The Malfoy Project

𝟏𝟔 - 𝐂𝐫𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬

     I wake up to a bag of crystallised pineapples on my bedside table.

     "It was on the floor by the common room entrance," Hannah informs me through chesty pants, marigold hair matted with sweat.

     "What?" I squint at her through half-lidded eyes. "It's- what- seven AM! Are you sure it's for me?"

     "It was there when I left for my run." She swipes an arm across her slick forehead. "Was addressed to you, had a little note and everything. Your name is Ainsley, isn't it?"

     A sudden realisation comes over me and I spring up. "It must be Monty! We went to The Three Broomsticks on Sunday and he disappeared for a bit. He must've popped by Honeydukes to surprise me with this! Wonder why he didn't just give it to me earlier."

     "Oh, just shut up and eat it," Hannah tosses her school robes over her shoulder. "Be considerate to the less fortunate of us who don't have a wonderful, dreamy boyfriend like Monty."

     I chuck a pillow at her. She flings it right back. I boomerang it to Susan's sleeping figure in the next bed and she shrieks awake.

     "Fucking 'ell, it's Saturday!" grumbles Susan from under the sheets. "Why are you two even awake?"

     "Health."

     "Interviews."

     Susan only answers with another loud, dramatic groan and burrows her head further into the ocean of pillows.

     "I thought your interviews were scheduled for afternoons," Hannah says as I clamber out of bed.

     "Yeah, but I want to get some homework done so I can spend the weekends on the transcriptions."

     Hannah makes a throaty sound of disbelief and rolls her eyes. "Look at you go, Little Miss Journalist!" she taunts. "Never seen you so diligent before."

     "Well, I, for one, care about my grades, unlike you! Skiving off classes to shag Merlin-knows-who at Merlin-knows-where!"

     "Shut up. You're not the only one who can snag a hot, broody Slytherin lad."

     "Oh? Who's the unlucky guy?"

     Hannah's eyebrows shoot up. "Oh, um- nobody," she fumbles. "Nobody important. Nobody worth mentioning."

     I gather my things and start for the bathroom. "Alright," I smirk. "Shag Nobody all you want, but don't forget to turn in your Transfiguration essay. You know how McGonagall gets."

     "Thanks, Mum. And don't worry, I won't forget to have him use a condom as well!" She slings the towel against my bottom as I pass her, earning a loud squeal from me and laughing as I give her the finger.

༻❁༺

     The library is quiet as I had expected on a Saturday morning. No one in their right mind would get up this early save for Hannah and me.

     Madam Pince winces a 'good morning' at me, and I begin my stroll down the aisles. Columns of books tower over me like tree trunks as I pass, baring rows upon rows of jewel-coloured teeth; endless knowledge and unexplored new worlds.

     Theories of Transubstantial Transfiguration, Theories of Transubstantial Transfiguration. I try saying that five times fast in my head. T, T, T.

     It is in between shelves O and P that a figure in black almost makes me jump and scream in fright.

     "Draco!" I press my hand to my chest to slow the skittering patter of my heart. "What- what on earth are you doing here?"