in the dark | d. malfoy

19 | the common room

The boys of Hogwarts were unlike the ones I met at Beauxbatons.

My former school was home to the finest men of Europe, there was no doubt about it. The boys would strut with confidence, and they never left their packs.

However if you managed to catch a Beauxbatons boy alone, he would appear to you as a mere sculpture crafted by the ancient greek artists, nestling at a tree with a book in hand. His hair would be tousled in an effortlessly pristine way, his sleeves rolled so as to draw your attention to his build. He would look at you, but only for a moment. It would be evanescent, fleeting; he would leave you craving for more.

The boys at Hogwarts fed one another puking pastilles.

They tossed each other around like rag dolls, and they often forgot to chew with their mouth closed. They laughed like middle aged revellers and weren't cautious of their words. They didn't walk, they swaggered. Their shirts were often undone and you could always spot stains on their sweater vests. They cursed at their best mates like sailors and they needed a good smack on the head when their eyes wandered.

I loved them.

I had just been sorted into Gryffindor and everyone was unbelievably welcoming, even the twins which I used to despise for their blunt flirting tactics.

One person stood out to me, however. It was Ron's younger sister, Ginny. She carried herself with such power and assertiveness, even through the simplest words.

We got along rather well.

"I wonder who your suite mates will be," Ginny says as she finishes up her plate. "Having the right roommates is essential."

I scoffed at this, relating to the statement very much. "Tell me about it, I hated my roommates in third year. Worst sleep schedule of my life."

"You're lucky it's only been a one time occurrence!" Ginny laughed, gesturing to her brothers. "I deal with it all year long!"

Ron dropped his drumstick and scrunched his nose mockingly at her and she mimicked him. It was entertaining to say the least.

Just as everyone began finishing up, Dumbledore stood once again and beckoned us away to our common rooms.

Ron and Hermione stood up, calling to the First Years and gesturing them to stand by.

"What are they doing?" I leaned into Ginny as we stood to exit.

"Oh, they're the Gryffindor Prefects," she answered once she saw what I was referring to. "They have more authority and responsibility than the rest of the house, of course, such as showing the First Years to the dormitories."

I nodded in response. "That definitely doesn't sound like a job for me."

Ginny chuckled and wrapped her arm around mine as we arrived at the Grand Staircase. "Me neither, however I would like to be Quidditch Captain one day."

Oddly enough within the first hour I'd talked to her, being a Quidditch Captain seemed to fit Ginny extremely well.

"I'm quite awful at riding brooms," I said. "I'm excited to watch how Quidditch plays out here, seeing as you're all sorted into teams already."

Ginny rose her eyebrow at this and looked at me inquisitively, patiently waiting for the staircase to change. "What do you mean?"