DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters apart from Rose.
Sorry I took so long to upload, just been busy. I will finish this story do not worry! The last chapter was quite short so I made this one a bit longer which shows a bit of a back story about Rose and Draco's past, so I hope you enjoy and keep reading, it gets better. Leave a review!
Rose Woods had known Draco Malfoy since she was 6. Her father and Lucius Malfoy had started a broom making company which they still ran together as partners. She would often visit the Malfoy Manor with her father, as he made plans and measurements with his business partner and becoming close friend, she played with the Malfoy's only son, Draco, who was the same age as her.
They soon became close friends and Rose came with her father regular to visit and play with her friend, soon becoming a close part of the family Rose and her father had dinners with the family. Rose's mother refused to go with them as she knew what the Malfoys though of muggles and indeed she was right.
As Lucius Malfoy became close with Rose's father he also wondered how a well mannered pure slytherin wizard could marry a mudblood, as he called them, but never once said so. He didn't enjoy the fact his son was playing with a half blood witch but admired Rose's father so much and had become so close to him that he chose to ignored it.
Rose spent her days in the Manor garden playing pretend games, kiddy quidditch and phantom sword fights libaryraco. At the dinner table they'd always sit side by side, whispering and giggling as they kicked each other under the table. All until Draco turned 9.
He began learning about muggles and that they were disgusting creatures as his father referred to him. As any young child does, he believed his father and called them the horrible names his father had taught him. When finding out Rose's mother was a muggle, meaning she was a half blood, he teased her, mercifully. Telling her all sorts of nonsense like she had dirty blood and her father was a disgrace.
After that, Rose stopped speaking to Draco and when coming over to his house she'd sit in libary alone and sit as far away from him at dinner. Months after she turned 12 she began making excuses that she couldn't come with her father to the Malfoy Manor, telling him she was too busy or revising for her new school in a couple months.
Rose's father began growing suspicious after an amount of time but she persisted she wasn't purposely avoiding going there. But she was and because of the bully of a boy who'd lived there, who'd turned arrogant and meaner as he grow older.
She'd remembered her Mother's funeral at the age of 11, two years after Draco's behaviour had changed. As she stood over her grave alone wishing she'd caught the disease and died, Draco walked up to her and put his hand in hers.
"I'm sorry." He had said, in a silent voice.
"Like you care. She was just another filthy muggle to you.!" She had spat back, before yanking her hand out of his and storming to the end of the graveyard. Then went back to ignoring him whenever she had to visit the manor.
Now here he was, standing before.
"You've stopped visiting, it's been nearly a year." He smirked, folding his arms, as Harry and his friends stared in shock.
"It's not like I talked to you anymore."
"Well it would have been nice to drop by. I sent owls."
Rose scowled. For the first few months she'd stopped visiting the manor, she received half a dozen letters which she didn't bother to read and threw them in the bin. She didn't even know why he sent them, he hadn't paid much attention to her for a long time.
Draco just smirked, raising an eyebrow. But that was all for show, he did really care. When Rose stopped visiting he knew it was his fault and it felt weird not seeing her around the manor like he always used to. When he came back from his first year of school he was worse, bullying Rose and forever making her hate him more. It was all he knew and the boys at school laughed when he made rude jokes about mudbloods and muggles.
The truth was he missed her. She had been his best friend and every time her father came to the manor he hoped to see her behind him even if she would stalk off to the library or sit st the far and of the table away from him.
He looked at her now, she looked so different. She was older with longer hair and a more beautiful face.
She was doing the same, shocked at how different he looked. He was taller with blonde hair, almost white and beautiful grey eyes. How had she never noticed how mesmerising his stormy eyes were.
"Out of the little twerps in Gryffindor you could of picked for friends you picked Potter and his!"
"Who I hang out with doesn't concern you."
"But seriously, them?"
"Well maybe I've never been good at choosing true friends." Rose snapped, and immediately Draco knew she was talking about their friendship. This time he didn't come back with a cocky remark. He just indicated to Crabbe and Boyle he wanted to leave, and that's what they just did.
"You need to tell us what all of that was about!" Hermione cried, when they were out of earshot.
Rose quickly explained to them her father and Lucius Malfoy worked together and she and Draco had been best friends before he turned horrible and she stopped going. That's all, no details or extra information.
"I can't believe Malfoy and you were best friends!" Harry exclaimed.
"Draco was much nicer when he was younger." She sighed.
"It sounds so weird hearing you call him Draco."
"I've always called him that, it's nothing new to me. It shouldn't be weird, that's his name."
"We've never called him by his first name for us it is."
And with that the conversation was over.
The group of friends hung out for several weeks. Harry began to grow closer to her, as if there were some connection between them and Ron was going crazy for her. Hermione was also happy to have someone around her IQ and who was also female as she didn't know how long she'd last if she was stuck with boys as her main friends for the rest of her time at Hogwarts.
The group began to trust her and decided to let her in on their secrets, that they thought Sirius Black was after Harry and that they thought Snape was evil and probably kill the whole of gryffindor if he got the chance, etc, etc.
Rose became happy at her time at Hogwarts, making other small friends and exceeding at her classes. She received a couple letters from her father who was proud of her achievements and was beginning to settle in.
The only thing that worried her was next day homework, Harry's fear of Sirius Black and having to turn each corner or walk in the opposite direction whenever she saw Draco and his friends.
Christmas came round quickly and Rose's Father had insisted she had to come to the Manor to stay for a couple days as they were like her second family. He ignored her pleads to staying at home and they arrived at the Manor the next day.
"Hello, Mr. Woods." Draco sneered, behind a house elf opening the door.
"Good to see you Draco, where's your Father?"
"In his office."
"Oh good."
"What are you working on this time?"
"Well we're trying to beat the firebolt this time with a new design and speed."
"Sounds great." Draco grinned before Rose's Father went off to his Father's office.
"Coming inside, Rose?" He laughed, as she was still standing on the door step with a hard stare on her face. She stepped inside before the house elf shut the door and made it's way off.
"Why don't I see you in school enough?" He asked.
"Cause I don't want you to. I tend to stay out of your way if possible."
"Not staying at Hogwarts for Christmas with your ruddy friends?"
"My Father was eager to see me, seeing as it was my first year."
"Of course."
Rose walked off in the direction of the library as she had been doing for the past 3 and a half years but this time Draco followed after her.
"What do you want, Draco?"
"It's my house, I can go where I like!"
Rose picked a random book, ignoring him, and sat on one of the rich velvet couches to read it. Draco sat beside her, leaning close to read the book and also blocking her view. Rose moved to the edge, turning her back.
"What do I have to do to make you stop hating me?" He sighed.
"How about not being an arrogant bully?" She hissed, back still turned.
"Your right I was stupid to say all that stuff when we were younger, I didn't understand how bad it was." He sighed, edging closer to her. "But now I need to do it to keep up my reputation or the Slytherins might think I'm weak. And Malfoys are strong. I don't always mean that stuff I say, it's all for show, you know, I don't care that your a half blood."
"And you think it's alright, just cause it's for show. Your pathetic!" Rose spat, before storming out of the libary.
At the dinner table Draco sat right beside Rose, who of course wanted to move but noticed Lucius and her Father were watching closely and kept her head down on her plate. Draco felt miserable wishing she'd talk. She was like the sister he'd never had and when she stopped talking he felt like an only child again noted and alone. He missed the way they nudged and whispered at each other at the dinner table.
Draco ignored this and began bragging to his Father about getting high grades in his lesson and beating Harry at some nonsense competition before telling him about how he fainted on the train from the sight of dementors.
"Draco, that's enough talk about Harry Potter!" His Father snapped, after another tale about him. Rose smirked quietly, but not quietly enough for Draco to hear and give her a poisonous stare.
"So how was your Christmas?'" Harry asked when Rose got back to school.
"You don't want to know." Rose sighed.
TO BE CONTINUED...
