A Badger and a Snake: Draco Malfoy x Hufflepuff

3. Ouch

"So are you gonna go up to him and give him a piece of your mind and demand answers, or sleuth around until you know the truth and then confront him?" Draco asks me.

"I'll just talk to Naomi about that day," I answer.

He gives me a strange look. "And then go yell at Cole, right? Come on you have to yell at Cole," he tells me.

"I'm not much of a yeller," I tell him. "You know that."

Draco sighs. "You'll have to be for just one moment. Whatever happened is obviously wrong. Look, just go up to him now and get it over with."

When I don't move, he gets angry.

"You can't keep letting people walk all over you. You have to confront them! If you don't walk up to him right now, you're going to regret it."

"I-I, I can't." I rush the other way.

Then I feel something hot on my feet. I look down and see that the bloody idiot has gone and lit my shoes on fire.

I quickly put it out and take off my shoes, not even bothering to turn around and say anything.

I just let my burnt black soles do the talking as I walk back to my friends.

——

I find the compartment with Gen, George, and Fred and take the seat next to Fred. I swivel around so I can put my charred feet in Fred's lap.

"Can you fix this?" I ask him. "I stopped the fire but I couldn't remember the healing spell so they're still kind of really burning."

"Merlins beard, Alyssa. Why are the bottoms of your feet burnt to a crisp?" Fred exclaims.

"I'll explain later. Heal now please," I tell him.

He fishes out his wand and then mutters under his breath. "Done. I was only able to put a cooling spell to stop the burning so you'll have to go the infirmary when we get to Hogwarts."

"Thanks," I say. "I'm sure Madam Pomfrey will love for me to visit on the first day." I think about leaving my feet on his lap but Gen gives me a look so I slide them off.

"So are you going to tell us why your feet were on fire or do we just have to wonder?" asks George.

"The short answer is that Draco Malfoy lit them on fire-"

"That tossser," Fred says and stands quickly but I push him down.

"If that energy should be focused on anyone, it's Cole Wright," I admit.

"The baby face Ravenclaw?" questioned George.

"The very one. Remember how I told you that we owled over the summer? And how he promised to take me out over Christmas?"

Everyone nods.

"Apparently he started dating Naomi Harris at almost the exact same time."

"How dare he!" exclaims Gen. "Go give him a piece of your mind."

"That's actually why Draco lit my shoes on fire. I wouldn't confront Cole. I think he was going more for a pep in my step than burnt toes but," I shrug.

"You mean you didn't say anything?" Fred asks from beside me.

I blush and look down. It's so embarrassing to be like this.

"2 minutes until we stop, everyone!" someone yells from the hall.

I take that as my cue and swiftly walk into the hall.
——
It was fairly easy sending all of the first years out since everyone else knew where to go. After all the first years were securely on the boats, I hopped in a thestral cart with Luna and Neville. I quite liked them. They were kind and calm like me.

"Thestrals are such beautiful creatures aren't they?" asked Luna serenely.

"They are," I answered. I love all kinds of animals.

"They give me the willies," said Neville.

Luna chuckles softly. "The nargels give me the willies."

I smiled at her and then glance to Neville. "What classes are you taking this year, Neville?" I ask.

"Oh um Herbology I think. And Care of Magical Creatures too."

"Me as well! I hope we'll have them together then," I tell him. "Luna are you taking any interesting classes this year?"

"Oh I don't know about interesting," she answers. "But I am quite excited for Potions with Professor Snape. I think he likes me."

Neville and I glance at each other and smile. "How could he not?" I ask.

We finally pull up to Hogwarts and we all file in. Since I rode on the carts with two non-Hufflepuffs, I just had to grab a seat without them. I looked around and spotted Gen, George, and Fred, but there was no seat for me.

Okay.

Instead I walked over to Hannah Abbott. She's been one of my roommates since first year.

"Hey, Hannah."

"Oh, hey, Alyssa," she said as I sat down. "Are you excited for fifth year?"

"Very much. Are you?"

"Yes! I'm actually excited because I have a crush on someone and I'm hoping he'll notice me this year," says Hannah.

"That's fun! I wish you the best with that," I tell her.

She smiles. "Thanks."

I didn't know any of the younger students so the sorting was uneventful.

And then Umbridge showed up.

Wow I hate her. She's against everything I stand for. She's rude, entitled, and self serving.

Finally her speech ends so we can feast.

The food at hogwarts is really good. My parents used to cook for me a lot, but the last few years we've mostly bought TV dinners. I'm not complaining; I just haven't had a homemade meal in a while.

After the first years are settled in their rooms, I go up to mine and start unpacking my things. Hannah and Daisy, my other roommate, are already there but Gen is not.

A few minutes later Gen walks in.

"Hey. I tried to sit with you at the feast but there wasn't a seat," I tell her.

"Yeah. There were only three seats open there."

"But the whole other side was empty?"

Gen  just gives me a confused look. "We sat in the best spot. Next time we'll look for a seat for you, I promise."

I change in to my pajamas and go to sleep because I don't want to think about how I wish they had thought of it this time.