[1] BoAtHouSe » DrAcO mALfoY

twenty-six » lean or leave

The day had arrived. April 13th 1996. Melanie was sixteen.

When she woke up, Melanie didn't feel any different. Every year, on the exact day, she would wake up in hopes of feeling a different way. Feeling more mature, feeling older, in a sense. But every year, the same thing happened. Oh well, maybe next year.

"Happy birthday!" Amelia exclaimed, jumping into Melanie's bed and waking everybody in the dorm room in the process.

"Some of us are trying to sleep, Nott. Will you give it a rest?" Daphne hissed, her eyes half closed.

Amelia rolled her eyes but quieted down. "Happy birthday," she whispered with a smile, lying down next to Melanie. Trying to fit in the bed, like they used to in second and third year when Slytherin's heir and Sirius Black were running around the castle.

"Good morning," Melanie whispered in response.

"You're sixteen now," said Amelia. "Older than me, aren't you!"

Melanie smiled, shaking her head. "Of all the things to worry about..."

"No! It's your birthday, you aren't allowed to worry about anything." Amelia squeezed Melanie's hand from under the blanket.

"Why is your hand so cold?" She asked, warming Melanie's hand by holding on to it tighter.

Melanie shrugged. "Winter still isn't over, you know."

"Maybe not at Hogwarts, but Theo says the rest of the country is warmer now."

"I like the cold."

"Yeah, we know, is that why you've been disappearing all the time? Conjuring up some snow with Malfoy?" Amelia asked, her eyes twinkling.

"You two are always together now, feels like you're leaving me out," she added, faking being hurt.

Melanie laughed softly.

"Seriously, though, why are you always with Draco? Whenever I see you, you're with him. Something I should know about, eh?" Amelia wiggled her eyebrows, nudging her friend.

"Don't be silly, I'm not dating anyone, definitely not Draco," said Melanie with an eye roll.

"This year has been weird, hasn't it?" Amelia looked to the ceiling, bewitched to look like the inside of the Lake, somewhat like the Great Hall.

"First, you become friends with Weasley, and you spend all your time with him. Then, you get that letter, and you go into your own little bubble. Then you start hexing and cursing people, and standing up for yourself – which is a great thing, I'm proud of you. Then," Amelia said the last word with a sing-song voice, "you get really close to Draco, even though you hated him a bit and cursed him and such. And now you spend nearly all your time with him."

This walk down memory lane really made Melanie think. Had all this actually happen in such a short time? September to April, not even a complete year.

"You've really changed so much," said Amelia, voicing out Melanie's thoughts. "It's a good thing, truly. And while you were doing all this, you got better at Transfiguration and you learned a lot of new things from Draco's aunt."