Monsoon Wings

Footsteps hurriedly echoed, and a second later a confused Draco Malfoy appeared, carrying heavy coats. He looked at Juno, lying sprawled on the ground, face beet red; then up at the mysterious guy on the broomstick. The guy had descended from the broomstick, and was offering a hand to Juno, which she took. He pulled her up and studied her features.

She had nice jade eyes, a protruding nose, and was dressed in a pretty sparkling black prom gown. Her blonde hair was braided at the top but left covering her right shoulder.

‘A thousand apologizes. You really look like my brother’s fiancée. Especially in this black gown. You really do,’ he said, bowing to her. He straightened and found Draco Malfoy beside the girl.

‘Praise the Lord! It is you!’ he exclaimed.

‘W-what?’ Draco asked stupidly. The guy had wavy brown hair, and enticing blue eyes. Draco guessed he was no more than his own age.

‘I remember you! Dustin Malfoy!’ he exclaimed again, and pulled Draco into a bleary hug. ‘Don’t you remember me? I think it was 4 years ago. That time I had a job as the grocery boy. You came and sto—‘

‘Oh!’ Draco cried out, slapping his forehead. ‘You are the—yes, yes, I remember. What’s your name? I forgot—‘

‘Elvis Lane. Never thought we’d meet again here, eh, Dustin? Don’t tell me you are still in the habit of stealing—‘

‘My name is Draco,’ Draco said, raising his voice. He was partly trying to cut Elvis’s sentence.

What happened 4 years ago was too embarrassing. Okay, it was like this. Draco Malfoy got lost in Diagon Alley. Simple as that. He lost his mother in the crowd. Hungry and lost, he tried to steal an apple from a small grocery shop. Fate determined Elvis Lane was the boy taking care of the stall, because the boss was inside. Seeing Draco was pitiful, and the same age as he was, Elvis gave a free apple to him. That was how they became friends. But after that incident, they never met again. The grocery boy was another boy, not Elvis.

But having Elvis chattering about Draco Malfoy stealing fruits is unbearable. Everyone would surely laugh at him if the fact was blabbed.

‘You got a job here?’ Draco asked. He was relaxed now that they had straightly changed the subject.

‘Just today. In the owlery. That is, we are also in charge of coming and outgoing posts,’ Elvis said.

‘You said “we”.’

‘Yes. Me and my brother. He’s in his bed currently. Never like wandering around. Still grieving for his eloped fiancée,’ he turned to Juno. ‘May I know who you are?’

‘Juno Emily.’

‘Ah! I see you have a girlfriend, eh, Draco?’ Elvis assumed, and then laughed out loud.

‘No, she’s not—‘

‘Ah! About time. I have to go back. Some other time, I’ll introduce you to my older brother. Nice to meet you, nice lady. You really look like my brother’s fiancée. He’ll be shocked when he sees you,’ Elvis winked at Juno, and a second later climbed onto his broomstick and sped away.

‘He’s a weird fellow,’ Juno said quietly. ‘And what happened 4 years ago?’

‘You don’t have the right to know!’ Draco yelled at her. ‘What happened to your back?!’

‘I don’t know. I was fine then suddenly I felt pain and the next second I was lying on the ground.’

Draco poked the wound. It was beet red, but not bleeding. ‘Ow! You foolish moron! Why did you poke it?’ Juno slapped his hand away.

‘Let’s go to Madam Pomfrey,’ he suggested.

*

Madam Pomfrey healed the gash in two seconds, leaving it scarless. In a matter of seconds, Draco and Juno were already strolling in the hallway.

‘Tell me more about this Elvis,’ Juno said.

‘There’s nothing to say. We just ran into each other 4 years back. He is our age and an orphan. That’s why he switches jobs everyday,’ he drawled, bored about the subject. They had reached the Slytherin common room. It was almost empty, seeing all the students were still in the Ball. Draco slumped into his usual cozy armchair, massaging his forehead. This room had felt familiar for Juno, and she sat down beside his chair and took her feet off her heels.

‘What is that around your wrist?’ Draco asked, noticing the bruise that had been the proof of the Hogsmead visit incident.

‘You caused it, you hellish devil,’ she growled, showing his her bluish wrist as a glance, then pulling her arm back.

‘Let me see it!’ he pulled her arm again, and inspected it. ‘Why did you not ask Madam Pomfrey to remove the bruise?’ he asked, knitting his brows.

‘Why should I? I’m fine with it. It—‘

‘Does it still pain you?’ he cut.

‘No, why?’

‘Then it will be okay,’ he declared, letting go of her arm. ‘Are you going back home for Christmas?’ he asked after a pause.

‘Don’t think I can. I’ve got loads of works to do. Not to mention dance practice,’ she said thoughtfully. Going back home means taking care of the shop and facing the nosey garrulous gang of children on the streets. Not to mention, she needed space for practicing dance movements. Her house didn’t reach his space standard. Everywhere were boxes of stocks of goods, stacked even in the kitchen.

Draco let out an earsplitting splendid laugh that sent him banging the table with his fist and wiggle around, clutching at his stomach.

‘W—what is so funny?’ Juno demanded angrily.

‘You—you don’t s—seriously want to join, right?’ Draco asked, stuttering with laughter.

‘I do!’ she proclaimed, sitting up straight.

‘Okay let’s see,’ Draco said, finally able to calm himself. ‘You can’t dance without knowing the history of it.’

‘What?’

‘If you desperately want to master something, you have to be acquainted with it. You have to possess special comprehension regarding it. You said you want to be a dancer. Then you’ll have to choose, what type of dance? From where will you get the moves? How are you going to combine magic with dancing? I ask you, Emily, know any famous dancers of the magical world?’ he explained.

‘I only know the Weird Sisters,’ she answered; a look of terror struck her face. Draco was right. So many things demanded her understanding and knowledge.

‘You have to ask yourself certain questions. Which is the most attractive part of my body? How can I point out my plus points, so others gain first-class impression? How can I mesmerize the panel of judges? What makes me extraordinary from other contestants?’

She was dumb struck.

Draco leaned forward, nearing his face to hers. He gazed deep into her eyes, entering her. ‘Emily, what is dancing?’

She was spellbinded by his blue-gray gaze. They penetrated her; they touched her soul. No words could be formed from her lips.

‘It is—’ she replied finally. ‘When your body moves along with the song—’

‘So if there is no song, you will not dance?’ Draco said. Looking at the simple look on her face, he chuckled slowly. ‘Dancing means more than moving your hips and legs and waving your arms. It is an art in which someone closes her brain and opens her heart, then letting her body follow the rhythm and beat, flowing below the tune.’

She sighed. ‘Then how can I be a good dancer? I really want to take step after step.’

‘Start from the theory. Tomorrow is the start of holiday. Go to the library, study about dancing,’ Draco said, waving his hand. ‘I’ll come with you. I have a Care of Magical Creatures heavy project anyway.’

‘What, you’re not going home?’

He pursed his lips and shook his head. ‘There is no one at home. My parents always go away.’

For a minute they were swallowed in silence, deep in their own thoughts.

Juno realized, as the days passed, she and Draco argued less. She still remembered the first days with him, they quarreled everywhere, glaring at each other every single minute. But now, she felt familiar with him. His fragrance, every single fraction of him. How many days have they spent together? 4 months, maybe. But she still hated him. He always made fun of her, he caused her pain.

She had the desire to call him monkey-brain again.

‘Monkey-brain,’ she said, but she was chuckling.

‘You are the monkey,’ Draco snapped back, laughing.

They made a deep eye contact for just a fraction of a second, and then quickly turned their gazes to somewhere else.