Wonder // Draco Malfoy

34. Be My Date

"What led to the Fight?" Professor Moody asks. We're now in his office; he's sitting at his desk taking a long swig from his flask and I'm standing in front of him, my textbooks close to my chest. "Gotta say, I never thought Malfoy would fight. His family is the type to hide behind their magic."

"Lev wanted to speak to me privately. I told him no. You've warned me about him and so has Draco, so there is no way I'll follow him anywhere. When he wouldn't stop trying, Draco hit him."

Professor Moody thinks for a moment, his magical eye whizzing around the office looking at unknown objects. "Did Lev say anything strange? Anything about Karkaroff?"

I shake my head no. I'm taken by surprise; I didn't think what Lev was doing had anything to do with his headmaster. Now I'm beginning to wonder. But what would either of them have against me? "He just told me it was a mistake for me to date Draco."

Professor Moody scoffs, followed by a low chuckle. "Like his family's any better than the Malfoy family. And don't get me started on Karkaroff."

Professor Moody thinks for a minute more before turning to me again. "You're dismissed, Ms. Walker. Let me know if Lev says anything about him."

-

"What's his obsession with Karkaroff?" Rue asks. We're at our usual table in Hufflepuff common with Marcus and Martin, who is purring and walking in circles on the table to get pets from all of us.

"My father says that he used to support you-know-who," Marcus says. He continues to scribble on his scroll for an essay assigned by Professor Snape. "I couldn't imagine a former death eater leading students, though."

"How do you know he's a former death eater? Professor Moody seems too concerned about him for it to be something from the past."

I sigh and open my own book to begin the essay. I know I should've started by now, but I'm a master procrastinator. I've had too much on my mind to worry about school work. "I don't know. But he definitely isn't the biggest fan of me. Did you see the way he looked at me while he dragged Lev away?" I ask. Rue snorts.

"Yes! And I can't get over the fact that Draco fought for you! I didn't think he'd ever hurt someone without a wand. I heard Hermione punched him last year and he ran away. And he just took on a student twice his muscle mass!"

"Seriously, Valentine, he's utterly in love with you. He just hasn't asked you out because he knows he'll faint in the process," Marcus states, his eyes not moving from the book in front of him.

"Well, if he likes me so much, why won't he at least ask me to the Yule Ball?"

Martin licks my hand in an attempt to encourage me to continue petting him. I set down my quill and answer his demands. "Come on, it's Malfoy. That would require him being emotionally vulnerable," Rue explains in a matter-of-fact tone. "Even if his actions scream 'I'm in love with Valentine,' he can't just say it for everyone to hear."

I slump in my chair in defeat. I know she's right; I don't think he'll ever ask me to be his date or his girlfriend. But I also didn't think he would ever get in a fist fight yet he proved me wrong today. This boy is full of surprises.

-

Rue and I laugh as we make our way to Hogsmeade. It's the weekend before the last week of school this semester so we're making sure we have everything we need. Despite not having a date, I already bought a dress that should arrive by owl. Well, Rue's mom bought me a dress based on what Rue told her I would want. By I would want, I mean what Rue would want. I had no say whatsoever in my dress.

However, I know I'll love it. It's a red, velvet dress that reaches the floor with a small train. The neckline is sweetheart shaped and the sleeves are small and rest easily on my shoulders. I'm hoping so, at least. It's what it looked like on the model in the photo.

When we arrive at the Three Broomsticks, we immediately find Martin sitting in a table by a window. I tell Rue I'll buy drinks for us and I'll join them in a few minutes.

While waiting in line, I talk with a few Beauxbaton students politely. That's when I see him. Lev enters the pub with a few angry-looking Durmstrang students and his eyes fall on me. I look away immediately in hopes that he would just leave me alone. Wouldn't Karkaroff have told him to stay away from me? The look I was given was a universal disapproval.

To my dismay, Lev and his friends stop directly in front of me. "Be my date to the Yule Ball," Lev states. It isn't a question - he's telling me to be his date. I stare at him in bewilderment; has this man learned nothing? When I don't answer, he continues. "I know your little boyfriend hasn't asked you. You should come with me instead."

"I don't have to ask her, she knows she's coming with me."

Draco pushes his way through students to stand next to me. Crabbe and Goyle are next to him, and all three are sneering at the three Durmstrang boys glaring at them. Lev scoffs and stands straighter. Please don't tell me there will be another fight.

"That's unlikely. She doesn't even know you're her boyfriend. You're too pathetic to ask her out."

Draco takes a deep breath to steady himself but his hand is shaking next to where he keeps his wand tucked in his robe. "Valentine knows who she belongs to," Draco spits. He is now standing in front of me, shielding me from Lev's view. "And I suggest you get that through your head."

"Excuse me, is there an issue?" A worker asks. She has a bucket of dirty dishes in her hands and she's covered in dish water. Her eyes shift between the two groups of students before Lev and his friends leave without another word.

Draco turns to look at me and I can see the anger lingering. I reach up to touch his face but he moves his face just out of reach. "Can we speak outside, Valentine?"

I follow Draco outside and we walk along a small trail until we're deeper in the woods, far from everyone else. "Is something wrong?" I ask. My heart is beating a thousand times a minute and I'm terrified of what he'll say next.

"You do know we're going to the Yule Ball together, right?" He asks. I shake my head no. Wouldn't he have to ask me for us to be going together? "How do you not know? Have I not made my feelings clear to you?"

There's a hint of annoyance in his tone and I'm unsure if it's because I truly didn't think we were going together or because of what just happened in The Three Broomsticks. "You didn't ask. I just thought you weren't interested."

Draco's eyes widen and he stands with his hands on his hips in disbelief. "Not interested? When have I ever shown I'm not interested? My only interest is in you, Valentine!"

"You haven't even asked me out, Draco, how am I supposed to know these things? I'm still unsure if you want to be seen with me!"

Draco takes another step toward me and opens his mouth to say something, but he stops. He takes another deep breath and runs his hand through his hair. "Valentine, will you be my girlfriend?"

My heart skips a beat. I also might faint, but I will try to ignore that for now. "Y-yes," I stutter. I tried to act confident, but it faded as soon as I opened my mouth to answer.

"Will you go to the Yule Ball with me?"

"Yes."

"Will you stop talking to other men so I won't have to hurt them?"

"Y-wait, Draco, that's unrealistic. One of my best friends is a man."

Draco dismisses that statement with a wave of his hand. "He doesn't count."

I begin to argue, but decide not to test him. After all, I don't need him and Marcus fighting.

"Now that we're on the same page, let's go back. I'm starving."

A/N
Another abrupt ending, sorry!! I have a pretty busy day today and wanted to at least make sure I wrote a chapter. I'm hoping you guys like how I wrote this scene. Thank you guys <3