Charming (Draco x OC)

Can You Keep a Secret?

I was right last night, we should've gone to bed earlier. I was struggling to stay awake in history of magic, and at one point considered just doing it - I was just going to learn everything from the textbook before the exam. The teacher talks sooooo slowwwww. I was sat with some of the same Hufflepuffs we watched movies with last night who laughed at my inability to stay awake. Seriously, how could a teacher be this boring? Ask the class a question or two! Talk a bit faster! Don't sound like your on the bridge of death! Ugh. I had potions next as well, which does not seem like the sort of class to be half awake in. They need to start serving coffee in the great hall. I don't drink coffee personally, but I would like the option on days like this.

I must've somehow dragged myself through the rest of the day, but I don't really remember it. I don't think I was really awake until lunch. I skipped dinner due to the big lunch and wandered down to the library, which I hadn't actually been in before. My mum told me she had spent a lot of time in the library (she liked to read). It was only just starting to get dark, so the library had this nice glow to it. It didn't just have books for 15 year olds trying to pass potions, it seemed to have everything magical. I strolled around for a second, becoming tempted by several different books. But no, I have to work out what the hell the professor was teaching today in history.

I found myself the right book and a spot to sit in. In a little corner where I felt that nobody would find me and began studying. History was easy to remember, it's just a little story and some dates when you think about it. I had only had two lessons of history of magic so far, so I finished within a reasonable amount of time. I decided to continue reading to save myself the hassle of listening in his class for the rest of the week.

"Elena?" I turned around to see big curly hair.

"Hermione! What are you doing here?"

"Some extra studies. You?" She took the seat next to me. I held up my history of magic book.

"Ah, he's a bit hard to pay attention to."

"A bit? Are your implying you actually succeed?" She laughed and nodded. I felt a bit awkward about how loud it was, isn't a librarian going to come and shush us?

"You've only been here a couple days and your already on top of things. I wish Ron and Harry actually thought of doing that, I don't even think it crosses their minds." Is this an opportunity for me to make a whole second friend?

"You know I could use a study buddy to help motivate me to keep on track if you would be interested?" Hermione got excited by this and quickly scribbled down times twice a week which I tucked into my robes. We both studied for about another hour before I got sick of history and bid her goodbye. Curfew to be in bed was nine, meaning I had another hour of freedom.

It was cold and dark, so I didn't really know what to do as everyone seemed to have already retreated to their common rooms. I wish I had a house with a common room. It's kind of just a place to exist when nowhere else is better. I went back to my dorm, two girls where talking and they didn't seem to want to involve me in their conversation. I rolled myself in my duvet and rolled over towards the wall, implying I was going asleep. After a bit they continued talking to each other, and I dozed off to the sound of their chatter.

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I woke up again when it was dark and quiet in the dorm. I fumbled around on my bedside table for my wand.

"Lumos" I whispered, squinting at the time. 12:30. I groaned quietly, stretching. 12:30, that's about the time I went to sleep last night, and now I am waking up at that time. What is wrong with my sleep schedule? Oh. I'm hungry. Must be why I woke up. Maybe I should've gotten a little something at dinner after all.

I put on some shoes and left as quietly as I could tip toeing through the halls as the light from my wand guided me. I did stop the spell once when I heard either a confident pair of students or some prefects come nearby and I hid around a corner. Aha! The kitchen. I hadn't considered what I actually wanted to eat. I had started browsing around when a voice startled me.

"Are you looking for Mr Malfoy?" I jumped quite obviously, putting my hand to my chest where I could feel my heart pounding. A house elf, I should've expected that.

"No, I'm sorry I shouldn't be here. I was just hungry and hoping to make a sandwich or something if you don't mind?" The house elf insisted it was fine and that he must make it for me, slipping on a pair of gloves.

"What flavour."

"Just some jam if that's okay." I sat down on a stool and awkwardly watched as he fumbled around. "Why did you think I was here for Draco?" The curiosity got the better of me.

"Miss?"

"Cunningham."

"Miss Cunningham. Well you came yesturday while me and Mr Malfoy where talking, I wondered if you expected to see him again tonight." So that's why Draco was here.

"You know each other?" I asked. He slid the sandwich towards me and I thanked him.

"Oh yes yes. I use to work for the Malfoys so I have known Draco since he was a little boy."

"It's sweet that you two still talk to each other. Are you friends?"

"I don't know if he would call himself my friend, but I am his. He likes talking to me about his thoughts." Was it out of kindness he regularly chatted with this elf? Loneliness? "Are you his friend Miss?"

"I haven't thought about it. Not really, not yet."

"I think he wants to be your friend." The elf commented while I ate my sandwich.

"What's your name?"

"Dobby, Dobby the house elf."

"What makes you think Draco wants to be my friend Dobby?"

"I think that's all he ever really wants, he has friends but he doesn't really talk about them like they are his friends. Dobby gets confused." I finished my sandwich and he took to plate.

"Why doesn't Draco have friends he considers friends?" I asked.

"I remember when he first came to Hogwarts he told me he asked the boy Harry Potter to be his friend. He's told me a lot about Harry Potter, makes him sound amazing. I hope I get to meet the famous Harry Potter one day!" Dobby went on, getting excited. This was getting too personal, as much as I wanted to know more I kept the questions to myself.

"I've met Harry Potter you know." I told Dobby, talking to him similarly to how I talked to my younger cousins, like it was a secret. Dobbys eyes got wide. He told me Draco doesn't really talk about Harry anymore, but Dobby claims to remember everything he had said. I told Dobby a bit about Harry, how he was in the triwizard tournament and seemed to have come across some very big spiders. It wasn't much, but Dobby seemed grateful. "Are you always here Dobby?" I asked.

"I do work around the castle, but I'm always here at 12 on Tuesdays and Thursdays incase Draco comes by."

"Its a Wednesday, why are you here?"

"I expected Draco might have wanted to talk about you again after your encounter last night." The word again echoed in my head. I thought about this for a second.

"Hey Dobby, can you keep a secret?"

"Of course!" I considered asking him to not tell Draco I had been here, but changed my mind. It felt unfair to make him lie.

"Never mind. It doesn't matter. You should sleep Dobby, it's late." His large ears wiggled a bit as we said our goodbyes and I snuck back to my dorm. I brushed my teeth and went back to bed, all sorts of words swirling around my brain.

"Malfoy is the worst"
"Talk about you again"
"He asked Harry Potter to be his friend"
"He wasn't very nice when we first met."

Every time I was given one impression of Draco someone else told me something that completely opposed it. I suppose I should stop listening and just have to make my own thoughts and opinions on him. That's a terrible idea, all I can think of is how handsome he is and his cute fluffy pyjamas.