they were just kids [draco malfoy]

Year 5 - 114

Astrid had always liked pickles. Though they tasted especially good when one was a little tipsy and most definitely hungry. Six hours had passed since she had had dinner after all and with all the dancing, gossiping in the bathrooms or annoying people that she had done, she needed a refill of energy.

Pickles. That's exactly why she and Pansy were stood by the snack table, eating up the remains of the pickles as they silently watched the party going on. The way she was holding onto the table, it was obvious Pansy was a little more intoxicated than Astrid was. The statement that vodka ran through Astrid's blood hadn't been all that false considering that it really took quite a lot for her to properly get drunk. Not that she had even wanted it that evening. Pansy on the other hand... smaller in size than Astrid too - the girl had a harder time handling alcohol.

But Astrid didn't mind just standing there next to her friend. Parkinson had always been a rather amusing drunk. Blabbering about everything and anything on her mind. Astrid always had loads of fun with that.

Parties weren't held as often as one would think boarding schools held such. In fact, those were quite a rarity, considering the trouble they would get in if they ever got caught. Well... that's if one was talking of big gathering parties. Parties of smaller scale like hanging out in dorms happened all the time, but those with more people were quite rare. Two or three per year at best. Therefore when such happened, students gave their best at socialising and enjoying themselves. Although everyone seemingly already knew everyone, somehow a whole bunch of new friendships were born after these.

But Astrid wasn't an especially meeting-new-friends type. She had never really looked for any kinds of relationships. Ever since she had been little, she had never really considered needing such. But as they came, she only found fun in them and decided to keep such in her life. Although she wasn't ever scared to talk or express herself, she seldom put that energy into talking with new people. She had her group of friends and she was good with that.

Pansy moved her hand to brush some hair out of Astrid's face while the latter bit down on a pickle. Nothing but an amused laugh skipped past Astrid's lips as the raven-haired girl did so because Astrid was actually quite used to her doing that. It was odd, but more and more she began to understand that people really liked touch. Daphne touched while she laughed. Pansy just did so very often for no particular reason. Malfoy enjoyed touching her specifically - sneaking a hand around her waist or placing it on her knee, small things here and there, but when they were alone together there was always a little something. Mills gave breathtaking hugs and always touched and stroked people if they looked to be sad. Theo always touched and poked people when he was excited or filled with energy. Blaise always had his arm around Daphne if they weren't sitting in public. Although her younger self hadn't liked touch very much, her older self was certainly growing to enjoy it.

"Bangs always looked better on you than they ever did on me," Pansy spoke and once Astrid turned to look at her, she could see the girl staring off almost dreamily, her hand still touching a strand of her hair.

She bit down on her lip, trying to find a humble way to agree. It wasn't that Astrid had something against Pansy's prior hairstyles but Astrid did really like the way bangs looked on herself personally. The way they had looked on Pansy back in third year had forever been an ongoing joke of the dorm. Looking over her face, Astrid considered that perhaps now the hairstyle would look different, but Pansy had made them all know that she would never in her wildest dreams cut herself bangs again.

"I've always been envious of you." 

Astrid merely laughed in response, taking a bite of her pickle. "Why?" she swallowed and then threw the rest of the vegetable into her mouth to chew. "Merlin these are good..."