The Hufflepuff (Draco Malfoy)

9

Dear Sophie,

I am currently writing you from Finland, where my parents and I are staying until the end of summer. It is truly remarkable up here. I'm not a big nature man, but the hills and lakes here are nothing short of wonderful. I'm taking some pictures, because I know how much you enjoy them. I wish you were here though. Things can get quite boring with only Mum and Father. Father is always talking about the Ministry, and it can get quite irksome. I hate the Weasleys as much as the next guy, but if I have to hear about how idiotic Arthur Weasley is for enjoying muggle practices one more time, I am going to hurl myself out of this second story window, off the side of the mountain where our estate resides. Anyway, I hope all is well. Please be taking lots of pictures to show me when we see each other again.

Two weeks, three days, five hours, twelve minutes, and counting,

Draco Malfoy

Sophie set the letter down and smiled. Her and Draco had been sending each other letters since the moment they left Hogwarts. She's been attaching photos she's taken of her parents and around the house. He compliments them every time, always telling her how good she's getting, before sending them back. All except one, anyway. Towards the beginning of the summer, she had taken a picture in her vanity mirror, the bulky camera covering her face, but the rest of her fully visible. She sent it with a collection of other photos she had taken of her parents and around the cottage. Like the collection she sent before, he sent them back, commenting on her work and certain ones he liked more than others. She noticed, but didn't address the fact that her mirror picture was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey there, stranger," a voice spoke from her doorway. She spun around in her desk chair in excitement. In the doorway stood the one and only, Ernie Macmillan. His blonde hair had grown out in a swoosh-like manner, falling carelessly about his head. He had definitely become more of a charmer over the summer. Sophie didn't know whether he was practicing his charisma in the mirror every night, but his confidence had excelled so much, it was almost like hanging out with another Draco.

Ernie had been coming over at least twice a week since the summer began. The two best friends becoming attached at the hip. They did everything together, from cooking with Mrs. Abbott to practicing quidditch in the garden. Ernie was hoping to get a beater spot on the Hufflepuff quidditch team this year so, they spent much of their time practicing. He also served as a model for many of Sophie's photography sessions. She would even let him take the camera sometimes, but took it back whenever he would focus the lens on her. He was able to snap a few of her. She even kept one he took of her lying on her back, brown hair sprawled across the grass, squinting her eyes in the summer sun, laughing in the way that she does only when he's around.

"Ernie! I thought you weren't coming until later! Come here!" Sophie raised her arms up while still sitting at her desk. Ernie laughed and sauntered over, leaning down to hug her. During their hug, she felt his grip tense. "You okay?"

"Why are you sending letters to Malfoy?" Ernie pulled back from the hug. "He's no good for you, Soph. You know that." He ran a hand through his shaggy hair.

"Can we not talk about him right now? I know you don't like him and I don't want to argue with you." Sophie leaned back in the chair, looking up at Ernie.

"I don't just not like him. I hate his bloody guts, Soph," he admitted. Sophie began to interject, but he stopped her. "But, for your sake, we don't have to talk about him," he smiled. "Now, c'mon. I think your mum was baking cookies. Let's help frost." Before she could agree, Ernie had picked Sophie up from the chair and threw her over his shoulder.

"Ernest Macmillan! You put me down this very minute or you will regret it!" Sophie pounded on his back but he just chuckled and continued down the hall.

"What're you gonna do, Soph? I've grown six inches over this summer alone and you haven't grown since we were seven." Ernie set her down in the kitchen where Clara was indeed baking cookies.

"I'll have you know I am now 5'2", thank you very much," Sophie said, crossing her arms and sticking her nose into the air.

"And I'm 5'9", Sophie," Ernie laughed and patted her on the head. Sophie rolled her eyes and turned to her mother.

"We came to help you ice the cookies," she explained. Sophie and Ernie sat on the barstool and Clara placed a tray of different shaped sugar cookies and icing in front of the teenagers. Sophie excitedly started pulling different cookies off of the tray. "I'm going to make this one a blue flower. This one a cat. Oh my goodness! This one is the perfect shape for a heart!" Ernie and Clara just laughed. Everyone said that becoming a teenager changes someone; so, it was nice to know Sophie was still the same excitable, kindhearted girl she's always been.

"So, Ernie, how're your parents," Clara asked the blonde boy.

"Wonderful! Mum's apothecary shop has really started to take off." Ernie's mother and father were both in Clara and James' year in school. Clara and Millicent Macmillan were dorm mates in Hufflepuff– James' house as well– while Richard Macmillan was a Ravenclaw.

****

After frosting the cookies, Ernie and Sophie were laying in the garden, underneath one of the big shade trees. Sophie laid with her head in Ernie's lap while he ran his hand through her hair.

"Hey, Soph," Ernie gently spoke.

"What's up, Ern?" Sophie didn't bother opening up her eyes.

"So, um, I've been thinking," he began.

"Good for you," Sophie giggled, opening her eyes to look at her friend. His face didn't show any amusement and she sat up, concerned. "You okay?"

"Can we be serious for a minute," he almost pleaded. Sophie nodded. "Well, like I said, I've been thinking." He stopped again.

"About," Sophie prodded.

"About us. You and me. And I know we're best friends. And I don't want anything to be weird. But I really like you. I always have, Soph. Not just since First Year. Since we were kids and ran around, playing tag in this very garden." Sophie rolled her lips between her teeth. She wanted to say something to get him to stop rambling, but she also wanted to know what he had to say. "I guess, I'm just trying to say... I wanted to ask you to be my girlfriend," the boy finished, bringing his finger up to his mouth, biting on the nail.

Sophie figured that was where he was going, but didn't want to jump to any conclusions. She had never given much thought to a relationship with Ernie. She hadn't thought about being in a relationship with anyone, but now that she was, the thought excited her. She would be the first of her friends to be in an actual relationship, thinking that Hannah's fling she had earlier this summer in the States didn't actually count. And who better to go out with than Ernie. He was kind to her, smart, made her laugh, and now that she was thinking about it, has gotten very handsome in the past couple months.

"Yes," she replied simply.

"I mean, I understand if you don't want to. We are friends and everything. Best friends, actually, and I get that you may not want to. No hard feelings," he sputtered. This was the first time Sophie had seen the boy nervous in months. The last time she saw him bite his nails was when she helped him study for their end of term Potions exam.

"Ernie, calm down." She placed a hand on his shoulder. "I said yes," she giggled as she watched his eyes become the size of dinner plates. He pushed himself off of the trunk of the tree and wrapped his arms around Sophie.

"That's the best news I have ever received, Soph," he laughed.