Chapter Text
We met three months into school. Draco, I mean. He transferred just like that. A few papers and he topples my life like he owns it. Waltzed into my classroom the same way he waltzed into my brain, and refused to leave.
I don't think he noticed me watching him in class, or cared either. The only thing he really cared about was reading thick, mysterious books. What with the way he sat with one leg tucked up on his chair, one hand absentmindedly stroking his silky blond hair, his elbow resting just on the edge of his desk, flipping slowly through a new book almost everyday, it was no wonder that he enchanted almost every girl in class. Myself also, if I must admit.
If I could've, I would've trailed after him every chance I got, blended right into his crowd of admirers. However, Cho didn't like that.
"Harry!" she called from behind me one lunchtime when I tried to sneak off to the library to watch Draco read. "Where are you going? You promised to treat me to lunch today, remember?"
"Well, yes, but-"
"Do you not want to eat together? You're my boyfriend, Harry. You're supposed to like me!" Cho spoke disappointedly, and I felt a twinge of guilt. Just a twinge though.
I raised the library book I'd borrowed when I had been following Draco the day before and said, "I'm just returning a book, babe, I won't be gone too long." I was out the classroom door before Cho could complain another word and cause a scene about how I'm a shit boyfriend.
That had been approximately a month or so ago. Really, though, her pissy attitude regarding Draco hasn't improved at all since then. Every time I bring up Draco, like when he gets top grades on a test, or when he trimmed his hair, she goes quiet and just stares at me disapprovingly.
"Stop talking about Draco, Harry!" she finally blew up, a week ago. "You're with me, not him! The way you notice all that shit about him, people're gonna think you're gay!"
Honestly, I might be. Who wouldn't, for someone like that?
"Harry, hi," Cho's voice floated over my shoulder, and I felt her run a hand down my bicep. I was a little creeped by how much affection she was showing.
"Cho, uhm, hi," I replied. I put my pencil down on top of the homework that would be due the second our teacher walked into class. I hoped that whatever she wanted was quick, because I only had ten minutes until class started.
"So, Harry," Cho coyly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "do you have anything for me?" It's our one year anniversary, of course she expects a gift.
Looking up at her wide, expectant smile, I couldn't help but want to play a prank on her.
"A gift? Why?" I turned around in my seat, pretending to be utterly confused. "It's not like its our anniversary or something, why would i give you a gift?"
Almost like a stop-motion movie, I could see her face shift through all her levels of anger before landing decidedly on disappointment rage.
"I can't believe you." Cho shook her head at me like i was a puppy that owed on her bed after being told not to and stormed away to her seat at the back of the classroom. Good, now I can focus on finishing my procrastinated homework.
I was well past done of my homework when our teacher walked into class two minutes late, her messy binder tucked under one arm. There was a moment of chaos when everyone flocked into their seats. Thus began another boring and completely useless class.
By the time the bell rang for lunch, I hadn't heard a single word that saggy old crone had spewed in the past hour.
Funnily enough, I could recite every single movement Draco had made since entering the classroom. I wonder why, it's not like I was intensely watching him or something. Not on purpose, at least.
As I took my sweet time packing up, I was torn between going to Cho to apologize and following Draco to the second floor boys' bathroom that he goes to everyday at the start of lunch. I decided Cho could wait.
Making sure Draco hadn't left the classroom yet, so that it doesn't look like I'm stalking him, I ran out the door at the speed of some really fast light.
There wasn't anyone in the bathroom when I arrived. It was built really out of the way, which was good because I never liked being in a bathroom full of strangers. I locked myself in a stall and used the time Draco took to walk here to try to slow down my heartbeat. It's not even the first time I was doing this, I shouldn't still be this anxious.
A soft creak, clicking soles. Draco just walked in. Quietly, I lifted my feet off the ground and hugged my backpack tight. I hoped he wouldn't notice the one closed door at the darker end of the bathroom.
Everything was going well up until Draco started washing his hands. A small itch in my nose. I tried to ignore it, but it intensified with each passing second. Now Draco was wiping his hands, as far as I could see through the stall door's crack. Just a few more seconds, and he'll never have known I was here.
I sneezed.
A horrible silence followed. I could imagine Draco looking towards my stall and thinking how creepy it was that I pulled my feet up and didn't make a single noise the whole time he was in here. The embarrassment spread from the bald spot on the top of my head to my one and only curly toe hair. It was times like these that made me regret not buying that overpriced Invisibility Cloak I saw on Temu.
Slow footsteps, then the tips of Draco's shoes were peeking under my stall. A lump formed in my throat, but I'd never been good at swallowing, so it stayed there.
"H-hello?" he knocked cautiously on the door. Too late, I realized the stall probably looked empty on the outside.
I put my feet in the floor uncertainly and stood up. Fuck, I was trapped! I didn't know what else to do now. I guess I should at least give him a reply. Maybe I shouldn't. I acted on impulse.
"Hi."
It hung awkwardly in the air, the way words do when you're exchanging them with someone you've never talked to before through the locked door of the bathroom stall you were hiding in to secretly watch them.
"Um. Bye." A loud pitter-patter followed Draco's words, the sound of the bathroom door opening close behind it.
Great. I'd successfully creeped him out and probably scared him away from this bathroom for the rest of his life. I hoped he didn't recognize my voice or my shoes.
I walked shamefully to the cafeteria, cursing whatever god decided humans should sneeze. They were serving soggy tacos and bean salad, which didn't improve my sour mood.
I dumped my sorry ass next to Cho, my usual spot in her circle of friends. She spared my a disgusted glance and completely ignored me. It was better this way.
Just me sobbing my stinky little heart out into my stinky little lunch.