they were just kids [draco malfoy]

Year 5 - 87

It was the end of November and Christmas appeared to be approaching rapidly.

Astrid was a little nervous about returning home. She had read up a lot about the war and deatheaters during the previous few weeks and the more she found out, the scarier the image of her father doing all that became. The girl felt troubled and more conflicted than she had ever been.

She couldn't figure anything out. Nothing made much sense at all.

Her father was evil but he was nice. The daughter existed but she was impossible to find. The ring on her bloody finger tended to burn time from time and for no bloody reason (worst of all, she couldn't even get it off to lessen the pain). She was getting headaches and nightmares much more than she ever had. The constant reminder of OWLs was thrown about and Astrid still didn't know much in Herbology, neither could she cut ingredients for potions or sit still enough for long periods of time to study and without cheating pass a History test. The only subject she had ever been confident about - Defense Against the Dark Arts - had a faulty professor Astrid both feared and despised and her grades had begun going down as well. She was sleeping in a glitter-filled bed, for Merlin's sake...

To sum it all up, Astrid Ninomae was a little stressed. All she did was sit all day in class or spend the night huddled in the library.  The only time she got to do some activities was during quidditch practice she had finally been allowed to rejoin. Though that too was a place she got constantly ordered around; it only became worse on the occasions Umbridge decided to come and do her inspections.

Astrid Ninomae felt caged in all ways imaginable and she couldn't stand it. The weather was becoming colder, the rain occasionally turning into wet snow. Soon even going outside would become a limited activity.

And worst of all, she couldn't even bring herself to look forward to the break. That would be the time she would have to face her father. Look him in the eyes and pretend that it's okay he once joined a team of a crazy mass murderer.

Sitting in a Charms classroom right before the lesson had begun one especially glum afternoon, Astrid caught the eye of Draco Malfoy who had turned around in his seat, but instead of conversing with Theo, to whom he had turned to look at, he was watching her.

Which was yet another thing for Astrid Ninomae to add to the list of things the girl felt conflicted about. They still fought and argued and bickered, but, time from time, she would notice him looking. She wasn't dumb. In moments like these Astrid knew he wasn't searching to insult her, his mind was elsewhere. The one thing she still couldn't figure was why. What was it that had brought a change of mind? Even more so, why had she begun seeing the blonde as more of an irritable ally rather than a foe?

Seeing her looking, Malfoy instantly changed his facial expressions into a glare, before turning away and talking with the lads again.

Astrid yawned, a long hefty yawn, and Malfoy shifted his gaze to look at her once more. They had spent a big section of the previous night talking and researching and had lost a track of time, therefore getting very little sleep. Seeing the yawn, Draco rubbed over his eyes a little tiredly as well and before he could realise it, he had already sent a small smile towards Ninomae in response to the one she was sending him.

The class was just a minute from beginning when a concerned-looking Daphne Greengrass rushed inside, sliding down in the seat next to Astrid and grabbing her hand to gain the girl's immediate attention.

"I am in deep shit," Daphne spoke through gritted teeth.

"What happened?"

"Can we skip the class?"

"No."

"Dammit," Daphne breathed, her leg bouncing and her fingers nervously tapping over the table. "I saw Bentley, Elijah and Rupert talking and-"