they were just kids [draco malfoy]

Year 2 - 13

Two words... Valentine's day.

What is Valentine's day? Astrid wasn't so sure. Day of love? Perhaps. An excuse to shamelessly snog your partner in public? Also liable. In her household, Valentine's day had never been too special of an occasion. Her father usually took her mother out for dinner and sometimes Astrid would find some chocolate candies lying around the house. And that was pretty much it.

Here in Hogwarts, it was different. Way different. 

They were all teens or preteens entering or going through puberty, trying to figure out their place in the world and where the opposite gender stood in that whole picture. Valentine's day was like a big fat finger pointing at you and saying that there is no other way to live in this world than with a special somebody right by your side. 

Astrid didn't find the idea of having to depend on another rather appealing, but on that particular day, it was very clear who did. Many, many girls seemed to be bubbling with excitement about whether or not somebody would gift them anything. On her way to breakfast alone Astrid had already seen at least 2 girls squeal with excitement as another grinning boy gave them a present, as well as 3 snogging couples. It was revolting... for the most part. And Astrid prayed to never become as giggly as the girls around her.

It took less than 5 minutes for her to break her newmade promise. Though, she was giggling for an entirely different reason.

She and Daphne made their way into Great Hall for breakfast together, as they did every single morning. Daphne wasn't as bubbly as the other girls but Astrid still could see that her friend was excited. Somehow over the Christmas break, Daphne had partially morphed into Pansy and developed a stronger interest in boys. She had on many occasions attempted to discuss the boys in their school with Astrid but the latter wasn't very interested in those types of conversations. Still... they both knew a thing or two about Pansy and boys and that was exactly why they had decided to do what they did.

The two sat down in their usual spot at the table and Astrid crammed eggs and bacon onto her plate. In her opinion breakfast was the most important meal of the day and she didn't understand how others, take Tracey for example, could manage with a simple piece of toast and a cup of tea. But then Astrid supposed, Tracey usually spent her days sat in some corner and reading; Astrid was a tad bit more active. But it wasn't just that that surprised her. Astrid also liked the taste of food very much and she didn't understand why some others didn't want it. Astrid had never been a picky eater and she had a hard time grasping why other's were. Besides, breakfast at Hogwarts was like breakfast in some fancy hotel, only way better. Here (as she had learned from Harry) the food never got cold, it never ran out of stock, and there were just SO many options.

Astrid was pulled out of her thoughts by the sound of owls hooting and swishing their wings above her head. She smirked and for once that day, she was just as giddy and excited as the other students in the Hall. 

As always on Valentine's day, the letters tied to the legs of the owls were of a considerably higher amount than usual. Astrid listened to the gasps and giggles around the room but her own eyes were plastered on Pansy. The girl's owl had also come swooping in holding one very special letter. Astrid exchanged a glance with Daphne and they laughed quietly when they heard Parkinson gasp.

She had received a letter from none other than Draco Malfoy himself and as Astrid continued eating her breakfast the bacon had never tasted as good as it did just then.

The letter described in detail how much Malfoy fancied Parkinson and how beautiful he found her, while also saying that he was scared of his feelings and feared other's finding out. He wrote that he couldn't hold it all in bottled up anymore so he had decided to finally admit his feelings to her but that he would still very much like to keep it as their own little secret. He wanted her to be his secret lover.