The Same Mistake

Ginny plopped down next to Ellie at the Gryffindor table the following morning. “Why didn’t you wake me up last night when you got back? I thought we were going to complain about the detention together?”

Ellie passed the plate of pancakes to her red headed friend. “I was rather tired. I didn’t get back until very late.”

“Right. So tired you didn’t want to bash on Draco? I find that hard to believe.” Ginny spread butter across her warm pancakes.

Ellie’s eyes narrowed. “I’m never too tired to bash Draco. But I just wasn’t in the mood last night.”

“Alright, don’t tell me. Who am I but your lowly friend, the first person to talk to you when you arrived; the first person who helped you transition to British slang; the first –“

“Fine!” Ellie shouted thumping her glass of pumpkin juice down on the table. “I didn’t want to wake you because I didn’t want to talk about –“ she cut off, her gaze frozen on the entrance to the Great Hall.

Ginny followed her friend’s line of vision finally landing on Draco Malfoy who also stood frozen in the entrance his gaze stuck on Ellie. “What have I missed out on?”

“Nothing.” Ellie stabbed rather viciously at her pancakes.

Ginny watched curiously as Malfoy shook his head in annoyance and sauntered toward the Slytherin table. He pulled Pansy up placing a ridiculously passionate kiss on her lips. Pansy triumphantly wrapped herself around Malfoy dragging him from the room by his tie.

Ellie’s hand trembled on her fork. She dropped it, the fork clattered loudly on her plate. Shoving back from the table Ellie flounced from the Great Hall. Ginny ate as quickly as possible then chased after her friend.

Ginny wandered down several corridors before hearing Ellie. Loud blasts were emitting from behind a classroom door on the fifth floor. Ginny knocked tentatively on the door; there was no response. Turning the knob, Ginny slipped unnoticed into the room. At the back of the classroom Ellie was turning match sticks into miniature cannons. It was the cannons that emitted the loud bangs as they shot tiny cannon balls out hitting the castle window with a resounding bang.

Ginny crept closer to Ellie’s hunched form. She was bending over the match sticks turning each one into a cannon as the balls pinged of the glass. Muttering fast and furious French in between the spells, Ellie’s attention was utterly consumed by the task before her.

“Darling, are you alright?” Ginny perched herself on the edge of the desk.

Ellie swiped the remaining matches from the desk; they tumbled to the floor. “It’s stupid really. He makes me absolutely crazy and I know I should stay away and I know it’s in everyone’s best interest if we’re uninvolved, but . . .”

“What in the world happened last night?” Ginny scooted across the desk.

“Nothing, really. Malfoy and I have a tendency of getting too involved when we are thrown together. Last night I said stupid things. Today I wish I could take them back. The damage is done and I need to deal with the fall out.” Sighing with frustration Ellie lay back on the desk her arms folded behind her head.

“Getting too involved?” Ginny’s eyebrows rose until they were hidden beneath her rouge bangs. “You didn’t – didn’t –“

“Of course not!” There was a note of ridicule in her voice. She sat up abruptly, “We kiss, just kiss. Not that it matters. Nothing we do together matters; it’s stupid and reckless. I am the fool, it was my choice; consequently my mistake.”

“Don’t you think you’re being . . . well, mildly overdramatic?” Ginny knocked her shoulder against Ellie’s.

“I wish I was, Ginny, I really do.” Ellie hung her head swinging her legs back and forth. “Come on, let’s go. I’ve spent too much time sulking. Fancy a day traipsing across the grounds?”

“Uhm, okay.” Ginny jumped off the desk. “But what are you going to do about Malfoy?”
Ellie smiled mischievously. “Return the favor.”