Great Hall w/ Moodz and Ellie

Looking around the empty halls, I realized that everyone must be eating. With a flash of remembrance, I rushed in and looked around for Pansy. She was sitting next to Millicent, as always, but on her other side, in my seat of honor, was Theodore Nott. I hoped that my eyes were burning with anger, because as I made my way to the table I was determined to put the fear of Merlin into that dirty, rotten thief. I plopped firmly into the seat across from Pansy and next to Zabini, who clapped me on the back and asked where I'd been. He didn't wait for me to answer and instead launched into a tale of how one of the Weasleys was embarrassing themself this time around. I glanced down the table and noticed Cira, who was glaring at me so hard that I thought my hair might catch on fire, which would be most unfortunate. I didn't know what to do, so I gave a tentative smile and quickly turned away.
"So, Pansy..." I said, and she looked up hopefully, tucking a strand of her dark hair behind an ear. "Yes, Dray?" she asked. "Do you want to, maybe, do our rounds alone for a bit tonight?" I had thought it over on my way into the hall and it seemed like the easiest way to make for what had happened earlier. Besides, it would give me plenty of time later to see if Slytherin would still show up to meet me.
"Sure!" she said, grinning and elbowing Millicent. "Nott, would you go get me one of those rolls that Branston is hogging?" she asked, and when he rose to run her errand, she patted the seat beside her. "All yours."

"Good luck Malfoy." I muttered so only he could here, even with all the other students. "You know that if I tell everyone what happened, you will get the worst end of it. Have a happy life with the lawn chair." I turned to one of the boys that was sitting near me, and started to talk to him, keeping up my usual glare and scowl that I sported everyday. The boy looked happy to have my attention. I hoped Draco felt bad about what he did to me. I flipped my hair over my shoulder, smiling as I chatted with the other Slytherins. It was all a show, trying to prove to Draco that I was as strong as I let everyone on.

I shook my head at my failure to appease Slytherin. Now she was going on and on with Branston (who had at first looked pissed about his rolls being stolen, but now that Cira was talking to him he looked like a million bucks)and flipping her hair like a Gryffindor showoff. Pansy put her hand in my lap and found mine, linking it as she had early. I made a show of taking it away from her to pick up my goblet and drink and placed it further away from her. I didn't want to make Cira any angrier than she was.

I laughed at something that Branston said that he meant to be funny, but was totally not. (A/N, I FORGOT TO ADD IN MY REGISTRATION, CIRA HAS JET BLACK HAIR. I glanced at Draco, seeing him stare at me. I looked away, turning back to Branston and leaned forward, whispering something to him. I was complimenting his hair, which was a total lie. I saw him blush slightly, bursting with pride.

I didn't know what Cira had said to him, but I watched Branston blush brightly beneath his olive skin tone. I frowned and put put my hand back on the table next to Pansy's, who immediately lept for it and put it next to her face, not even breaking her conversation with Zabini. With my free hand I reached to tuck her hair back behind her ear again, as it had fallen and was dangerously close to landing in a bowl of turkey gravy that rested in front of us. She glanced at me and smiled, her eyes shining. She really wasn't such a bad girl after all; I felt horrible that I was only doing this because of Cira Slytherin.

"You want to go that way, Malfoy?" I hissed to myself. As Branston actually said something funny, I laughed, and I knew that it had brighted my face. I twirled a piece of my hair around my finger, putting on a look on my face that I used when I wanted something from a guy. It worked almost every time. I knew that Draco would recognize it, he has seen it in action before.

Two can play this game. I downed the rest of the water in my goblet and loudly clanked my fork against my plate. Almost everyone at the table looked at me, except Cira, who was still making those eyes at Branston despite the fact that he, too, was looking our way. "I'm not hungry," I said loudly, grabbing Pansy's hand. "Dorms or classroom?" I asked more quietly, but loud enough that Zabini let out a low whistle and Millicent burst into a fit of nervous laughter over her plate, stacked high with pork chops. Pansy merely batted her eyes up at me, twice as wide as usual.
"It's finally happening," she said to herself. I pulled her up from her seat and gave a sharp look at Slytherin, who I knew had heard every word of our exchange. This was war, and Slytherins are the ultimate generals.

As Draco walked past, I stuck my foot out, tripping him. He fell to the ground, almost dragging Pansy with him as he made his way to the ground. Smirking, I laughed along with the rest at the table. I cocked my head at Draco, staring at him.
"Clumsy much?" I asked sweetly, looking at him with an innocent look on my face. Branston was still blushing slightly from my flattering. I kept my eyes wide like a child's. I still had plans to show up at midnight were Draco and Pansy were doing there rounds, I was a woman of my word. Its going to be great, seeing his reaction when he finds me there. Eventually, he would crack. They all do, and I could tell that tripping him was just pushing him closer to the edge. I knew that he would never kiss Pansy, that he was just putting up a show, just like I was doing. I could flatter Branston some more, but I was getting myself to far into it, and I knew that Draco knew that. He was doing the same with Pansy, so we are both in a tad bit of hot water, but I can easily pull my self out of it. All of the Slytherin table was either staring at me or laughing at Draco, and half of the Hall was looking at us in confusion. This was going to be a very interesting year at Hogwarts.

I furiously attempted not to blush or look even a slight bit embarrassed, but my mouth twisted into various shapes as I experimented with a few different things to say, but all of the possible endings concluded with me being completely humliated by Cira. And then, Pansy put her hand to her forehead and did an obvious false swoon and landed on the floor next to me, hands on my chest. "Dray, we haven't even made it to the halls yet,"
she giggled breathlessly.

A raucous round of laughter started up among the older students, while the younger students were nudging each other and whispering. For the first time, I was silently thanking Merlin for Pansy Parkinson. I once again regretted that my budding philogyny (oh yeah, look it up) wasn't directed at her. I picked myself up and brushed myself off, giving a completely neutral look at Cira. "Thanks for the help, Slytherin, but we're not exhibitionists. We don't fancy having a go at each other where you can watch, no matter how many of your hopeless dreams it would fulfill." Pansy tugged at my hand and I turned from Cira to follow her out of the Great Hall.

I shrugged at him, not fazed in the least. He couldn't embarrass me.
"Good luck with the lawn chair!" I called out to him. "He's in love with me." I said to the other students. It was war now. I turned back to Draco's retreating figure, and yelled out again. "Malfoy, staying away from you is my 'hopeless dream', thank you kindly sir. But it looks like Pansy there has other hopes." I smirked at him, rolling my eyes and turning back to the students.

I was ready to leave the whole situation behind, but Pansy whipped around in a rage, angrier than I had ever seen her. "Looks like we're both going to get what we want then, Slytherin!" she barked, twisted her face into an ugly, condescending look. "Draco wouldn't disgrace himself with a pissant like you. It would defile him to even put his hand to your skin. You should treasure every moment in his presence."
There was a round of "hear, hear"s around the table, along with a burst of laughter from the other houses. None of the other houses seemed to understand how fully Slytherin was controlled by its most popular, pure-blooded, loyal students. I put the palm of my hand to my forehead and wished that this would just end already. The sad thing was, it was all my fault.

I stood up, calmly walking over to Pansy. I looked down at her, almost sighing at the girls sheer stupidity.
"And you think that your good enough? Pansy, my dear girl, you clearly don't see yourself correctly." I said in a calm voice. Draco was watching the whole scene unfold in shock. I laughed, my voice drawing itself to the other tables. "Listen here, lawn chair. I don't think it would be very prudent for you to talk to me that way. Surely you've learned some respect." I was looking down to her, my face darkening with each word.

Pansy looked two parts frightened, one part confused. I watched as she mouthed the words, "lawn chair" with a questioning look on her face. I glared at Slytherin, trying to warn her mentally not to do this to Pansy, and in turn, ruin me. "Let's just leave it, Pans, it's nothing," I said, holding her elbow and hoping that she would back down like every other instance of conflict in her life.
"No!" she said, pulling away. "She thinks just because she's descended from a batty old man, who no one even knows what happened to, she has the right to look down on me and all the rest of us. What's a Slytherin in a world where she's getting to be the last? There are loyal, prestigious, rich families here in the present that deserve to be lauded much more than this poser and I plan to give her a piece of my -,"
I quickly put my hand over Pansy's mouth and tried to lead her away. The teachers, even, were staring at us, even though they usually stayed out of personal student business.

i couldent help myself. Any one who talked bad about my family was going to get it. I raised my hand, and slapped her across the face, earning sharp gasps from all around. I didn't care that the teachers gave me dissaproving looks. I had to get something through to this dimminded girl.
"He was murdered!" I snarled at her. "murdered by someones ancestor who goes to this school. He wasnt batty, he was smart you brute."

As the square red mark began to grow on Pansy's face, I watched tears sting in her eyes and finally knew what it meant to feel sympathy. Mentally, emotionally, Cira had slapped me several times today. Pansy, however, needed a more direct approach. She stood, appalled, mouth gaping and eyes fixed on Slytherin as if she were ancient Medusa, turning her to stone. Until, finally, Pansy turned and ran from the Great Hall, holding in her sobs until she got outside of the doors.
"Look what you've done!" I yelled, pointing at Slytherin. "You just have to ruin everything for your OWN benefit, for your OWN prestige. You hurt her. That's NOT going to go over well with any of the true great families of our day. All you have are facts that, for all we know, you're popping off the top of your head."

"What would you do, Malfoy if some say, oh Potter, just up and told you that your great decendent was batty? Would you like me to slap you to? Or take a more direct approch?" I yelled back , pulling my wand out from my robes and making it visible to the whole room. "You have no idea what it is like to be me, Malfoy. You have the perfect life, so pressure what so ever waighing down your shoulders every single day."

I didn't know whether to cry or scoff, but the latter seemed to be more appropriate in public. "Are you kidding me? You think I have no pressure in my life? There are things waiting in my future that I can't even speak in front of this room, much less in front of someone as mouthy as you! And honestly, my ancestors are dead and buried, say what you will about them, but Lucius Malfoy is alive and well and powerful. Speak wrongly of him and you'll be lucky to have an easy death. I have more going on in my life than you know, Slytherin. These games I play? They're a distraction from things that would give you and your burly brother nightmares."

"you think your the only one here working to become a Death Eater?" I hiss only to him, hinting about me and my brother. " I have been face to face with a dementor, there is nothing you can hold over me, nothing." I said more loadly. I even ment the kiss, and I knew that he knew that it was the truth.

I lowered my voice and stepped closer to Cira. "Until you've stood face to face with the Dark Lord himself, and been told that you are not yet good enough, not yet worthy, but you are going to someday soon be given a chance to prove yourself, don't speak to me about how brave you are. Dementors are the end of the soul, Lord Voldemort is the death of all. I practically grew up with the man. He's like that funny uncle that everyone seems to have, except this is the most powerful man in our world. In any world. My life is determined, and you are throwing it off tracks."
I had been speaking so quietly for so long that the chatter started to die down a bit, and some students turned back to their food. I saw Dumbledore tell Professor Snape something, and he took a side exit away. No doubt the old man had sent him after Pansy.

My eyebrows shot up into my hair." you think that I have never met him? He was there for my birth, Malfoy, befor Potter showed up. You know nothing about me. I keep incontsct regularly with the true Death Eaters. Were do you think I go when I dissapear every Friday? Have you seen a raven, perhaps on Fridays?" I whispered to him

"Look, let's not make this a personal battle," I whispered, although I was in utter shock. Father had never even mentioned that Cira was in contact with the inner circle. "Until either of us has our marks, we're equal in His eyes. But honestly, all of this aside, I am following a path in my life that you seem intent to destroy. First, you try to pull me away from Pansy, the obvious choice for a future wife. Then you try to humiliate me in front of my followers, people I will need when this comes to war. Now you're here trying to outdo me. Why are you so set on making my life hell? Why couldn't you just leave it?" I was so confused that I was surprised I knew half of what I was saying. I hoped that I had kept my voice low enough so that I wouldn't be heard by any spying ears.

I supposed is wasnt the best time to tell him that I was going to be tested for the mark addition this Friday. "Did it ever occur to you that maybe up in the tree, that I had wanted to kiss you?" I asked him. " and malfoy, I can tell. You don't love Pansy, and you never will."

"Love?" I spat, as if the word tasted bad in my mouth. "Love is not what pureblood marriage is about; you should know that. Haven't you heard how they talk about us children? Draco Endymion Malfoy, son of Lucius BY Narcissa. As if he were going to be siring children by 6 different women. It's all about keeping the bloodlines clean, the relations proper. Pansy is pureblooded and as far distantly related as you can get without the blood being diluted. Our fathers are acquainted, she has plenty of money..." Suddenly I was appalled at the things I was saying. I had convinced myself that Pansy and I were friends, that I could feel affection for her, and her I was, talking about her as if she were a business venture.
"Besides. Why would you want to kiss me, Cira? Seeing as you seem to find me and my choices distasteful."

I smiled and shook my head. "Malfoy, sometimes you are to slow. Did you not see me when Pansy was getting cosey with you out in the lawn?" I quietly asked him. Jelouse, some people might say. More like finding the person that the dark lord destened me for. I didn't relise I was speaking outloud until it was too late.

I gawked at her. No, wait, Malfoys do NOT gawk. I simply showed my shock and awe gracefully by dropping my jaw and widening my eyes. Much more dignified. There were no words to counter what she had just said. I mean, I could accuse her of lying, but that would lead nowhere. I could tell her that everyone had their choice in love, and that I could easily choose against her, but she would only continue playing games with me. I tried to gather my panicking thoughts together. The Dark Lord...it was often said that he either had The Sight by birth or that he had somehow stolen it from one of the blood traitors he had killed. He was most famous for his dictation of marriages within his followers. He had paired Crabbe's parents, who weren't altogether too bright, but they were literally sickening in their love for one another.
"Cira," I whispered quietly. "You have to repeat that. You have to tell me I didn't hear what I thought I did. Did He tell you that we were star-set, or however he's putting it these days?"