Interstellar || Draco Malfoy

7 || Second Summer

During the summer spent with the Weasley's, Desdemona hardly left the room she shared with little Ginny Weasley. Both girls found a kinship with each other; they were both quiet and reserved, and loved the sport of quidditch. Eventually, the outspoken Weasley girl dragged Desdemona outside and forced her to play a game of quidditch with her family.

Molly Weasley smiled fondly at the girl, glad that she was finally coming out of her shell- even if it was so late in the summer. The Weasley children all tried to convince Desdemona to let them ride her new broom, but she refused to share. The elegant broom was special to the girl, and she wanted to be the only one to use it.

During the summer, Desdemona received two letters from Draco Malfoy. The first letter was filled with questions about her summer and if she'd tested out her new broom. She responded with excitement about the rush riding her broom gave her, and expressed to Draco how strange it was to be spending the summer with the Weasley's. She told the boy about how the rowdy redheads managed to drag her out to their field to play her first game of quidditch. Desdemona asked Draco about his summer, and, again, thanked him for the broom.

The second letter Desdemona received from Draco was far less civil. The owl that brought the post was angry, and nipped at Desdemona's fingers before squawking and flying away. The letter she'd received had been no bigger than a scrap of paper, ripped off a larger piece of parchment and scrawled across in haste. The spare bit of parchment was folded haphazardly, and when Desdemona unfolded it, she was left confused. The note simply read "You are a blood traitor, Littlesea.", and that was it. Although she was new to the world of magic, she couldn't stop the feeling of hurt that came as she read the note again and again.

On a trip to Diagon Alley- one that was meant to purchase her newest list of school supplies- Desdemona asked the Weasley twins what a blood traitor was. They'd tensed, ready to defend themselves and their family as soon as the words left their Slytherin ward's mouth. However, once they noted Desdemona's curious and hurt expression, they'd questioned why she wanted to know.

Instead of speaking the words, Desdemona handed the Weasley twins the note Draco sent. She kept it in her pocket, carrying the words on her shoulders and in her pocket. The twins explained to Desdemona what the words meant, and their definition made the girl sick to her stomach. She couldn't understand why being friends with- or even simply associating with- muggles was seen as something bad.

She spent the rest of her trip in Diagon Alley blindly following after the Weasley's. She had become distracted, racking her brain for an explanation as to why anyone would view another to be lower than they are. Although she had lived the last two terms with prejudiced Slytherins, Desdemona couldn't find it within herself to put others down for being born a certain way.

When the time came to return to Hogwarts, Desdemona caged Lucina- much to the disappointment of the free-flying bird- and trailed behind Molly at King's Cross station. The Weasley twins each had a hold of one of her shoulders, protecting the smaller girl from the bustling muggle crowd. Once they made it onto Platform 9 ¾, Desdemona broke away from the Weasley's and boarded the Hogwarts express. She settled herself and Lucina into an empty compartment, pulling the book she'd received from Molly as a birthday gift out of her trunk. She opened it to the last page she left off, falling into the fictional world.

Desdemona was so oblivious to the world, that she didn't notice the compartment door open and shut again. She hadn't noticed the troublesome trio settle noisily into the bench across from her. And she most definitely didn't take notice of the guilty look in Draco Malfoy's eyes as he took in the sight of her.

"Desdemona?" Draco spoke, startling the girl. She jumped at the sound of his voice, placing her bookmark in between the pages of her book before meeting the blonde boy's eyes.

"Yes?" Desdemona asked, closing the book and sliding it beside Lucina's cage.

"I'm sorry for calling you a blood traitor." Draco apologized, quickly averting his gaze from her intense stare. "I know you were only with the Weasley's because Dumbledore told you to."

"Oh," Desdemona laughed lightly, opening her book back up. "That's okay, Draco."

"Really?" Draco questioned, a hopeful glint in his eyes.

"No." Desdemona hissed, glaring at the blonde boy. "Keep your opinions on blood status away from me. And while you're at it, you keep away from me as well."

Draco's eyes widened at the girl, dumbfounded by the way she had spoken to him. His mouth opened, and he frantically searched for the right words to say.

"Desde-" Draco tried to appeal to the girl, but he was promptly cut off.

"For all I know, I could be a muggle born witch. Yet, here you are, attempting to befriend me like I'm just another pureblooded Slytherin. The way you think, and the way you prioritize one status above another makes me sick." Desdemona stated harshly, not bothering to look up from her book. Before Draco could try to reason with Desdemona, the Hogwarts Express slowed to a stop and the lights cut out.