The Interlude Series

The Interlude Series (2/4):

Another Interlude

A door opens.

A sigh. "Ron, I really don't want to talk about it. It doesn't really matter, does it? I mean she obviously..."

An astonished silence. "What the fuck are you doing up here?"

"Lovely. Will you people please stop plaguing me? I mean, it's the middle of the bleeding night and you still won't leave me alone. Is it on purpose? Do you exist just to torture me?"

"Yes, Malfoy. My entire life revolves around pissing you off. Forget Dark Lords stalking me, plots to kill me every year, which, come to think of it, sounds pretty good right now. Either the death or the fighting it off. Either way it would get my mind off things that make me want to willingly jump off the Tower."

A raised eyebrow. "Impressive. You're even more self-centered and egotistical than I thought. Even more than me. And that's something."

"Shove it, Malfoy. Why the hell are you up here anyway?"

A wry chuckle. "You wouldn't believe it if I told you."

"I'm sure. Your secrets are that explosive and important."

"You'd be surprised Potter. I could tell you some things that would alter your universe, turn the world on its ear, shift reality...things like that."

Eyes rolling.

Silence.

"Excuse me, but what the hell do you think you're doing? I'm up here for a little privacy and my own little pity party, so you can leave now."

"I don't think so."

Astonishment. "You don't think so? Malfoy. Get the hell out of here."

"Umm...no."

"Malfoy, I'm warning you..."

"Spare me. I've heard it and as before...what are you going to do about it? Tell on me? You're up here too. You're stuck."

"What are you talking about - as before? I don't ever recall us having this conversation. Actually...I don't recall us ever having a conversation."

"Never mind. Not important. It's nothing...really."

"Please. Shut up. I'm not falling for that. I'm going to say it's nothing but I really want you to ask me what it is. Shut it."

"Potter. I hope I'm not that transparent. Ignore me and I'll ignore you, and maybe both of us will get off this Tower alive."

"Fine. Whatever."

Silence.

Sigh.

Sigh.

Lovely, it's like déjà vu. What is with these passive aggressive Gryffindors? And he thinks I'm the one who wants to talk? Please. Though, I'll grant you I wouldn't mind talking to him. It would be a change from yelling or hissing. Might be nice. Though I do always like the fighting. Such a rush. Adrenaline and heat and green fire in those eyes and...okay, must stop this train of thought. Otherwise, I'll end up doing something extremely stupid. Like throwing myself on him and trying to crawl inside. Which might be a good idea in my head but I'm pretty sure it would look quite the opposite from the reality side of things, which would probably end up with me either actually being thrown off the Tower or some body parts missing.

Silence.

Another sigh.

"Fine. I'll take the bait. What's wrong Potter?"

"What are you on about?"

A disgusted noise. "Enough. Alright. I've heard it all before. You want to talk. You were about to talk to Ron, so...let's give it a go."

Incredulous look. "Give what a go exactly?"

"A conversation. One of those things where two people talk without one of them either yelling or screaming or ending up in the hospital wing."

"With you? You can't be serious."

"Why not? You want to talk to someone, you were about to spill to Weasley and I'm here."

"Yeah, I was about to spill to Ron. My best friend. I didn't even know you could talk without insulting me."

"Well. There are a lot of things you don't know."

Silence.

Silence.

An uneasy glance.

Silence.

"Okay. Since I kind of need to talk to someone and you're here and you're not being the jackass you usually are...okay. A conversation. With you. I must be insane."

"See, Potter, you're not exactly helping this new civility development. Insulting me and questioning your sanity because you're thinking of talking to me? Not the best way to start things."

"Gee. Really Malfoy? I thought all conversations had insults and verbal barbs thrown in."

"Potter. Either talk and stop avoiding or shut up altogether."

"Fine."

Silence.

"So..."

An exasperated noise. "Malfoy, this isn't that easy you know. It's something quite embarrassing and I was going to have a hard enough time talking to my best friend. Much less my best enemy."

"You're best enemy. Awww. I'm touched."

A grudging chuckle. "Shut it Malfoy. I'm trying to, you know, open up here."

Laughter. "Right...What?"

"Nothing. It's just that I've never heard you laugh before. I didn't even think you knew what laughter was."

"Ha. Ha."

"No, I'm serious. You've always been this smirking, vindictive...ferret, for lack of a better word. I didn't know you could laugh."

"Well. Now you know one of my dirty little secrets. Now talk."

"I'm not really sure where to start. I mean, you don't know anything. Listen, before you even open your mouth, that's not how it sounded. It's just that I don't have to explain everything to Ron. He's been there through it all and he knows us..."

Oh, gods. It's happened. I knew it from the moment that Granger admitted she was in love with him. I mean, not that I ever really thought that I had even an iota of a chance with him, but that was the end. The end. No more. There was not even any good in briefly letting the thought run through my head. Now that one of them had realised it the other would fairly shortly. Those three are pathetic; they can never keep anything from each other. And damn Granger. For humouring my little fantasy with her little comment. You two can't be so pretty for nothing. And I'm not pretty. Neither is Potter. He's...Potter. Makes my blood boil and lives under my skin Potter. I'll never forget the moment I realised that I wasn't feeling hatred or loathing or even envy. It was something much more twisted and complex than that. We were actually in Potions and Snape had just made some snide comment to Granger and Potter looked at him with sparks practically shooting out of his eyes. And I just thought to myself, "Nice." I almost fell into my cauldron after that, mind you, but still, there you are. And looking back, it all makes perfect, albeit twisted sense. It's not like it's entirely my fault though...I've always had a vague...fascination with Potter. He's all I bloody heard about at home. Potter this and Potter that. Bloody fucking Potter. And if I thought it was bad at home, it's nothing to school. I'm bloody swimming in Potter here. And it's not Potter with contempt and loathing. It's Potter the fucking hero. Potter, the youngest Seeker and Quidditch player in a century. The bright shining example of all that is right with the world. Potter, all goodness and light.

Certainly.

Everyone has a vague fascination with Potter. And then when he didn't take my proffered friendship that first train ride...well, that was it. I had to hate him from then on...and somehow I had to watch him all the time too because I hated him of course. Ah, well, the follies of youth. Hate/love...it's all the same. Except I can't bring myself to hate him anymore. Hmmm.

Gods, he's still talking.

"...so it's really not that important. I mean, sure she's cute and I guess fun to be around, but I'll be okay. After awhile."

Okay, what the hell is he talking about? "Cute and fun to be around? Granger?"

A startled look. "What the hell are you talking about Malfoy?"

"What are you talking about? I mean, I know I don't know her as well as you, thank the gods, but cute and fun? Granger? Mousy and snappish is more like it."

"She's not mousy or snappish...at least not all the time anymore and why are you even bringing up Hermione?"

A look. "Have you lost your bloody mind? We're talking about Hermione. Apparently, she turned you down, though I can't imagine why the fuck she would do that. I mean, not three weeks ago, she..."

"MALFOY! I don't know what you're on about, but I'm talking about Cho. Why would I be talking about Hermione and what do you mean, "Not three weeks ago?""

"You're in love with her and don't worry about three weeks ago. And who the hell is Cho? Oh, Chang. That Ravenclaw Seeker. Hmm, she's pretty attractive. Actually, I'll give you that. But why are we talking about her?"

"STOP. Desist. Immediately. Okay. I'm completely confused. What are you talking about? I'm not in love with Hermione; she's my best friend. So don't call her mousy and snappish. And we're talking about Cho because she's the problem. She's the one that...blew me off, whatever. Are we all clear now?"

"Not really. Why would you be going after Chang when you're in love with Granger?"

"Malfoy, I thought we covered this, I'm not. I mean, she's my friend. Always has been."

"Oh, I see, you're stupid and blind. Well, that's your first problem."

"My first problem?"

Exasperated. "Yes, Potter. Your first problem. Your second is that pesky third wheel, Weasley. Always thought he was a prick. He gets so mad, so easily. I mean, one little jab sets him off. Anger management problems. You might want to talk to him about that."

A sideways glance. "Any more problems?"

"You mean besides the fact that you're stupid, Weasley and your glasses, which I really don't want to get into at the moment?"

"Yes. Besides those."

Ignoring the sarcasm. "Oh, lots. But none are really pertinent to this particular issue, so I don't really want to get into them. Twould take far too long."

"That's nice. Because none of those are particularly problems as I'm friends with Hermione, not in love with her. And Ron is a non-issue-"

A chortle. "Nice."

"- because I'm not in love with her. I mean, if I was that might be a problem because...but I'm not, so it's fine. Plus, she's not interested in me. We're not...well, anything."

A whispered, "Gods, I must be insane. Right. You're not anything. Let me lay it out for you Potter. You know the way the two of you are always together? And the fact that you're always glancing or looking at each other? And the way you get so angry when someone calls her a Mudblood? Easy, Potter. Just an example. And the fact that when something bad happens or you're depressed, she's the only one you want to be with? The only one that can make everything sort-of alright? And when you're excited, after Quidditch or something, she's the one you go to? And the fact that she's always been beside you? When the prick won't speak to you, she's always there? The fact that you're the best when you're together? The two of you are so much more than the sum of your parts. Everyone knows it. And I know you're thinking that that's just because she's your best friend, but it's not. Other people have best friends and they're not like that. Try to imagine life without her. It's that feeling of finally being at peace, of being at home finally...that's it. Seize it Potter. Not everyone gets, or even gets to see, the thing that the two of you have."

Silence.

Silence.

"Wow. I never even knew you had any sort of feelings. Much less noticing something like that. Of course, you're wrong about us, but still."

An almost sobbing laugh. "You're unbelievable Potter. Absolutely fucking unbelievable."

"Whatever you say Malfoy. Can I point out I'm extremely creeped out that you watch us that much? Obsess much?"

A whisper. "You don't know the half of it."

"What?"

"Nothing."

Silence.

"Can I ask you a question Malfoy?"

A nod.

"Why do you fancy yourself some sort of expert on love?"

"Easily. I'm the victim of unrequited love, Potter, so when I see the real thing, it makes me extraordinarily jealous. That these two people have found what I've been striving a lifetime to get. You tend to watch people who make you jealous; they have the thing I want and they don't even realise it. Makes you want to kick them at times too. That answer your questions Potter?"

An incredulous look. "Give me a moment here. I'm in shock I think. I just got a lecture on love by Draco Malfoy, he with the heart of ice. And said Draco Malfoy, who looks down his aristocratic nose at everyone and everything, admitted he was jealous of me?"

Narrowed eyes. "Don't get used to it Potter. As of now, this conversation never took place."

"Don't worry your blond little head. I'd rather die than let anyone know about this."

Silence.

"Is it really that terrible to think someone might think we were less than foul to each other?"

A look.

"You know the answer to that, Malfoy."

Well, that's nice to know. That I disgust him so much. Makes it easier really. When he and Granger finally wake up, it'll be easier to deal with. And they will get together. Because I saw it. The flash in his eyes when I mentioned coming home. He may deny it, but he knows. Soon she will too. And knowing that I thoroughly disgust and repulse him, maybe I won't through myself off the Tower.

"And Potter? Another of your problems is that you seem to think the world suffers the repercussions of your actions. Trust me, when you and Granger get together, no matter what anyone says, it will be for the best. The world will not crumble if you admit you love her." My world may, but I'll deal.

Silence.

Silence.

Silence.

"I still think you're insane, but I've always thought that. You're wrong, but I'm not going to convince you otherwise so I'm going in. You're giving me a headache."

"Perfect. Just tell Granger that she owes me a big fucking thank you."

"I don't know what you're on about."

"It's none of your business, just tell her."

"Fine."

"Fine."

Silence.

Hesitantly. "Malfoy?"

"Yes?"

"It's not that terrible to imagine someone finding out we actually talked like...well, friends."

Silence.

"And I hope that you find that whatever you're looking for." A pause. "You may actually deserve it."

A door closes.

A sigh.