In my room I hung my scarf at the end of the bed so that it could dry off. After my shower I changed into my grey pyjamas and put hair up in a messy bun. I got the book Luna gave me, went to my bed, and laid on my stomach to read it. I was almost done with it but I wasn't ready to give it back yet. Lev lay next to me on his stomach too. He swatted at the pages of my book like it were a toy. I smiled at him as the door opened. Daphne came back into the room having changed out of her wet robes too. She sat by me on my bed started stroking Lev's head.
"Want to guess why it's so quiet up here?" she asked taking Lev into her arms. He barked once but settled himself when I cleared my throat. I don't think she understood that while he did care for her if she kept holding him all the time he would get too annoyed and do something I didn't think would end well
"Because unlike most people I'd rather read than gossip?" I answered even though I knew she hadn't been looking for one. She ignored me and continued to talk
"A certain fanged beast is down in the common room flirting with a certain high class blondie" I could hear the smile in her voice
"She'd probably take that as a compliment" I mumbled flipping the page. "And Draco doesn't like to be called blondie"
"You call him blondie" she protested and I laughed
"That's because I'm special" I replied and looked up from my book for the first time since she had walked into room.
"Can I ask you something?" she said looking at my book as I closed it. Obviously she wouldn't be letting me read any time soon
"You already did." She gave me a look and I smiled and sat up. "What is it?"
"Doesn't it bother you… just a little… that Pansy likes Draco?" She looked like she wanted a serious answer which didn't surprise me as much as it probably should. I thought her question over for a minute then shrugged.
"Not really, no."
"Really?" she asked almost bewildered. I knew it was a surprising answer but the truth was it really didn't bother me what she felt for him. I didn't know if she was implying that it should so I explained
"No. It bothers me that she keeps trying to tell me what to do and uses him as a way to get to me or upset me. But that's it really. If she likes him, well that's their business. So long as she doesn't annoy me with it I'm fine… Why?" I asked Daphne's clearly disappointed face. She had been hoping for another answer and sighed when it wasn't the one she wanted
"For no reason apparently" she mumbled to herself and went to sit on her bed. Lev got off my bed too and went over to the side of it where I had left some snacks and water in case he ever got hungry or thirsty when I wasn't around. I reached for my book but sighed and let go when Daphne started talking again. "So why did you get to be so special anyway?" I assumed she meant with Draco
"Well…" I began not knowing how to explain it. "Ever since we met we've just… we've treated each other… differently I suppose." She looked a little confused but waited for me to go on. "We never gave each other special treatment like everyone else did to us. It gave us a special bond I guess…"
Daphne looked intrigued. I figured it wouldn't hurt to tell her how it all happened so I patted the seat next to me as an invitation. She quickly climbed back onto my bed but left Lev where he was this time. I laughed a little at her enthusiasm and began to explain the story of how we met hoping my younger self wouldn't seem as bad to her as it did to me
***Flashback***
"I don't care!" I screamed at our servant. "I said I want both! Both! If you can't follow a simple order what's the purpose of having you around!"
"Miss Katerina" he begged but I was too annoyed to care what he had to say. "Your father said you could only have one toy from this store"
"And I say I want two!" I screamed, emphasizing each word, before storming off to another part of the toy store. My father was around here somewhere and if I told him I wanted two toys he'd give me my two toys. I suspected he was with my big brother and mother in one of the boy sections of the store. I knew it wasn't a good idea for a six year old girl to walk around a shop without an escort but at the moment I didn't care.
It wasn't really that I needed, or even wanted, the second toy I just hated being told no. What right did a servant have keeping me from what I wanted? I turned up my nose and walked into a very boyish looking section. The dolls and tea sets I had seen were all replaced with more "manly" versions of childish entertainment. I didn't see any of my family around so I thought I might as well look for a third item to add to my list.
I scanned through the shelves not finding anything of interest. Everything was either low class or already owned by either me or my brother. There were dinosaurs that changed colors and toy wands that lit up but nothing caught my eye. It wasn't until I spotted something I didn't yet own and desperately wanted for that very reason. It was a set of building blocks that would mold together into one solid form and move according to the shape given. If I made a fish I could put it in a tank to swim or I could make a bird that could fly around the house. My eyes lit up as followed the last box of them on the shelf
"Excuse me!" a little boy yelled but he wasn't asking permission. He shoved me to the side and reached for the box of blocks. My box of blocks. He gave me a smug look with those stupid grey eyes of his and turned to leave. Like I would let him go so easily
"Hey blondie!" I screamed at him and he turned back around a little surprised. I closed the distance he had created between us and snatch the box out of his hands. The action caused him to snap out of his confusion and become angry. I could care less
"Listen to me you little girl, that is my box and I want it now!" he yelled stomping his foot. Something about his face made me think that he was expecting me to give in but he was wrong
"Don't you steal my things! I saw it first therefore it's mine you little blondie!"
"How dare you speak to me in such a manner! I am Draco Malfoy!" he shrieked and took the box back. I had to hold my breath to keep myself in place and not jump on him here and now
"Yeah well I'm Katerina Volkov and I don't give a rat's behind what your name is! Give me my toy!" I stomped my foot too, outraged. How dare he take what was obviously mine
"What do you want with this toy anyway? A silly little girl like you should be doing something more appropriate to her gender. Like playing with teapots or something" he spat at me making me have to hold my breath again
"Well a wimpy little boy like you should be doing something more appropriate to his appearance. Like playing with teapots or something" I sneered using his own words against him. In his fury he let his guard down and I was able to take back my box of blocks
"Give it to me!" he yelled pulling on it
"Make me!" I yanked it away making him stumble back. He fell on floor
"You'll be sorry!" the little boy growled but it was more funny than threatening
"What are you going to do? Tell your father on me?" I said and started walking away. He pushed himself up and followed me. A little ways ahead I found my father talking to a tall man. He had the same color of hair as the little boy chasing me. He looked stupid
"Father!" I heard the little blondie yell behind me. Well two can play at that game
"Papa!" I cried and ran up to him. I hugged my father holding the box of blocks in between us. If the little boy wanted it he was going to have to go through me first
"Mikhail, this is your daughter I presume." The tall man gave me a look. He appeared to be in the same class as us but I didn't care. I wanted that toy.
"She won't give me my blocks!" the boy told his father in an even tone. He must have been trying to hide how whiny he really was, if not for his father then for mine.
"Come and fight me for them" I threatened. He took in jagged breath and didn't dare step towards me. He talked big but I could tell he was weak
"Quite a handful you got there" the man commented with a hint of a smile on his face. What did he care what I did, he wasn't my father
"Perhaps, Lucius," my father admitted. "But Katerina is a brilliant child. She can already identify over 13 different kinds of herbs by a single glance." My smile was smug at my father's praise
"Give it back" I heard the blondie hiss through gritted teeth. It didn't look like either of our fathers noticed
"You know… Deedee was it?" I teased and batted my eyes innocently
"It's Draco!" he growled and I giggled
"Well, Deedee, if you were a gentleman you'd let me have this since I obviously saw it first. So are you a gentleman or a low class runt?" I smiled knowing I had won
"I am not low class." He was trying hard to keep his breath even
"So it's settled!" I said pulling away from my father and happily hugging my new toy. "I'll keep this and you'll keep your gentleman title. Or would you like to go back to arguing with a little girl?"
"Keep it" he said through gritted teeth.
"See that wasn't so hard was it" I smiled sweetly and he scowled at me
Our parents started walking us over to the checkout counter. My father looked slightly amused while the tall blondie looked a little annoyed. I was getting everything I wanted, as usual. My mother and brother joined us and she began talking to Deedee's father. Nikolai was looking through the pile of toys we would be getting.
"That looks a bit more appropriate for you" the little blondie teased glancing at the self-serving tea set my mother had probably chosen for me. "Going to play with teapots, little Kitty?" he mocked me. I frowned at him. I wasn't some animal
"I am not a cat!" I growled not
"And I am not a girl!"
"You could've fooled me, Deedee" I sneered making him frown again. I didn't understand the way he spoke to me. No one talked to me like that. No one. What gave him the right to treat me like this? I could care less about his status, he needed to stop it. Nobody spoke to me this way…
"What?" he asked. I hadn't realized I had drifted off again. "Is something wrong with your head?"
"Maybe" I muttered a little surprised. His tone hadn't sounded rude or sarcastic as it had all day but instead it was… concerned? "What's it to you?"
"Nobody talks to me like that." He didn't scream it. I blinked, amazed; we had the same thought.
"Me either" I admitted. He nodded and looked away from me
"You know, I guess it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world for you to keep that…" he mumbled staring at the box.
"I… suppose… you could come over and play with them sometime…" I said not looking at him either. Why was I being nice? I was never nice
"I would love to" He gritted his teeth but it didn't sound angry. A little forced maybe like he wasn't used to being nice either
The toys were paid for and our parents were off to the side, talking. Nikolai was looking at the little blondie carefully. I smiled at my brother, happy he cared so much about me. He smiled back and took my hand once I reached him. We told our parents about Draco's invitation to play at our home before we left and gave each other a small smile before exiting the store. He was okay I guess…
***Flashback Over***
"After that, our parents got reacquainted and we started spending time together. We grew to tolerate each other and, before either of us realized, it was friendship. We were true to our nature no matter how rotten and because of that we knew we could trust each other to always tell the truth. It bonded us" I shrugged. There was a little while where we didn't speak but that was years ago and I had forgiven Draco for what happened then
"Ugh you two are so cute together" Daphne said smiling, her eyes were shining as if I had just told her some kind of love story. I had kept some of the things from the story hidden but she didn't seem to notice the gaps. I laughed at her shaking my head
"Thank you?" I said and Lev growled having heard Draco's name more than enough for one night. Daphne laughed and stretched over to pat his head.
"Well Pansy has some tough competition" I heard her mumble as she went back to her bed. The comment seemed more to herself than to me so I let it go. She fell asleep soon and I kept reading until Pansy and Millicent stumbled into the room. She gave me a nasty look and retreated to her bed. Daphne was right, she was a fanged beast. I giggled as I pictured her face being featured in Tails before closing the book and going to sleep myself.