What If

Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I had done it. Taken his hand. Hadn't rejected his offer of friendship.

I suppose I would have been in Slytherin. Would I have been one of his lackies? Crabbe, Goyle, and Potter, protector of Malfoy. That's a laugh. Or maybe I'd be more of an equal. An actual friend. Our first year, the Sorting Hat said that Slytherin was where I'd make my real friends, so I guess it could have been possible. Anyway, I think to be one of his henchmen, an extremely low IQ is required.

We would probably be best friends, much like how Ron and myself are. We'd always look out for each other. Have each others' backs. Do things together.

Such as tease and torment the other students.

Like Ron and Hermione.

I guess I would despise them for being Gryffindor. Honestly, I don't think I could hate them for the same reasons as Malfoy.

For being poor and muggle born.

I can related to both of them. Although my aunt and uncle weren't poor, I lived as though I may have been. Wearing hand-me-down clothes that were old and entirely too large for me. Living in a tiny, dusty closet under the stairs. Eating leftovers. Just enough to keep me alive. And, like Hermione, I grew up knowing nothing of the wizarding world. Living with a muggle family. Living a normal, muggle life where things such as unicorns and trolls didn't exist.

So there's no way I would make fun of them for being the way they are. It would be hypocritical of me.

And that's fine, because even if I had been sorted into Slytherin, there's no way I could be that cruel. I don't think I have it in me and I don't think any amount of time spent with Malfoy could change that.

But then, what if I had taken Malfoy's hand that day, yet was still sorted into Gryffindor? That would probably be the shortest lived friendship in creation. He would have dropped me so fast. God forbid he would associate with a lowly Gryffindor.

But then that makes me wonder about something else. If I had never turned him down, would he hate Gryffindors so strongly?

When I think about it, I honestly have no idea. There's always rivalry among the houses, but the rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin is about ten times worse. It's like we don't even consider the fact that there are two other houses who could possibly beat us. Nope, it's just Slytherin versus Gryffindor. And everybody knows it.

So does that mean this was something we started? Or has there always been that competition between the two houses?

I don't know. Maybe it's wrong of me to think like this. I should stop. I'm happy with the way things turned out.

I love Ron and Hermione to death. They're the best friends a person could ask for and I wouldn't trade them for the world. And I know they feel the same way about me.

But I just can't help but wonder...

What if?