A girl named Rhea had made it to hogwarts, she was doing her first year in 5th year. She will have struggles with her magic and work, until she meets the one and only Draco Malfoy.
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Rhea's second day at Hogwarts began with a knot in her stomach. She had barely slept, tossing and turning as her mind churned with thoughts of everything that had happened the day before. Being sorted into Slytherin still felt surreal, and her interaction with Draco Malfoy lingered in the back of her mind. His words had been dismissive, but the way he looked at her, as if he were already sizing her up, made her feel unsettled.
As she made her way through the winding halls of the castle toward her first class of the day, Defense Against the Dark Arts, she caught sight of a few familiar faces. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were standing near the entrance to the classroom, deep in conversation. She hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should approach them, but something held her back. They had been kind to her on her first day, but now that she was in Slytherin, she wasn't sure where she stood with them.
Instead, she slipped into the classroom quietly and found a seat near the back. Professor Lupin was at the front, preparing for the lesson. Rhea had heard about him—he was one of the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers Hogwarts had seen in years. She only hoped she could keep up with the class.
As more students filed in, Rhea noticed Draco Malfoy entering with his usual entourage. He glanced in her direction briefly, his eyes narrowing for a fraction of a second before he took his seat near the front of the room. She felt a small wave of relief that he hadn't come over to taunt her again, but the brief moment of eye contact left her feeling strangely unsettled.
The lesson began with Professor Lupin explaining the basics of counter-curses. Rhea tried her best to focus, but her mind kept wandering. Every spell, every incantation, felt just out of reach for her. When Lupin instructed the class to practice a simple shield charm, Protego, Rhea's frustration began to build. She had learned this spell before, but her wand movements felt stiff, and the magic didn't come naturally.
"Come on," she muttered to herself, her brow furrowed in concentration.
She waved her wand again, trying to summon the protective shield. A faint shimmer of magic appeared in front of her, but it quickly fizzled out.
"Having trouble?" A familiar drawl came from behind her.
Rhea's stomach clenched as she turned to see Draco Malfoy standing a few feet away, his arms crossed over his chest, a smirk playing on his lips. He had finished his own practice early and was now watching her struggle with clear amusement.
"Not really," Rhea lied, trying to hide her frustration.
Draco raised an eyebrow, his grey eyes gleaming with mockery. "Looks like it to me."
Rhea clenched her jaw, determined not to give him the satisfaction of seeing her fail. She raised her wand again, focusing hard on the spell. This time, a small, flickering shield appeared for a brief moment before vanishing again.
Draco chuckled softly. "You'll have to do better than that if you want to survive here."
Rhea turned to him, her patience wearing thin. "I don't need your advice."
"Obviously," Draco said, his smirk widening. "But I'll give it anyway. You're in Slytherin now, which means you're expected to be better than the rest. If you can't even manage a basic spell like Protego, you're not going to last long."
Rhea felt a flush of anger rising in her chest. She knew he was trying to get under her skin, and it was working. But before she could snap back at him, Professor Lupin's voice cut through the tension.
"Mr. Malfoy, perhaps you could focus on your own work instead of offering unsolicited advice?" Lupin's tone was calm but firm.
Draco's smirk faltered slightly as he turned back to his seat, throwing one last glance at Rhea before sitting down. Rhea felt a rush of gratitude toward Professor Lupin for stepping in, but the exchange left her feeling even more frustrated. She didn't want to be seen as weak or incapable, especially not by someone like Draco Malfoy.
The rest of the day passed in a blur of lessons and frustration. In Charms class, Rhea struggled to keep up with the pace of the material. While her classmates cast their spells with ease, her own magic felt clumsy and inconsistent. By the time dinner rolled around, she felt completely drained.
She made her way to the Great Hall, hoping to find a quiet spot where she could gather her thoughts. As she entered, she scanned the long tables, trying to decide where to sit. The Slytherin table was full, with Draco and his usual group sitting near the center. She hesitated, wondering if she should sit with them, but the idea of facing Draco's smug expression again made her stomach turn.
Instead, she headed toward the far end of the table, where a few other Slytherins were eating quietly. As she sat down, she noticed a girl with dark hair and sharp features looking at her curiously.
"You're the new girl, right?" the girl asked, her tone neutral but not unkind.
"Daphne Greengrass," the girl said, offering a small smile. "How's it going so far?"
"Could be better," Rhea admitted, picking at her food. "I feel like I'm constantly behind."
Daphne nodded sympathetically. "It's tough, starting late. But you'll catch up. Just takes time."
Rhea appreciated the reassurance, but it did little to ease her worries. As they ate, she couldn't help but glance down the table at Draco. He was talking animatedly with Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini, his expression relaxed and confident. It was clear that Draco was used to being the center of attention in Slytherin, and it made her feel even more out of place.
Later that evening, Rhea returned to the Slytherin common room, her mind still buzzing with thoughts of the day. She knew she couldn't keep going like this—struggling with every spell, feeling out of place in every class. If she wanted to succeed at Hogwarts, she needed to improve, and fast.
As she sat by the fire, poring over her textbooks in an attempt to catch up, she heard footsteps approaching. She looked up to see Draco standing in front of her, his arms crossed as usual.
"You're still here," he remarked, his tone laced with mild surprise. "I thought you'd have given up by now."
Rhea narrowed her eyes. "I don't give up that easily."
Draco raised an eyebrow, looking almost amused. "Good. Because I'd hate to see you fail so quickly."
Rhea glared at him, her frustration mounting. "Why do you care, anyway? You've done nothing but mock me since I got here."
Draco's smirk faded slightly, and for a moment, his expression became unreadable. "I don't care," he said, his voice quiet but firm. "I just don't like seeing people waste their potential. And you, Selwyn, have a lot of catching up to do."
Before Rhea could respond, Draco turned and walked away, leaving her staring after him, more confused than ever. His words echoed in her mind. Did he really mean it? Or was he just toying with her again?
As the fire crackled beside her, Rhea's frustration began to give way to something else—curiosity. There was more to Draco Malfoy than she had initially thought. And whether she liked it or not, he had taken notice of her.
