"He's bad news"

                                    

                                          
"You've gotten a lot better." Hermione told me as we left Charms class to go back to the common room.
                          
"I have?" I asked. "Well, I've been practicing a lot and getting tutored she have helped."
                          
"Yeah." She agreed. "I know you probably don't want to talk about it but what Malfoy said—"
                          
"I wasn't all over him." I was quick to defend myself.
                          
"Oh, I didn't think that." She told me. "I was just asking if something did happen? He must've had his own pathetic reason to spread those rumors."
                          
I shrugged, pressing my books closer to my chest. "I don't know. Nothing happened. He's just cruel."
                          
"I can help you get him back if you want." She offered, making me look at her.
                          
"No, that's okay." I shrugged and my eyes moved to Harry who was looking out of the window. "He's been through enough. Look, I'll talk to you later. Need to talk to someone."
                          
"Oh okay." She nodded, sending me a smile. "See you in the common room?"
                          
I nodded and she continued walking while I approached Harry by the window.
                          
"I hope you feel bad." I said and he quickly looked at me, obviously not knowing that I was here. "He was hurt, badly."
                          
"What're you talking about?"
                          
"I was there, Harry." I said. "When you casted that spell on Draco."
                          
His face changed and he turned his head to look out of the window again.
                          
"I didn't mean to hurt him like that. I was only trying to protect myself and the words just slipped out." He said. "He was about to curse me just like Bellatrix cursed Neville's parents."
                          
"I know." I said. "And I get it but you could've used Expelliarmus to disarm him."
                          
Harry sighed and turned to me, looking confused.
                          
"Why do you even care, Sahara? I thought you hated Malfoy."
                          
"I do." I lied. "But I had to see him like that and even though I hate him, that was really painful to watch. I used a healing spell on him."
                          
"That's why I haven't gotten in trouble." He breathed. "Thank you."
                          
"I didn't do it for you, Harry. I did it because even if he's a total jerk, he doesn't deserve to die like that." I said, turning around to walk away.
                          
I didn't know why I couldn't stop thinking about Draco. Well, I did kinda. I knew I liked him. Maybe I just fancied him a bit but no matter what it was, nothing could ever happen. We kissed once and he immediately ran off to talk badly about me and then he tried kissing me again. Weirdly enough he acted offended but why would I let him kiss me after what happened the last time?
                          
"Wait, Sahara!"
                          
I turned back around when Harry called and I watched him run up to me.
                          
"We're not dumb. We all know you like him."
                          
"Who? Draco?" I asked. "No way."
                          
"Why else would you get so hurt by his stupid rumors? He's spread some before in year two after you used the tickling spell on him and you didn't care."
                          
He was right and I had nothing to say. I had nothing to object with. To be honest, I was speechless.
                          
"Something did happen between you two, am I right?" He asked. "I can't see a reason to why he'd say stuff like that unless it's to protect himself from the truth. Did you kiss?"
                          
"No." I said, trying to act cold so he couldn't see right through me but I don't think it worked.
                          
"You should stay away from him, Sahara. He's bad news."
                          
"You think he's a death eater." I said. "He's not and he's not dangerous either."
                          
"He was going to curse me." Harry said in a whisper to not let people hear it.
                          
"And you shot a spell at him. A spell that cut through his skin like a sword." I said. "Should I stay away from you as well?"
                          
When Harry didn't say anything, I turned around and continued to the common room. I quickly dropped off my books before leaving again, finding my way to the courtyard.
                          
I didn't expect to find Draco in a tree but when I did, I walked over and climbed up to sit on a lower branch, his head turning so he could look at me for a moment before he looked back at the spot he was carving something into, using a knife.
                          
"Are you a death eater?" I asked bluntly and his actions froze while he seemed to think about my question.
                          
"What would make you think that?"
                          
"You tried to curse Harry." I spat in a whisper, leaning forward. "Plus, you've been disappearing from class all year and what were you doing at Borgin and Burge's?"
                          
Draco looked at me, studying my facial expression for a moment before shaking his head.
                          
"That is none of your business."
                          
"None of my business?" I scoffed. "You were going to curse one of my best friends, Draco. If you are working for you-know-who you need to tell me."
                          
"I don't need to tell you anything. We're not friends. The only relationship between you and I is the tutoring sessions and I'm also done with those."
                          
"Why?" I asked. "Because we kissed? Because you can't handle that someone might care about you other than your sister?"
                          
"You care about me?" He said, letting out a sarcastic laugh. "Well that is extremely foolish of you, Sterling. Care about me? That's gonna get you nothing. You kissed me, remember?"
                          
"And you kissed me back."
                          
"I did not." He objected. "I think you might be hallucinating."
                          
"Oh yeah?" I asked. "What about yesterday after I saved you from dying? You tried to kiss me."
                          
"As I said, you're hallucinating."
                          
I pushed him in the chest and he has to grip onto the branch to not fall down but instead his knife fell and landed in the grass.
                          
"Screw you, Draco Malfoy. I don't know why I ever thought there was something good in you. You're just like I read all those years ago. You're just like your father."
                          
"I am nothing like my father!" He barked, pointing a finger at me. "I don't need your saving, Sterling. I do not need to be saved so just drop it!"