"Are you kidding?" George started,
"This is Draco Malfoy," Fred added, emphasizing very loudly.
"We've only been back at school for a day!" They both finished.
"This didn't happen overnight." Rebecca quickly informed them. She'd already begun to think telling them was a bad idea.
"How can you not hate him?" They said in perfect synchronization.
"I hate the person he is, and the things he does to people. I don't know what it is, or why. I just see straight through that."
"That's crazy. That boy is a lowlife, piece of scum. Give up now." George said.
"Don't even bother!" Fred advised. Rebecca was hurt by their harsh words and quick judgements. Apparently it showed.
"Sorry." They both said extremely fast.
"Does he know? You know, that he doesn't bother you?" George asked quickly, his mind beginning to fill with all sorts of questions.
"I haven't told him! I've never ever told anyone, except for you guys cos' you wouldn't leave me alone."
"Why'd you tell us, of all people? You could have lied... Even though you suck at it." Fred said quietly, trying to bring humour back into the situation. Rebecca let out a small laugh.
"I know... Thank you, though, for listening..." She said softly.
"You know, we could always give Malfoy one of our love potions, so he'll fall in love with you, but then it'll wear off and you can see the real Malfoy!" George piped up quickly, grinning almost devilishly.
"I've seen the real Malfoy, George, it doesn't change anything."
"Of course not..." George muttered.
"This is Draco Malfoy!" Fred said, yet again, emphasizing loudly like he was sounding it out.
"Okay, I know." Rebecca said, feeling defeated.
"Glorious start to the term, hey?" George asked rhetorically, shaking his head. The castle bell sounded and students began to leave the Great Hall for their first lesson.
"Promise me you won't tell anyone, not a soul!" Rebecca asked of them quickly before they had to go.
"Promise." Fred and George both said in perfect unison. They hooked their arms with Rebecca's and hauled her off the bench with them.
"Speaking of Malfoy, I think it's about time we went and freed him from that swamp before a teacher finds him..." George said as they released Rebecca from their grip.
"You left him there?" Rebecca asked, shocked enough to stop walking as the twins continued a few paces down the corridor. They simply looked at each other and said,
"Nah," and continued down the corridor quite hurriedly. Rebecca, a bit wary, quickly went after them.
They turned the corner at the end of the corridor only to find that Professor Snape, head of Slytherin, had discovered Draco who was unable to move from where he was standing because of a muddy, smelly substance, before the twins had returned to reluctantly free him. Professor Snape was every Gryffindors' least favourite teacher. This was mainly because Professor Snape obviously favoured Slytherin house, and very obviously disadvantaged Gryffindors. Rebecca wisely held her distance behind the twins.
"...Those wretched Weasley twins, Professor, I swear I was just walking back to the Common Room to get something when they threw a handful of this sticky mud right at me..." Malfoy scoffed angrily. Neither Malfoy nor Professor Snape appeared to realise Rebecca and the twins were standing just behind them, until:
"That's a lie, Professor! He was insulting our family." George shot a quick glare in Malfoy's direction. Fred stared at the scene before him, while Rebecca watched on, slightly bewildered, at a safe distance behind the twins. She could hear students coming up the corridor on their way to their lessons, which Snape appeared oblivious too.
She had a good look at Malfoy for the first time in this sticky situation. He was up to his knees in smelly mud and wasn't able to move his feet at all. Then she looked at his face. He looked stressed, and very embarrassed, and was quite aware of the approaching students. Rebecca hoped someone would hurry up and un-stick Malfoy before the students reached the corner, to save him further embarrassment. However, she still couldn't help but smile at his weakness, appearing lesser than everyone. Not to mention the mud he'd accidently smeared across one side of his face. Malfoy noticed her looking on.
"None of your funny business in the corridors!" Snape harped at the twins, "Thirty points from Gryffindor!"
"Thirty points?" Fred exclaimed.
"Malfoy's the one at fault, though, Professor!" George argued.
"Want to make it sixty?" Snape warned. George shut his mouth, while Fred's hung open.
"Now clean up this mess right now!" He barked. The twins sulked forward and began to get rid of the portable swamp while Malfoy watched them in disgust. He was far from happy. Thankfully, it didn't take the twins long to clean up, and Malfoy was free by the time the students walked around the corner. Some stalled at the sight of Malfoy who was still covered in mud, while others didn't care less, almost like it was a regular occurrence.
"Now, off to class, Weasleys, before more points are deducted! And you, Mr Malfoy, ought to keep your thoughts to yourself. Go and clean yourself up and get to class." Snape ordered before continuing down the corridor.
The twins looked back to Rebecca with a cheeky smile before leaving for their first class. Draco waited for them to leave, perhaps in fear of being outnumbered once there was no teacher. He too looked at Rebecca for a bit longer than necessary as though he wanted to say something, wishing she hadn't seen that scenario, and then left in the same direction as everyone else.
"Did you find your book?" Hermione asked, startling Rebecca. Harry and Ron were beside her.
"Oh, yes." She answered, feeling like she'd been caught off guard. Hermione quickly glanced at Rebecca's schedule and announced that they all had their first lesson together. After an unusually eventful morning, they were finally off to their first class of the year.