How it Should Have Been

The Train

Draco leant in and gave his father a rare goodbye hug, and offered his mother a pale cheek to kiss. When she tried to stroke his gelled, blond hair, he pushed her hand away and she smiled because she understood. Draco was nervous. He wanted to make a good first impression. 

Platform nine and three quarters was bustling with witches and wizards of all ages. The time had come once again for the Hogwarts school year to begin. This year a member of the Malfoy family was returning to the castle, and he was determined to uphold his family's prestigious reputation whilst he was there. All the other students in his year were bound to recognise his superiority. Draco said one last goodbye and picked up his bag, leaving his trunk on the platform. He took a deep breath and stepped into the train. 

His friends Crabbe and Goyle immediately hailed him from a carriage they'd found. Draco was lucky enough to know people before the year began- some witches and wizards weren't so lucky and had to brave the train on their own. As they were joined by Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson- two other first years from pureblood families- Draco stared out the window at those who still had to board the train. 

Someone caught his eye. He saw a girl standing by herself, looking at the train. Her eyes were proud and her expression was determined, but her hands gripped her bag so tightly that her knuckles were clearly white even from where Draco was standing. She was terrified, but she didn't want to show it. Draco begrudgingly respected her for that. He examined her more closely. Her hair was extremely bushy, a fact that probably wasn't helped by the humidity of the platform. It was a nice brown colour though, and Draco momentarily found himself wondering what it would feel like to touch. Her face wasn't that outstanding- there were probably prettier girls at Hogwarts but for some reason, he felt himself wanting to get closer to it so he could examine it in more detail. 

    "Oi Draco, what're you starin' at?" Blaise leaned forward so his face was nearly pressed against the glass, squinting out at the station. But the girl was gone. 

    "You should be more excited Draco," Pansy said, grinning at him. "Hogwarts is going to be so much fun! I can't wait until we're all sorted into Slytherin together." Draco nodded absentmindedly. Pansy had had a crush on him since they were small children, but Draco had never liked her in that way. Maybe if she had brown hair... slightly bushier... Stop! Draco shook his head. What on earth was going on? He'd seen this girl's face for what? Five seconds? And now he was comparing her to Pansy? He was being ridiculous. Besides, she obviously wasn't a pureblood wizard otherwise he would have known who she was. She was probably a muggle-born since her parents weren't on the platform. That was enough to make his lip curl. Thinking about a mudblood Draco... what would your father say. Focus on Pansy. She's a better match for you any day. Not that he liked the brown haired girl or anything! She was just... interesting to look at. But mudbloods weren't even worth looking at and Draco knew this. He'd been brought up knowing this. So he cleared her completely out of his mind and focused on the people inside the carriage- his friends. 

The train ride hadn't been going on for very long when he looked out the carriage doors and saw the girl again. She looked more at ease now, but still very confident. She was talking to another boy who Draco vaguely recognised. Whoever he was, he seemed distressed.  If only Crabbe and Goyle would stop fighting over who got the last chocolate frog he could hear what they were saying. Not that he cared. He just wanted to know what she sounded like. Draco! The voice in his head took on a tone similar to his fathers. It's just the nerves. There are so many new people... I'm going to find out what she sounds like sooner or later so what's wrong with knowing now? I'm not interested because I want to know her... if anything knowing what she sounds like will help me avoid her! His inner reasoning silenced the voice and he sat back in his seat, refusing to look into the hallway. But when he heard the carriage door open his neck whipped around so fast the boy standing in the doorway looked at him, shocked. A brief feeling of disappointment that it wasn't the girl filled Draco for a second, but he pushed it away.