Just in case || Draco Malfoy

One - More than Dislike

"Oh I'm just a kid, I never use my brain
I only use my heart, and my imagination

Oh I'm just a kid, I always make mistakes
I'll never say I'm sorry , 'cause they're mistakes that I make"
-Kids, Current Joys

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

"Hello? Earth to Helena!" Shouted Cass.

My attention was pulled away from the rain that fell against the window of the carriage and I looked towards the source of the voice.

My mind had drifted far from my crowded compartment on the Hogwarts express. My thoughts had been occupied with the scenery out of the window that I hadn't heard Cass calling my name. She was stood at the door of the carriage about to leave.

"Huh?" I said back to her.

"What anything off the trolley?" She asked.

"Oh- um yeah get us a pumpkin pasty and some drewballs." And after me handing her a few coins from my pocket, she left the carriage and made her way to the food trolley.

It seemed I had been waiting years for my sixth year at Hogwarts. My carriage was full of my friends who were discussing some sort of recent quidditch match they all seemed to be deeply interested in. I had began to stare out of the window occupying my mind with my own thoughts as I had little interest in their competitive talk and desperate attempts at tearing each others' favourite team down.

Cass and I had been friends since our first day at Hogwarts. We had both been sorted into Slytherin together and had been close friends ever since then. She was the youngest of the group and usually used that as an excuse for how childish she usually acted.

The others remained in the carriage with me as Cass went for food. One of them being Edward, or Eddie Laxer. He matched Cass in her silly nature. The brown haired boy was continuing his quidditch discussion with Zack Newland, another friend of mine, usually the one to parent Cass and Eddie. I had known these two since my second year - they were close friends with each other and our friendship was formed after we were put into the same care of magical creatures class in second year.

Blaise Zabini was another member of the carriage. A tall dark skinned boy who was exceedingly intelligent and charmingly funny. The newest addition to our group, I had only formed a friendship with him halfway through my fifth year. We were partners on a potions project and we formed a friendship through that.

The last occupant of the carriage was the village ass, Draco Malfoy. Blaise had a number of other friends but Draco was his closest. The boy was only usually a part of our group when Blaise was with us. Other times, he stuck with the two brainless goons Crabbe and Goyle who trailed after him.

Neither of us had taken a particular liking to each other, my reasoning being the fact that he was usually excessively arrogant and often made snide remarks about me. He was fairly friendly to the others. Well, in his case, by friendly what i mean is that he didn't insult them to their face and often point out what he saw as flaws in them.

The same couldn't be said for me - he leapt at every opportunity he got to insert some sort of insult towards me. I never quite knew where his dislike for me stemmed from, but it caused me to dislike him in the same amount.

...

Cass had disappeared for a few minutes to the food trolley, leaving me to listen to Zack Blaise and Eddie witter on about quidditch while Draco simply stared out of the window just like I was moments ago. He had been like this, contemplating something unknown and wondering out of the window since he had entered the carriage.

I couldn't help but notice how Draco was far more silent than he usually was - he usually had plenty to say wether it was regarding his distain for someone (he had a new target to insult every day) or making some sort of snide remark about me. Now, he was simply silently staring out of the window. Don't get me wrong, I appreciated the silence but it was unusual nonetheless.

Cass returned a few minutes later with an assortment of foods in her hands and started handing them out to the people who had requested them.

I was half way through eating my pumpkin pasty when Eddie finally finished his insufferable quidditch discussion and spoke to everyone.

"Snape isn't the potions teacher anymore apparently. Heard dad say that Dumbledore's got someone new in. Guess that's me failing potions".

Eddie's father worked at the ministry and had certain ties to the school due to his position. Eddie was a very bright student but didn't put in any effort at school claiming that he would rather have fun than focus on school. Snape being the head of Slytherin and also the potions teacher made it so that Eddie received a few 'extra points' in his lessons and that bought him enough leeway that he could pass potions without putting in any work.

"Oh no. That means you will have to actually STUDY" Zack said sarcastically earning a laugh from Cass and me.

"Don't worry. I'm sure daddy can buy you a pass" I said to him with a laugh. His parents weren't the richest people in the world, but they certainly had enough to buy some more extra credit for him in the form of donations to the school.

"Let's hope" Eddie replied with a smile.

"Anyways let's get our robes on, we will be there soon" said Blaise. We each pulled our robes out of our cases that were above us and one at a time made our way to the train bathrooms to change. Everyone, except for Malfoy that was. He had showed up to kings cross already wearing his school pants and shirt. He only put on his robes over them when we were minutes away from the station. He often rode the train in his own clothes but he wasn't this time.

He seemed awfully different after this summer, not just for what he was wearing, but the way he was acting. He even had the perfect opportunity to ridicule me when I was leaving the carriage and fell on my face from tripping over Eddie's foot - but he still kept silent, staring out of the window for the entirety of the train ride. As much as I disliked the Malfoy boy, it still intrigued me as to what was on his mind keeping his often large mouth so shut.

Soon enough, the train stopped outside of the school and we each left the compartment and the train standing looking up at the castle. No matter how many times I saw it, the magnificence of Hogwarts never failed to take my breath away.

...