Great Hall w/ Moodz and Ellie

"Oh, don't worry, I won't. That'd push her even further over the edge," I said, rolling my eyes. She was the queen of drama, after Myrtle of course, and sometimes the smallest things would set her off. Still, we had grown up together and it was now my job to run off and metaphorically kiss her wounds. "I think I'm going to go now. Wouldn't want to miss Potions later. I always love having that last class of the day. Any other messages you'd like to pass on? Perhaps to Branston?" I asked, batting my eyelashes in an attempt to imitate her earlier behavior with him.

"You look like such a girl." I said, laughing and rolling my eyes along with him. "Oh, he will live with the disappointment that I have chosen you over him." I waved my hand dismissively. "I can tell he wants to murder you right now though. You can tell from the look on his face. Jealous, are you, Malfoy?" Faking being shocked, I put my hand dramatically over my heart.

"Bah. Compared to me, that brat is Muggle filth. He might as well be, I heard his mother has two Squib sisters, it was a big uproar when they let her into Hogwarts. She wasn't even Slytherin, either! And...." I trailed off, realizing I sounded like a gossip. "So, jealous? No. Completely superior and feeling the need to put the little snot in his place? Definitely." I winked at her and she laughed again, and a little spark flashed through me as if someone had set one of the Weasleys' fireworks off inside me. I pondered over it objectively for a moment, and then decided it ought to be ignored; probably just heartburn from the completely ridiculous food that was served here.

I cocked my head to the side. "Put him in his place? What ever did he do, Draco?" I said, using his first name, and making my voice sound like a little childs. I kept the smile off my face, and tried to keep from roaring in laughter. I made my eyes wide, parting my lips slightly to add to the little girl facade.

I couldn't the believe the way that she manipulated her expressions and voice. This was how she had become so exquisitely popular, I suppose. Who wouldn't bend to that iron will? "He was presumtuous and assuming....and I'm pretty sure he was trying to get a glance down your robes at some point..." I trailed off, remembering that I had been thinking about something similar earlier. The difference was, I was dignified enough not to carry it out.

I snorted, breaking my little girl look. "Hasn't every male here try to do that?" I said, raising one eye brow at him. "Besides, aside from Crabb, he is one of the easiest to manipulate with my charm." I did a little stuck up flip of my hair, earning some looks. The boys gave me appraising looks, and I glared back at them.

"Does it matter if all the boys have? I think I'm qualified to take offense at anyone I wish too. And by the way, you really ought to stop purposely distracting Crabbe. He was mooning over you while I was trying to intimidate a seventh-year Gryffindor the other day. It was tougher than I thought it'd be and I really needed the man-power you know. A seeker's body wasn't made to intimidat," I said quietly, using my usual excuse for my body. Somewhere inside I wasn't so sure being thin and pale was exactly attractive, but my track record had done so well so far that I didn't think about it too much. "Besides, why do you do things like that?"

I smiled a tad evilly at him. "Because its fun to play with peoples emotions. Like, its fun for you to bother the kids in other houses. Besides, I can't help it if Crabbe is in love with me." I rolled my eyes, sliding my wand back into my robes. "Besides, just ask for my help and I will deal with him in a second." A sneer made its way to my face.

"Oh, don't worry, I've got him under control now. I'll castrate him if he keeps losing himself over birds." I realized that loads of time had passed and before long it would be time to go to Potions, and I still hadn't been to see Pansy since she gotten her face (and her pride) hurt. "Look, I'm sure you're having a wonderful time side-tracking me here, but I really do have to go see my....friend," I said deliberately. I wasn't one to refer to anyone with a term of endearment but I had honestly begun to realize lately that Pansy was a real person....not just a cronie. Hopefully she'd be OK with just being friends when...no, if...my old idea of my life was destroyed.

I shrugged, standing up. "Thats my next class to, and I don't think Snape will be to pleased with me." I said. "Oh, and 'losing himself over birds?' Interesting way to phrase it, Malfoy. I'm not just a bird, though. I'm a raven." My voice got all dark and evil, and I hoped that I had just scared him some. Then I laughed again, this time very loudly, and started to make my way toward to doors that let to the class rooms.

(I'm going to God-mode you a little bit here moodz but it's for a good cause )

A raven? What in Merlin's name? I suppose it was meant to be creepy, but it only made me think of dorky Ravenclaws. For a moment, I spent some time considering why it was called RAVENclaw, yet a raven wasn't their mascot. I gave up on it as a lost cause and took the side exit that I had seen Snape go out of. I figured that they had continued on to the Slytherin common room, but instead of making it all the way to the stairs that went down towards the dungeons, I found Pansy slumped against a wall alone. I quickly walked to kneel by her and tilted her chin up. "Are you ok?" I asked quietly, and she simply whimpered and looked into my face like a hurt child.
"You do love me, don't you, Draco?" she asked, and when I saw my own face reflected in her tears I finally found some idea of how truly dedicated to me she was. This wasn't planned for her. She had fallen hard.
"Of course, I do," I said, not really knowing what I meant. "Look, it's going to be okay. It's nothing." I whispered.
"I know," she said, smiling and silently wiping a tear from her cheek. "You're here now." I froze in place when I felt her place her lips to my cheek and gently press them against my skin.
A gasp behind me jerked me from the moment and I turned to find that I had been followed.

I stared at Draco. I saw and herd the entire thing. I didn't bother concealing the pain that flashed through my eyes, creating a dark mask on my face. My jaw locked in place, my teeth clenching together so hard that it hurt like crap.
I never cried, I never got sad. Instead, I got angry. And right about now, I was murderous. I thought that something good was sparking between us. I never thought that he would do something like that, right after reading what the Dark Lords thoughts had held. I didn't care at the shocked look in Pansy's face, the tears rolling silently down her face.
I was no longer even remotely sorry for slapping her. Right now, all I wanted to do was cause her pain. I wanted her to feel the pain that was basically coming off of me in waves right now, almost visible in the cold, damp air of the castle. My eyes were open wide right now, but this time is wasn't for joking matters.
I couldn't understand how he couldn't tell that I loved him. Even a Slytherin, a true Slytherin has feeling for someone. But all those feelings were gone. Right now, it was just seering hatred for both Pansy and Draco. My hand twitched automatically toward my hidden wand.

"Cira...." I started, and then realized that it might not do too well for me to be calling her by her first name at the moment. "Don't blame her for loving me, Slytherin. That would make you just about the biggest hypocrite in our house, and that's saying something." I was trying to lighten the situation but Cira continued to glare daggers straight to my soul, and Pansy looked like she was feeling both fear and triumph. I honestly don't understand girls...

I uncleaned my jaw, trying to speak without yelling. "Blame her? I don't blame her. She isn't the only one that loves you, Malfoy. I blame you." I walked up to him, grabbing a fist full of his shirt in my fist for a second before letting go and shoving him back wards.

If I wasn't already surprised at her bold words, I was even more shocked when she had the nerve to physically assault me. When she pushed me against the cold stone wall, Pansy made a low growling noise as if she would fight back. I quickly put my arm in front of her to make sure she didn't get herself hurt. "Oh, yeah, and I'm supposed to believe you love me right? If you loved me you would understand that I can't do this! You'd give me a little more sympathy about all of the dung you've put me through today!" At this Pansy gave me a questioning look and I merely shook my head at her, implying that I would explain later. I wouldn't, of course, because it would devastate her, but at least this small gesture would put her off for a while.

I shove myself back, ignoring Pansy. My fists were clenched, as if that would help anyhting. I kept silent, knowing that whatever I said would be to much information to Pansy to find out. I glared at him, remembering at how his face had lit up when I laughed. And he had kissed me back, not looking to horrified. He had to have had some small amount of a good feeling toward me, I just knew it. I started to turn away frm him.

As I watched the emotions surge in Cira's eyes, I knew I was caught between two unimaginable options. If I hurt Cira any more, I'd pay for it in blood, no doubt. And if I hurt Pansy, I'd never forgive myself. As Slytherin turned to walk away, I called out to her.
"Wait. This doesn't...change anything. I just....I can't hurt..people," I said, giving a surreptitious flicker of the eyes to Pansy, who looked utterly befuddled. "You understand?"

I turned to look at him. "You hurt me." I simply stated. I walked up to him, kissing him on the forehead before walking away. "I can see who you want to be with." I said, an acing sadness creeping its way into my voice, seemingly sweeping all anger from my face.

At Cira's last words, Pansy's face lit up exquisitely, and I almost thought that I could be happy, forever, if she would only keep making that face at me, as if I'd made her day. But then I looked back at the girl I'd hurt, the girl I was supposedly destined for. The sorrow on her face was ever-present and far-reaching. This didn't make any sense. Before this year I'd rarely felt anything, rarely cared for anyone. Now I was stuck between two people I couldn't bear to hurt, yet I couldn't please both at the same time. I was being pulled in two different directions and, for once in my life, I couldn't have my way, because I didn't know what my way was.
"Don't say that," I pleaded, and Pansy's grip on my arm tightened. "It's just...do you expect me to understand and believe something that it might take years for me to comprehend? I'm not ready for news like that."

"I was ready for news like that!" I shouted. "Why couldent you be?" I felt like crying, but I would not let them see how close I was coming to breaking apart. I sent a glare in Pansys direction, causing her to shrink back toward the cold wall.

"You've had time! You've been expecting this! Up until this day I've been living believing that I'm under my own free will! And now I find all of this out! I don't like being bossed about by fate as if I weren't a real person. I had a perfectly good thing going here," I added, slowly returning to a normal tone of voice, if slightly morose. I wrapped my arm around Pansy and looked down at her. She was scared, crying again, and I wished that I could just tell her all of the things that were happening. Wasn't that what real friends did?

I couldent take it any more. I just couldent. I burst into angry tears, turning away and starting to get ready to change into my animagus. The site of his arm around Pansy just pushed me over the brink.

I really couldn't believe that I'd made her cry. This manipulative, powerful creature had lost control of her emotions over me. It just wasn't right, but I didn't know what to do. How could I even intervene? If I did something to make her stay, Pansy would know that something was up. If I let her go....well, who knows if the Dark Lord would be displeased with me for going against his vision. Two options lay in front of me; one affected me now and one affected my future. That was an obvious choice for me, a child of instant gratification. I began to quiet Pansy with murmurs of condolence, while still gazing at Cira, who hadn't left yet but was shaking with the hot tears that rolled down her face.

I stared up at him. "Just get out of my life, Malfoy. Get out of my life. and stay out of it. I h-" I chocked off wiping away my warm tears and startedto walk down the hall.

"Oh, yeah, I'm supposed to get out of your life? All I did was ask you to back up my story of Nott and you tell me that we're practically betrothed to each other! YOU invaded MY life, Slytherin!"
Pansy gasped beside me and I knew that now, there was no way I could get out of this without at least telling her some of the story. But was this a secret? Would the Dark Lord be angry with me for revealing one of His prophecies? I could only hope now.
"Go ahead and say it, Cira, you hate me. You hate me and you'll never want to marry me. Just say it and we're both free from all of this."