Falling Star

Letters

The family owl, Stella, swoops in through the open window as I'm eating lunch alone at the dining table. Father is at work and Mother is at a luncheon with her friends. Draco is likely in his room, where he has been hiding out for the better part of the summer.

Stella has a few large letters in her beak and drops them eagerly beside my plate, narrowly missing my food. She perches on the table beside the letters and stares at me expectantly, clicking her beak a few times to emphasize her point. I roll my eyes fondly at her not so subtle request for a tip and break off a piece of my sandwich. She snatches it out of my fingers.

"Greedy bird," I laugh, stroking her feathers lightly.

Stella ruffles her feathers indignantly in reply, stretches briefly, and flies away back the way she came.

I look down at the letters before me and recognize the script on the front. Hogwarts mail.

I tear into mine quickly and look over all of the new books and supplies needed for 5th year. There is also a letter explaining the O.W.L.s we will be taking at the end of the year. My stomach flips at the thought of the huge exams.

I grab Draco's letter off the table and head for his room. Once I get there, I knock, then enter without bother to wait for a reply.

Draco is sitting at his desk, poring over what looks to be an old textbook. Riveting summer activity right there.

He looks up as I walk in and scowls at me for not waiting for my knock to be acknowledged before barging in. I smirk at him and flop down onto his bed.

"Hogwarts mail," I say, tossing him the letter.

He catches it and sets it beside him on his desk, then goes back to reading.

I stare at him for a moment. He continues ignoring me. "Are you not going to open it?" I question.

"It's the same thing every year. Why bother?" he replies without looking up from his book.

"Noooo. This year it explains the O.W.L.s. That's different," I tease.

Draco rolls his eyes and makes a show of picking up the letter and ripping into the envelope. An ornate green badge falls out of the envelope and onto the floor with a metallic clunk.

It dawns on me what the badge means as Draco picks it up. "Draco, you're a Prefect! Congratulations!"

He stares at the badge and blinks slowly. "I guess I am," he says, setting the badge gingerly on his desk.

"Are you not happy about that?" I laugh. "Father is going to be ecstatic. He was one, too, remember?"

Draco just shrugs in response. "Are you not one?"

I shake my head. "No. And I really didn't want to be. It's probably Hermione. She has all the top marks."

He makes a "hmph" sound and continues staring, and frowning, at the Prefect badge.

"You deserve it, you know," I tell him. "You'll be better than any of the other Slytherins."

His mouth turns up a fraction, and that's the only indication I get that my compliment actually affected him.

He then rolls his eyes and says, "Well obviously."

I stick my tongue out at him. "Prat."

He chuckles and goes back to poring over his book.

"What are you reading anyway?" I ask.

"I'm studying potions," he replies.

"Exciting."