~His Hufflepuff~ Draco Malfoy

~7~

***
The Slytherin boy walked out of the castle many called school and followed the headmasters directions. Walking to the side of the castle on the right, he found a small lake, small in comparison to the Black lake, and towering trees. Tucked in between the trees on the other side of the lake, he saw a house. It was quite a small looking house from the outside, overgrown with ivy and vines that climbed up and around the walls of the building. Flowers grew along the edges of the area, vibrant with colors that seem to brighten up the dark forest around them.

Walking up to the cottage door, he knocked hesitantly and waited for a respond that came almost immediately. "It's always open!" That was definitely the Hufflepuff he was looking for.

What Draco learned quickly was the outside of The Sanctum didn't do justice for what was on the inside. For starters it was so much bigger on the inside of the little cottage outside. The room was full of plants that lined the walls, potted plants hung from the ceiling, and a few petal feys flew around the room making flower bloom as their little hands traced the edges of the petals. The most of the walls were glass as the about to set sun was making the room glow even more. It was beautiful.

While looking around he spotted Astrid, Her very distinctive white hair giving away her position. She was on her tip-toes reaching up to one of the hanging pots as she clipped the dead leaves off the plant. She whipped her head around to look at who came in. A smile etching its way onto her lips and she saw the familiar face, "Hello Malfoy!"

Lowering her body as she finished her trimming, Astrid walking over to the platinum haired boy and gestured to the work table that had books, parchment and quills. There was silence for a few seconds after Draco had sat down and the girl was still walking around while tending to the plants. "Not to sound rude or anything but is there a reason that you came here. People don't normally stumble into this place." She said with a little giggle.

"Well, I-I was looking for you, you know after what happened t-today in class. I wanted to know if you needed-d help with anything.." his excuse was ridiculous. How was he supposed to explain to her, A girl that he didn't know enough about, that he just want to see her? She looked at him in surprise for a few seconds before looking down and giggling to herself before looking back up and smiling at him.

"Well, I think that even if I needed help, you might not be able to help me." She said gesturing to his arm that was in a sling. He turned red from embarrassment. 'Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!'

Astrid noticed the red tomato blush that creeped up his neck that she had seen other boys before, 'Are they sick?'

"But than you for offering. Don't worry I'm a big girl. I can do this. I have been doing it for most of my life." She trying to break to boy sitting at her desks trance. Which it did, he broke into a small smile.

Which quickly fell when he heard a low growl come from next to him. Laying on the ground was a jaguar-like creature that was large, with a barrel like chest and fore paws. It was covered in shaggy white fur with dark grey spots, and a some what flat face, with a wide mouth that has multiple rows of teeth. It's long tail was wrapping down it's body. What he seemed to notice was that the intimidating creature had a bandage wrapped around one of its legs.

Astrid heard the growl come from the creature and turned back to him, "Don't mind him. He's mad at me because he hurt him self and I won't let him outside." The creature stuck it's long tongue out at her which she returned teasingly.

Draco watched the strange scene in front of him and wondered about a lot of things. Why DID he want to see her? Why does she have this place? What even is this place? What is the creatu-

"You came here to talk, did you not?" Her soft airy voice snapped him out of his thoughts as he looked up from his lap to see her looking at him with a curious face before she turned back to the plant she was spraying with a water bottle. "N-no, what would make you say that?"

She shrugged, not looking up from her plant as she continued what she was doing, "Well that's why most people come here. You know to relax and get away from all the studying and tests."

He let out a sigh before starting, "I-I...I don't know why I came here. I just kind of wanted to talk with you more after what happened in Care of Magical Creatures then that bloody chicken-" His last words turned spitefully before he was cut off by the white haired hufflepuff.

"Wait a minute.. let me ask you something really quick. If someone threatened you, what would you do?" She asked looking at him. The Slytherin looked at her curiously. What? Why would she ask such a silly question?

"Well I would pull out my wand an-" he cut himself off when he saw the look on Astrids face. She had her head tilted and her eyebrow rised. 'Oh.'

"Yeah, see, Buckbeak was defending himself because he saw you as a threat. But he doesn't have a wand and I'm sure he would have told you that if he could articulate it into words." Draco laughed along with her at the last part of her sentence.

The pair talked until sundown. Talking about anything and everything...well, maybe not everything but most. He understood what Astrid was saying about Buckbeak and on the inside he...kind of...felt bad for what he did.

But thing he was starting to regret was...
He had already told his father.