my Hogwarts letter" I laughed, and everyone had to drink.

"Never had I ever been outside of the common room past curfew" said Seamus.

"Yes you have, you were at the Halloween party a few weeks ago" Ron said to him and shook his head, laughing.

"Ah shit you're right. Uhhhhh, never have I ever had detention with Filch" he finally finished. Fred and George, amongst a few others, took a drink from their cups.

"Never have I ever gotten a Howler" Harry said and everyone laughed at Ron. I gave him a questioning look and he just shakes his head in horror.

"RONALD WEASLEY! HOW DARE YOU STEAL THAT CAR!" started Fred and George and my jaw dropped. The twins finished the entirety of the message and I couldn't help but laugh. Ron quickly explained why he and Harry had to fly to Hogwarts since they missed the train.

"Alright alright, never have I ever hooked up with someone in a classroom" Fred said, narrowing his eyes on George. I saw George take a sip from his cup at the same time as Jackie. Hmm, i'll have to remember to ask her about that later. But then I realized I also had to drink. I lifted the cup up to my lips and I saw Angela's eyes widen.

"Viv, who have you hooked up with in a classroom?!" she blurted out. I felt everyone's eyes on me and I regretted teaching them this game. I saw Dean look away awkwardly and could tell he was a bit hurt. I liked Dean, and I knew he liked me but he hasn't done anything about it.

"Ah it was nothing. It was just a one time thing." I played off. Trying to come to my aid, Casey continued the game. We played for a few more rounds until we realized how late it was. We said our goodbyes and wished each other a Merry Christmas. I was heading for the common room door, when Dean grabbed me by my arm.

"Hey." he whispered. Angela and Jackie were waiting for me by the door but Dean told them to go on, that he'd walk me to my common room. Once again, saying our goodbyes, the girls left in the direction of the Hufflepuff common room. Dean walked with me in the hallway, not saying much and I was not used to the silence between us.

"Are we okay?" I asked him. He looked down at me and I looked into his eyes. I couldn't tell what he was thinking.

"Yeah. I just thought we had something, ya know?" he said, crestfallen.

"We do have something" I stopped in the middle of the hall. I've had feelings for Dean from my first day of Hogwarts but I didn't know if they were anything more than friendship. I did think about how I would react if he kissed me during one of our study sessions in the library, but he never did. I was tired of waiting for him to make the first move, so I kissed him.

I definitely took him by surprise, since I had to stand on my tiptoes to reach his lips, but he instantly kissed me back. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he put his hands around my waist. It was a good kiss. We pulled apart, but he still held me close. I couldn't help but smile like a dork, and neither could he.

"I've been wanting to do that for a while. A long while, since the day I met you actually" he said.

"Then why haven't you?" I asked him plainly.

"I don't know, I guess I knew we had something between us, but I was worried about your reaction and I didn't want it to mess up our friendship" he admitted. I reassured him again that there was something here, and he let out a sigh of relief. "It's late, let's talk after the holiday, okay?" he said and kissed me again.

"Okay. Merry Christmas, Dean."

"Merry Christmas, Viv."

---

Dean watched me enter the Slytherin common room and close the door behind me. I found the common room empty. Well, almost empty. Draco was sitting in the leather chair closest to the fire, facing the entrance.

"It's past curfew," Draco said as I walked through the door and looked in his direction., I wondered why he was sitting alone in the common room at this hour.

"So? Why aren't you in your dorm?" I asked him, almost annoyed.

"Where have you been?" he asked wearily.

"That's none of your business and why are you answering my question with a question?" I retorted. He sat in the chair and cleared his throat.

"Um, sorry. I just wanted to catch you before you left for break and wish you a Happy Christmas" he said sheepishly, as I watched him get up and cross the common room towards the boys corridor. Without thinking, I grabbed him by the arm and pulled him into a hug. He was stiff but I didn't care, I wrapped my arms around his back and waited for his response. I felt his muscles relax, and he took in a deep breath.

"Merry Christmas Draco" I said. He pulled away from me. We stood there for a few seconds, arms length apart, unsure of what to say next.

"Right. Goodnight, then." was all he said as he practically ran up the stairs to his dormitory. Confused as to what just happened, I walked up to my dorm and went to bed.