Chapter 4
September 20th, 1994
As Maria wandered through the corridors of Hogwarts, she carried two novels close to her chest. Courtesy of Hermione, Maria had come from the library after picking out the book recommendations her new friend had given her.
She needed a distraction, and considering that she wasn’t on talking terms with Draco yet, burying herself in books was the best way to do it.
Just as she turned a corner, a hand shot out from an open door, yanking her inside an empty classroom. She let out a startled yelp, nearly dropping her books in the process.
Heart racing, she spun around to face her perpetrator, and upon recognizing him, let out a sarcastic laugh. “Merlin’s sake, Draco. You must be completely insane, dragging me into an empty classroom like that.” Maria dropped her books onto an empty table, the ‘thud’ echoing throughout the room.
Draco’s expression remained cool, though there was a flicker of something in his grey eyes. For a moment, they stood in silence, staring at each other. Eventually, it was Draco who broke the tension.
“Can we just—” he clicked his tongue in frustration, glancing away before continuing, “Look, I’ll apologize—”
“Apologize?" Maria cut in, her tone sharp. "I didn’t realize that word was in your vocabulary.” She turned on her heel to leave, but before she could, Draco grabbed her arm, stopping her.
“Wait. Theo sat me down last night and made me realize what I did wrong. You—” he let out a sigh. “You know I’m not good at this sort of thing.”
Maria wriggled her arm free from his grip, folding her arms across her chest. “Not being good at apologies isn’t an excuse, Draco.”
“I know,” he said quickly, his voice earnest. “Which is why I’m apologizing to you now. I’m sorry for what I said and how I treated you afterwards. My temper gets the best of me, and sometimes, I act out without thinking of the consequences.”
Maria didn’t say anything right away. She studied Draco’s face, looking for any sign that he wasn’t being genuine. His usual smirk was gone, replaced by something more serious—something she wasn’t used to seeing. He was being honest.
“Fine,” she said at last, her voice softening just a little. “I get that you have a temper, but that doesn’t make it easier when you take it out on me.”
Draco’s gaze dropped to the floor, his hand falling to his side. “I know. I didn’t mean what I said.” He paused, then glanced back up at her, his grey eyes meeting hers. “I didn’t want to push you away.”
Maria hesitated, feeling the tension ease between them. His apology wasn’t perfect, but it was real—and coming from Draco, that was something. Still, she wasn’t ready to let him off the hook entirely.
“No friendship is perfect,” she said quietly. “But I would really appreciate it if you put behind this whole persona of you acting all tough and insulting others around you.”
Draco nodded, looking uncharacteristically humbled. “I know. I’ll work on it. It won’t be an instant change, but I’ll try.”
Maria blinked, surprised by his honesty.
For a moment, Draco was silent. “I am better than that version you saw of me,” he said at last, voice quieter but firm. “At least, I want to be.”
Maria let his words linger in the air for a few seconds before she nodded, the tension between them starting to melt away. “You can be. It’s just a matter of willpower. Got it?”
Draco’s lips curved into a small, almost grateful smile. “Got it.”
She shifted her weight, feeling the awkwardness of the moment settle in again, but it wasn’t as sharp as before. Finally, she broke the silence. “I…I’ve missed having you around these past couple of weeks, you know. It’s been weird without you. Granted, we rarely see each other in general, but now that I’m officially a student and go to the same school as you do…I missed seeing my best friend.”
Draco’s expression softened, and he leaned against one of the desks, his usual posture relaxed. “I’ve missed you too,” he admitted, though it clearly took some effort for him to say it. “The past week has been rough. Theo called me out on my behavior. Said that if I keep it up, I’ll lose the people I care about.”
Maria's smile quirked up. “Theo’s got a good head on his shoulders.”
“Sometimes too good,” Draco muttered, rolling his eyes, but there was a hint of warmth in his tone. He straightened up and met her gaze again. “So…are we good?”
Maria studied him for a moment longer, then nodded. “Yeah. We’re good.”
The weight that had been lingering between them lifted, and for the first time in weeks, they felt like themselves again. As awkward as it had been, the conversation was exactly what they needed.
“I rarely see students sitting at other house tables. Think I’ll get hexed for sitting at the Slytherin table?” Maria asked, giving a sideways glance at Draco as they sat comfortably together in the Great Hall.
Draco shook his head, a smirk playing at his lips. “If anyone even thinks about hexing you, I’ll deal with them. Same goes for Blaise and Theo.”
Lunch had just begun, and the two of them, freshly reconciled, had made their way into the hall, fully aware of the curious stares and whispers following their every step. After all, their argument had spread like wildfire around Hogwarts, and now it seemed their reunion was the next hot topic.
Suddenly, an owl swooped into the Great Hall, its yellow and grey colored wings flapping with precision as it darted towards Maria. The bird dropped a sizable parcel and a stack of letters neatly onto the table in front of her, then settled on her shoulder, spreading its feathers in content.
“Calci!” Maria greeted her owl, the creature nuzzling her neck affectionately in response.
Draco raised an eyebrow at the large parcel. “Your father’s spoiling you again,” he remarked, eyeing the package with mild amusement.
She hummed in agreement, sifting through the letters that had come with the parcel first. A flicker of confusion crossed her face as she broke open one particular letter. “Do you know a Millicent Bulstrode?” she asked, scanning the unfamiliar name written in neat handwriting.
Draco snorted, reaching for his goblet. “Unfortunately, I do. Slytherin in our year.”
Maria’s brow furrowed as she read through the letter, but her expression quickly shifted to one of amusement. A laugh bubbled up from her chest. “What’s got her wand in a knot?” She continued to laugh, each sentence sounding more absurd than the last.
Draco, curious now, snatched the letter from her hands, causing her to let out a “Hey!” but he ignored her, his eyes scanning the parchment. “Threatening you to stay away from me? Saying she knows me better than you? Merlin, I hardly even know what the girl looks like. Millicent’s bold for a half-blood—“
Maria elbowed him sharply, cutting off the rest of his sentence with a warning look.
“Whatever,” Draco muttered, crumpling the letter in his hand before waving his wand, turning the offending piece of parchment into a pile of ashes. “Who does she think she is, anyway? There’s no way she’s gotten this far in life with that brain of hers.”
Maria stifled another laugh, her expression returning to one of amusement. “Draco, I think she has a crush on you.”
Draco’s face twisted into a sneer, the corners of his mouth curling in disgust. “I’d rather eat leeches than entertain that thought.”
Shaking her head, Maria set aside the stack of letters and pulled the hefty parcel onto her lap, untying the twine carefully. She ripped off the beige wrapping and lifted the lid of the box, her eyes widening at the contents inside.
“Merlin’s beard…” she muttered under her breath, awestruck.
Her father had outdone himself this time. The left side of the box was packed with an assortment of snacks from Romania, the middle contained a small velvet pouch—probably Galleons—and on the right, there was a neat stack of clothes, along with a few well-chosen books. Her eyes lit up at the sight of Herbology for the Young and Bright, Volume 3. Her face morphed into a smile, remembering that she had requested her father to send her a copy. She immediately thought of Neville.
“Hold this for me, would you?” she said absentmindedly, dropping the parcel onto Draco’s lap. He opened his mouth to protest, but she was already standing, clutching the herbology book in her hands.
Calci, who had been perched on her shoulder, gave a soft hoot and flapped over to Draco, settling herself on his shoulder instead, much to his mild surprise. “Unbelievable,” Draco muttered under his breath, watching Maria dash off towards Neville.
“Neville!” Maria called warmly, her face bright as she approached. He looked up from his conversation with another Gryffindor, his eyes widening when they landed on the book she held out towards him.
“Is that…?” Neville’s voice was tinged with awe.
Maria smiled and nodded, extending the book toward him. “Fresh off the owl post. It came in today.”
Neville carefully took the book from her, as though he were handling something precious. “Thank you—really, I don’t know how to thank you enough,” he said, his voice full of gratitude.
Maria shook her head, waving off his thanks. “You don’t need to. I promised I’d get it to you, didn’t I?”
Neville’s cheeks flushed, and he gave her a small, grateful smile. “Thank you,” he repeated earnestly.
Maria gave him a nod, before turning on her heel to make her way back to Draco.
When she got back, she spotted Draco munching on a bag of snacks from the parcel, one hand reaching up to absentmindedly scratch Calci’s head. “You minx,” she muttered, shaking her head as she sat down beside him.
“You left it with me,” Draco pointed out, still grinning as he reached for another fire chip.
“I left it with you for two seconds so I could give Neville the book—hey!”
Before she could scold him further, she felt an arm drape across her shoulders, pulling her and Draco closer. Calci chirped in surprise, staying put on Draco’s shoulder.
“Well, well, well,” came a familiar voice from behind them. “Am I hallucinating, or have you two finally made up?” Theo asked, grinning as he squeezed them both in a tight hug.
Maria let out a huff and gently pushed Theo’s arm off her shoulder. “Yes, Theo, we made up,” she said with a small smile, though there was still a hint of exasperation in her voice.
Theo grinned, dropping into the seat beside Draco. “Good. Glad to hear my wise words finally got through to him.”
Draco rolled his eyes, leaning back in his chair. “It wasn’t your ‘wise words,’ I chose to do it in the end.”
Before Theo could respond, Blaise appeared out of nowhere, sliding into the seat next to Theo. “Would you look at that,” he drawled, “good to see you two aren’t giving each other the silent treatment anymore. Last thing we need is a sequel to that disaster of a summer argument.” His eyes gleamed with amusement as he took in the scene before him.
Maria shook her head, laughing under her breath. “There will be no part two of that. We’ve moved on.”
“Thank Merlin for that,” Blaise said, raising an eyebrow at Draco. “I wasn’t looking forward to another month of watching you two sulk.”
Calci let out a soft chirp, drawing Maria’s attention. She reached into the parcel and pulled out a small piece of dried fruit. “Here you go, Calci,” she murmured, feeding the owl, who nibbled contentedly at the snack. After giving her one last affectionate pat, she gave her a light nudge. “Off you go now, back home.” The owl hooted softly before taking off from Draco’s shoulder, disappearing out of the Great Hall.
As Maria turned back to the conversation, Theo leaned in with an excited gleam in his eyes. “So, I’ve been hearing some interesting rumors,” he said, his voice low as if he were sharing a great secret. “Apparently, we’re getting visitors from other schools in a few weeks. No one knows much, but it lines up with the reason they canceled Quidditch this year.”
Draco groaned, immediately straightening in his seat. “Still furious about that,” he muttered, exchanging a look with Blaise, who nodded in agreement.
“Same,” Blaise added. “Canceling Quidditch is like stripping Hogwarts of its soul.”
Theo shrugged. “Maybe it’ll be worth it. Whatever’s coming sounds big.”
Blaise leaned back, turning to Maria with a teasing smirk. “By the way, if Quidditch were still happening, would you be cheering for Slytherin or Gryffindor this year?”
Maria shook her head, an amused grin tugging at her lips. “Obviously Slytherin. If Draco’s going to boast endlessly about his Seeker position, the least I can do is cheer for him.”
Draco’s lips curled into a smug smile, and Blaise chuckled. “Good answer.”
As the conversation drifted on, the quartet found themselves talking about more recent events. Theo, his curiosity piqued, began to rummage through Maria’s pile of snacks. “Mind if I take some?” he asked, though he was already eyeing a bag of caramel blazing drops.
“Help yourself, just mind the clothes and novels,” Maria replied, leaning back in her seat as the group laughed and shared stories.
At some point, Draco brought up Millicent Bulstrode, his voice tinged with irritation. “Oh, and get this—Millicent actually sent Maria a letter threatening her to stay away from me.”
Maria stifled a laugh. “I told you, Draco, she probably fancies you.”
Draco scoffed, cringing. “Diabolical. Nowhere near my type”
Theo snorted as he dug into the snack bag, shaking his head. “That one’s always been a bit bold.”
As the group bantered back and forth, the Great Hall buzzed around them, but for the moment, they were wrapped up in their own world of shared jokes and inside stories. The tension that had once simmered between them seemed to have completely evaporated, leaving only the friendship they’ve always had.
October 4th, 1994
Maria’s stare was filled with barely concealed annoyance as she looked between Blaise and Theo, while Draco, leaning casually against the stone pillar, was clearly more amused by the whole situation.
It was the first weekend of October, which meant that Hogsmeade visits would start up on the weekends. Unfortunately for Maria, two particular Slytherins had managed to land themselves in detention. She didn’t know what prompted them to hex Millicent Bulstrode out of nowhere, but it cost them the day.
“I still can’t believe you two managed to get detention,” Maria said, shaking her head before abruptly smacking both Blaise and Theo with her purse.
“Mari! Calm down, will you?” Theo yelped, rubbing his arm where her purse had landed with a solid thud.
“What were you two thinking? You didn’t both have to hex Bulstrode!” she scolded, her tone a mix of exasperation and frustration.
Draco, who had been trying—and failing—to suppress his amusement, let out a snort of laughter. He quickly looked away when Maria turned her sharp glare on him.
“You’re laughing now, but I know it was you who put them up to it,” Maria accused, crossing her arms. Draco raised his hands in mock surrender, smirking.
“If you’re seriously mad about us hexing her—”
“I’m not mad about that,” Maria interrupted, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I’m mad that you got caught doing it! Now I won’t be spending my first Hogsmeade trip with you all.”
As if on cue, Professor McGonagall’s stern voice echoed across the courtyard, calling the students to line up as she began taking attendance of the students heading off to Hogsmeade.
“We’re sorry, yeah?” Theo offered, looking genuinely apologetic. “But she deserved it, really.”
Blaise nodded in agreement. “We saw her slip something into your drink. A potion. Rest assured, we’re not the only ones in trouble for this. Snape gave her detention as well.”
Maria’s brow furrowed in confusion, and Blaise continued, “We look out for each other, remember?”
Her expression softened, and she let out a sigh. “I guess that justifies your actions,” she admitted, though a flicker of irritation remained. “But next time, try not to get caught.”
Blaise and Theo exchanged relieved glances while Draco shot Maria a smirk, clearly pleased with how the situation turned out.
As Maria and Draco settled into their booth at the Three Broomsticks, they looked around, taking in the warm, cozy atmosphere of the pub. For Maria, it was all new—the bustling warmth of Hogsmeade on a chilly autumn day, the soft chatter of customers, and the smell of freshly baked bread. She felt a slight thrill. It was her first time visiting the wizarding village, and Draco had taken it upon himself to show her the best spots.
“I told you it’s better to eat first,” Draco said, cutting into the golden crust of the pot pie they were sharing. “Everyone else will waste their time shopping and then complain when all the good food’s gone.”
Maria smiled, taking a piece of the pie Draco offered. “I think you’re just using this as an excuse to eat before everyone else.” She took a bite, humming in satisfaction at the warm, flaky pastry. “Not that I’m complaining. It’s delicious.”
Draco smirked, leaning back. “You’re catching on. Besides, you’ve never been here before. I figured we should do it right.”
Maria’s gaze wandered around the pub, taking in the cheerful atmosphere. “It’s exactly like I imagined. Thanks for offering to show me around.”
Draco shrugged, but there was a hint of pride in his eyes. “Someone had to make sure your first visit wasn’t a disaster. Plus, I wouldn’t trust anyone else to show you the best spots.” He took a sip of his butterbeer, the light foam sticking to his upper lip before he wiped it away. “Speaking of which, have you decided what you’re doing for Christmas? I assumed you'd be heading to Romania to be with your parents.”
Maria paused, contemplating her answer. “I’m not sure yet. Most likely, I’ll stay at Hogwarts this year. My mum’s still receiving treatment, and I don’t want to overwhelm her.”
Draco tilted his head, setting his mug down. “You know, my mother said it’s perfectly fine for you to spend Christmas with us. She thought you might even prefer it.”
Maria blinked, surprised. “She really said that?” She hesitated, then added, “I don’t want to be a burden, though—"
Draco cut her off with a stern look. “You’re not a burden. You’d never be a burden.” His voice was firm, leaving no room for doubt. “My mother likes you. If you spend the holiday with us, it’ll make things more interesting. Trust me, she’d be disappointed if you didn’t come.”
Maria’s gaze softened as she played with the edge of her napkin, feeling a warmth in her chest. “It’s sweet of her to offer. I just...I don’t want to impose. Besides, there’s something about Hogwarts at Christmas. I’ve heard rumors that there’s going to be a ball this year, maybe on Christmas night.”
Draco raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “A ball? Really?”
“Well, it might just be a rumor,” Maria admitted, shrugging, “but even if it’s not true, I think I’d rather stay. You’ve told me in one of your letters that Hogwarts seemed magical during the holidays, and I’d like to experience that. I don’t want to bother my mum while she’s recovering. She’s been through enough.”
Draco nodded slowly, considering her words. A thought popped into his head. “If you’re staying, then I’ll stay too.”
Maria blinked, a little taken aback by his quick response. “You’d stay here instead of going home?”
“Of course,” Draco said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “I’d get to avoid my mother’s annual Christmas gala. Besides, Christmas with you sounds far better than Christmas dinner with mother and father. All they talk about is politics.” He explained, but there was something earnest beneath his usual tone.
Maria laughed softly, shaking her head. “You’re impossible.”
“You tolerate it,” Draco said, casting a smile. “Besides, it’s not like I’ll miss much. We can spend Christmas together here, see what this ball is about if it happens, and if not, we’ll just make our own fun.”
Maria looked at him, something in his words hitting her in a way she hadn’t expected. He’d always been there for her, in his own way, but the way he was now—so comfortable, so sure of their friendship—felt different. The thought of spending Christmas with Draco, of him choosing to stay at Hogwarts because she was staying...it made her heart flutter, a sensation she wasn’t entirely sure how to process.
“So,” Draco continued, breaking her train of thought. “I’m not letting you spend Christmas alone here. That’s final.”
There was a moment of silence between them as Maria mulled over his words, her gaze flickering to the window. The fire in the hearth crackled softly behind them, the warmth a sharp contrast to the chilly world outside. She felt a warmth inside too—one that wasn’t just from the butterbeer or the fire.
Clearing her throat, Maria shifted in her seat and said, “Well, I’m glad I won’t be alone, then. And if there is a ball, I suppose we’ll have to dress up.”
Draco grinned. “I’ll manage. You, on the other hand, should probably start planning your outfit now. You’re not exactly the type to throw something together last minute.”
“Oh, and you are?” Maria shot back playfully, taking another sip of her butterbeer.
“I’ve got a reputation to uphold,” Draco replied. “Can’t show up looking anything less than perfect.”
Maria shook her head, amused. As they shared the last bites of their pot pie, the conversation flowed easily between them, moving from holiday plans to teasing banter about Draco’s 'perfection’. When the food was gone, they gathered their things and Draco led Maria back outside into the crisp air of Hogsmeade.
As they continued down the bustling street—with Draco pointing out various shops that seemed to pique Maria’s interests, she couldn’t help but steal a glance at Draco. He had always been there for her, and this time was no different—but something about today felt special. Maybe it was the way he was guiding her through her first Hogsmeade visit with such care. Or maybe it was the way he said he’d stay with her for Christmas, no questions asked. Whatever it was, Maria found herself seeing him in a different light, and she wasn’t sure what to make of the feeling just yet.
As Blaise and Theo scrubbed the potion cauldrons by hand, Snape loomed nearby, his dark eyes ever watchful. Just a few tables away stood Millicent Bulstrode—the girl they’d hexed after she’d slipped something into Marialynne PenDragon’s morning drink.
Their detention seemed to pass by slowly. Since Snape had instructed them to use no magic, the time it took to clean just one cauldron was too long.
“I trust I needn’t remind you that unauthorized use of magic leads to detention?” Snape drawled, his voice cutting through the silence like a blade.
Theo was quick to respond. “Sir, if you think about it, our actions were more...preventative. A form of self-defense, really.”
Snape’s gaze sharpened, locking onto Theo with a quiet intensity. “That explanation might hold weight if it came from Miss PenDragon herself. But unless my memory has somehow failed me, you are Theodore Nott, not Marialynne PenDragon.”
He turned on his heel, continuing his slow, deliberate circle around their tables. “Bringing disgrace upon the Slytherin house, costing us points…You should all be ashamed of yourselves.”
Snape’s attention shifted to Millicent, whose face had turned an alarming shade of crimson. “Miss Bulstrode,” he said coldly, “you’ve been rather quiet. Not even an excuse to offer?”
While Snape directed his attention at her, Theo and Blaise exchanged hushed words.
“Think we could get out early if we told him Bulstrode’s been scheming for weeks?” Theo murmured, nodding toward Millicent.
Blaise glanced at him, skeptical. “Has she, though?”
“Oh, absolutely,” Theo replied, his tone mischievous. “I intercepted one of her letters sent to Maria—Calci wasn’t too pleased about it, but what can you do? Anyway, she hinted at putting weedosoros in Mari’s drink. Even bragged about nicking it from Snape’s own storage.”
Blaise raised an eyebrow. “You kept the letter?”
With a grin, Theo deftly pulled the crumpled parchment from his pocket and let it fall to the stone floor with a quiet scrape. The noise caught everyone’s attention, including Snape’s.
Millicent’s face drained of color as she spotted the wax seal on the edge of the parchment, her eyes widening in horror. Theo, ever the actor, gave her a mockingly sympathetic look when she glanced his way.
“What is this?” Snape asked, his voice dangerously soft as he summoned the letter with a flick of his wand. It hovered in the air before him as he inspected the writing.
Theo put on a convincing show of nervousness. “Sir, I—I didn’t want to make things worse. I was planning on burning it...later.”
Curiosity flickered in Snape’s eyes. With a deliberate flick of his wand, he turned the letter right-side up and began to read, his expression hardening.
After a long, tense silence, Snape looked at the boys. “Zabini, Nott—out. You’ve earned yourselves an early release.”
Blaise and Theo exchanged victorious glances as they hurried out of the classroom, murmuring their thanks. Just as the door swung shut behind them, they caught the unmistakable sound of Snape’s voice addressing Millicent.
“You have thirty seconds to explain the contents of this letter before I recommend expulsion to the Headmaster.”
As the golden sun began to dip below the horizon, casting long shadows across the cobbled streets of Hogsmeade, students were being called back to Hogwarts. The bustling village slowly quieted as clusters of students reluctantly made their way toward the castle.
For Maria, the day had been a success. The jingling of the Galleons her father had given her was now a distant memory, replaced with shopping bags full of her purchases. She smiled to herself, satisfied with her haul.
“Draco,” Maria called out, spotting her friend a few steps ahead. He hummed in response, signaling she had his attention but not breaking his stride.
“Do you think I’m hard to approach?” she asked, her voice unusually hesitant.
Her question caused Draco to stop abruptly, forcing her to halt as well. He turned to face her, brow furrowed in confusion. “What?”
“I’ve noticed that some people in our year tend to avoid me.”
Draco exhaled slowly, his expression unreadable. “I’m not sure I can give you the answer you’re looking for, Maria. I’ve never thought of you as hard to approach. We’ve been friends since we were kids—your company’s always been familiar to me.” He paused, studying her face. “Why does it bother you?”
Maria nodded thoughtfully but remained quiet. They resumed walking, the grand silhouette of Hogwarts looming larger as they passed through the gates, the castle’s windows glowing in the evening light.
“Is something on your mind? If it’s what Bulstrode did—”
“It’s not her,” Maria interrupted softly, shaking her head. “I don’t know, it’s just…the Patil twins were really friendly on the first day, said they wanted to be friends, but we’ve barely spoken since. Maybe I’m misreading things, but it makes me wonder if I’m doing something wrong.” She quietly said. “I’ve never really had any friends besides you, Theo, and Blaise. I suppose it makes me overthink.”
Draco gave her a look, though not unkindly. “The Patil twins? They’re not the best company. Always looking for the next interesting thing. Trust me, they’re like that with everyone. I’ve seen it before—remember the Carrow twins? Same deal.”
Maria nodded, but the weight on her mind remained. “It’s still odd, though. I even asked Hermione, and she couldn’t explain it either.”
“If they give you any trouble, I can always hex—”
Maria swatted Draco’s arm sharply. “No hexes.”
“Fine, fine.” He chuckled, a rare smile flickering across his lips.
As they rounded a corner to exit the Bell Tower, they collided with two figures, sending Maria stumbling backward. Draco quickly steadied her while glaring at the person in front of him.
“Watch it, Potter,” Draco spat, his voice dripping with irritation.
“A simple apology would have done,” Ron shot back, his annoyance clear as he brushed off his robes.
Maria sighed inwardly. She hated moments like this—Slytherins clashing with Gryffindors, especially when it involved Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Though Draco’s insults had simmered down since the start of this year, moments like these reminded her that old habits die hard.
Draco, to Maria’s surprise, held his tongue for a moment before speaking again. “You don’t see us running around corners, do you? Just—” He paused, clicking his tongue before speaking again. “Just be more careful next time.”
Ron and Harry stared, clearly taken aback by Draco’s uncharacteristically restrained response. Even Maria raised her eyebrows in surprise.
“Wow, Malfoy,” Harry muttered, still trying to process. “That’s…probably the nicest thing you’ve ever said to us.”
“Don’t push it, Potter,” Draco retorted, his usual coldness returning as he turned to Maria. “Let’s go.”
Maria gave Harry and Ron an apologetic smile before catching up to Draco. As the two walked away, Ron and Harry exchanged baffled looks.
“Hey, Ron,” Harry began, his voice quieter now. “Do you think they’re…you know, together?”
Ron scoffed, shaking his head. “Not a chance. Maria’s too smart to fall for someone who acts like a pompous mophead.”
“Right,” Harry agreed, though a hint of doubt lingered in his tone.
A mischievous grin crept across Ron’s face. “What’s this, then? Are you jealous, mate?” He nudged Harry’s side playfully.
“Bugger off,” Harry muttered, shoving Ron’s arm away. “Let’s just find Hermione. She should’ve been back from Hogsmeade by now.”
The two Gryffindors began making their way up toward the castle, their footsteps echoing in the quiet courtyard.
“Still can’t believe we got detention with McGonagall,” Ron grumbled, kicking at the dirt. “How does she give students from her own house detention?”
Harry smirked. “Ron, we got caught sneaking into the kitchens at two in the morning. It was justified.”
“But still,” Ron protested, shaking his head. “First Hogsmeade weekend and we had to miss it. Bloody brilliant.”
“I’m not happy about it either,” Harry sighed, “but we were stupid enough to get caught, so…” His voice trailed off, and they continued walking, the glow of the castle’s light guiding their way.