brewing hatred (d.m)

A Collision of Worlds

The Hogwarts Express loomed ahead, red and gleaming against the soft grey sky. The platform was buzzing with students rushing to find their compartments, and families giving last-minute goodbyes. Among them stood Ariana Green, her eyes a stormy blue as she took in the chaos around her. Her fingers drummed impatiently against the handle of her trunk as she stood alone, far from the familiar faces of Durmstrang, her old school. Kicked out at the end of her fourth year—an impressive feat, really—and now, transferred to Hogwarts. Her parents had been furious, of course, but Ariana had simply shrugged it off. Trouble was her middle name.

"Last chance, love," her father had said that morning, his voice calm but stern. "Hogwarts is your new start. Don't ruin it."

Ariana had promised nothing, only shooting him a crooked smile. She thrived on trouble, and trouble had a way of finding her.

Now, she dragged her trunk toward the train, her brown hair swinging behind her in a loose ponytail. She hadn't even stepped on the Hogwarts Express yet, and she could already feel the weight of her reputation arriving before her. She was used to it.

A sudden, hard thump jolted her out of her thoughts. Her trunk had slammed into something—or rather, someone.

"Oy! Watch where you're going!"

Ariana's head snapped up, her heart sinking instantly when her eyes locked onto none other than Draco Malfoy. His silvery blonde hair was slicked back, his cold grey eyes narrowed with that unmistakable arrogance she had grown up despising. Malfoy. Of course.

"Well, well, well," Draco drawled, smirking as he looked her over. "If it isn't Ariana Green. I thought they were sending you to Azkaban after Durmstrang booted you out. Guess Hogwarts will have to do, for now."

Ariana's lips curled into a sneer. "Still strutting around like the king of the castle, I see. Gotten any taller since last year, or are you still trying to make up for it by being the biggest git alive?"

Draco's eyes flashed, his smirk vanishing for just a moment. He leaned forward, close enough that Ariana could smell the faint scent of peppermint on his breath. "Watch it, Green. Your family name might save you for now, but here at Hogwarts, I run things."

Ariana didn't flinch. "Oh, is that so? Didn't realize Hogwarts had appointed its first ferret as king."

Draco straightened, his expression darkening. She knew she was pushing his buttons, but that was the whole point. For as long as she could remember, Draco Malfoy had been nothing but a thorn in her side. Their parents—both from prestigious pure-blood families—had always been close. Dinners at the Malfoys' house were an endless parade of arrogance and cruel jabs, with Draco always finding some way to mock her or prove himself superior.

But Ariana wasn't one to back down, and she had her own way of getting under his skin.

"Keep talking, Green," Draco said, his voice low. "But you've just made the biggest mistake of your life coming here."

"Please," she scoffed, pushing past him to drag her trunk onto the train. "The biggest mistake of my life was wasting five minutes listening to you."

As she stalked down the narrow corridor of the train, searching for an empty compartment, her heart pounded furiously. Draco Malfoy. Of course, he would be here to make her life miserable from the moment she stepped onto the platform. The memory of his smug face lingered, stirring an old rage in her chest. But she wouldn't let him win. Not today. Not ever.

Ariana found an empty compartment at last, tossing her trunk inside with a loud clatter. She flopped into the seat, staring out the window at the rapidly thinning crowd on the platform. Her mind raced with possibilities—new faces, new opportunities, new trouble. Hogwarts wasn't Durmstrang. She could reinvent herself here, make a fresh start. But she knew, deep down, there was no escaping people like Draco Malfoy. They had known each other too long, and hatred like theirs didn't fade easily.

The door to her compartment slid open again, and a figure stepped inside. Draco.

"Seriously?" Ariana groaned, glaring at him. "What part of 'go away' didn't you understand?"

Draco leaned against the doorframe, his arms crossed, his smirk returning. "Oh, I'm not going anywhere, Green. You and I—we're stuck together now. Same year. Same classes. And I intend to make your life a living nightmare."

"You already do, Malfoy," she snapped, standing up and pointing toward the door. "Now get out."

He didn't move. Instead, he tilted his head, his grey eyes flickering with amusement. "You're just upset because you know you'll never be as good as me. Always causing trouble, but never quite good enough to get away with it. That's your problem."

"Don't flatter yourself," Ariana spat, feeling her temper rise. "The only thing you're good at is being an unbearable prat."

"Let's see how long you last at Hogwarts, then," Draco said, pushing himself off the doorframe and giving her one last icy look before turning on his heel and walking away. His footsteps echoed down the corridor as he disappeared.

Ariana dropped back into her seat, fury and frustration simmering beneath the surface. She had known Hogwarts would be different from Durmstrang, but she hadn't expected her first confrontation to be with Draco Malfoy. And of course, he hadn't changed a bit—still the same arrogant, self-righteous bully he had always been.

But she wasn't scared of him. She never had been.

This was just the beginning.

And if Draco Malfoy thought he could make her life a nightmare, well—he hadn't seen anything yet.