shattered | f.w, d.m

four

Draco.

November, 1997.

—

Gryffindor.

Draco didn't understand why she was in Gryffindor.

She didn't come off as courageous or brave or determined. That sounded very rude and degrading, but he didn't mean it in that way.

He meant it in the sense that she came off as quiet and observant and passive aggressive and cunning and witty instead.

But the Sorting Hat put her in Gryffindor? Why?

She should have been placed in Slytherin. Without a doubt. At least in Draco's honest and rational opinion.

If she was placed in Slytherin, it would have made it easier for him to watch her. Not like her being in a different house stopped him, but still.

Why was she placed in Gryffindor? He just didn't see it.

From her last name, he knew she was Chinese. But was she mixed with more? Or was she just Chinese?

Was she mixed with something else, but took the surname of one of her parents only? Did she have both parents? Were they wealthy? What were their occupations?

Draco didn't recall anybody under the name Cai working at the Ministry of Magic. He also didn't know anybody important in the Wizarding World with the surname Cai. He would know, obviously.

He didn't know anything about her though.

She was the quite literal opposite of an open book. Her eyes spoke nothing either. They were masked and guarded at all times.

For example, now as he stood behind a bookshelf, peeking through the books to see her, he couldn't tell what she was thinking while she read a book on the couch in the library.

He had gotten a glimpse of the book and it was a domestic thriller of some sort. Her expression was neutral and her legs were crossed on the couch. The book was on her lap and one elbow balanced on the arm of the couch she sat against.

She was wearing casual clothes. Dark-wash baggy jeans that had too many rips and a black long-sleeved top that also had holes in them. The shirt was cropped. Just slightly above her belly button.

He noticed she never wore leggings or satin or silk or anything like that.

She wore ripped, baggy, and distressed clothing. Her black sneakers looked clean from afar, but he could guess there were some stains. The laces were worn and the ends were split. She had white sneakers, but he noticed she wore the black ones more often.

Sometimes she looked like a hobo, he had to admit, with the absurd amount of holes and rips she had in her clothes. Though, an enthralling hobo.

Draco studied her some more, feeling his pulse do a little jump. Her dark wavy hair was down and it looked so soft, he nearly wanted to run his fingers through the individual strands.

Her hair looked fluffy too—the top had such volume. Her hair was about mid-back length and layered.

It wasn't one length. She had layers. Beautiful, beautiful layers that suited her face shape and the ethereal features she had.

He also noticed she always wore the same necklace. It was gold. Gold was her colour. He liked gold on her.

It looked gorgeous on her.

The necklace was a ring hung on a gold chain. The ring was gold and had a simple diamond on it. Simple, but very pretty.

Draco's mind worked and twisted almost instantly as the diamond beamed back at him due to the sunlight shining through the windows of the library.