A Small Bite 2.0

1. Third Year

On the first day of September, Draco Malfoy was on the Hogwarts Express with his friends Pansy Parkinson, Blaise Zabini, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle.

The blonde was reading a potion book - or what seemed like a potion book, while in reality, it was a book about werewolves disguised - while the others were talking about their summers.

«My mom's new boyfriend seems cool. He treats her right and he's good at Quidditch. I hope this one will last more than six months,» was saying Blaise the moment Draco started listening to them again.

He shifted his leg in a more comfortable position. His family healer did a great job at closing the wound, but when he put weight on it for too long it still hurt.

«How was your summer, Draco?» asked Pansy. She was sitting close to the platinum blond. Some people could have thought they weren't just friends, but neither of them cared. They tried being together the year before, but it only lasted about three months.

The day he was about to quit with her she did the job for him, telling him she had a crush on a girl.

Since then they became best friends.
He wasn't interested in her and she wasn't interested in him.
It was perfect.

Too bad that girl rejected Pansy.

«Oh, you know, the same as usual» replied Draco, putting a bookmark and closing his book. He would continue later. «We have a new house-elf. This one does his job almost well, unlike the last one»

Except, that wasn't everything. He omitted the part where he was kidnapped. He left out when he was left on the carpet of the main hall, bleeding and slowly turning into a monster. He didn't talk about the look his father gave him when he woke up, about the disgust in his voice when he told him «You're a werewolf».

He didn't have permission to say all of that.

«How did you lose the other one?» asked Blaise, trying to hide his laughter. How could someone lose a house-elf? They always follow their master like dogs, it was practically impossible to lose one.

«I don't know. The only thing my father told me is that we changed house elf» replied Draco, shrugging. He didn't care which house-elf he had; if they did their job, they were good.

They talked about useless things for hours, like Vincent and Gregory playing Quidditch and Pansy having a summer adventure with someone - she never specified the gender, gaining curious looks from her friends.

She described it as "exciting" since her partner had been a muggle. She found it thrilling, having to sneak out of her Manor and hide it from her relatives.
«Too bad it had to end,» she said, ending the conversation.

Without other topics to talk about, they stayed in silence for a few minutes.

Draco didn't know if he should continue reading or find something to talk about when an idea formed in his head.

«Guys I'm bored, let's walk around the train,» he asked.
«Do you mean, by chance, 'Let's visit Pottah?'» said Pansy, mimicking Draco's voice at the end. He hated to admit it, but her imitation sounded just like his voice.
The other boys snickered, while the only girl in the group wore a proud smile.

«Very funny,» said Draco sarcastically. «Do you want to come or not?»

Vincent and Gregory rose from their seats, while the other two remained where they were.

«I'll pass,» she said.
«Me too, mate» added the dark-skinned boy.

The blond shrugged and left with the big boys behind him.