The Hufflepuff (Draco Malfoy)

7

"Is it okay if I sit here," Sophie smiled down at the blonde boy. He turned toward her with a smirk. His eyes widened and his jaw went slack at the girl in front of him, but he quickly recovered the smirk on his face.

"Hufflepuff? Is that you? I didn't even recognize you. What happened to the braids," Draco joked towards the girl whose hair hung freely past her shoulders.

"I decided they were a bit childish, don't you think? So five-year-old." Sophie laughed, sitting next to Draco. They had just returned from summer holiday and happened to have Potions together for a second year.

"Thank goodness you finally realized. It's not like I was telling you that since the day we met," he sniggered and she rolled her eyes.

"I don't know what I would do without you, Draco. Anyway, how was your summer?"

"The usual. Piano lessons, flying lessons, calligraphy lessons, vacationing in the south of France," he smirked at the end, trying to impress her with the casual way he spoke of his travels.

"What's in the south of France," Sophie asked, slightly impressed but refusing to let it show.

"Oh, you know, my family's second home. A little place compared to the Manor. You know, you didn't even get to see the whole place the last time you were there. You should come by and I'll give you the full tour," his smirk never faded while talking about his family's wealth.

"That would be nice. Maybe sometime over Winter Break. Guess what I did over break?" She usually wasn't so quick to change the subject to herself, but she really wanted to share with him what she had done. She had already told her other friends and they were all left in awe. Even Justin, who, probably had as much money in the muggle world as Draco had in the Wizarding World.

"A year ago, I would've guessed that you sat at home playing dolls with your mummy, but now I'm not so sure. What did you do?"

"My father had to take a new set of brooms to the Montrose Magpies, and while we were there, they let me practice with them on the new brooms! And we got to stay and watch their game against the Chudley Cannons!" Sophie couldn't help the squeal that bubbled out from her throat at the end.

"No way! That's bloody amazing, Soph! How was it? How did you keep up? Surely not well because they're professionals and the best team in the league, but bloody hell." Sophie didn't hear anything after his initial response. She couldn't get past the fact that he called her Soph. Not Hufflepuff, Abbott, or even Sophie. He gave her a term of endearment. Maybe the boy was finally warming up to her.

"It was a lot of fun! Of course I was nowhere near the skill level they were, but their chasers gave me lots of wonderful tips for trying out for the team this year. I can't wait for tryouts next week!" She beamed as Draco gave her a wistful look. "What's that look for?"

"What are you talking about?" He immediately straightened.

"I don't know. You usually look at me with a smirk that says you know something I don't. But that looked like you let your guard down for a split second," she pointed out.

"Yeah, I let my guard down. Is that not allowed between friends?" Sophie licked her lips.

"Friends?" She questioned, hoping not to step on his toes.

"Well, yes. What else would we be?"

"I guess you're right, friend." She nudged him lightly as he sent her a lopsided smile.

****

Unfortunately, Potions was the only class Draco and Sophie had together, but that didn't stop her from noticing how kind he had become towards her. Any onlooker of their conversations would see the way he shamelessly flirted with her and how she would lightly laugh in response. The other Second Years started to pick up on the way he would always call her pretty and compliment her potions. A majority assumed he did it to get under her skin, but others weren't so sure. There was a rumor going around that she kissed his cheek after he wished her luck before Quidditch tryouts. He even gave her a hug after she told him she made the team. Seeing Draco being so kind to another human put everyone on edge, simply because they had never seen him act this way before. Sophie insisted they were just friends, but Draco liked to tell people they were dating. Sophie had no idea why. And when she asked Draco, he simply shrugged and said it'd be a good laugh.