snowflake

thirteen

October 11th, 1993

Elissia walked into the Great Hall for breakfast, sitting down at the Slytherin table next to Pansy and Daphne. Draco was already there, talking to Blaise about the next Quidditch game. She wasn't even halfway through her second bite of the bagel she was eating when Draco was suddenly sitting next to her, a small but also noticeable smile on his face.

She turned to him, setting the bagel down on the plate. "Good morning?" She said in a questioning tone. Draco felt his heart swell ever so slightly at this, it was a simple gesture; just her saying "Good morning," as a form of being respectful. So, why did it seem like so much to him?

"Good morning, Lissy." He replied without thinking. He watched as her eyes widened, unable to stop himself from wondering what he possibly could've done wrong this time.

"Lissy, huh? Are you guys at that stage already?" Pansy piped in, a knowing smirk was visible as she said this. Elissia raised her eyebrows at the black-haired girl, glancing amusedly towards Draco's slightly pink face.

She picked up her cup, smiling into it as she took a sip. "I don't know, Pans. Are we at that stage, Draco?" She asked teasingly, putting her cup down and looking back at Draco. His face flushed pinker, he kept opening his mouth and closing it, looking to be at a loss for words and extremely pressured.

"Erm— I, well, I just figured that—" He stammered, seeming unable to form a coherent sentence as of yet. Elissia smirked in amusement, nodding slowly as her silent way of telling him to continue.

Draco took a deep breath to calm his nerves, refusing to meet either of the girls' eyes. He exhaled deeply and opened his mouth again, "I don't know what you're referring to, Pansy. But, Liss- Elissia and I are just friends." He said at last.

Elissia couldn't deny that she felt a wave of disappointment rush through her. She wasn't sure why though, he clearly wasn't thinking straight when he called her by her nickname the first time, so how he was just correcting himself. It's not something to get upset over, and she wasn't upset about it.

Despite all this, she still had to shake the thoughts of disappointment away from her mind. Clearing her throat slightly, she picked her cup back up again.

"If we're "just friends", then why are you so flustered?" She asked, barely even joking now and genuinely wondering why he was so nervous.

Draco was desperately trying to keep himself calm. Although his hands felt clammy and a tad bit sweaty, and his cheeks were undoubtedly a shade of pink; that doesn't mean he can't still try to keep everything under the surface. Elissia was right, they were just friends, for the time being at least. He had a plan, however, and this was just step one that was completed. He still had a long way to go before he could call them more than enemies, and more than being "just friends".

Taking a deep breath in, he began to speak, "I'm not flustered, thank you very much." He rolled his eyes at Pansy's disagreeing snort beside him. "It's just too early in the morning for you to interrogate me about my life. Which is exactly why I will be heading to class now, goodbye nosy Pansy and goodbye Elissia."

He stood up and took his bag, offering another small smile and wink to Elissia as he left. Elissia's cheeks heated up a little, she watched him leave the Great Hall. Pansy rolled her eyes and threw a bagel at Elissia's arm. Elissia flinched and looked at Pansy with a glare, it didn't phase her friend though.

"What was that for?" She asked in annoyance, rubbing her arm where the bagel had landed.

Pansy raised her brows suggestively, not saying anything but somehow it made all the sense to Elissia, she sighed in exasperation and shook her head. "Don't give me that look! We both know I'm right." Pansy exclaimed, drawing out an imaginary heart in the air between them with her finger.