they were just kids [draco malfoy]

Year 5 - 123

Astrid froze in her spot, the chicken breast nearly sliding off one of the plates from the sudden movement. 

Oh, snap, was I that big of a bitch?

She just barely took notice of the redness of the lad's eyes before he jumped up from his spot over Blaise's bed and turned to look in the other direction, his hand moving to wipe aggressively under his eye. Astrid already opened her mouth to spit out a teasing comment but she didn't manage before her heart clenched, taking a bit of her breath away and preventing her from saying anything at all.

"What do you want, Ninomae? You're not welcome here!" Malfoy pushed his brown hair out of his face, still not turning towards her as he moved a little backwards and back to the bed. She stood, still frozen, watching his hand go down to the bed where a parchment stood. The boy lifted it in his hand and grabbed also the envelope under it - one with an unmistakable green and silver 'M' crest on it - then throwing it into the air. Before she could question anything about it, he had already burned both of the papers.

"I-uh, I brought food," Astrid offered awkwardly, her voice still coming out a little breathless. She knew he was crying, that much was obvious. But it was also no less obvious Astrid had never known what to do with sad people. Especially when she had an inkling it was all her fault. She didn't know how, but it felt so. "I brought an apple too..."

Malfoy grunted. "I don't want an apple."

Astrid merely blinked in response. Having stood there a few seconds longer, she took note of the still opened door and moved to push it close quietly. The door clicked and all sounds from the boys' dormitories' corridor and the common room droned out, leaving the two teens in silence, reflecting all their actions loads too loudly. Another hushed sniffle could be heard as Astrid placed the plates of food on a random chest of drawers.

"Malfoy..."

"Leave me alone!"

"Was that a letter?" she took a wary step forwards.

"Piss off, Ninomae!"

"From your father-"

"I said skrat, Ninomae!" Malfoy whipped around furiously and the strength of his glare made her take a small step back. Astrid tried to concentrate on the anger, attempting to make herself feel less pathetic and more angered with his tone, but she couldn't. His eyes were way redder than usual - the obvious result of being rubbed too much in hopes of stopping the tear flow that had overtook them just before she had entered - and that was all she could see.

Her face fell and the boy frowned, sniffling again, quickly wiping under one of his eyes and whipping back around to rearrange stuff on the worktable of the room. A worktable Astrid had never seen being anything but perfectly organised - the same as it was then.

She remained in her spot, eyeing him carefully, her mind scrambling about for any suitable course of action. It was hard to think of one when she didn't even know what truly was at fault. If it was her that had upset him, the lad would not want to even talk to her. Although... taken into account he was weeping, he probably wouldn't want her to see him regardless. But if it was something about his father, maybe he would want her to comfort him. Not that she even knew how to do that... 

Astrid took a hesitant step backwards. 

She could just leave and come back later... Personally, she would hate to be seen crying and she had no doubt the lad did too. 

But then she stepped forward again. Because, no, she couldn't leave. As much as she wanted to, she couldn't bring herself to do so. It felt wrong. A small voice inside her was screaming at her to do just that - run - but she couldn't. Her mind and heart were on great battleground; her gut was telling her to stay.