Truly Unique

Chapter Eleven: Best Foot Forward

3'rd Person's POV:
As the children began to flood back to school, and the castle began buzzing with life once again, Lyra struggled to feel the excitement like all the other children. Dumbledore's revelation about her parents struck a cord in her, and she found herself unable to eat. Her stomach was tied in knots at the mere idea of having a dark wizard in her family. The thought never crossed her mind, and now that it has been confirmed, she worried about her future. The poor girl sat in her own at the Slytherin table, picking at her food in distaste. "You weren't at the platform." She heard from behind her. She turned around, smirking at Draco as he sat beside her. "Did you miss me?" She asked sarcastically, turning back to the plate. "Nobody will ever miss your sarcasm." He replied, rolling his eyes. She scoffed under her breath, picking at her food again. "You know that's not true."

"Do I?" He asked, earning a confident head nod in return. "Yes, now be nice to me." She demanded, putting her fork down. "Why would I do that?" He asked with narrowed eyes. "Because that's what people do when they've missed somebody. And besides, I'm in a sour mood and could use some positivity right about now." Her response caught him off guard, and for a moment, Draco turned to fully face her, seriousness taking over his face. "What's wrong?" She sighed, turning to look at him. "I talked to Dumbledore over vacation. It was about my parents." He gave her an unsure look, waiting for what she had to say next. "Draco, my dad went bad. That's why all my teachers were nervous around me in the beginning of the year. Apparently I look a lot like him." The words came out far more upset than she meant, but it bothered her, and Draco could see it in her eyes that it weighed on her conscience. He sighed, chewing on the inside of his cheek for a moment. "Just because you look like somebody, doesn't mean you're like them." Draco tried to tell her. She shrugged delicately, looking at her plate again. "I know that, but...I was hoping I wouldn't come from a bad background, is all." Draco didn't know how to respond to her confession. Nobody wants to come from bad people, but you can't control your parents. Nothing he could say could make her feel better, but he had something in his luggage that may help. He nudged her, nodding towards the doors. "Get up." She gave him a confused look. "Why?"

"Come on." He stood to his feet, Lyra following suit before the two walked out of the Great Hall. She silently followed him all the way to the Slytherin common room. Luckily, it was completely empty because of the Slytherin's being out and about with their friends. "Sit." He pointed towards the couch, heading towards the boys' dorms. "I'm not a dog." She reminded him, sitting by the fireplace. He rolled his eyes, going upstairs. Underneath all his belongings, he pulled out a box with a black ribbon tied elegantly on top. A mild form of panic began to set in, and for a moment he began second guessing giving her a present at all. What if she doesn't like it? 'Stop being pathetic.' His thoughts yelled at him. He tightened his grip on the black box, carrying it down the stairs. The moment her eyes landed on the box, her face fell. She stood to her feet, looking at him with uncertainty. "What's that?" She asked. Draco swallowed the nerves that began to form in his throat, approaching her. "A christmas gift." He told her, holding it out for her to take. Her hands slowly reached out, hesitantly taking it from him. "I-I didn't get you anything."

"You don't have to." He told her. "Yes, I absolutely do." She sat down on the couch, caressing the bow with her left hand. "I love the bow." She muttered. "The bow isn't the gift." He told her, sitting on the opposite couch. He leaned back with his legs propped up, trying to give the illusion that he was calm, but on the inside, he was nervous. She untied the bow, taking off the lid to reveal a pure white, woolen coat. Her eyes widened in shock as she looked at Draco, seeing him try and conceal the smile that formed on his lips. Her expression was all he needed to know that she loved it. She gasped, delicately tracing the fur. Tears started forming in her eyes, and she tried her best to wipe them away before he noticed. "This is the nicest gift someone has ever given me." She whispered. "A jacket?" He asked. She nodded her head. "There's a hat and mittens underneath the jacket, as well. Can't have you freezing the rest of winter."

"This must have costed you a fortune!" She exclaimed, looking at the material. "You forget, my family can afford the best." He replied arrogantly. She rolled her eyes, placing the box beside her. "It's not about affording the best, it's the fact you even did that for me." He grew quiet, watching as she slowly grew sentimental. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Try it on." She stood to her feet, pulling the jacket out. It fit her perfectly, and the material was soft against her skin. She melted in it immediately. He smiled as he watched her. "I don't know how I'm going to outdo this gift." She confessed, looking at him shyly before walking over to him, wrapping him in a hug. He froze at the contact, taken aback by the fact that she was hugging him. Eventually, his arms went around her waist, hugging her back. He could get used to this feeling, he decided. She pulled away, sitting directly on his legs. "Pardon you!" He snapped at her, earning a raised eyebrow in return. "There's an entire couch."

"You would need to move your legs." She replied with a smirk. he rolled his eyes, but didn't argue. 'She'll sit where she pleases.' He thought to himself. "What else have I missed this vacation?" He asked. "Spend most of your time with Potter and Weasley I presume?" She rolled her eyes at the way he spat their names. "Yes, in fact I did. I also decided I would join chorus." His eyebrows furrowed in confusion, looking at her like she had grown two heads. "Why would you do that?"

"Why not get the full school experience by doing an extra curricular?" She asked. "Plus, maybe I'll even like it!" He looked at her skeptically. "Do you even sing?" She shrugged her shoulders. "Sometimes."

"I've never heard you sing." Again, she shrugged. "And if I make it into the choir, you will." He sighed, resting his arm on the back of the couch. "I don't understand the need for extra curricular activities. What's the point?" She giggled, leaning her back against the back of the couch to get more comfortable. "For fun, I guess. Maybe the rest of my teachers will look at me differently once they see me put in more of an effort." She slowly nodded his head, giving her a pointed look. "So that's what this is about. Changing your teachers minds."

"Maybe!" She grew defensive. "Or maybe I enjoy singing!" He sarcastically laughed, nodding his head in mock agreement. "Whatever, Malfoy." She muttered, crossing her arms over her chest in irritation. He watched her for a moment longer, finally taking in the little details of her face. Her button nose made her look sweet and innocent, and the gentle curve of her lips made her look like Aphrodite personified; a true beauty. Her dark hazel eyes turned to Draco, feeling his gaze burn into her. She tried to hide the blush that formed on her face as she hesitantly whispered, 'Earth to Draco', chuckling as he finally looked away. "Somebody got lost in thought for a minute." She joked. "Shut up." He grumbled, trying to mask his embarrassment. If only she knew...