~golden honey~

Chapter 1: Origins

I still remember seeing him for the first time. We were seven years old, and I saw his little blonde head hanging low while sitting on a bench next to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. "I'll be right back, mum," I told her. I ran towards him before she could say anything. I dodged dozens of witches and wizards carrying bags of various goods and supplies, even nearly knocking down a man with a tall brown owl perched on his arm. Breathless, I tapped him on the shoulder and asked, "Why are you sitting all alone?" He looked up at me sadly with tears in his eyes and said, "I don't have any friends." Even in childhood, I knew how upsetting it was to have no friends, as I myself only had one. "Oh," I said, "I'm sorry." I began to turn away, when I realized I could help both of us.
"I'll be your friend," I announced, more confident than usual.
"Really?" He asked as though not believing me. I nodded my head giddily. I was getting a new friend!
"Well I'm Malfoy. Draco Malfoy," he stated, sticking his hand out for me to shake.
"I'm Estelle," I laughed and pulled him into a bone crushing hug.
...
As time progressed, Draco and I spent more and more time together. We had our pureblood heritage in common, and by eight years old, we knew everything about each other. I learned his favorite snacks and quidditch teams, as he started to remember my favorite books and colors. At nine years old, Draco and I had developed an innocent childhood crush on each other.
"I'm gonna marry you one day, Draco!"
"Not if I marry you first, Honey!"
"What did you just call me?"
"Honey! Like your hair!"
"I like that," I said, smiling uncontrollably. Violetta Beauvais, another pureblood girl our age that we had grown close to, officiated a pretend wedding ceremony for us at Malfoy Manor, giggling through the whole event. It was the happiest I had ever been, laughing with my two best friends. Yet another year went by, and Draco and I vowed to always stay best friends. This promise slowly became harder and harder to believe as he introduced me to his new friends, set up by his father, Lucius Malfoy. Draco began spending time with Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, and Pansy Parkinson. He left me behind with only Violetta, which I didn't mind too much, but something about his new "clique" bothered me. Despite this, Draco and I still found time to talk, and remained as connected as ever.
On my tenth birthday, Draco gave me the best birthday I have ever received.
"What is it?" I asked Draco as he handed me a bright blue box with a silver bow.
"Happy Birthday," was all he responded with. He had a slight smirk on his face and I began to wonder if I should actually open the box. Putting the my worries aside, I tore at the blue paper and opened the box and nestled inside was a pear shaped, honey yellow, necklace.
"It's honey colored, like your hair!" He whispered quite timidly, which was unlike him, but I just beamed.
"I love it Blondie!" I screeched as I pulled him into a bear hug.
"Blondie?" He questioned, his face lost in my mess of honey hair.
"Blondie, like your hair," I replied squeezing him tighter. The rest of a year was a blur, Draco had started to spend more and more time with bullies. That's what they were, they tormented Violetta and me relentlessly. Whether it be for her glasses, or my always untidy hair, the things they said went unchecked. Not even Draco could stand up to them. I was beginning to worry that he was going to forget all about me until it came. Yes, the big it. The "it" that was going to change my life. My Hogwarts letter.
"Blondie! I have news!" I screamed swinging the front doors of the Malfoy Manor wide open. Miss Cissy looked at me with mad eyes, until she realized who I was, and then her expression softened.
"He's in the garden, dear," she told me with her molasses-like tone.
"Thank you!" I squealed running through the mansion into the enormous garden.
"Blondie!" I exclaimed and ran up to my best friend. I shoved the envelope into his hand.
"Honey!" He responded and pulled out an envelope from his back pocket and gave it to me.
"Ready?" I asked. He nodded in response. I was extremely nervous, maybe it wasn't my Hogwarts letter. Maybe they were writing to tell me I was a Squib.
"Honey!" Draco yelled, a smile plastered on his face.
"We're going to Hogwarts!" He yelped with both letters in his hand.
We had spent the rest of that summer together up until our Sorting. Draco and I just knew we were going to be in Slytherin together. Everything shifted when we weren't.