Monsoon Wings

That night, Draco had dismissed Juno earlier than usual. He was on his way down to the dungeons, and ran into Olivia Wince near the second-floor library. She looked pretty as usual, with her bouncy rich coffee-colored hair. She was walking alone.

‘What is it that you want?’ Olivia asked coldly, and she kept on walking. Draco followed her, grabbed her arm.

‘Let go of me, Malfoy!’ she screamed, jerking off. ‘What do you want?!’

‘Ah, Wince,’ Draco breathed. ‘How many times must I say I like you? Or do you think I am so rude and bad?’

‘Oh, yes,’ she finally stopped walking, and turned around to face him boldly. Satisfaction was dancing in her eyes. ‘You are appalling. And what you are doing to my best friend, hmmm?’

‘You mean Juno?’ Draco said, feeling annoyed. Now what had Emily told her?

‘Just leave me alone. Or else I’ll tell Harry and the others how you keep trying to seduce me. ’

‘What does Potter have that I don’t?’ Draco said, raising his voice as she turned to leave. It’s true, what did he lose to Potter? He has a good family. He has money. His marks aren’t that bad, either. He is far better off than Potter. So what did he lose? Just a stupid scar?

‘Everything, Malfoy, almost everything.’

Oh, she knew how to detain and hurt a boy’s feeling. He didn’t let her go with that. He pulled her arm, and said out loud, ‘Potter likes Cho Chang. Do you know that?’

Olivia turned red. She pulled off and walked away, clearly embarrassed, without anymore words, leaving Draco shouting hauntingly behind her, ‘You should have known, Wince! I can give you more than Potter can. He likes Chang; can’t you see it, the way he looks at her?’

But she wasn’t listening; she had vanished, leaving Draco Malfoy fuming and broken hearted behind her. She turned left and ascended the stairs towards the Gryffindor tower, clutching the Study of Ancient Goblins she had borrowed from the library.

Does Harry really like Cho Chang? Olivia was wondering. Yeah, Chang is pretty, but prettier than her? Uh-huh. But no, Harry couldn’t like Chang, and besides, what could he do if he does? Lavender had said that Cho Chang was dating Cedric Diggory. And not to mention that Draco Malfoy cannot be trusted.

Well, a lot of things had been happening. Harry’s name had turned out as one of the Triwizard Champions. He couldn’t explain how, because he didn’t put his name in the Cup. Ron and Harry were having a fight about it. I believe in Harry, Olivia thought.

And, som—

‘Oh! Jayden!’ Olivia cried, shocked by his sudden appearance. She had been blindly walking through the corridor and had walked into Jayden.

Jayden grinned. ‘Good I walked into you here. I’m going to the library right now and have forgotten the password back to our common room.’

‘It’s “grindylow”,’ Olivia told him. ‘I’ve just came from the library. If you want to go there, you better run along, because Madam Pince is closing it in fifteen minutes.’

‘Fine. Thank you,’ Jayden said, and ran away.

Olivia shook her head, and giggled. Feeling a little bit at ease, she walked herself to her common room.

Ron, Hermione and Juno were sitting near the fireplace. Harry was not there; perhaps he had gone to bed. He had no reason being there, too. Especially with the thing going on between himself and Ron.

Olivia joined Ron and the others and they were doing their homework whilst talking about the mysterious letter-writer.

‘But it must be a joke,’ Ron said, biting his quill. ‘Right?’

‘Must be,’ Hermione said, opening The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Four. ‘But we must keep an open eye.’

‘I’ll ask Hagrid who gave that letter to him,’ Ron said determinedly.

*

The next day, Harry was woken up by Jayden tussling around.

‘Whassamater?’ he asked, shielding his eyes against the bright morning sunlight.

‘I’ve lost one set of robes,’ Jayden said, opening his trunk and searching for his robes. ‘I gave all my dirty robes for laundry two days ago. Apparently one set got lost.’

Ron came out of the bathroom, fully dressed, then immediately flew out of the dorms without a single look at Harry.

‘You should try talking to him,’ Jayden suggested, picking his forehead, looking at the mess he had created while searching for his robes. Oh, heck. He’d have to put them all in order again.

‘You just wear my robes, you’re about my size,’ Harry said, changing the subject. He sat up on his bed.

‘Thanks,’ Jayden replied. ‘We’d better get dressed and go down to lunch.’

*

The Gryffindors had Herbology with the Hufflepuffs that Wednesday. They were studying about Tentacular Plants. These plants have branches and leaves which creep in the air, like hands— and you need to keep a watch of it or else it’ll grab your back. Neville’s arm got tangled in the long branches and he almost fainted.

‘Okay, chaps,’ Professor Sprout began. ‘The creeping plants in front of you all are Tentacular Plants. They are creepy, yes, but are useful, and dangerous in some way. Does anyone—?’

Hermione’s hand had shot up in the air.

‘Yes, Miss Granger.’

‘Tentacular Leaves are a major potion herb, and are very, very valuable. However, in potions, they must not be mixed with Sopophorous Beans. Or else, they will create an explosion,’ said Hermione proudly, her nose in the air.

Professor Sprout awarded Gryffindor ten points. After that, they were to cut the Tentacular Leaves. This was not easy, because the branches kept flailing here and there. You have to grab them hard then use your other hand to immediately chop the leaves off.

Juno couldn’t concentrate at all. Partly because the branches were acting like crazy, snapping and snagging her robes, and partly because the Hufflepuff girl beside her, Hannah Abbot, was continuously chattering.

‘You’re Juno Emily, aren’t you? Your father owns that shop in Diagon Alley, right? Oh, I heard what’s happening between you and Malfoy. About that bet, right? You poor girl. But, of course, it doesn’t hurt that much, right? I mean, being beside a handsome boy like that everyday.’

Juno couldn’t believe someone could be so interfering. And she called Malfoy handsome!

Well, that’s the truth, she thought inside. You go jump yourself off the Astronomy tower, and you still won’t change that fact.

Juno smiled smugly and didn’t reply.

‘And, um, you see, I’m having a bet with my friend. About—‘ she leaned closer to Juno and whispered— ‘about what underwear Draco Malfoy wears. I say it is boxers, but she guessed it is briefs. Well?’

Juno felt herself blushing. To be honest, she knew. She was the one sending Draco Malfoy’s dirty clothes to the laundry every Monday and Thursday. She even knew his sizes. ‘It’s boxers, okay.’

‘Brilliant! Five Galleons for me!’ Hannah danced on the spot.

After that, Hannah didn’t talk much (because she’s got what she wanted, obviously). When the period ended, all of them returned back to the castle, sweaty and full of scratches from the branches. Neville, particularly, immediately ran to the hospital wing to take care of his injuries.

As she ascended the marble staircase, Juno Emily realized for the first time that she had admitted it that Draco Malfoy was handsome.

It was the first time she had called him by his name properly, too, without any hatred or major dislike. Not a fool-moronic boy or monkey- brain.