HOW TO BE A HEARTBREAKER
PHASE TWO

( Friday 2nd January 1998 )

Rowan lay sprawled out on top of Pansy's huge four poster bed, her head tilted towards the ceiling, her fingers drumming against her own stomach. There were hushed voices downstairs, but Rowan barely paid attention. Dressed in one of Pansy's oversized black tees and a pair of pyjama shorts, she wasn't appropriate to go down and investigate why Pansy's parents had needed her anyway.

She figured she'd find out soon enough by the way that there was one final muffled yell and then pounding feet up the stairs. Rowan sat up as the door opened, revealing her distressed best friend.

"I'm so fucking sorry, Rowan," Pansy huffed, running a hand through her short hair. "They told your father you were staying here. He's on his way."

Rowan felt her stomach drop and her heart skip a beat. She hadn't seen him since she'd called him a disgusting pig and insulted all of his friends and colleagues. In all honesty, Rowan was going to see if she could get away with going back to Hogwarts, turning eighteen, and then moving out as soon as school finished in June.

Pansy chucked a coat at Rowan. "Grab your wand. I'll Apparate us to —"

There was a bang at the door before Rowan could even get both arms through Pansy's coat.

"Pansy, open the door," Mr Parkinson warned, "Mr Yaxley is here to collect Rowan."

Pansy didn't answer and reached out to grab Rowan's hand. Rowan bit her lip as Pansy closed her eyes. They both expected the sickening pull, the twisting, to feel their feet plant on a different ground.

"It's not fucking working," Pansy hissed in a whisper.

Rowan tried too, but nothing happened.

"We've turned the Apparition wards off, Pansy," Mrs Parkinson warned loudly. "Come out here this instant, or else we will have to open the door ourselves."

"I'm so sorry, Corban," They heard Mr Parkinson's hushed voice. "Our daughter's not normally so disobedient. And we weren't made aware that Rowan had run away until now."

Rowan exchanged a panicked look with Pansy. "Thanks for trying," she said.

Pansy looked as if she was in agony. "This isn't fair. After what those men were saying, the way your own father looked at you —"

"I know." Rowan swallowed thickly. "I'm sure I'll be in trouble for my mouth, but you know there's nothing I can't handle."

Still, her best friend didn't look convinced. Much to Rowan's surprise, her green eyes even began to fill with tears. She'd never seen Pansy look so scared before.

"I have a really bad feeling," she whispered, ignoring the further knocks. "Rowan, please don't go home with him."

"I don't want to either," Rowan replied, feeling the lump in her throat start to form. "But I don't exactly have a choice. He's never laid a hand on me before —"

"But the way he touched you when he was drunk." Pansy looked sick as she shook her head. "How he looked at you suggestively, thinking about how much you look like your mother! What if he drinks one too many next time and becomes even more twisted and sick —"

"Pans, please don't say that," Rowan attempted to hold back a gag, her hands shaking.

"Rowan!" Mr Yaxley boomed. "This has gone on long enough. It's time for you to come home."

"Fuck," Rowan breathed and pulled herself out of Pansy's grasp to head for the door.

"Wait." Pansy grabbed her.

"Pansy, he'll only get angrier, and you'll get in trouble with your parents too —"

"Hoppy!"

Rowan jumped when Pansy's personal house elf Apparated right beside them. Her eyes were wide as Pansy tightened her hold on Rowan and then reached to hold Hoppy's hand.

"Hoppy, Apparate Rowan and I to Hogsmeade," Pansy ordered.

Rowan spluttered, "B-But the Apparition wards are —"

"Yes, Miss Pansy," Hoppy squeaked, and then with a snap of her fingers, they were sucked away.

Rowan heard the distant, echoed voice of Mr Parkinson calling, 'Alohomora', but it quickly faded to heels on cobbled pavements and laughter and voices and the sounds of bells jingling on shop doors. The cold bit at Rowan's face immediately, and she tugged Pansy's coat closer to her body, thankful that it came down to just above her knees.

"House elves can Apparate anywhere," Pansy grinned at Rowan, panting from the adrenaline of the last minute and a half.

Rowan laughed breathlessly. "Nice thinking."

...

Hogwarts was familiar and warm when Rowan and Pansy finally made it back. Rowan was quick to pull off the shoes that she had bought in Hogsmeade, purely so she didn't have to walk in nothing but a pair of fluffy slippers. The Slytherin common room was mostly empty of course, only a few people dotted about. Most were still at home with their families.

"You're going to be in so much trouble," Rowan huffed guiltily. "You shouldn't have done that, Pansy."

"It's you above anyone, Rowan," Pansy replied. "Always. You know that."

Rowan felt an indescribable feeling in her chest. She was so sure she had never loved anybody as much as Pansy Parkinson, and she was even more convinced that it would always stay that way. She jumped to wrap her into a hug, her arms over Pansy's shoulders, her head resting against her.

"I love you so fucking much," Rowan muttered.

Pansy laughed and smoothed down Rowan's hair once before breaking away. "I'm the best, I know," she replied. "Now bugger off. I need a shower. The snow got my hair wet."

Rowan grinned, reaching her hand through Pansy's hair to mess it up further. Pansy smacked her wrist with a few curse words and was then off to the dormitory. The sound of the common room door grating open caused Rowan to glance over her shoulder, her heart dropping when her dark eyes connected with a pair of silver ones.

"Happy New Year, Yaxley," Draco murmured and then peeled himself off of her, taking a step backwards.

Rowan was astounded, and she wasn't sure if she should start kicking and yelling or what. She'd just kissed Draco Malfoy! She was furious with herself, because while she knew it would happen at some point, Rowan hadn't even thought of The Plan as she leaned in, or as his hands grabbed her waist and kept her there.

She must have been thinking subconsciously of The Plan. Perhaps a bit of the alcohol too. That had to be it, because otherwise there was no way Rowan would have stooped so low.

Rowan blinked, realising she was still looking at Draco, her brows slightly tugged together, her lips pouting the tiniest bit from being freshly kissed. She swallowed and straightened up.

Rowan couldn't think of a comeback witty or clever enough in order to make a dramatic exit. So, instead —

"Happy New Year, Malfoy," she replied hesitantly.

Rowan felt embarrassed. Had he just played her? Was this what he did with all of the other girls? Got them at their most vulnerable, and then made his move? She felt like every promise she'd ever spat at him that she'd found him repulsive was one big joke now.

But surprisingly, Draco didn't laugh or start mocking her. He ran a hand through his hair, expertly fixing it with one swoop so there was no trace of Rowan's hands.

"I'll see you at school, then," he replied, grabbing his blazer off of the radiator, and unlocking the door. He hesitated in the doorframe. "You look beautiful tonight, Yaxley. Even with the stained eye makeup."

Rowan watched him leave and was absolutely horrified at the realisation that his praise had made her feel slightly warmer. She was sure it was due to her need for validation from him purely as a Quidditch Captain — her brain must be getting confused. Or maybe it was because Draco rarely complimented people, and Rowan loved the idea of being better than everyone else. But who doesn't?

She brushed it off quickly and began to fix her makeup in the mirror above the sink. Her stomach was heavy with the notion that she would be facing her father very soon.

The door opened before Rowan could call out that it was actually occupied and Pansy entered, looking thoroughly concerned.

"Malfoy told me you were in here crying!" Pansy exclaimed, quickly moving to help Rowan get rid of the smudged mascara under her eyes. "What the fuck happened? I left you for a moment and then you were gone!"

Rowan told Pansy about what her father and his friends had all said, how they'd looked and tried to touch her. Pansy was disgusted and promised that Rowan would be going home with her. Rowan left out the bit where she'd sat with Draco in the bathtub and talked, and she'd left out the kiss too.

When the two girls finally made it back to the ballroom, ready to get outside and Apparate away, or find a fireplace to Floo out of, they found that the table Rowan's father and his friends had been occupying was completely empty. For a moment, Rowan's breath quickened, and she thought of the worst scenarios.

"My father doesn't take well to drunk, rowdy guests." Draco appeared behind them, his face stoic and his tone solemn as if he hadn't just been snogging Rowan ten minutes ago. "I'm afraid they had to go. It doesn't make for a very... proper celebration. Father hopes your father will understand, Yaxley."

There was an understanding in his silver eyes. Rowan hated it. She hated the fact that she couldn't fully hate him at that moment.

"You're back early," Draco noted, snapping her out of her thoughts.

Rowan raised her eyebrows. "I could say the same for you."

"It's a bit cold to have your bare legs out, isn't it?"

A scowl was written across her face as she glanced down at her legs. Pansy's black peacoat landed just above her knees, so she wasn't too worried about how much skin she was showing, but she was annoyed at Draco for reminding her why she was dressed like this in the first place.

"Yes, so cold that I think I'm going to leave now," Rowan huffed, "Goodbye, Malfoy."

Draco eyed her wearily as Rowan took off towards the dormitories. She wondered why Draco was back early from Christmas break. Normally he was one of the last to return. Rowan tried not to think about him as she collapsed back onto her bed, staring up at the ceiling of the wooden four poster bed.

...

( Tuesday 6th January 1998 )

Rowan folded her towel on top of the radiator and adjusted the sleeves of her jumper as she left the dormitory. After a successful Quidditch practice, she was exhausted. The shower had helped her cold, numb skin from the bitter winds, but did nothing for her drooping eyes. Still, she trudged out into the common room where her friends were sitting around the couches.

"You look absolutely shattered," Theo noted as she dropped down next to Pansy, curling up against her best friend's arm.

Pansy reached her hand around to hold her, stroking her hair. "Was Malfoy hard on you?"

"Ew," Rowan mumbled against her, and then cried out when she felt a flick to the side of her head.

"Get your mind out of the gutter," Pansy said, "You know what I meant."

"He wasn't," Blaise spoke up, "In fact, even I thought he was being slightly nicer to you than usual."

Rowan ignored Theo's look of interest as she forced herself to sit up and sent Blaise a look, her face scrunched up dismissively.

"Are you joking?" Rowan replied, "He said my form was lazy and that I should try and find a potion that will make my hands bigger so I can hold the Quaffles better. That's, like, ridiculous feedback. I barely missed any goals! He gets all salty when he has nothing to criticise me on and he nitpicks me. Meanwhile, Crabbe and Goyle get disappointed sighs and that's it."

"Still better than before," Blaise replied.

"Speaking of, why the fuck are Crabbe and Goyle not substituting?" Theo questioned curiously. "What happened to Striker and Crow?"

"It's a bit of a story, actually," Rowan replied, "I forgot to tell you all."

Blaise looked interested. "So tell us then! Malfoy said it was just because they were shit at defending during the Hufflepuff match."

"Well, yeah, that's mostly why, but I had to ask him to do it," Rowan admitted.

"What?" Pansy's eyebrows furrowed together. "I'm sorry, am I hearing things correctly? You asked Malfoy to do something and he did it? And it was to do with Quidditch? Holy fuck he's in love with you, I'm calling it."

"Are you forgetting the fact that he insulted me at practice?" Rowan scoffed, "Also, it's not like that. I had to convince him for about half an hour after the Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw match before Christmas."

"What did you say to him?" Blaise questioned, and then his nose scrunched up. "More importantly, why did you want Crabbe and Goyle on the pitch?"

"I told Malfoy they're better at defending, and Malfoy was still a bit pissed off at Striker and Crow for the last game, which made it a lot easier. Also, he'd been analysing Ravenclaw's tactics like me during the game. They have Goldstein and Thornborrow as Beaters, for Merlin's sake! Agility may not actually matter when our Beaters are already ten times stronger. Besides, Ravenclaw think Striker and Crow will be playing; the element of surprise will get to them, Ravenclaw always think through the —"

"Okay, okay, boring," Pansy cut her off. "Now we'd like to know why the hell you owed Crabbe and Goyle a favour."

Rowan wetted her lips. "You remember when Romilda Vane smacked me at Hogsmeade and told me to stay away from Malfoy?"

She earned a series of nods, and an eye roll from Theo.

"They knew why. Supposedly..." Rowan tried to hold back a snicker. "Malfoy, er, said my name whilst they were... doing stuff."

For a very brief moment, there was pure silence among the group of Slytherins. Mouths opened, jaws dropped, and Pansy was the first to break it — screeching out in laughter, whacking Rowan perhaps a little too harshly out of excitement.

"You're joking!" Theo leaned forwards, a shit-eating grin on his face. "That's fucking insane! It's perfect!"

"That's the best thing I've ever heard," Blaise admitted.

"Holy shit, Rowan," Pansy wheezed between laughter. "Why didn't you tell me this!?"

Rowan wore an amused smile at her friends' reactions, but then it sort of faded a bit. She swallowed and realised now was the time.

"There's something else I haven't told any of you," Rowan said, "I've been waiting for the right time, with just the three of us. No Malfoy lingering about."

Theo's eyes were wide and eager. Like he knew what she was going to say, waiting for the words to spill past her lips like some sort of sweet, hopeful melody.

"It happened on New Year's Eve. I was in the bathroom, upset, and Malfoy found me. Kept asking me what was wrong... being weirdly decent. He refused to leave the room, and when the countdown to midnight happened... we ended up, well, kissing," Rowan confessed.

Pansy was practically convulsing. Smacking Rowan so much on the arm that the slightly longer-haired girl had to shuffle back on the couch and stick her hands up to stop her. There were so many exclamations coming from all three of them that Rowan was struggling to make out proper sentences and questions — just jumbles of pure astonishment.

"Now I want to know why I didn't know this, Rowan Yaxley!" Pansy huffed.

"This is great!" Theo grabbed her shoulder. "This is amazing. And the fact that Malfoy hasn't told us about it or bragged to anyone..."

"Means what?" Rowan furrowed her brows. "He's embarrassed?"

"He means it, you numpty!" Pansy exclaimed, "The kiss meant something to him!"

"Impossible," Rowan replied, but then thought about the words he'd left her with.

You look beautiful tonight, Yaxley. Even with the stained makeup.

  She kept that to herself.

"And now he's back to insulting you because he wants to ignore the feelings," Theo theorised, almost looking like some sort of madman as he stood up to piece things together, making a number of different hand movements to convey his point. "Which is expected, of course — he's probably confused and a bit scared. He won't want to like you, Rowan, which is why you step things up now."

Rowan cringed. "What does stepping things up entail?"

"I call it the unofficial Phase Two! Acting like you like him back," Theo suggested, "Subtly — not too much. I reckon one thing Draco likes about you is that you're unpredictable to him — you challenge nearly everything he says, he has to sort of chase you. If you give in too quickly he could end up getting bored."

Rowan rolled her eyes. "You're sounding rather misogynistic there, Theo. I'm not just some prize for him to claim..." She trailed off, dismay in her tone. "Well, I suppose the aim is to get him to like me, but—"

"Not like, to fall in love with you," Theo reminded her.

"Right," Rowan huffed and then sagged against the sofa. "I'll try and drop some hints during prefect rounds this Thursday. Or maybe at Quidditch."

"It's probably best not to at Quidditch," Blaise replied, "He takes it so seriously, especially this year."

"Yeah, true," Rowan replied.

Pansy rolled her eyes at them all. "I'm curious, Rowan. Could you taste the hundred other girls he's had on his lips when you kissed?"

Rowan feigned a gag. "Thankfully not!"

"Well? Is he a good kisser?" Pansy asked.

Rowan knew Pansy was hoping for a 'no' so that she could hold it against Draco. Even Rowan herself wished that she could say it was gross, or that he had no technique and needed to invest in a lip balm. However, Draco was not a bad kisser — not by a long shot.

"Who are you talking about?" Draco's voice was harsh from behind them.

Blaise was quick to answer. "Inkwood. Rowan's thinking of getting back with him."

Theo nearly facepalmed.

"Is that so?" Draco raised an eyebrow and glanced at Rowan. "How lovely. And what is your answer to Parkinson's question, Yaxley? Please do not allow me to interrupt."

Rowan stared at him hard. She wondered if Blaise's lie had set them two steps backwards when they'd finally taken one forward, or if this jealousy was perhaps... a good thing? An addition to the chase? Fuel to the fire perhaps?

She decided she be nice to him. Phase Two — make him think she likes him, right?

"I've had better," Rowan finally replied.

She watched both of Draco's eyebrows raise. Pansy's inhale was audible. The way his expression changed was subtle, but Rowan could tell Draco liked her answer.

Rowan's stomach dropped ever so slightly. Draco was interested in her — in what way, she wasn't exactly sure, but still — that meant something. And of course, that had been The Plan. Draco was supposed to fall for her sooner or later, but perhaps a small part of her didn't believe she could ever actually do it.

Rowan didn't know why it made her twinge with guilt.

...

sorry it's so short! based on what's planned next, i feel like this was a good place to cap the chapter at. i hope that you enjoyed it <333

word count: 3.2k

dyiansobrien.