Magic | D. Malfoy

11. A bubble of our own

"I can't believe you actually did that."

Sophia didn't bother hiding her grin even though Draco didn't seem amused, watching her instead with pursed lips and a brow slightly raised. If anything, his reaction only made this funnier.

"I did! Dad seemed shocked too. I mean, who wouldn't be if their nine-year-old girl openly said she didn't like their Christmas present in their face." She smiled fondly. Draco couldn't quite understand what reason there was for her to be fond. "I told you I was really spoiled as a child, didn't I? That's just one instance of this."

"But it was Christmas, your father must have tried hard to find a good enough present."

"Yeah, probably," she shrugged, "nothing I can do about it now. No wonder he called me his little Princess."

"No wonder indeed," he shook his head. "On one hand I feel sorry for him but on the other he made you this way so this is all his fault."

"Glad to see you agree."

"It wasn't something you are supposed to be happy about."

Sophia beamed at him. "I promise I was better the next holidays. Mum also tried to discipline me somewhat and it kind of worked. That was around the time she met her now husband so I wasn't the only person in her life and that helped with the discipline part because I had less attention. Then I started maturing as I grew older so things weren't as tragic. I still thought it would be weird if they didn't get me a Christmas present, though."

"That's the example of what this holiday shouldn't be about."

"That's true," she shrugged, "what about your Christmas?"

"I spent it at home, they always got me expensive presents," he admitted, "I can't deny it, I was spoiled growing up too. Maybe I've had a tantrum due to a present I didn't like but I don't remember it."

"I don't remember it either but dad never fails to remind it so it's like I remember it," she laughed. She swang their joined hands back and forth, moved a bit closer when a kid with a skateboard got too close to comfort. They kept on walking by the lake of the park. This place was rapidly becoming the usual place they met up. 

"Do they still give you Christmas presents?"

"No, although it would have been fun," she beamed at him, "then again, they are paying for my stay at my apartment so I can't really complain."

Draco blinked. "They are paying for your apartment?"

"Yeah. When I first got into the academy we had this conversation about whether I would work to pay for the rent and the bills and the food and you know, everything, but for once my parents agreed on something and that was that I needed to focus on my studies and not on finding work. So they decided to cover all expanses. I try to not use much, of course, and I chose an apartment with two roomates because it was cheaper. Thankfully, I found Ashley and Nicole and everything turned out alright. What about you?"

"I started working the moment I finished school," he told her. That much, at least, was true. He would try not to lie, even though he knew that was easier said than done. "I gathered some money on my own but I also had an account in Gri-in a bank, so I had money."

"Cool," she nodded, "that is useful."

"It is," he couldn't help but agree. "I stayed with mother until now, though. I wanted to have enough money to buy the apartment on my own."

"That's really responsible of you," she sent him a smile. "What about your father?"

"We don't talk anymore."