The Space Between The Stars: Draco Malfoy

Year One: New Beginning

After we returned from break, something had shifted between Draco and me.

We had become explosive.

Despite our connected past, Harry and I had yet to have an actual conversation. I suspected Granger and Weasley had gotten it into his head that all Slytherins were evil. Even so, I defended him when Draco decided to be cruel. This lead to several arguments.

"What, first McLaggen, now Potter? Bloody hell, you really are making your way around the Gryffindorks."

"That's not true, Malfoy. You're being unfair, and you know it."

"Unfair? You should talk about unfair! You got tossed to the muggles while Harry got to stay with family. Do you reckon that's fair? They've really done a number on you, haven't they?"

I blinked back tears. Then, I got up and walked out of the Great Hall.

I finally let myself cry once I had made it to the courtyard. The first person to find me was none other than-

"Harry Potter." I smiled and wiped away my tears. "I was beginning to think you were frightened of me."

The Boy Who Lived smiled shyly and kicked his shoe at the ground. "I mean...I was, a bit... just worried you would team up with Dudley somehow so he could torture me here too."

I shook my head. "We weren't really friends, Harry, you know that."

"Now I do. I heard what you said to Malfoy in there. I just wanted to thank you. I wasn't sure, before, if..."

"If I was evil because I was in Slytherin?"

He didnt say anything.

"I suppose you still don't want to be seen with me by your friends. It's okay. I understand. You don't have to stay."

I hear footsteps from the other side of the hall. I look over to see my brothers coming over, looking concerned. I turn back to Harry. "In fact, you probably should go. They're not the friendliest."

He half smiled. "See you around, Isabella." He nodded towards my brothers. "It's...really good to see that you finally have a family too."

And with that, he was gone. And my brothers were in front of me.

"Why are you crying?" Caleb asked me quietly.

"Come on then, its alright," Jason said, sitting cross legged in front of me.

I waved them off. "I'm fine."

But I really, really wasn't.

"It sounds to me like he's jealous," Cormac said with a smirk. We weren't flying today, just tossing the Quaffle back and forth. Quaffle the puppy was also trying to join in, following the ball as we threw it back and forth. Cormac wasn't a huge fan of animals, but Quaffle was just too cute for him to ignore.

"You think so?"

"Of course. First me, and now he finds out about Potter?"

"I wasn't close to Potter at all. Quite the opposite, actually."

"But he doesn't know that, Izz. Even if you were to tell him that a million times, he wouldn't know for sure."

I guess he was right about that. "His insecurities don't give him a reason to be cruel"

Cormac smiled proudly. "You are absolutely correct."

"So what do I do?"

"You fight back."