they were just kids [draco malfoy]

Year 4 - 43

Astrid closed the door to her dorm room with a smile on her face, the sound of her roommates' chatting voices instantly droning out as she stepped into the corridor. 

She heard a loud cackle and figured Millicent had told some half-witted joke that Pansy had found hilarious. Summer had changed a few things and Astrid was glad to see Mills finally acting more confident, though she wasn't sure if Pansy-kind-of-confident was really the go for the girl. 

It wasn't that it was bad to joke around time after time, especially considering the Slytherin group of friends spent a lot of their time doing just that. They took every opportunity they got to make a small jab at the other but not because they wanted to insult them or make them feel bad (with a few exceptions of course) but rather because that was the atmosphere and the sense of humour all of the girl had agreed to over the years. 

Perhaps it was a little mean at times but they had learned to not take offence in each other's words. At times Astrid even considered it to be a great practice to not mind what any people think about you in general. Although she had to admit that such a practice wouldn't really be fit for the faint-hearted. The girls in that room were already so confident in themselves it was nearly impossible to bring them down. It was both a curse and a blessing.

Despite having walked a few steps away from the room already Astrid still heard the short dramatic piece of a song being played by a violin, before her room erupted in a fight of laughter so loud Astrid feared the Slytherin prefect might just come and give them detention on the first day of school. Tracey had finally gotten her right to play the violin and join the choir back and she took every opportunity she got to use her beloved instrument. Apparently even to accentuate a point in some conversation.

Technically Astrid couldn't be out of bed at the moment, let alone out of her room. But having studied in Hogwarts for as long as she had, she also knew that September 1st was always a curfew exception. They all only got off the train and to the school at around 8 pm. It wasn't unusual to stay up longer than usual while in the process of unpacking and catching up.

But the girl wasn't very worried about being caught out late. From years of sneaking out she had prepared her fair share of excuses - 'bathroom'; 'report something to professor Snape'(none of the prefects ever wanted to go along at night knowing the professor would be exceptionally cranky); 'hospital wing because I'm feeling ill'. For Astrid, it was almost too easy. Besides, she had more important things on her mind than worrying about getting caught.

The encounter of her and Malfoy's father had been playing in her mind on repeat for days. What puzzled her even more was that it appeared her father had somehow known there would be that riot that happened after the Quidditch World Cup game. It could've been sheer luck they had decided to go home, but the girl had a nagging feeling it had something to do with what the elder Malfoy had told her dad.

Right that moment she was on her way to find that out. 

Astrid quietly crossed the common room to where the stairs to the boys' dormitories were and casually made her way up them. For not very good reasons, she had already once been in the boys' side of the dungeon so she had no problem locating the room her classmates slept in. 

She stopped before it, raising her hand to knock, but then lowered it once she heard the strange sounds behind it. Bumping. Slapping. Incoherent mumbling. The girl paled a bit, her brain going places it shouldn't have, as she raised her head to look up at the plate plastered to the door. It read 'fourth years' and she frowned upon realising that this must really be the correct room. 

Not thinking her actions through Astrid ever so slowly opened up the door, to be met with the sound of rather loud singing. Peeking her head around the door she instantly burst out laughing.