Then I Met You [D.M.]

Year Two: Astronomy

3rd November, 1992

"Oi, wait up!"

If Violet was about to do anything, it was not that. She considered taking off running, as she was only a few metres from the Hufflepuff common room entrance, but she really didn't want to risk this boy finding out the code to get it.

"Wait!"

Violet squared her shoulders and turned around, "What do you want, Malfoy?"

"What was that?" He stopped in front of her, so close that she could touch him if she so wished.

"What?" She was confused, but kept her guard up, "What was what?"

"That!" Draco threw his hand out to the side, gesturing to the Great Hall, "With that- boy!"

"With- Wait, Cedric?" Violet was getting more confused by the moment, "What about him?"

Draco huffed and narrowed his eyes, but didn't say anything else for a moment, then, "Your friends were staring at me. Why?"

"Who? Caroline and Susan? They were talking about this Heir business, and then they caught you staring at me!" Violet's voice ticked up, confusion turning to frustration at his riddles, "What do you want?"

Whatever she'd expected him to say, it wasn't, "Do you think it's me? The Heir?"

Violet reeled back, her bag dropped off her shoulder at the sudden movement, "Why could you possibly care what I think?"

"I don't!" He argued. His voice had shown a sliver of vulnerability, but was now harsh, "The last thing I care about is the opinion of a mudblood."

Violet knew she should be afraid. This boy could do anything to her, and he'd face no consequences. He was from one of the most powerful wizarding families to ever exist, and yet, she couldn't help but not be afraid. A small part of her was concerned for her safety, but only subconsciously.

She stepped forward, leaving barely a breath of space between them. She lowered her voice to a whisper, "Don't you, Malfoy? Why else are you here? Better yet, why haven't you come after me yet?"

It was his turn to be confused, his voice lowering to match hers, "What?"

"I know you saw what happened in the hallway that night. You could've done anything to me, could've spread it around the school, but you didn't. Why?"

"I've no idea what you're talking about." And yet he wasn't moving away, he wasn't denying that he'd heard it. He was staring at her, his brows furrowed and bottom lip between his teeth.

Violet couldn't decide if this was a game to him, just another way to torment her, or if he was trying to be genuine about something, though she wasn't sure what.

Violet finally broke the eye contact, moving back to collect her fallen bag. He watched her as she walked by, stopping beside him for a moment. She leaned towards him and he froze, staring ahead at the far wall. Her lips nearly brushed his ear as she whispered, "I don't think you're the Heir."

Then she was gone, leaving him in his frozen state as she made her way to the Astronomy tower. She was over an hour early, but she didn't care. She couldn't go into the common room now, and she surely couldn't go back to the Great Hall. She just needed to escape for a little while, to figure out what had just happened, and what it meant.

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Violet sat at the top of the astronomy tower for the entire hour between dinner and class. She sat leaning against the iron railing that surrounded the room, her head leaned back and eyes closed.