they were just kids [draco malfoy]

Year 4 - 42

Step after step Astrid felt her feet carrying her up the seemingly endless set of stairs. There were so many people around, scrambling excitedly in all directions their faces, clothes, even snacks painted in either green or red, depending very much so on the team they had decided to support. The brown-haired girl's own hair was tied with a green ribbon, her nails painted the same colour. 

Back at home, in her room, the girl had considered for a moment or two whether should she perhaps dress in all green, but she had decided against it. Now, seeing the turmoil of elated folk around her, one even a bigger fan than the next one, she knew it wouldn't have even been that embarrassing of a choice.

Astrid strutted her way up the stairs, sometimes stepping two stairs at a time just to move faster. The girl hadn't thought through the amount of tea she had drunk at home, so the girl had had to go run down to the bathrooms. 

She and her parents were supposed to meet up by their seats, but the girl couldn't really be sure where they were at the moment. Amidst all the mess she knew they had promised her on buying some snacks, plus, her dad had wanted to get a closer look at the players that were warming up. Her parents really could be anywhere.

It was exciting to get out of the house again and what excited her even more was that they would be staying the night in some magical tent. They had rented one of the more budget ones but a magical tent is still a magical tent. Astrid had never experienced any of that sort and she was excited alright. 

Besides, it had been a nightmare in itself to persuade her father to get them tickets to the Quidditch World Cup, in the first place. It had taken a lot of begging and house cleaning and what not else to convince the man it could probably become one of the most exciting events of her life. Or so she had told him... Of course, she would never consider a sports game the most exciting event of her life, but quidditch was important to her and she would take any opportunity to see professional teams play in real life.

Looking down at her feet to make sure she wouldn't step on the gaps between the unappealing grey tiles, the girl didn't see where she was going. But she felt herself stop once she accidentally thudded into another body, resulting in her stepping onto the gap, surely foreshadowing her ill-fortune.

Astrid almost laughed out loud at the irony of her misstep once she raised her eyes to be met by a pair of grey ones. A grey of a much more compelling nature than the one of the blank tiles.

"Watch where you're going!" the platinum-blonde snapped at her and the chocolate-brunette growled right back.

"Don't stand in my way!"

Malfoy was visibly twitching to say something else but held back once he felt a cold hand land rather pressingly on his shoulder.

Astrid raised her head to look up at a man who looked a lot like the boy in front of her himself. Just as blonde, just as snobbish. 

The girl narrowed her eyes just as she usually narrowed them at the man's son. She hadn't heard a lot but she knew enough that she and her dad together would not tolerate the man.

"Miss, Ninomae, isn't it?" the man released the grip from his son's shoulder as he placed it on the cone he held proudly in front of him. He glanced at Draco for a second to verify his guess and although the boy didn't look back up at him, the glare he was sending her way told him everything he needed to know. "Lucius Malfoy." The man introduced himself and Astrid felt herself crossing her arms over her chest. She knew she had to learn to be polite but the air of superiority the two held made her uncomfortable. She wanted to show them she would be no worse. "Draco has told me all about you."

Astrid felt an involuntary smirk spread across her lips as she reverted her eyes to the younger Malfoy she had hoped not to see for at least a week longer until school would start again. "I'm sure he has."