Then I Met You [D.M.]

Year One: Day Three

3rd September, 1991, Late Afternoon

"You have got to be kidding me!" Violet grumbled to her friends Hannah and Aimee. 

They were entering their second to last class of the day, Defense Against the Dark Arts. Violet had been excited for it, having started her readings for the upcoming lesson during her free period that morning, but the second she stepped into the room and saw students in the familiar green-and-silver colours, she wanted to ditch. D.A.D.A would make the third class they shared together, including History of Magic and Astronomy.

"It'll be fine," Hannah tried to reassure, "We'll just avoid them, right? Can't cause trouble if they don't exist to us."

"Right!" Aimee agreed, pulling Violet by her arm to the only empty desk in the middle of the room. They pointedly ignored the white-blonde boy a few tables away, who was staring at Violet. He'd been doing that ever since she'd apologised. In the Great Hall, in passing in hallways, anytime they pass each other, he'll be staring at her.

It was uncomfortable at first, because she wasn't sure if it meant he was going to try something to hurt her, or if he was just that awkward. Having spoken to some of the older Hogwarts students, Violet had learned that the Malfoy's weren't the type of people you treat kindly. You stay away from them, and if you interact, you keep your mouth shut. So, Violet decided, Draco must not be used to being treated kindly, which meant she would need to be nothing but nice to him in any future interactions. 

D.A.D.A was taught by Professor Quirrell. The position had been cursed, according to a fourth-year Ravenclaw, so every year there was a new D.A.D.A professor. The curse caused the professor to either die or leave at the end of each year, which made it hard for Dumbledore to keep the position filled. 

As expected, the first lesson was just an introductory one, and started in on their first topic: werewolves. Though Herbology would remain her favourite subject, D.A.D.A would definitely be a close second. 

Most of the other students had already left by the time Violet and her two friends packed away their belongings. As expected, Draco and his friends were standing at the door, harassing the kids leaving. Unexpectedly, however, when he looked up and saw Violet coming towards him, he tilted his head down slightly and let the girls leave unscathed. 

On the way to dinner, she couldn't help but wonder what that was about. Evidently, her friends felt the same way.

"What did you do to him?" Hannah asked, glancing behind them towards the boys. 

Violet shrugged, "Nothing! I just apologizsd. Weird, right?" 

"Very odd." Aimee agreed, "Maybe you're just the first person to ever show him kindness. I hear his family is awful. Full of You-Know-Whos most loyal subjects."

There was that name again, You-Know-Who. The man who had tried to kill baby Harry, and had killed his parents. After her first night at Hogwarts, Violet got tired of hearing people talk about Harry and not understanding what the big deal was, so she asked. And she'd gotten the full, terrible story. She finally understood why they called him "The Boy Who Lived", and how he got the lightning bolt scar on his forehead.

"Scary, that lot. Malfoy is bound to follow in their footsteps. There's rumours, you know. That he's back..." Hannah whispered conspiratorially.

Aimee huffed at her friend, "Don't start with that again! He's dead. People are just saying that to scare you."

"Well, it's working!" Hannah urged. Violet nodded. In her little bit of free time over the past few days, she'd done plenty of reading on the Wizarding War. What it was, why it happened, and how many people died. It was awful, and she pitied the students she'd met that had lost family members in the war. She couldn't imagine ever being able to survive such a thing.