warm hearts | draco malfoy

four.

✦𖣠✦

Evie watched as the minnows circled around her toes. Neville and Harry were talking about something behind her. The two boys had invited her earlier to study with them, and she couldn't say no to the pair.

Harry chastised himself for inviting her; she had a way of drawing his attention away from everything else. Nestled against the gnarled trunk of a sprawling oak, he watched her intently. An oversized maroon sweater, soft and worn, draped over her frame, its hem grazing her knees in a cozy embrace.

Her familiar ponytail swayed gently with each movement, a rhythmic dance that mirrored her fascination with the tiny fish darting through the clear water. Delicately pinned to keep her hair in place was a little bow, perfectly matching the deep hue of her sweater, adding a touch of charm to her playful demeanor.

Neville glanced at Evie, concern etched on his face as he urged her not to venture into the frigid water. He didn't want his friend's feet to succumb to the icy grasp of the lake. Evie looked back at him, a playful smile dancing on her lips. "I don't mind the cold," she replied to him.

The sunlight sparkled off the water's surface, enticing her with its shimmering allure. Growing weary of her charms textbook, its pages heavy with spells and incantations, she felt a surge of restlessness. Eager for a change of scenery, she longed to break free from the confines of the page and feel the refreshing splash of water against her skin.

Evie sometimes wished she was in Gryffindor. Each of them was so kind and didn't care what others thought of her. She knew she wasn't as daring as them and probably wouldn't fit into their courageous ways.

She thought maybe another house would accept her more than her current one. She had even considered Slytherin; they all seemed united. Her not hating the Slytherin house was one of the reasons her roommates didn't like her.

She had stood up for Slytherins once in her first year when her roommates started rumors about one of their classmates whose parents were death eaters. The six girls—Jasmine, Lucy, Nathalie, Ruby, Alice, and Evie—sat in a circle gossiping that night. Evie asked what evidence they had, curious at the time. It surprised her when they all just said the girl was in Slytherin.

It shocked Evie because her father taught her something entirely different. There's a reason there are four houses. Each one created Hogwarts, if they were never together there would be no school. Sure, more dark wizards came from Slytherin, but that doesn't mean dark wizards didn't come from the other houses.

Evie told her roommates just that, smiling. They all looked at her, but none said anything until Alice broke the tension by asking Evie if she could get the girls some snacks. Evie nodded in response, left, and came back to all of her roommates gone.

It kept happening. She would say something and instantly get looks from the girls. The weird looks turned into them ignoring Evie entirely. It got worse when she stuck by Harry, and after a while, Evie decided not to try anymore.

Her dad told her that they were missing out on his beautiful, brilliant daughter and any other positive adjectives he could think of. Evie said it didn't matter to her, but it still hurt that she didn't have good friends from her house.

Evie looked at Harry and Neville, and her mood elevated. She was lucky to be friends with Harry, who introduced her to his friends. Without him, she had no idea where she would be.

The day they met was always a day she looked fondly on. She meets Harry when her dad helps him shop for his supplies. Evie already knew where everything was; her dad had let her explore Diagon Alley several times. Evie welcomed Harry with open arms. They became each other's comfort that day and every day that followed.