"It could be worse," he said.  A weak echo of his usual arrogant smirk appeared.  "I’m magically bonded to the smartest witch of our year, who’s not half bad to look at.  Imagine if it had been Pansy?  She’s always demanded more attention than any five witches, and that’s without a magical virus making her need me.  She’d be a vine that clung so tightly she squeezed the life out of me."