Mudblood

Return To Hogwarts

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Lyssa was the first student to arrive on platform 9¾ that year. September 1st was a Wednesday this year, which meant that when her father dropped her off it was on his way to work. So Lyssa sat in a compartment by herself for a couple of hours before any other students started to trickle in. She didn't really mind, however, her indeterminate return had put her behind in her summer reading. Lyssa had definitely been right on the cusp of not returning this year.

It was about quarter to ten when the compartment door slid open. Lyssa looked up from her divination book. Malfoy didn't even acknowledge her as he closed the compartment door, a bit too forcefully mind you, and sat down across from her in a huff.

"Long summer?" She smirked as he slid down in his seat and crossed his arms.

"Long bloody life," he grumbled. This made Lyssa laugh.

"Well can you put the self pity on the back burner? You're bad enough company when you're happy." Lyssa chidded. Malfoy didn't respond, instead rolling his eyes.

Lyssa took this as her cue to resume reading. This would have been an adequate arrangement if it was not for the fact that Malfoy spent the next ten minutes sighing and muttering to himself. It was after the third wistful sigh that Lyssa slammed her book closed and looked at him.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She sighed. Playing therapist with Draco Malfoy was not something Lyssa wished to do but she had resolved to see if she could make Malfoy at least somewhat tolerable this year.

"Where did you get the idea that I want to talk to you?" he scoffed.

"Well you came into my compartment and started throwing yourself a pity party, I just wanted to finish my reading." Lyssa pointed out.

"No one else is here yet," he grumbled. At this Lyssa quirked her eyebrow at him. "Fine," he whined.

Malfoy dove into a very long winded explanation of all the things that made his summer awful. Apparently, his father was dismissed as a Hogwarts governor just before the end of school and things just piled on from there.

"And on top of all that Potter freed our house elf." Malfoy sat back and crossed his arms satisfied that Lyssa would now validate his plight.

"Oh no!" Lyssa mocked, "How ever will you afford to pay someone to replace them," she said sarcastically. While she could be sympathetic about sub par parents, Lyssa was not going to pretend she was all that upset that the Malfoys had lost their slave.

"Well that's not the point is it!" Malfoy snapped at her. Lyssa sighed.

"Look Malfoy, I get that your summer kind of sucked, but grow up and stop whining. It's what the rest of us do." For the first time since entering the compartment Malfoy's face made an expression other than displeasure.

"What'd you mean?" He asked.

"Everyone's got problems in their life, but wallowing in self pity doesn't make anything better." She told him.

"Whatever," he said. He looked around for a change of subject, upon noticing the book in Lyssa's lap he questioned her. "Taking divination then?"

"Yeah, I'm not really looking forward to it, if I'm honest," she shrugged.

"Me either, but I needed a third elective." He confessed.

"Same story, I flipped a coin." Draco nodded in understanding.

"What are your other two then?" He asked her.

"Care of Magical Creatures and Ancient Runes, yours?" She questioned.