Happiness Is an Angry Weasley

I think Weasley may be avoiding me. It's a slight possibility. He only completely freaked out the last time we spoke and ran out of a classroom without his best friends.

Maybe it's a little more than a slight possibility.

Despite his best efforts, I know that I'll see him this evening before dinner. We have a prefect meeting.

He is a prefect for Gryffindor.

I am a prefect for Slytherin.

Is there anything pointing to it not being meant to be?

I mean, besides the whole "us hating each other for our entire knowledge of each other's existence."

Anyway.

The prefect meetings are always the most dull affairs. When I entered the room, I noticed that Weasley was safely seated between Granger and MacMillan from Hufflepuff. As much of an idiot as he is, sometimes the bloody Gryffindor can be quite clever.

That was not a contradiction.

Shut up.

I zoned out for most of the meeting, going from staring at my shoes, to staring at a weird painting on the opposite wall, to staring at my fingernails, to staring at Weasley, to staring furiously at my shoes again because he noticed I was staring at him. I stopped my thorough examination of the room when I heard my name and Weasley's name in the same sentence.

"What?" I asked, looking up at the head boy. He's an idiot. So much so that I never bothered to learn his name. Just in case you were wondering my opinion of him.

"I said you and Weasley are patrolling together next Tuesday."

Tuesday. That would be... Let's see, today's Friday... so... a few days.

I'm not that bad at math, I'm just excited.

Oh bloody hell, I'm excited about being with Weasley. Something is really wrong with me.

I don't think I used to curse this much. I suppose liking a Gryffindor does that to you.

Before I could be too happy about it, however, a voice piped up across the room.

"Um, I'd rather not be paired up with him."

I glared at the offending person and it was... Weasley. Of course. Who else would've said it?

I think his stupidity is rubbing off on me.

Before the troll in charge could respond, I cleared my throat.

"What's the matter Weasley? Don't want me to see that you're afraid of the dark hallways at night?"

He glared back at me, but before he could say anything, Granger interrupted.

"Ron, I really don't think you should complain so much. I mean, the rest of us have had our turn having to patrol with Malfoy."

My mouth dropped open.

They HAD to patrol with me? Like it was a bad thing.

"Granger, what are you-"

"Shut up Malfoy." I glared at the stupid bushy-headed mudblood.

No one tells me to shut up.

I pouted in my corner and she turned back to Weasley.

"Honestly, Ron. You've gotten out of it every other time."

Am I really that bad?

He shrugged and sulked for the rest of the meeting, while I pouted for the rest of it.

Can't anyone see my wonderful charm, good lucks, and quirky sense of humor?

I suppose not. It's because I'm a Slytherin. Damn them.

I left the meeting, still in a rather pouty frame of mind. I had no idea all the other prefects had disliked patrolling with me so much they tried to get out of it. It was a chore to patrol with me. It was a sacrifice they all had to make, to take turns patrolling with me.

Prats.

Just because I played a little prank on MacMillan that one time and he was bald for a week doesn't mean I'm that difficult a person to patrol with.

I had gone about halfway to the Slytherin common room when I heard someone walking behind me. Quickly. Someone trying to catch up with me.

I turned suddenly, brandishing my wand, only to see it was Weasley.

"Couldn't wait to see me?" I asked, smirking at him and lowering my wand slightly.

I had lowered my guard just enough for him to attack me and pin me to the wall. What is it with this violence? First attacking me in detention, now attacking me in the hallway. You'd almost think I did something to make him dislike me.

"Leave me alone, Malfoy," he hissed through gritted teeth.

I stared at him incredulously. "Me leave you alone? Excuse me Weasley, but unless I'm horribly mistaken, I am the one trapped against a wall here."

He narrowed his eyes and I was sure I had never seen him so angry. I hadn't been that bad at the meeting, had I?

Honestly. I hadn't been trying to make him angry back at the meeting. I had no idea what this could be about.

"You bait me. You always bait me. Then I either look like a fool or a raving lunatic."

I was speechless. I do bait him. I do it on purpose. It's very true that I like getting a reaction from him.

"I'm sick of it Malfoy. Leave me alone."

Then I saw it. Something behind his eyes. Some feeling I couldn't put my finger on.

He liked me too. And he didn't want to.

Before I could say anything, he pushed me away so hard that I stumbled and nearly fell and stalked off.

That bastard, I almost fell.

Malfoys do not get pushed down in a hallway.

That just doesn't happen.

I'm going to go plot revenge. I need to have something to think about.

Anything but the struggle I'd seen behind his eyes.