Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Taylor Swift.

I had this idea while listening to 'Eyes Open' by Taylor Swift. The Prologue is what happened five years before the story actually starts.


Prologue

I held up my stick in front of me, narrowing my eyes. "This is most definitely a sword," I said firmly.

The pale, white-blonde haired boy who stood opposite me shook his head, and drew his stick back over his shoulder; taking up what he had told me was a proper fighting stance. "No, it's a wand," he argued. "Wands are much better than swords, anyway."

I rolled my eyes. "Wands don't exist, Draco. Everyone knows that. However swords are quite real," I pointed out. "How could we have a swordfight with wands, anyway? Come on, I'm waiting!" I wiggled my stick, daring him to make the first move.

"Wands are too real," Draco insisted, ignoring my waggling stick. "And so is magic, otherwise why am I a wizard like my father?"

I laughed. "You're not a wizard, I bet your father is just messing with you," I grinned. Draco could be so silly sometimes. As if wizards were real!

"Have you met my father? He's not one to joke about anything. Besides, I got my Hogwarts letter earlier," Draco told me.

I tossed my stick aside and a look of interest took over my face. "All right then, show me this letter you've been going on and on about receiving since the moment we met. I can't wait to find out why a piece of paper with words on it is so exciting."

"I haven't been going on about it for that long," Draco protested, but he also dropped his stick.

"Oh really? The first thing you said to me was 'Gerroff! After I've got my letter you'll be sorry you ever – ahhhhh!'," I smirked.

"Well, we were five and you ambushed me for no reason. What did you expect me to do, ask you nicely to go away? And besides, now that I do have my letter you will be sorry if you try anything. I'm going with father to get my real wand tomorrow, in Diagon Alley," Draco boasted.

Despite myself, I was curious. "Can I come? If this 'Diagon Alley' is real and you can show me your 'wizarding world' then I'll believe you," I added.

Draco looked about to say yes, but then he hesitated. "You know my father doesn't like you..."

"Please?" I stared at him beseechingly.

A look of smugness crossed over his pale features. "Okay, I'll ask Father if you can come, but only on one condition. You have to beg," he said slyly.

I gaped. "But... but... no fair!" I wailed. "I never beg!"

"Exactly," Draco looked pleased.

I glared at him, a thought occurring to me. "But I could persuade you other ways..." I suddenly lunged at him, tackling him to the ground. "Ha!" I cried triumphantly as he struggled to push me off.

"Cheater, you didn't give me a chance," Draco accused, trying to wriggle out from under me.

I grinned. "I'll get off if you say I can come with you," I declared.

Draco sighed. "Fine, you can come. But I'll make you beg one of these days," he promised me.

I rolled off him, and kept rolling until I lay at the bottom of the hillock Draco and I had been standing on. "I'll look forward to the challenge," I called cheerily.

Draco was looking down at me weirdly. "What are you doing down there?"

I gasped. "Haven't you ever rolled down hills before? It's really fun, try it," I told him.

Draco looked at me like I was crazy but lay down anyway. "What now?" he asked. I giggled and stood up. Carefully, I crept back up the small hill until I was positioned behind him. "Zakia?" he asked again.

"Now, you say 'wheeeeee!'" I laughed, pushing him so he rolled all the way to the bottom of the hillock screaming.

"Arrrrgh Zakia you could have warned me!" Draco yelled, getting to his feel and trying to brush the green grass stains off his dark clothes.

I collapsed with laughter. "No way, that was too funny! You should have heard your scream and seen your face!"

"Grr, I'm gonna get you for that!" Draco growled, scrambling up the hillock. I gave a shriek of alarm and, still giggling, climbed to my feet. When I saw the angry look on Draco's face I gave another scream and began running blindly to escape him.

I had been running for a few minutes with Draco hot on my tail when, not looking where I was going, I slammed into something solid.

"Owww," I complained, sitting down on the ground with a bump. "That hur...t," my eyes widened in fright as I looked up at the 'thing' I had collided with. That 'thing' was in fact a person. A person who, judging by the look on his face, really didn't like me.

"Miss Earlene, what brings you all the way to my manor?" asked a cold, sneering voice that dripped with sarcastic politeness.

"M-mr Malfoy," I stammered, just as Draco came flying around the corner. I closed my eyes and groaned as he, too, slammed into his father.

"Draco, what is the meaning of this? Behaving like a muggle ruffian is no way for a Malfoy to act!" My Malfoy suddenly roared at his son. I winced.

"F-f-father!" Draco stuttered. "I was just..."

"Inside now, Draco. As for you, muggle," Mr Malfoy spat contemptuously. "I don't want you going near my son ever again."

"But-" both Draco and I protested at the same time as we stood up.

"You are both eleven – far too old to be playing childish games. If you are going to continue to teach my son bad habits, Miss Earlene, then I'm afraid I cannot let you see him again," Mr Malfoy said smoothly, staring down at me with an air of superiority.

I wanted to cry out that it wasn't fair, but thought better of it. "I promise not to teach him any bad habits," I tried.

My Malfoy eyed Draco's grass-stained robes with disdain. "It seems I have been far too lenient, allowing you to spend any time together at all. Good day, Miss Earlene," he said firmly, grabbing Draco by his collar and dragging him off, back towards the Malfoy Mansion.

"Bye Zakia," Draco called sadly over his shoulder, earning a reprimanding slap from his father.

"Bye," I murmured, watching them until they disappeared.

I stood there, rooted to the spot for a long time, lost in thought. Somehow, I had a bad feeling in my stomach that that was the last time I would see my best friend for a long time. We had met when we were five, when Draco was playing with his toy broomstick in the patch of wilderness near my house. I had heard him and gone to investigate, and we ended up best friends. Even if he was a little strange when he called me a 'muggle' and insisted that magic was real (I had believed him at the time, but then what five year old doesn't believe in magic? I knew better now). But we had stuck together for six long years.

I felt an empty space growing in my heart as I gazed at the closed door of Malfoy Manor from behind the gates. "Goodbye, Draco," I echoed myself miserably. Then, I turned and trudged home.


Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed, but even if you didn't, a review is very welcome!