Fire & Ice - A Draco Malfoy fanfiction

Chapter 12 - People in our league suck

We are all broken. That's how the light gets in.

- Hemmingway

"That's not Jupiter, Malfoy, that's a satellite", I sighed as he peered through the telescope.

"No it's not", he huffed. I leaned back bored as Malfoy kept claiming the device, having it all wrong. Astronomy wasn't his strong suit, but he was too proud to let me help. He wasn't being mean, he was just being a little baby, not wanting to admit that he was wrong. 

I noticed Benjamin on the other side of the room. I hadn't talked to him in a good while. He was working with Seamus, his best friend, and they were laughing at something professor Sinistra said. They had been friends for years, but Seamus always left whenever I went to talk to Benjamin, so I had never really spoken to him. He was a little scared of me, according to Benji. Oh well, I wasn't surprised, many people were.

And then I noticed something I had never seen before. A special glint in Benji's eyes as Seamus handed him the telescope. A glint that hadn't even appeared when he danced with Hannah Abbott at the Yule Ball last year. Could it be ...

"What are you grinning about?" Malfoy frowned, shoving the telescope my way. "You're up."

"Nothing", I said, but I couldn't get the smile off my face. This just had improved the night by a lot.

I glanced at Malfoy's paper and saw that he still hadn't written anything down. I peered through the telescope, trying to get it to focus. It definitely was a satellite, possibly Europa. I took the chart and looked up the name.

"It's Europa, the satellite", I mumbled, jotting it down. I looked at Malfoy from the corner of my eyes, but he didn't move, a frown on his face. He was such a little boy sometimes.

"Show off", he mumbled, grabbing the telescope again.

"Covered in ice and orbits Neptune, right?" I said, knowing well that it was not true, but I would rather not sit next to a grumpy Malfoy for the rest of class and the only way to get him in a good mood was to stroke his ego.

"Jupiter, not Neptune", he said, scribbling on his paper.

"Well would you look at that, such great teamwork", I grinned, adding it to my piece of parchment.

My eyes scanned for Benjamin again and this time his eyes met mine. He frowned at my smirk and mouthed: having fun? I threw up a sarcastic thumb, causing him to grin.

"Pay attention, will you?" Malfoy sneered.

"Calm down, Malfoy", I sighed.

"Do your parents know you hang out with him?" he asked, eyeing Benji.

"Benjamin? No, I don't think so", I mumbled. My parents would never approve of a friendship with a Gryffindor, let alone a half-blood one. And if my suspicions were right ... oh no definitely not.

"Don't think they'd be too happy about it. Why do you hang out with him anyway? He's way out of our league."

"Because he's kind and caring, that's why. Got to broaden my horizon since the people in our league suck", I rolled my eyes. He huffed and ignored me for most of the time being. I didn't mind much. We just continued our work and got most of it done in time.

As soon as professor Sinistra dismissed us, I set off to follow Benjamin.

I caught up with him in the hallway, still walking with Seamus.

"Benjamin, long time no see", I said as I walked alongside him. Seamus looked at me very shortly before slowing down his pace and joining some of his other classmates.

"He doesn't like me much, does he?" I stated, peering at the Irish boy with my head held high.

"He just doesn't know you. I don't think he knows any Slytherins personally", Benjamin chuckled. I took a turn to a more secluded hallway and motioned him to follow me.

"Merlin, Eleanor, the others are going to think we've got a thing going on", Benjamin joked, eyeing me curiously.

"Please, Evans, I have actual standards", I grinned, putting my bag down.

"Ouch, rude. And those standards are at an Adrian Pucey level?" he smirked.

"Oh shut it, I'm not here to discuss my personal life."

"Then what are we here for?"

"When were you going to tell me you fancy Finnigan?"

The smile suddenly disappeared and the colour drained from his face.

"What? What are you talking about?" he stammered, looking down.

"Come on, Evans, I've seen the way you look at him. You fancy him, don't you?" I teased, poking his upper arm.

"No, I don't", he said in an annoyed tone. "Don't be stupid." Maybe I shouldn't have handled it this way.

"It's okay if you do, I won't tell anyone", I said. "And I totally support you if that's what you're worried about. It might not be very common in my family to do so, but I have absolutely no problem with it."

"I'm not worried about anything!" he snapped. "And stop with the idiotic accusations! I don't like him like that or any guy for that matter and I would appreciate it if you kept your nose out of my business." Before I could respond he stormed out of the hallway.

Well that went great.

I sighed and grabbed my bag, slumping back to the Slytherin common room. Maybe I shouldn't have been so blunt about it. It was a big deal and I should have waited for him to come to me about it. Damn it, I hadn't handled that very well.

"Off with your Gryffindor boyfriend again?" Malfoy asked as I walked into the common room. He was sitting in one of the couches by the fireplace, Daphne besides him.

"Shut your mouth, Malfoy, your comments are irrelevant", I sighed. We had no classes tomorrow morning due to the late Astronomy class, so I sat down on the opposite couch, enjoying the warmth of the fire. I had Arithmancy and History of Magic in the afternoon, though, which I was already dreading.

"Must have learned that from you", Malfoy said, a smirk lurking around his lips. Lately I had enjoyed bickering with Malfoy but I was not in the mood today.

"Stop with the fangirling, it's not a good look", I mumbled. Blaise sniggered, earning a glare from Malfoy.

"Is there any chance the two of you are ever going to get along?" Daphne sighed, followed by a simultaneous "no". I couldn't help but smile, though. At least this was better than the way it was before. Even though that last fight had been very unpleasant, I guess it had one advantage. Malfoy hadn't been as rude. If he'd always act like he did with the little Hufflepuff girl, maybe I could even like him, but that was a lot to ask.

Just now I realised that I was still staring at him and he was looking at me with a frown. I averted my eyes, acting like that did not happen. What would a world in which Malfoy and I got along look like? My parents certainly would be pleased.