Just Hold On

It was the day she returned to Hogwarts for her sixth year.

Danielle boarded the Hogwarts Express, glancing through different compartments to seek out any familiar faces. When she found just who she was looking for, she slid the door open with a cheeky grin plastered across her flawless features.

“This is rubbish,” the girl who sat closest to the window spat out the odd looking food in her mouth, chucking the rest through the window. “I haven’t a clue what the bloody hell mum is trying to poison me with.”

“It’s probably to get you to stop running that mouth of yours so much, yeah?” The guy across said with a roll of his eyes until they landed on Danielle’s amused figure in the doorway. “Dani!” He stood up from his seat, wrapping his masculine arms around her tiny frame to which she squeezed back with much force. “We missed you over the break.”

“Yeah?” She smiled, having missed her two best friends as well since she spent her entire break in Paris with her parents. “It just wasn’t the same without the two of you. Paris was beautiful though, but I wish you both could have joined.”

“Why couldn’t we anyway?” The girl asked as she picked at her nails.

Danielle arched an eyebrow, “You don’t exactly get along with my mum, Becca.”

“That’s a shocker,” the guy mumbled, causing her to chuckle slightly.

“Bollocks, your mum loves me,” Becca smirked.

“Yes, because she just loves the string of profanities you come with,”

“Shut it, Cole,” Becca glared at him. This is what happens when her two best friends are siblings. Except Cole was going into his last year, making him the oldest of the group. “Anyway, where’s that chosen boyfriend of yours at?”

Danielle frowned, “No idea. He hasn’t owled me at all while I was in Paris. Probably still hung up on everything that happened.” She took a seat beside Cole. “I don’t want to smother him. I’m sure he got loads of it from Granger and Weasley.”

“Which Weasley?” Becca gave her poor friend a devious look, only to receive a scowl in return.

“That’s not funny, Rebecca,” Danielle leaned back in her seat. “He told me he had no feelings for her.”

“Of course he would say that to you,” Becca rolled her eyes at the denial. “What sane boyfriend would tell the truth about that?”

“Harry’s an honest guy,” she defended.

“Yeah, and I’m the world’s most likeable person,”

“I’m going to go change,” Danielle got to her feet; exiting the compartment quickly since she was quite upset over the accusations from her best friend.

It’s not that she was in denial or anything. There was no reason to be worried about Harry and Ginny. He gave her his word and she trusted him. Plus, there were rumors going around that Ginny and Dean Thomas got together. Although there was a part of her that could see the way little Ginny Weasley stared at him with such longing. She shook her head, desperately shaking the thoughts out, but in the midst of it all; she collided into someone. Hard.

“Bloody hell,” a sultry voice floated through her ears, but it was one she’s heard many times before.

Her eyes fell on his tall figure, watching as he rubbed his chest with a sour expression on that pale complexion of his. “Sorry.” She apologized softly, giving him an apologetic smile.

“Watch where you’re –

His stormy eyes landed on her vibrant blues, widening for a split second before clearing his throat, “Winfield.”

“Ah, I see you’ve finally figured it out,” she nodded her head, biting down on her lip to refrain from smiling at the remembrance of their short time together not too long ago.

He pressed his lips together, shoving his hands into his pockets as he leaned against the wall. “Didn’t take long, to be honest.”

“Oh? Sure seemed long while we were talking.” She tilted her head as her lips tugged upwards.

“Probably wouldn’t have talked to you if I had realized sooner,” he mumbled, averting his attention away, staring at a random spot on the wall.

Her smile faltered. They stood there in silence for a moment, feeling the tension rise with each passing second. She couldn’t stand it any longer. “Well, I’m sorry for bumping into you. I’ll watch where I’m going next time.” She made her way around him towards the loo, but his hand reached out for her wrist before she got in two steps. She felt chills throughout her body at his cool touch, eyes slowly roaming up to his in shock.

A pained look flickered across his handsome face, but it was shortly replaced by one of confusion as he stared, wide-eyed at his hand around her wrist. She had to use every bit of strength in her body to suppress a laugh at his bewildered expression. Never has she seen Draco Malfoy speechless. It was as if he thought the same thing because he let go of her, straightening his body out like nothing happened.

“I should – well you should watch where you’re going next time. Wouldn’t want to meet like that again.”

“Am I sensing a nervous tone?”

He scoffed, “Nervous? Why would I be nervous?”

She shrugged, “It was just a question.” A door slid open not too far away from them, but the two kept each other’s gaze. She wasn’t going to lie. Draco Malfoy was extremely good-looking and he had every right to flaunt himself. Of course she was never going to feed into that huge ego. “I’ll see you around, Draco.” She gave him one last smile before turning around.

“Winfield,” he called after her.

She stopped once more. “Hmm?”

“Why do you keep calling me Draco?” He asked curiously.

“Is that not your name?”

He glared at her, “Your tool of a boyfriend seems to think otherwise.”

“I suppose you want me to call you a ferret then, eh?” She smirked.

He closed the distance between them. “I go by Malfoy to most people.”

“You do,” she nodded in agreement, “but I’m not most people.”

A smile appeared across his delicate lips briefly before realizing his mistake. It was odd experiencing this side of him, but something about it made him slightly more attractive to her. “There’s something about you, Winfield.” He whispered. He was very close to her, but for some reason; she didn’t mind it at all.

“I have to go,” she spoke softly this time, catching the faint scent of his cologne. “I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of each other around.” She took a couple of steps back, sending him another one of her smiles before turning around, but stopped abruptly. “Oh, and Draco?” Her head turned, back still facing him.

“Hmm?”

The corners of her mouth lifted, “My name’s Danielle.”