When The Heart Lies

CHAPTER 2:

"Read My Lips"

Draco Malfoy watched in amusement as Gregory Goyle unwieldily rushed off to the lavatory. Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor was crowded with dozens of people, tables and chairs, thus leaving just enough space for one person to pass through in between tables. Unfortunately for Goyle, these spaces weren't enough.

"Ouch!" cried a blonde girl when one of Goyle's massive arms bumped the back of her head.

"Watch it!" shouted another waiter when Goyle had almost run into him. The young waiter was holding a circular tray stacked with a number of glasses and plates. He tried to smile but muttered something which sounded as dumb ass.

Draco snorted. Daft as Goyle may be, he knew too well that emphasizing it clearly to Goyle would simply mean trouble.

Goyle turned to face the unknowing waiter. Instead however, he lost his balance. Trying hard not to fall flat on his face, he grabbed on to one of the chairs to his left. Just his luck, he also accidentally grabbed the sleek golden brown hair of the fair-skinned woman sitting on it.

"AAAH!" The woman dropped the book she was reading and held on to her damaged hair. "Get your filthy hands off me!"

Draco could no longer control himself. He began to laugh hysterically, along with half of the people in the ice cream parlor, at the site of the furious lady and the red-faced Goyle.

Goyle regained his balance and quickly made his way to the bathroom, now even more clumsily. The same furious woman, who was in her mid-twenties, looked at Goyle leave. Noticing the teenage boy laughing uncontrollably at the matter, she angled her head towards him. She directed her eyes to focus eyes and glare at him.

This silenced Draco's loud laughing. Not that he felt guilty, but something in the woman's stare just simply made him. She reminded him of someone - someone who'd probably give him the same piercing yet addicting stare with her engaging brown eyes.

"Addicting? Engaging?!" He spoke quite loudly in grave disbelief as he looked back at the woman. She was now back at her seat, absorbed in reading a book called Travelling through Time.

Draco smiled to himself. Hermione probably goes here to read too. His lips abruptly uncurled from smiling and his dreamy eyes sharply changed to round, enlarged ones. He gripped the worn-out notebook in his hands tighter as though ready to knock his own face with it, but, he thought better not to make himself look stupid in front of all the 'middle-class' witches and wizards.

"Damn you Granger," Draco muttered under his breath. He walked toward the green velvety couch near the ice cream parlor's entrance. A boy from one of his classes was already seated on it.

"Move it, Fletchley!" Draco said in a commanding tone.

"This is a couch for four," said the boy in a beige cargo pants defiantly. "Why don't you just sit?"

"Well, I don't want to share it with you!" Draco's voice was growing louder by the second. "And if you know what's best for your pathetic Mudblood arse, you'll sod off!"

Justin stood up, his face at par with Draco's. His lips were trembling - debating on whether to retort or not.

Draco stared back, challenging his every hesitation.

Justin took hold of the wand in one of his pants' pockets. Nearby people were now watching. He gripped his wand - tension in his muscles tightened.

Still wearing a menacing look, Draco took a step towards him. He did not take out his wand though he kept his hand quite near it, just in case he needed it.

Justin took a step backward. He looked at the people around him who were curiously watching his every move. Finally, his hand muscles relaxed, loosing the tight grip of the wand. He looked back at Draco, took a deep breath, turned, and headed for the Parlor's doors.

Draco shook his head, smirked and muttered, "Mudbloods!"

He took the seat that Justin had vacated and slouched comfortably. His attention was then drawn to the worn-out notebook held by his left hand.

"Now, let's see what we've got there." He flipped through the wheat-colored pages of the notebook that Goyle had earlier gotten hand of. He found what seems like Butterbeer stains on some pages. Other than those, the rest of the pages were completely blank.

"This thing's a bloody duff!" He threw the notebook beside him, at the couch's empty spot, inadvertently leaving the pages open.

Just then, a shrill voice filled the Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor.

"Oh my gosh! Draco!"

Draco hesitated to look at the voice's owner. For one, she was in his 'People-To-Avoid' list. And though receiving attention was ordinarily fine by him, her way of getting one was just too 'Parkinson' for his standards.

"What do you want Pansy?" His voice was as cold as his stare.

The girl in a pink halter dress was now standing in front of Draco. She placed a hand on her slim waist and tried to look appalled.

"Really, Draco." She sat on the space on Draco's right, almost sitting on the brown notebook. "I'M the one who's supposed to be mad here!"

"Oh I wasn't mad." He looked at her, eyes wide with sarcasm, "I was being charming."

"Oh, charming, is it?" Pansy leaned her arm on the couch. "Well, try wooing your way with charm Draco Malfoy, 'cause I'm pissed off! No, actually, I'm..."

And she's off! Draco rolled his head away from Pansy, who was now absorbed with her own ranting. Even that daft Bagman would have a hard time tracking this girl's yakking!

"Are you listening to me?! NOT a single bloody letter during the entire summer!" She paused to catch her breath. "Unless of course you consider a grubbily-written 'Do my Transfiguration Essay' a considerable one!"

"Oh did you?" Draco suddenly looked attentive to her every word.

Pansy furrowed her eyebrows. Though Pansy was in Draco's 'Avoid' list, he saw her useful for research-based essays.

"Did you do my Transfiguration Essay?" Draco inquired, or rather, ordered. "It's due first week of classes and I need it now."

Now Pansy looked appalled - for real. She dropped her jaws in angry disbelief. She sighed and rolled her eyes away from Draco. "It's in my purse."

Draco leaned over Pansy and reached for her purse. Pansy however immediately took the purse and placed it out of Draco's reach.

"What the--"

"Like I'd give it you!" Pansy said. "After two months of absence!"

Draco straightened himself up. And after a second's thought, his face relaxed and his lips curled into a boyish smile.

"I'd take you to the ball..." This is like offering candy to a helpless kid! Draco thought to himself as he leaned and angled his face to look at Pansy.

"You think I'm some kind of tramp who'd go gaga over that pathetic bung you just gave me? Puh-lease!"

Draco was astounded. And I thought she couldn't think!

Draco thought for a moment. Then, without warning, he reached for Pansy's right hand and held it with his own. He raised it until it was an inch away from his soft lips. He looked at Pansy's eyes as if he was looking at...

He brushed the thought out of his mind. This was no time to contradict himself, especially now that he seemed to be getting Pansy back in his clutches.

"Read my lips," he started, still looking at Pansy. "With or without the essay, I'd take you to the ball."

Some giggling girls from a nearby table were now watching the two Slytherins. Pansy glanced at them. Draco simply hoped they were not from Gryffindor.

"Read your what?" Pansy couldn't help her smile. "Lame line Draco. Really lame."

Bloody hell! When did you get a brain?!

"But okay." Still smiling, Pansy pulled her hand from his soft grasp. "I'd go with you, since you asked, somehow."

"And the charm still works!" Draco smiled triumphantly at her, leaning back to the soft couch. "So what about the essay?"

"I thought--" Pansy's eyes narrowed as she glared at Draco.

"I hope I got the essay right now," came a shadowy voice.

"Of course you got the essay right!" Draco said impatiently. "So where is it?"

"Oh, now you're also not paying attention!" said the irritated Pansy.

"I've already reviewed it four times in the HeMNote. Guess it's time I write it on the parchment." The voice was calm yet confident.

"I don't care about your stupid HeMNote!" Draco's voice was relatively louder. "Just give me the one that isn't botched up!"

Pansy looked at Draco as though he had said something Mermish. "I never said anything about a HeMNote! What's gotten into you? Look." She placed a hand on Draco's lap, "Whatever you say, the case is closed. I'd give you the essay when you've signed us up as partners for the mid-year ball. Got that? Well, I have to go. I still need to scoop some really good dress robes. Cheerio!" She patted Draco's cheek. And as rapid as her talking, she was out of the ice cream parlor.

Draco sat on the couch, lost in his confusion. He swore he heard what he thought he had heard. And somehow, he knew it wasn't Pansy who uttered those words. It was not like Pansy to speak calmly after all. Besides, it wasn't her voice either. He never heard of the voice before, though something about it was familiar.

He turned his head to survey the people near him. They were incoming fourth years from Slytherin and fifth years from Ravenclaw. It wasn't one of them.

"This is ridiculous!" Draco said, taking his mind off the mysterious voice. "This is Goyle's fault! What the hell's taking him?"

"What's taking Goyle in the counter that long?" spoke the voice coming from an unknown source. This time though, its calmness was replaced by what seemed to be nervous panic. "Oh gosh, he has three sundaes on his tray! He must be here then! But where is he? He can't see me here! Oh, what am I doing! This is insane! I can't! I couldn't! Shite, I'm writing on the HeMNote! Great! Just great! Honestly, I don't need another reminder of Draco Malfoy here! Argh, this is enough foolishness!"

"Whoa! Did you just--" Draco was looking down, dumbstruck, at the open pages of the notebook beside him. "Merlin's beard! Did it just say my name?"