Hey Stranger, I Want You to Catch Me Like a Cold

Whhaaa?
Insert brief moment of confusion here.
Then…
Ohhh…
Hooray!

People jumped out from all over and the lights went on. Before I knew it, I was pulled into the middle of the heavily decorated room. I was still slightly dazed.

“Happy birthday, Silvie!” chorused from all over the room. Ron, Harry, and Hermione were the closest to me, all grinning madly.

“But, I thought you guys forgot about it…”

“Nope! It was Harry’s idea! We all acted like we forgot, so we could surprise you today! Brilliant, really.”

I turned to Harry, who was smiling humbly.

“Aww Harreh Pottah!” I flung my arms around him.

“Why would you go to all of this trouble?”

“Because--”

“Silvie!”

I turned around. Greg, Vince, and Blaise of all people were walking towards me.

Needless to say, I was surprised. “What are you guys doing here?”

“Well,” Blaise started. “As much as we’re disgusted to be in the same room as this many Gryffindors, we had to come and wish you happy birthday. And give you your presents, of course.”

“You guys knew??” I asked, flabbergasted, as they handed me three presents.

Blaise shrugged. “Potter told us what he was planning last week. We figured since we didn’t think of it first than we should at least come. And we successfully distracted you yesterday and today so they could get everything ready."

“Aww, guys!” I hugged each of them. “Wait! If you guys knew, then did Draco…?”

They nodded. “It was Draco’s job to keep you occupied while they got the stuff together and bring you here. Once again, Draco hated being told what to do by Potter, but he relented because it was you.”

“Awww!” I was so flattered. “Where is the little tyke?”

“I don’t know, but we’re gonna get out of here. See ya, Silvie.”

“Bye!” And I went off to find Draco. On my way, I was stopped a lot by multiple people wishing me happy birthdays. Jeesh. I didn’t know that I was this well known.

After five minutes of fruitless searching, I decided to sit down for a second and open my presents. Greg and Vince each got me my favorite candies. Blaise got me shoes, and jewelry.
Very nice shoes, I might add. That boy’s got taste.

Oh, how I love shoes.

I decided to return to my search, even denying the snack table stacked with all my favorites of my presence. I had to find Draco. I wanted to party with my best friends for my birthday.
I finally found him sitting at the table in the corner like a loser. When he saw me, he sat up and seemed like he was about to say something before I heard Harry’s voice magnified from the stage, calling me to come up. I glanced at Draco. He motioned me to go up there, but he seemed sad.

“And there’s the birthday girl!” Ron called as I approached, his voice also magnified.

“Come on up,” Hermione added.

I cautiously stepped onto the stage.

“Okay, I guess I’ll talk first.” Ron said. “Silvie. Happy Birthday. We get along well, you’re bloody entertaining, and we both enjoy food. What’s there not to like? Happy seventeenth.” He grinned as I hugged him.

“How’d I do?” he whisphered in my ear.

“The perfect Ron Weasley-esque speech,” I replied with a smile.

“My turn!” Hermione twittered. “I love you Silvie, and you’re an incredible friend. I consider you one of my best. Despite your over-energetic self and Yankee vulgarity, all of these people here,” she gestured to the huge, laughing crowd, “seem to love you as well. Happy birthday!”

“Aww Hermie!” I cried as we hugged. It was going to be an Aww-inspired night, that was for sure.

“I’m up.” Harry said, and turned to me. “Silvie, you’re great. I didn’t think that this year was going to be so fun and all, with Voldemort back,” (insert gasps here), “But you definitely proved that wrong. You’ve changed me, changed all of us. And though I have a stuttering problem whenever we’re alone, it’s just because you’re too gorgeous for me to think straight,” oh.my.god. “Err, I guess what I’m trying to say is that I really like you. Happy birthday.”

A chorus of ‘awws’ was heard from the crowd. And all of the sudden, “Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!” They were demanding it.

Harry grabbed me before I could even react and planted one on me.

I could tell he wasn’t as experienced as Draco, but he was trying. It was sweet, but not as sweet as Draco’s. Still nice. He also put an expensive-looking golden anklet into my hand. Pretty. Not as beautiful as Draco’s bracelet.

Why was I comparing him to Draco?

I turned to look in the audience and caught sight of a retreating head of floppy blonde hair. I watched silently as it exited through the door.

I tried to jump off of the stage and follow him, to make amends. To make things right, even though I didn’t do anything wrong. But I was pulled back by Hermione, who didn’t notice anything. She said it was time for ice cream and cake. So I had to go through all of that jazz, along with the singing. Then I tried to escape again, and was stopped because it was presents time.
Now, I’m not being ungrateful or anything, but seriously? If you just give me a galleon for my birthday instead of something that requires brainpower than we’re probably not that good of friends in the first place. So why are you at my birthday party? Sheesh, people these days.
Finally after a bunch of crap, the party finally winded down enough that I could leave.

I approached the trio. “Hey, guys, thanks for the party, but I’m gonna get out of here.”

Ron and Hermione nodded and wished me happy birthday, but Harry pulled me aside.

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

“Look, er, I’m sorry if I caught you off guard up there. It’s just,” he ruffled his hair
nervously. “Do you want go to the next Hogsmeade with me? As…a date?”

He held his breath. I, only the other hand, was breathing deeply. Why did this all have to happen in one week? Just as I think Draco and I are making progress, Harry reveals his true feelings?
Now what was happening with Draco? My head was spinning.

“Um, sure Harry. That would be great.” I tried giving him one of my award winning smiles.

He smiled back, then frowned. “Are you okay, Silvie? You don’t look too fit.”

“Oh, I’m fine, just tired.” I mustered up.

“Okay, you go get some sleep, Ron, Hermione, and I have to clean up then we’ll be up.” He kissed me on the cheek.

I gave him a small smile and headed out the door. On my way to finding Draco, I had to straighten out my thoughts.

Who did I like better? Draco. I did like Harry, I did. But he wasn’t Draco. Harry was super sweet and likable to everyone. Draco was a douche and likable to few. But Draco…he had a certain “Je ne sais quoi”. I don’t know how to explain it.

So my priority now is to find Draco and figure out what is exactly going on. I really didn’t know what I was going to do. But my head kept repeating ‘Find Draco, find Draco, find Draco…’

Find Draco.

I walked past the stairs to the astronomy tower, and hear a noise from above.

Find Draco.

I clomped up the steps, finally just taking off my damn shoes and holding them in my hands. When I got to the top, a blonde figure was holding onto the railing, looking over the grounds.

Found Draco.

“Draco?”

He moved his head to look at me, and returned to facing the grounds.

Have I ever mentioned that I’m afraid of heights? Terrified, really. Just watching Draco lean over that rail was making my stomach hurt.

“What’s the matter, kid?”

He didn’t say anything.

“Come over here and talk to me.”

Still nothing.

“Drake, you know I’m scared of heights just come sit over here with me.”

“Please?”

He still didn’t move, so I went to sit on the steps myself. I leaned against the wall.

He joined me.

“Soo what’s up with you skipping out before I even got to party with my best friend?” I nudged him.

He shrugged. “It wasn’t my party.”

“Well thanks for putting up with the Gryffindors and being a part of it.”

He scoffed. “Yeah, like I had any choice. Put up with Potter or you’d be mad at me. Help him do the sweetest thing that anyone’s ever done for you.” He said the last part in falsetto.

“Draco- What are you talking about?”

He stood up and faced me. “Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about. You and Potter were looking pretty chummy up there on the stage. He kept going on about how much he liked you and how much you would just love your party. He was going to ask you out. Well, looks like he got his wish.”

“Draco, look, I don’t know what you’re problem is, but-”

“You know what, Davenport? I don’t have a problem. Have a happy life with Potter. Maybe you’ll get married and have little bespeckled bloodtraitor babies. That’ll be lovely.” He turned away and started stomping down the stairs.

By then, I was pissed. “Draco Lucius Malfoy!” I stormed after him. “How dare you say that you heartless bastard!” I was yelling to an empty corridor.

I sank onto the ground, staying there for a while. Just inhaling and exhaling, no tears. I didn’t have any.

Later on, I picked myself up off of the floor and up to my room. Hours later, I fell asleep.