The Quidditch League Forum Competition Season 7 / Round 1

Position: Captain

Team: Kenmare Kestrels

Prompt - Write about a character talking their way out of a situation

This is dedicated to DragonMoonX. She saved me on this round. Thank you! If this wasn't for QLFC, I would've gone off on the cracky humor and added green peas somewhere.

Beta'd by: The cinnamon scented tiger (Cin) and the inauthentic taco eater (Rachyl) - you guys were amazing!

Draco didn't know what had possessed him to pick it up.

It was disgusting. Dirty and worn. It was unlike the toys that littered his bedroom at home. The toy broom sets and flickering tiny snitches that were shined like they had been polished. No, this was very unlike them, but despite that, there was something about the wide round eyes that compelled him to stop in the middle of the street and study the piece of junk.

In a moment of sudden impulsiveness, Draco snatched it from the ground and stuffed it in his pocket. With quick steps, he hurried after his parents before they could notice that he had faltered behind them.

It would be awful to get lost in the horrid streets of Muggle London after all.

Draco forgot about the toy after a while. His attention was taken up by excitement and nerves as he traveled Diagon Alley to retrieve his books and robes. He had been here before with his mother, but this time he felt there was a certain sense of anticipation inside since this trip was to prepare him to go to Hogwarts.

Right after his parents left him to go into Madam Malkins, he remembered the toy in his pocket and Draco took it out to study it more closely. It was slightly larger than his hand with matted fur and wide eyes that looked almost magical. It reminded him of an owl.

He wanted to call it cute, but he wouldn't ruin his pride for any toy.

"Oh! Those are very popular, aren't they?"

Draco fumbled with the toy, almost dropping it from surprise. He hadn't heard anyone approach. How humiliating.

There was a young girl his age staring at him. Wide smile, bushy brown hair, and an eager expression on her face. She started to tell him how she got one of those toys a year ago from her mum and dad, but had to get rid of it because it would scare her in the middle of the night and she started to have nightmares, and -

She was giving him a headache.

"Some people collect them, if you can believe it. Sounds terrifying, doesn't it? It's no wonder the wizarding world doesn't have them. I've been in about every single store and unlike the shops in London - "

It was in that moment that Draco realized two things with great clarity. First being, this toy that had caught his interest was Muggle. A bit of fear and fascination filled him and he eyed it with more interest.

The second thing he realized was that he suddenly really wanted to start a collection.

After taking a few steps back, lest he caught some Muggle disease, Draco asked the girl carefully. "What do you call this... thing?"

She gave him a funny look. "You have one and you don't know what it's called?"

He resisted the urge to scowl.

"It's called a Furby."

Draco looked down at it, rather perplexed. Weird name. Weird Muggles.

"And did you know that Furbies were extrem -" The girl was cut off by an older frazzled woman calling out 'Hermione!' and Draco watched as she rushed to her mother's side, turning back to wave at him. "See you at Hogwarts!"

Draco didn't wave back. He didn't really want to see her again if he was being honest.

Instead he stuffed the Muggle toy back in his pockets and tried to push away his confusion and inner turmoil.

Later in his room, Draco had pushed aside his new books in favor of studying his wand for a while. The 'Furby' was placed on his desk in a place of honor. He wasn't sure why.

Normally he would've taken the toy to his mother so she could place a cleaning charm on it, but he wasn't too sure if he wanted to show his parents just yet.

It was this train of thought that had him believing his life was cursed, because at that moment, his father walked in.

Draco stood up and tried to block the view of the table from his father's view with his body while facing his father.

"I see you are already preparing for your classes, Draco," his father commented, looking pleased. Draco felt the tiniest flicker of guilt seep through him as he nodded in reply.

He could feel his heart beat faster as his father's eyes drifted over his shoulder toward his desk, where the incriminating raggedy toy sat right in the middle.

"What's this?" His father leaned over and picked up the toy while Draco's eyes drifted shut in defeat. They snapped open a second later as he realized that perhaps his father wouldn't be aware that it was a Muggle toy. Perhaps he could still keep the toy if he managed to convince his father that it was useful.

"It looks like it's been tossed in the dirt about a thousand times. I shall get rid of it for you."

Draco stepped forward. "No, Father..." He paused and tried to come up with a plan before he continued talking. "I prefer it like it is... at Diagon Alley, I met this Muggle girl." Draco didn't have to act feign the look of disdain he was probably wearing. That girl was annoying.

He hurried on. "She was terrified of those creatures... she mentioned the other children were horrified by their cu- fearsome features. Many of the children toss them away."

His father wasn't saying anything. Good.

"I felt..." Draco continued. "That I should take this Furby to keep particular Muggle children away from me."

That hadn't been the original plan, but Draco could work with it.

"I like to have something that terrifies Muggles at my bedside."

His father looked unimpressed, but if Draco wasn't imagining things... there seemed to be a hint of pride in his eyes. He looked at the toy in his hand. "I see... I suppose your intent is good."

With a hint of bravery, Draco added. "I wish to start collecting them, Father. So that one day, I could have my own army of Furbies to haunt Muggle children."

For the second time that day, his father looked pleased, if not a bit bemused. "Alright. I approve. Diagon Alley should have -"

Draco interrupted his father quickly. "It's a small matter, really. May I just send Dobby, Father?"

"...I suppose. Why?"

"It's my... pastime, I feel that I should take responsibility for it."

His father laid a hand on his shoulder. "That is very good of you, Draco." He took the Furby from his father's offered hand with a sigh of relief. "I shall tell your mother about your new interest."

"Thank you, Father."

By the time Draco could breath normally again, his father had already swept out of his room, taking with him the suffocating air and leaving Draco relieved, nervous, and proud.

With careful hands, one of the shelves of his bookcase from the books, leaving them in a neat stack besides the shelves, and placed the Furby in its new place of honor.

An army of Furbies indeed.