Deception

The next day turned out to be a living hell.. Apparently someone had been spreading around that Malfoy is my boyfriend.. He is not my boyfriend! We just have to.. to get.. Ah I can't even get it out of my mouth!
I would love to stay in bed all day and hide myself from all the looks that snapped at me every second. But I can't hide myself forever. I really wanted to know who spread the rumours and punish that person with the most horrible spells I could think of.. Though I first suspected Marie, she swore she didn't say it to anyone, which I naturally didn't believe.. She told Nicky about the Veritaserum-action after all!! So how could I be so stupid to trust her in to this? Well, apart from the fact that she's my best friend in the whole wide world, and I do have a conscious comparing to Lucius Malfoy..

Marie and I had a fight about this and it cost us two hours of yelling. Apparently it turned out to be Daphne Greengrass who spread the rumour, one of the girls from Pansy's clique..
Pansy was trying her best to hide her tears when she entered the common room that night, she told Daphne everything that happened in the passageway and how Malfoy treated her. Daphne angered herself about his behaviour, and was going to hex him as punishment for Pansy's sake.
But then she heard Malfoy and me coincidentally talking, and decided to eavesdrop. She didn't hear much of it but when it got awfully quiet she decided to peek on us. That was clearly at the wrong moment, it turned out to be the exact moment that Malfoy was kissing me.
Daphne was shocked to see that Malfoy was kissing me. Me! The only Slytherin that didn't treat him like a prince, but hated his guts and preferred to go out with a snail rather than him.
For Daphne this was the juiciest story she had ever heard, and since she loved to gossip, everybody picked it up. It even spread all the way to the Gryfindor common room that same day. That's how fast the rumour spread.

I walked to herbology class with Marie. It was a sunny day and we enjoyed the soft grass beneath our feet when we were on our way to the greenhouse..
Suddenly it was as if someone pulled me backwards which made me stumble. After that I noticed that my bag was ripped open and everything had already fell on to the grass.. Great..
"Damn.." I muttered frustrated. "As if I didn't had enough trouble yet.."
Marie turned towards me with an awkward expression written on her face.
"That bag was brand new.." She said. "This is weird; you bought it last week in Hogsmeade."
"Yes.. Weird.." I said still mumbling under my breath as I squatted down to oversee the damage.. I repaired my bag with a few spells and started to smash my stuff randomly in the bag.
"Tell professor Sprout I'm a little late okay?" I said motioning my hand towards the greenhouse, non-verbally telling her that she could leave and then wouldn't be late for class.
"Are you sure?" She said as she eyed me suspiciously. She was probably thinking that I was up to something. I sighed and glared at her for a short moment.
"Yeah, just go." I said. "Really, I'll be there in just a minute!"
Marie shrugged and walked away while I cleaned up the mess.
My ink bottle broke and it smeared all over my stuff..

"Can I help you?" Someone suddenly questioned me. I recognized the drawl voice and it made the little hairs in my neck stand on end.
I glanced above me and I immediately saw a platinum blonde head with the cocky face I expected to see.. My future-to-be slimy husband.. The prince of Slytherin.. Malfoy..
"No." I hissed through my teeth.
"Why not? I'm responsible for it." He said with an evil smirk as he picked up my bag and examined it with surprise. Apparently he expected it to be still in shreds.
"I could've known it.." I muttered while I ripped my bag back out of his hands..
Malfoy squatted next to me in the grass with still the same amused expression that I wanted to rip of his face. He started to clean up some books with several spells and gave them to me. I threw them in my bag with frustration.
"I think you noticed that someone has been spreading the word about us?" He said.
I growled something unintelligible.
"Though I really loved to hide this from everybody, it seems you're my girlfriend." He said as he picked up the broken ink bottle and repaired it.
"I AM NOT YOUR GIRLFRIEND!" I spat. My heart filled itself with fury just now.
"Yes you are." He said simply. "Since you're not yet officially my fiancé, you're my girlfriend. Well until we go to Hogsmeade and have our engagement party that is."
"I hate you!" I yelled as I stared at him with the dirtiest look I could produce. "You ruined my entire life! You just screwed me with this again Malfoy!"
"No I didn't." said Malfoy as he was reading some of my notes. "I mean, not yet."
I snatched my notes back and clenched my teeth together. I felt my cheeks burning up as I tried to control my anger.

Oh I'd swear to Dumbledore's phoenix, I would just love it to rip his head off!

I threw the last things in to my bag and stormed away from him. Well at least I tried, if mister Platinum didn't call me back.. I did not even take three steps away from him when I stopped dead in my tracks because of what he said.
"Hey! Ella! Where's my goodbye-kiss?!" He yelled with a smirk.
This was just something he would do to me, taking advantage of my discomfort like he had always done.

Twelve years ago.
"Let me go Malfoy!" I pleaded as I was trying to hold my pee in.
"No I'd like to see how long you can last." He said evilly.
"Please let me go!" I begged of him but Malfoy didn't care and held my wrist together tightly.
"First I want to know where you've hid my itching powder." He said.
"I won't say it!" I yelped. That same powder caused me red bumps all over my body which lasted a week.
"Then I'm not letting you go." He simply stated.
"Malfoy!" I yelled.
Suddenly the door opened and my father appeared in the doorway.
"Draco what are you doing to Ella?" He asked surprised.
"She tried to strangle me." Lied Malfoy and he glared at me.
Because I was so shocked about the lie he just said without any remorseful feelings I relaxed my muscles.
"Ew! You're peeing!" yelled Malfoy as he released my wrists.
I stared at my feet where a puddle was forming on the wooden floor.
"Elenore Forester!" yelled my father angry. "I thought you were potty-trained years ago! You wont get any cake!"
I started to cry while Malfoy was smirking at me. He was taking advantage of my discomfort.
"Come on Draco, Mrs Whailey is waiting with cake." He added as he left the room with a disgusted expression on his face.

I turned around and I just wanted to paralyse him.. But just then a load of Slytherin girls headed our way. And because of this -I'm Malfoy's-girlfriend-stuff- I was petrified.. Unfortunately Pansy was the leader of them and eyed me suspicious.
"Kiss Draco?" She said in a mocking way. "Let's see if miss trollop has the guts!" She sneered. "I'll bet this is just all a lie and she was just whoring around in the castle! Just like she has been doing before, with Zabini!"
I saw the look in Malfoy's eyes harden and he clenched his teeth together for some reason.
My anger almost made me do reckless things. But asserting me as a whore? That does it! Even though I hate Malfoy I would prove that shrieking bitch!

I hurried myself to the blonde snake and forced my lips to touch his pale cheek.
"Not there." He whispered at that same time. "On the lips, or else it wouldn't be convincing."
I pulled my head back and I glared at him. I wanted to throw up.
"In your drea-" I started but Pansy interrupted me with her shrill voice..
"She isn't your girlfriend at all is she?! I would never kiss you like that!! You still love me don't you Draco?!"
Malfoy growled something. "Shut up Parkinson, she and I are together and now she's proving it." He said ice cold.
Malfoy pushed me in a corner. He likes to do that... I held my breath, bent towards his lips and pushed mine lightly against his as if I was afraid he might had a decease..
Yuck..
I wanted to pull away but Malfoy had other plans. He quickly pulled my head towards his’ with his left hand; and pushed my body tightly against his chest with his right hand placed on my waist. He pushed his disgusting tongue inside my mouth while he ran his fingers through my hair and I started to feel weird. I hate to admit it but he's an excellent kisser for an asshole. For a second I even liked it! What the hell is happening?!
I started to feel nausea again and I pushed him roughly away from me. Malfoy eyed me surprised, still with that evil glint in his eyes.
I glanced around just in case I was embarrassing myself in front of other people. The first thing I saw and heard, was Pansy who was swearing like a sailor. She ran besides us and the entire Slytherin clique followed her.
I spat a few times on the ground and faced him angrily.
"Don't you do that ever again Malfoy, or I swear I'll castrate you!" I threatened with my index finger which was poking on to his chest.
Malfoy smirked slyly and winked at me which only made me angrier.
"I just like to take advantage of opportunities, Forester." He said evilly as he walked besides me. "As you should know." He added softly.
"I wasn't just 'saying' that I would castrate you." I yelled at him as I raised my wand.
"Bye Forester." He simply replied and continued walking away not even bothering to face me.
That caught me off guard, he just... Ignored me?!
"I've got a class." He said with a melodic voice.
Herbology! I totally forgot!

I hurried myself to class, I ran past Malfoy so now he was behind me. I opened the greenhouse's door with force and sat next to Marie. Apparently the entire class was too busy with hexing and potting their plants to notice me..
"Stupid plant.." She muttered. Then she briefly glanced to her left. "Oh, hey Ella! Descendo!" She said.
I heard Malfoy sneak in behind me and closing the door.. But nobody paid attention to him either.
"Hey," I said raising my eyebrows. "What the hell are you doing?"
"This plant.. is not.. doing.. what I want.. him.. to do.." she said while she tried to keep the plant down. "It's some rare plant called the Foxabiritum Stranglis. We need to put them in pots but they don't want to be put in pots. As so it seems."
I raised my eyebrows even higher.
"The what?" I repeated. "Why is it so hard to put that thing in a pot?"
"Those things.. try to.. strangle you." Said Marie, while she obviously tried to stop the plant with whatever it was doing..
"With.. their.. roots.." She continued as she smacked something away from her.
Suddenly I noticed they had pale white roots which looked like thick threads, and they were reaching for Marie's throat.
"Descendo!" yelled Marie again.

"No Miss Frost!" screamed professor Sprout hysterical. "Don't use any defending spells!! That only angers them!"
Marie started to blush as the white roots were swaying dangerously at her.
"You need to tickle the leaves Miss Frost! Don't you never pay attention??" said professor Sprout angry. "Then they'll stop attacking you and you can put them safely in one of the pots."
Professor Sprout walked away from our table and helped a few others who obviously didn't pay attention either..
"Tickle them.." muttered Marie. "Why didn't I think of that.. Who the hell wants to tickle a plant that's trying to strangle you.."
I started to laugh, but I abruptly stopped when I saw Marie's serious expression eyeing me. Though I still thought it was funny.
But suddenly professor Sprout noticed that I was there too..
"Miss Forester? Can you explain why you're late for herbology class?" asked professor Sprout.
I suddenly remembered I forgot to tell Marie what happened..
"Didn't Marie tell you why I was late?" I said trying to be polite.
"Yes in fact she said that your bag ripped to shreds, but that could be repaired with a flick of your wand couldn't it?" She said a lot more unfriendlier than she was addressing me before.
"Well it took me more time than it thought it would professor. I needed to repair all my books because they were damaged as well." I said a little nervous.
Professor Sprout didn't take further notice and she nodded one time before she left to the front of the greenhouse again.

"You can tell me a lot of lies El' but this was just rubbish.." said Marie raising her eyebrows.
I tickled the plant and surprisingly the plant stopped attacking me and the roots started to dance in a slow rhythm. I placed the plant in a pot and turned towards Marie. I whispered everything that happened before I arrived in the greenhouse.
Marie tickled her plant and she almost knocked the pot over when I told her about the kissing part.. She widened her eyes and made a what-the-hell expression on her face.
"I have to." I said with a sigh. "Or else our parents won't believe I'm his bloody girlfriend."
Marie stared suspicious at me. As if she was waiting for me to finish talking.
"They'll murder me." I quickly added when I saw her face. "Unfortunately this was planned at our births. Like I told you already."
"Class dismissed!" yelled professor Sprout suddenly. "Please plant your last Foxabiritum Stranglis in your pot. I've got an appointment so I hope you all can clean those up? Place the plants on that rack." She motioned towards a huge wooden rack in the corner of the room. She walked away and closed the greenhouse's door behind her.

"I don't believe it." Said Marie.
"What?!" I answered surprised. "You know that our parents are.. you-know-what's.."
"So? I still don't believe it. I think this is just a terrible joke that Malfoy and Pansy set up behind your back."
I thought about her words. She could be right, but why would Malfoy harm his own reputation? That sounds not like him at all.
"I don't think it is." I said. "But if it is so, I'll get to figure that out on our appointment in Hogsmeade."
Marie shrugged.
"I would never had agreed to it though." She said.
"As if I had a choice Marie! I still don't think differently about that slug! I despise him! He's just.. irresistible!"
"I hope you're talking about me Ella sweetness of mine?" purred a soft voice in my ear.
I quickly turned around and saw just the bastard I was hoping not to see anymore.. Blaise..
"Blaise!" I yelled in surprise as I backed away. I remembered the awful thing he tried to do the last time I saw him and it didn't make me feel safe..
"That's me pumpkin.." He purred as he was walking closer to me.
"Get the hell away from me!" I said with a trembling voice.
"Or what? You're boyfriend is going to attack me again?"
My cheeks turned red of humiliation and fury. I tried to hide it with a glare, but it didn't really work out as much as I thought it would.
I didn't reply but grabbed my bag instead and was just about to storm out of the greenhouse.

Unfortunately Blaise grabbed my arm and pulled me back towards him and turned me around. I wanted to push him away but he grabbed the back of my head harshly and crashed his lips on mine. I tried to resist but he was too strong.. Salt tears streamed out of my eyes and caused little rivers on my cheeks. I tried to scream but he forced his tongue inside my mouth which only made me cry harder.
"Zabini! Leave her alone!" yelled someone furious. I tried to look at where the voice came from until I noticed Malfoy. He stormed trough the crowd towards me and Blaise I widened my eyes and frowned my eyebrows pleading for help. But Blaise didn't pay attention to Malfoy as he started to grab my butt. He wasn't planning to let go of me soon, he just continued to violate my mouth. I tried with all the strength I had left to push him away from me. Marie was swearing something and tried to pull Blaise off of me as well, but he simply tripped her so that she ended up in a crowd of Slytherin girls where she disappeared.. Apparently everybody was watching us..

Malfoy ran over to me when he finally fought his way through the crowd. He pulled Blaise off of me and punched him in his face. Blaise stumbled backwards placing a hand on his bleeding nose. Malfoy immediately grabbed me right down to my waist and held me tight in his arms. Even if this was a fake performance of showing that he played the role of my boyfriend, I couldn't care. I was too upset to resist as I pressed my teary face against his chest. He hugged me like no one ever hugged me before. He said a few soothing words only for me to hear which I really didn't expect from him.
He takes his role too seriously. He knows we have to do this because this has to look real for the others right? Or else they'll get suspicious and what if it leaked out to our parents that we weren't a couple after all somehow? I would suspect Pansy for acting like a tattle tail. Therefore it had to be convincing! But this is getting out of hand..
Though I realized this was the second time Malfoy saved me from Blaise..
Actually, how absurd it may sound, it feels save to have somebody around that's standing up for me. Even though that person turned out to be the most disgusting person in the world it's still nice to have somebody like that around. He also couldn't care less about me.

"Don't you ever do something to my girl again Zabini! Or else!" threatened Malfoy. He glared at Blaise whom stared disgusted at Malfoy and walked away from us.
For a second I thought I saw him glancing at Pansy who looked like she had bitten in to a lemon. Not the most attractive face.
Malfoy was still holding me tight against his chest and caressed my back while he kissed me once on the top of my head. That made me feel sick to the bone, but I had to put through with it. When Blaise already had left the greenhouse and everybody left, he was still holding me.
I didn't know whatever the hell he was doing, but enough is enough.

"Malfoy?" I said. He stared at me with a hard look in his eyes that frightened me.
"What." He answered.
"You-you can let go of me now." I said with a trembling voice. "Everybody's gone."
Suddenly it seemed as if Malfoy got smacked in his face because he released me immediately.
He was staring at me with confusion while he was backing away from me. Then he turned around and I saw him searching for his two mutated dogs for a brief moment. When he noticed that they were already gone he left the greenhouse without saying another word.