Chapter 8

My Golden Opportunity

Again I was in the dungeons, watching Hannah being manhandled by Zabini.

"We could have some fun in the Head Boy dorm…" Zabini's voice echoed.

Hannah struggled, thrashing to break out, her fists flailing at her sides to punch him somewhere that would cause him to drop her so she could make her escape to the sanctuary of the girls dormitory.

"I can make you a someone, little girl…" Zabini purred against her throat, grabbing the waistline of her track pants. "But I don't do something for nothing…I've always wanted to see the Girl Who Lived…"

I tore my hiding spot apart looking for my wand, but I couldn't find it. The further I got to locating it, the more desperate I looked for it.

And then I saw it, Zabini's knife at her throat. "You'll either do this alive, or I'll do your corpse." he snarled. "No Lover Boy to save you now. Nott told me everything. Your precious friend, Draco…he's in love with you."

"I AM NOT!" I shouted as Hannah went white.

"Draco…" she whispered, locking eyes with me. Her eyes were wide, pleading with me silently to save her. "please. Draco, I love you. Please, help me."

Her words echoed in my head. No, not "Please, help me." No…but "I love you."

I was frozen, shock still, her words, barely a murmur, almost inaudible, were as powerful as if she had shouted them.

A sudden jolt surged through my heart as I locked eyes with her. I had to help her…but I had no wand…I couldn't take Zabini in a fair fight.

"Draco, please!" Hannah begged.

Zabini merely smirked and drew his wand, pointing it, not at Hannah, but at me. "Stupefy."

All I heard as the world went dark was Hannah screaming and Zabini moaning.

…

I jolted awake in a cold sweat and checked my watch. Three in the morning. I laid down and drew the blanket over me, staring at the canopy, trying to go back to sleep.

But I was unable to. Hannah's eyes, wide and pleading, staring into my own were what greeted me when I closed my eyes, the sound of her voice, laced with desperation ringing through my ears, especially that declaration of her love for me.

My heart clenched when her scream submerged from my subconscious. Something about that high, ear piercing cry made my heart shatter and my blood boil. Had I not acted, that scream wouldn't have been a dream, it would have been reality.

The very thought made me hate Head Boy Zabini all the more. Made me want to go to the hospital wing and kill him with my bare hands for the pain he could have caused that poor defenceless little girl.

"Malfoy!" Blaise hissed next to me. "You alright? You're sheet's drenched with sweat."

I swallowed and rolled over. "Look, Blaise, you're my best mate, right?"

Blaise nodded. "No, Draco, you're practically family. Cadence doesn't shut up about you."

I grinned. I had always loved Cadence, Blaise's baby sister. She made me wish I had my own sister. My mother was pregnant when I was seven, and the baby was a girl…but…the little girl was stillborn. So I poured the love I would have had for that baby into Cadence. "And I can tell you anything, right? And you'd keep the secret?"

"Absolutely, Dray, I'd kill anyone that was bugging you. Us Italian family gotta stick together. Spit it out. What is it?"

I swallowed. "Tonight, after Hannah got back from her duel…she got the bad end of your cousin Cory…I have a hunch he was about to rape her."

"No!" Blaise whispered. "Did he?!"

I shook my head. "Used the Full Body Bind on him and she got outta there just in time. But…I just dreamt the worse case scenario of that…I got Stunned and I heard her scream…" I shuddered. "The sound…made my blood boil. Made me want to destroy anything and everything that would make her scream."

Blaise grinned. "You so love her."

"Shut up, I do not!" I growled. "But, that's the thing. The last thing she said to me in the dream…she was begging me to save her and…she told me she loved me."

Blaise went serious. "Draco, I mean it. Hannah telling you she loves you? Her scream making you want to destroy anything that would make her scream? Malfoy, I'm not joking. I really think that you love her. These dreams have been occurring every night, don't deny it. You know I'm a light sleeper, and I heard you saying her name in your sleep for the past two weeks, be it softly, almost as if she's with you, or if you shout for her, screaming for her to run, to leave you to save yourself. don't deny it, Draco, I know that you're in denial about your feelings, but I know that you lie when you say you don't love her. If you don't love her, you wouldn't have these dreams."

"Please!" I scoffed. "Me? Zabini, I'm a Malfoy, she's a Potter." I sneered the name. "A Malfoy and a Potter are not a good combination."

"Draco…that's your father talking." Blaise said. "I know you. You're nothing like your father. I know you love a Potter."

"Blaise!" I sighed, looking at the canopy over my bed. Inwardly, I was cursing him for knowing me so well. "It's hopeless. You see her and Duff and Potter. Her brother will make sure she keeps her distance from me as much as humanly possible."

Blaise just grinned. "She may just surprise us yet. A Slytherin with the last name Potter, she could be capable of great things. You may just get your chance in a few years."

A few years…I might still like her in a few years but what about her? She could easily move on to anyone. Goyle, Crabbe (like that was likely), Blaise, maybe…and I shuddered at the thought, she'd fall in love with a Gryffindor. No…I didn't want to take that chance.

"No." I said, sitting up. "She swims in my blood now, I must have her."

"Then why don't you just give her a Love Potion to make her agree to go on one date with you, then let her decide for herself?" Blaise asked.

I sighed. "In case you didn't notice, Blaise, I don't have a Love Potion!" I snapped, rolling over and going back to sleep, secretly hoping for a Golden Opportunity.

…

The Potions class that morning after "the incident", Snape had us all doing something I found out of the usual character for him.

"Alright, I want you to pair up and collect ingredients; we are going to be making weak grade love potions."

And there was my Golden Opportunity! I whipped around, finding Hannah's eyes glowing as she looked at me.

"Hey, Hannah, be my partner?" Duff asked.

"No!" I hissed.

"Sure," Hannah said "You go and get the ingredients and I'll stay here."

I growled and glared at Duff, secretly wishing I could take my tie and strangle her with it. My Golden Opportunity…wasted!

"Professor Snape?" Pansy asked "There is one ingredient missing, I can't find a lock of a crush's hair."

"That is the fun part, Ms Parkinson," Snape explained "You and your partner will divide the potion in two, and both of you will find your own lock of hair of your special someone. But I must warn you, this potion will not create love, just a mere desire to be in the potion brewer's company."

"I think I know who Potter and Malfoy are going to use it on, Professor." Drosie drawled, sneering in Hannah's direction.

"Who would that be, Drosie?" her crony O'Neil asked.

"Simple, Nancy, they are going to use the potion on each other!" Drosie yelled, amidst a large group of laughs. I blushed and turned away.

"Shut up, Drosie!" Pansy yelled "Stupid Gryffindors think they have the right to walk all over the other houses!"

"Really, Parkinson? I always said that Slytherins were cold, heartless and uncompassionate. But I was wrong! Look at Potter and Malfoy!"

"What part of 'Shut up, Drosie!' do you not comprehend?" Rose and Duff asked, Rose pulling out her wand and advancing on Drosie. Ivy standing up and making for her wand.

"Rosie, no!" Hannah whispered "It isn't worth losing points from Slytherin."

"Get to brewing, ladies!" Snape ordered.

I stared at Hannah as she pulled her hair from her face, occasionally whispering to Duff.

"Malfoy, catch." Goyle whispered, tossing something at me.

It was a vial, a small vial with a few small hairs the colour of a raven's feather.

"Goyle…is this?" I asked.

"Hannah's hair?" Goyle asked. He nodded.

"How'd you get it!?" I hissed.

"Snuck up to the girls' dorm and yanked some hairs from her hairbrush." Goyle grinned.

"You idiot! What if she remembers where exactly she put the brush!?" I hissed.

"Don't worry, don't worry, I put it back." Goyle assured me as I stirred the Potion.

As the potion brewed, a knock came at the classroom door. Snape went to answer it.

"Yes, what do you want?" Snape asked.

"Yes I was sent by Marcus Flint to deliver robes to Hannah Potter." The voice of Romilda Vaine answered.

"Very well, Potter! Your team robes are here!"

Han got up and walked to the back of the classroom door. Romilda handed her the robes.

"And Flint said that there is a package for you waiting in the Slytherin common room." Vaine said to her walking away.

She went back to her desk and I stowed the hairs away when she wasn't looking (or Goyle for that matter.).

After class, I had gone to the common room and gotten Hannah's broomstick for her before she came down to the Great Hall, dressed in her Quidditch robes as she sat down.

"Hey." I said, handing her the broom.

"Hey." Han grinned and took the package, looking awestruck at the sight of the Nimbus 2000 in front of her. "Bloody hell, I never thought I'd ever fly a broomstick."

I smirked. "Muggle raised." I muttered.

"Shut up." Hannah said, grabbing something quick before Flint shouted at her to come on. "See you later!"

"Yeah, better get going." I said with a smirk.

…

I had seen her at Quidditch and saw her score on Black of all people…he was one of the best Keepers Slytherin house had ever had! Han was definitely capable of being great.

But, I didn't want her to see me, so I went running back to the school as soon as she was out of my sight.

Every practice was the same after that, I'd stay in the shadows and watch her impress night after night, then sneak off after her when I was certain she was halfway up the stairs to the girls dormitory.

I would have stayed in the bleachers after that night, but, that night, I sort of confessed my crush on her right to her face. I couldn't look at her without going pink.

The Saturday after the first practice, I snuck into the common room as usual, it being close to curfew, almost everyone was in bed, sleeping.

All but one.

Just as the common room door closed, I heard deep breathing and I whipped towards the sound.

There laid Hannah on the couch by the fire, her face illuminated by its light. I started forward to find her curled into a ball, sound asleep.

I had seen her with her eyes shut before, even in a bored stupor in History of Magic…but never completely dead to the world. And (though I never told anyone this…not even Hannah or Blaise), in my opinion, no one could have looked more beautiful.

Her lips were slightly parted, curved up gently in a smirk that brought my own to my face. She was still in her Quidditch robes, one arm thrown carelessly over the arm of the couch, the other folded across her stomach.

Never had Astoria looked this beautiful asleep. I thought to myself. But then again, this isn't Astoria.

It was hard to believe that she was lying there, probably dreaming about hockey or Down With Webster or whatever she'd dream of. All I knew was that her dreams were sweet. And it was hard to believe that her dreams were sweet. Hell, she was the Girl Who Lived! She witnessed the death of her parents when she was an infant!

But then again…she was an infant. She probably didn't remember much of anything from the night that lightning scar was placed there. The night her life changed forever.

But she was dreaming. Lying there, looking placid, comfortable, and not to mention beautiful. Completely unaware that I was standing there, watching her sleep.

I wondered…maybe I could prove to them once and for all that I didn't love her. Maybe I could prove it now…but…the million Galleon question was…how was I going to prove that the feelings I had for her were strictly platonic?

I looked at her, watching her lick her pale pink lips and a light bulb came on.

I had to kiss her. If I kissed her and there was nothing, or if it felt wrong…that proved that our relationship was platonic. But if there was another reaction…I'd cross that bridge later.

Bending down on one knee, I gently brushed hair from her face, mindlessly touching her forehead.

She sighed, her breath fanning my face in a scent of cinnamon gum…had she chewed some after practice?

I was waiting for the minute that I would pull back, the feeling of "This is so wrong." to overpower this want to prove myself. But it never came. Instead, the want to prove myself turned into this fervid need to kiss her, the scent of her deodorant, her shampoo and body wash filling my senses, sending me to a sea of baby powder, strawberries and honey, and roses.

An odd scent combination, but it made me want to kiss her all the more.

I bent down, focusing on her face to make sure she didn't wake up and placed my mouth on hers.

Instantly, I felt intoxicated, her cinnamon taste flooding my senses, sending me back to thoughts I had only thought belonged to Astoria, thoughts of Hannah flooded through my head, her laugh, her angelic voice, her stunning face, those beautiful metallic blue eyes that were starting to open…wait…STARTING TO OPEN!?

I shot away as she began to stir. "What the…Draco?" she whispered.

I paled. "Shh, you're dreaming." I lied. "Go back to sleep."

Thankfully, before she even had the chance to look around and wake up a bit, she was out cold.

I couldn't leave her down on the couch, in case she woke up again, wondering why she was still in the dungeons. Hoping I had enough strength, I lifted her.

She wasn't much to carry. Her eighty…ninety pound body was nothing but dead weight, but a light dead weight.

Her body reacted to me lifting her. She stirred, resting her one hand at the nape of my neck, mindlessly tugging on the ends of my hair like a small child. Almost like my little sister would have done had she not been stillborn.

"Harry…" she murmured, almost making me laugh. "no…let me sleep."

I grinned and balanced her on my hip, carrying her almost toddler weight back to the girls dorm. "Shh, Hannah…" I whispered, hoping for once that I sounded like her brother. "it's alright. I'm taking you to bed. Go back to sleep."

I snuck in, hoping to hell that her dorm mates were dead asleep in their beds, or otherwise in the bathroom as I laid the raven down and drew the covers over her.

Her free hand groped around until it caught the arm of a brown tattered old teddy bear with a dark blue ribbon around its neck.

I grinned. At least I wasn't the only one with a babyish sleeping companion. I left the room, but not until I stopped to look at Hannah roll over, wondering when I'd get to see her asleep again as I went back to my dormitory.

But Blaise was standing there, arms crossed, but a smirk plastered on his face. "You sly dog." he stated.

"What?" I asked.

"I saw you." Blaise smirked. "How was the kiss?"

I bit my lip. "Honestly…I think that girl drugged me. She tasted…intoxicating."

Blaise smirked. "So you love her?" he said.

"No!" I hissed. "Besides, it was a brief kiss, I could have just been overtired."

"Prove it." Blaise smirked again. "Kiss her again."

"I can't!" I hissed. "The last time I tried, she almost saw me kiss her! I was lucky to make her assume that I was just a part of her dream, but I don't think my luck can last."

"Then do it when she's awake!" Blaise said. "Then you can see if your dream was real…that Hannah's proclamation of love was just your dream or if it was real."

I smirked. "In that case…I'll just have to do it. New project, Blaise, my friend…"

"Kiss Hannah Potter…while she's awake!" Blaise and I said together.