they were just kids [draco malfoy]

Year 3 - 29

"What's going on?" Astrid questioned softly as she took a step to stand next to her group of friends.

"Piss off!" Pansy instantly yelled before she had even turned around from shooing away some other kids. But when her eyes registered it was Astrid she instantly shut her mouth. "Oi," she spoke a little startled but then regained control of herself. "Yea, um, you can shoo too, I don't like you anyway."

"Thank you, Parkinson, for the warm greeting to one of the glorious winners of today's match," Astrid was ready to joke about anything just so she wouldn't have to deal with the crying child. She had never been good with emotions. "I thought you said Quidditch players were 'totally' your type."

"Boys, not girls."

"So you'd fancy me if I was a bloke."

Pansy frowned then looked down at her hands before stuttering out a venomous. "I, khem, stop being so w-weird."

Rosier perked up from her intense glaring at the wall opposite her and raised an eyebrow at Parkinson, suddenly interested to analyze the girl's words and movements

But Astrid had already lost interest as she had turned to the crying child - a little raven-haired boy she had never seen before - who was wiping at his eyes as he looked up at Astrid. The boy was ashamed so many people had seen him cry. His Hufflepuff brother would've already told him he is a wuss five times over. Not that he hadn't heard his fair share of the insult from some Slytherins as well, one of them being the notorious blonde who was stood sipping on his drink, his arms crossed, as he watched his girl quidditch teammate look at the small boy.

But then... the things that other girl had told him, hurt his little heart terribly. Being the only Slytherin in the family had been shocking on itself but hearing his worries voiced and yelled at him, had been terrifying. The girl herself had been terrifying.

Astrid looked at Daphne, then Mills, hoping someone would just explain what was happening. She couldn't find it in her to lower her tone of voice into a sweet tone to ask the question herself. Astrid found it a little ridiculous when people did so unironically. But then again she couldn't just ask in her normal everyday tone as that would probably come off as too aggressive and people didn't talk like that to crying children. It wasn't proper. 

"Some Ravenclaw attacked the little shit after the game. Honestly, he's just-"

"Shut up!" Mills glared at Malfoy who rolled his eyes and shook his head in response. In Draco's defence, Millicent instantly got a small push from the side from Pansy. That made Mills lower her gaze slightly. 

Astrid ignored Malfoy altogether and looked at the boy instead.

"What happened?" she finally asked, giving up, and Draco had the biggest urge to scoff at the soft tone of voice Ninomae was using. Like talking to some baby. The boy, Brian or whatever his name was, had to man up, not be babied by some 3rd-year girls. It was bad enough he was crying already.

"T-this," Brian stuttered and Draco almost flipped his drink at the way he was talking, "Ravenclaw girl."

Astrid glanced at Rosier who understood her question without a thing needing to be said. 

"Kruz Raidlly," came her quiet answer as Astrid turned back to listen to the boy.

"I, I was walking back here after the game and I didn't see her come out of the room. And," he sniffled, "I bumped into her. And, and, she called me, called me a filthy Slytherin, she pushed me and then said I was a weak, stupid mudblood," the boy was close to crying again, "and I'm not even a mudblood."

Astrid almost rolled her eyes. And that's what you're worried about...

"She called all Slytherins scum and that I will never result to anything in life and, and, and, I'm sorry," he spoke as another tear escaped his eye, "I shouldn't be crying. I'm stupid."