they were just kids [draco malfoy]

Year 5 - 109

Having just arrived back to school the first thing Draco did was write a note to Ninomae to meet him in Myrtle's bathroom.

The break had passed and the pathetic longing within him only intensified. He knew it shouldn't, but the not talking bothered him immensely and he wanted to set things back straight. Even if that meant him making the first move...

Draco had spent more than just a single day, sneaking off to London where not only had he gotten lost more times than he'd like to admit, but also where he had been desperately searching for the very vinyl Ninomae had mentioned wanting. 

Something the girl would call an adventure had been a horrible experience in the blonde's mind. He had touched so many muggles that he had had to spend an hour in the shower afterwards, scrubbing at his skin until he was sure there was no trace or smell left of them on him anymore. If his parents ever had even the slightest clue of what he had been doing, even worse for whom... well, Draco didn't even want to imagine what would happen to him then. Nothing pleasant certainly.

Nevertheless, he had found the bloody thing and had been surprised at the, in his mind, low price of it. When Ninomae had said she had been saving up for it the whole year, he hadn't expected it would take her that long to save up just roughly a hundred muggle pounds. But then again... for his standards the girl was poor - yet another reason she was the exact opposite of what he had forever been taught to strive for.

Five minutes had already passed and as the lad stood in the bathroom, he contemplated on whether perhaps Ninomae had decided to not show at all. Another five and Draco had sat down against one of the walls, feeling absolutely foolish for having bought the vinyl at all. Once Myrtle had come in, taunting him about the gift, he convinced himself further and further that it had been a stupid idea.

But then just as the boy had been about to leave, the door opened and in rushed a little dishevelled looking Astrid Ninomae.

"Pardon," she stopped, doing a finger-gun in the lad's direction, "I forgot." Astrid then paused, narrowing her eyes a little angrily. "Actually, no, I'm not sorry." She crossed her arms, raising her eyebrow challengingly. "I have nothing to be sorry for."

Draco decided he'd better do it quickly - before he had changed his mind. He knew if he thought about it too long he would chicken out just like with the Valentine's day gift he had almost given her.

The blonde rolled his eyes and pulled the vinyl from around his back.

He had never seen her as shocked as he saw her right then.

Ninomae had widened her eyes, her lips parted slightly as she read over the title of the vinyl that she had longed for entirely too long. besides the packaging looked fresh - nothing like the used one she had contemplated buying for its cheaper price.

"What- what is this?"

Just two days ago had she had been in the record store of hers and seen that the last vinyl had been purchased. She had been convinced she'd never actually get her darling. 

"I bought you the vinyl."

"Why?" she gasped, her eyes flickering from the object to look straight into his.

"Because you said you wanted it," Draco eyed her with his brows furrowed. Wasn't that what people usually did? 

"No," Astrid looked down at the vinyl again. As much as it hurt for her to deny, as much as Daphne would scold her for not taking the thing and just going with it, she knew she had to keep her dignity. "Malfoy, why? I'm still not talking to you."

"You are now..."

"Because you're confusing me!"

Draco scoffed, unable to understand what was so confusing. When he had been little his parents had always gifted him something if he was having a tantrum.