Two Sides to Every Story

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"He really said all of that to you?"

Hermione asked from across Emerald at lunch at the great hall.

"You shouldn't have even asked him." Ron grumbled. "Why did you ask him?" Harry asked, turning to look at Emerald whose cheeks began to blush a soft green.

"I was trying to be nice." She admitted awkwardly. "To... Draco?" Ron asked slowly as he raised a brow at her.

"Honestly you were better off going with me." He added. "I barely know you." Emerald dead panned and Ron shrugged.

"Besides," Harry began slowly, "I was gonna ask you." Emerald chocked on the gulp of pumpkin juice she had just taken from her cup.

"You what?" She asked once she finished coughing. "I was going to ask you to go with me." Harry said. "It seems fitting and Slughorne would be thrilled to see his two favorite students arriving together at his party he practically threw for them."

"So thats why you want to ask me?" Emerald asked. "Because we're the favorites and it would please Slughorne? Gee, Harry, I didn't see you as a teacher's pet." "I'm not a teachers pet."

"Certainly not." Hermione chimed in. If anyone at that table was a teachers pet it was her.

"So?" Harry looked to her. "So what then?" Emerald asked. "Will you go with me?" Harry asked.

Emerald bit her lip. She looked over to where Draco sat. He was avoiding her eyes, engrossed in some conversation with Pansy Parkinson. Or really she was going on to him about something he was trying to pretend to listen to her while his mind was obviously elsewhere.

He looked to Emerald for only a second and shot her a warning look. Emerald looked back to Harry.

"Yeah." She said. "I'll go with you."

✮ ⊹₊ 𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊 𓆏 𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊₊ ⊹ ✮

Emerald flattened the pleats of her emerald colored dress. She gave one last check in the mirror. Her sleeves rested just off her shoulders.

Her skirt was as if it was an emerald flip flop of dorothy's iconic gingham dress. It was silk green with pleats but inside the crevice of every pleat was that signature gingham design, paying homage to her mother.

Her hair was twisted up in an updo and secured by a silver emerald incrusted pin. On her hands were silver silk gloves and a silver necklace around her beck to match with one singular charm, a scarlet poppy, her favorite flower.

The finishing touch to her outfit were the silver and red shoes of her mother. Dorothy's magic slippers.

She looked like a spring vision as she left the girl's dorm and stepped into the slytherin common room. Other students who had been invited to the Christmas party were also making their way out of the Slytherin dormitories. She felt eyes on her.

"Emmy?"

She turned and there was a stunned Draco who had never seen her in anything more than her uniform.

"Hi." She said with a small wave. His expression said it all. Bewilderment.

"You look beautiful." He muttered before walking quickly away.

✮ ⊹₊ 𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊 𓆏 𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊₊ ⊹ ✮

"Emerald?"

Harry looked up at her. She smiled.

"Hello Harry." "You-you" He began, babbling, unable to form words. Emerald couldn't help but smile. "You look lovely." He said. He took one of her gloved hands and pressed a kiss to her fingers.

Emerald blushed, again. Her cheeks glowing that familiar green.

"Thank you." She said sweetly. "Shall we get going?" Harry offered her his arm. Emerald nodded. She took it and he escorted her to the party.

"I'm not quite sure why I asked Draco to this." She began as they walked. "I believe I feel a sense of pity for him." "For Draco Malfoy?" "Yes." "He's a death eater." "You think he is, Harry, there are two sides to every story." Emerald countered.

"He may very well be a death eater, but if he is I don't believe it's by his own free will. There's something in his eyes. I don't see it often only when he thinks I wont notice, but there's fear in him. Draco Malfoy is terrified of something and I can't place my finger on what it is." She said as they walked.

"He's a coward so whatever scares him can't be that bad." "I wouldn't be so sure." said Emerald.

"He warned me of war." "His father's words, I'm sure. Draco is a daddy's boy. Everything his father tells him he believes and spreads it like gospel." Emerald took note of this. "But we can discuss this later... for now-" They entered the party

"Let's just make sure Slughorne is pleased."

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"So glad you both could make it!"

Slughorne cheered as he clapped Harry on the back.

"Harry m'boy I've got several people for you to meet, Emerald you too if you'd like." Harry looked to her for help and Emerald chuckled to herself.

"Oh no, that's alright I wouldn't want ot impose myself." She said and Harry glared at her as Slughorne dragged away his prized student to show him off. Emerald wiggled her fingers in a wave goodbye and mouthed "Sorry" To him and Harry stuck out his tongue at her in response.

"Where's Harry?" Emerald turned to see an out of breath Hermione stumbling towards her. Emerald reached out and steadily placed her hands on her shoulders before she could fall.

"Woah- are you alright?" "fine." Hermione said as she tried to fix her hair.

"What happened to you? You looked like you had a house dropped on you and I would know." "I just escaped- I mean left my date." "Your date? Who? Is it that Ronald fellow?"

"Goodness no." Hermione replied. "That one over there under the mistletoe. He just had his hands all over me..." "Ugh." Emerald said with disgust.

"Yeah let's get you as far away from him as possible. "Harry went this way, c'mon."