It was sunny outside. The light shined through Hogwarts's large windows and into the stone hallway. Only Harry stood there- bent broken over the windowsill, his eyes now dry and hidden under his glasses, as he watched the wind sweep up leaves into great dances. No one had followed him when he had left the class. He didn't mind though. All he could think was how he needed to escape that room. Their silence was suffocating.
The anger had fallen away already. The quiet heartbeat of these stone walls melted it like Dudley's ice cream on a summer's day. As much as he hated them, was it wrong of him to not blame them? His fingers played with his left sleeve as he watched the leaves fall slowly, ever so slowly as if they were in their own time, to the ground. Was it that which made him a freak? Or was it the polar opposites of the worlds he was trapped between- one minute loved and adored, the next despised and ignored. I can handle despised, just don't make me ignored.
He laid his forehead against the cool glass. He did not know how much time had passed before the tap tap tap of footsteps passed through his ears like a gentle orchestra. Harry scrunched his eyes. Let it not be Hermione. Let it not be Ron. Let it not be someone who tries to drag me back to the common room.
And then he opened them.
"Potter," the voice drawled. Malfoy stood a few passes away, face as pompous as usual and his chin in the air.
"Not now, Malfoy," Harry replied as he cursed his bad luck. "Now isn't the best time." Malfoy just took a step forward, hands clasp behind his back, as if trying to glide with an air of eliteness only a Malfoy could attempt. The sunlight shined off the left side of his hair like a broken crown.
"I don't know why, Potter. After all it is just another normal day at Hogwarts. You stood in the back of the line in DADA and class ended before you got to the Boggart. I believe Weasley's ridiculous spider was the last to appear."
Confusion filled Harry's face. Malfoy's lips turned upward into a knowing smirk. And with that Malfoy gave a small nod before turning away and strolling down the hall. Just before disappearing around the corner, he called out: "relax Potter and remember: it's just a normal day."