Monsoon Wings

‘Don’t forget that,’ he said, smirking.

‘I haven’t forgotten, okay,’ she raised a hand. ‘What time and where?’

‘After breakfast. In dungeon four. You know, that room where you practiced your dance,’ he suggested. They stopped walking when they had reached the fifth floor. ‘I’ve got Charms now.’

‘I’ve got Defence Against the Dark Arts,’ she checked her schedule. ‘Okay, bye.’

‘Good luck with Mad-Eye,’ he said scornfully before walking away to Charms classroom.

‘Bye Dick-head!’ Juno called meanly after him, waving good bye, grinning.

‘Bye Junk-face!’ he voiced, grinning as well. Once he entered the classroom and took his usual seat beside Blaise, he was imagining her seating next to him. Draco tried to stop thinking about her. But it was not before he opened his book that he thought about her again.

It may be hard to believe, but he had started to care for Juno deeply.

*

That night, during their usual study time in the Gryffindor common room, near the fireplace, they (except Olivia) were discussing about Jayden’s lost wand. Even Fred and George were present, occasionally dumping a disgusting green glob onto people’s books and parchment. Hermione grew stony-faced, mostly because her Vanishing Charm didn’t work on the globs. Every time she hexed “Evanesco”, the glob would turn different colors. Fred and George wailed joyfully before vanishing the globs on their own accord.

‘What sort of globs are those, anyway?’ Harry was fascinated.

‘Annoying Globs,’ Fred joked. Hermione rolled her eyes.

‘If you all haven’t forgotten, we were discussing about Jayden’s wand, not about slimy globs,’ Hermione fussed.

‘Okay. So what do you think?’ Ron asked, closing his Potions book and rolling up his parchment.

‘Why would anyone want your wand, Jayden?’ Hermione interrogated, moving in her seat to get a better look of Jayden. Juno, who was on the second paragraph of her Potions essay about Bezoars, looked up and decided to continue her essay tomorrow morning during History of Magic.

‘I don’t know,’ Jayden said impatiently, sighing sadly.

‘It is as if your things have legs and they run away from you,’ George joked, giggling, as he threw another glob onto Harry’s parchment playfully.

‘I recently wish they do have legs,’ Jayden said, raising his brows stressfully and looking outside the window. ‘This way they’ll come crawling when I call for them.’

Their conversation was interrupted by a tapping in the window. Everyone turned their heads, not at all shocked of a very black owl holding a letter in its beak. For the last three days, owls of different sizes and colors have been a welcomed guest. One had even delivered a letter during Charms class twice, and once even during Astronomy.

‘You should probably reply to his letters, Juno, or else he’ll keep sending,’ Jayden said, opening the window, because he was closest to it. The owl flew in and landed on Juno’s essay, looking at her diligently. Juno took the letter from its beak but didn’t bother opening it. Instead, she gave it to Hermione, who opened it and read it out loud.

“Juno, I’ll do anything for you. Please come to me and let me explain. I was drunk the other night, I’m sorry. I’m sorry. At least let me explain. I’m sorry Juno. I’m sorry. I’m not good at poems, I’m not romantic, and I can’t sing. So I don’t know what to do to persuade you. But please, please forgive me. Please do not do this continuously. Please do not avoid me.”

‘Lovely,’ Fred commented, clapping his hands.

'I think it's kinda disgusting,' Ron said.

‘Write a reply,’ Hermione urged, putting the paper in front of Juno and grabbing her quill and stuffing it in Juno’s hand.

‘Like what?’ Juno said, preparing to write.

‘Um, let’s see. Why not “I will come and meet you once you promise me you’ll cut your dick.” How about that?’ Fred recommended. His statement earned laughter which shook the table. Even Hermione grinned at the idea.

‘That’s right!’ Ron laughed, dancing in his seat, clutching his abdomen.

‘No, give me the paper and I’ll write a nice one for you,’ George said, reaching out a taut hand. Juno gave him the paper. George scribbled away passionately. When he was done, he read it out loud and the laughter which it brought was extravagant.

‘Wait till he read this,’ Harry said, wiping his eyes.

*

Draco put the necklace around her neck, holding it tightly while he fastened it. He made sure it was secured tightly before leaning back and admiring it. The bell shined, and he was glad. A wave of happiness soared inside him.

‘You look pretty with the necklace,’ Draco said, kissing Olivia’s cheek. She smiled, hugging him tight. They were sitting in an empty classroom. It was dark and cold, but she liked it. It was one way she could snuggle into his embrace.

‘Do you love me?’ she asked plainly.

‘Yes. More than you do to me,’ he replied. She laid her cheek on his chest, smelling his perfume. The top of her head was level with his chin.

‘But what if you are with her?’ Olivia continued.

Draco let go of her a little so he could look her in the face. ‘What do you mean, baby?’

‘If you are with her,’ Olivia repeated, pouting slightly, mostly because she still wanted to lay her head on his chest. He hugged her again and she smiled.

‘I will never be with her. Never,’ he said, whispering into her ear.

‘Are you talking about the girl I am talking?’ Olivia breathed. She stared at his sleeve.

‘Who? Emily, right?’

‘I’m talking about Pansy,’ Olivia revealed, closing her eyes, relishing the warmth of his body.

‘Oh,’ he said, a bit embarrassed. He had thought that Olivia meant Juno. He got a little relieved anyway. He did not like it when Olivia talks about Juno. He just felt ashamed about it, though he didn’t know why he should be. He didn’t have any affairs with Juno. He wasn’t even friends with her.

‘Pansy said that you will marry her,’ Olivia said, playing with his shirt buttons. She was thinking of undoing the buttons. The desire in her heart had overpowered her tenderness. Nevertheless, she wasn’t quite ready for it. So she just played with his buttons.

‘Don’t be silly. Don’t be worry. My Mom listens to me. She’ll persuade my father. I am marrying no one,’ Draco said.

‘No one?’

‘Well, just you. Maybe someday,’ Draco whispered, and tilted her head and kissed her. Somehow, there was hesitation in his heart. He somehow found it difficult to state his surety. That’s why he had said “maybe”.

People say, when you meet your soul mate, your heart must be certain that you want to spend your life with her, Draco thought.