As we finished up our dinner, Pansy and Crabbe began making small talk. It seemed she was trying to turn over a new leaf, and Crabbe of course wasn't complaining. This was what he'd wanted to happen since she'd broken it off a few months ago. It looked like this year was going to be a good one for romance as well. I smiled and went back to finishing what I could. I just could not stop thinking about Noah. She was beautiful. I couldn't wait to work with her.
I noticed that she was left-handed, watching her eat. Okay, I was being creepy, I couldn't help it. She didn't notice, though, so that was good. I just couldn't stop staring. "Draco? Are you alright?" Goyle asked quietly, trying not to gain anyone else's attention. "You keep staring. She's going to notice soon."
"Goyle, I can't help myself. I haven't been this enamored with anyone in months. She's got to be the one for me." I answered, turning to look at him as she was turning to look in my direction. "She's making me feel things I've not felt before in my life."
"How can you have fallen that fast?! It's not even been 20 minutes yet. You're already in love."
"Shhhh, quiet, you! She'll hear!" I said, holding my finger up to my mouth. "She already thinks I'm weird!"
"Oh, quite the contrary, Mister Malfoy; I think you're stunning." Noah whispered, winking as she walked over. "See you in the common room. I'd love to get to know your friends as well." She waved and walked out, her blonde hair bouncing behind her as she went. I sat there, dumbfounded.
"Um, what... what just happened?" Goyle asked. "Did she say she wanted to get to know us, too? Why? What could we have to offer to her?"
"I'm not sure. I was just asking myself that same thing." I said, smiling as I stared after her. She walked out of the Hall and looked like she was headed down to the common room. The Headmaster dismissed the school after dinner and the prefects lead the first years down stairs. "I'll be there, soon. I can't go down yet." I said goodbye to my friends as I walked up to the professor's table. "Sir, can I speak with you?"
"Of course, Draco. You know I'm always an open pair of ears." The Headmaster said, his eyes twinkling. "But maybe it's not me you need to be speaking with..." He added, looking over in Professor McGonagall's direction. I nodded and walked over to her.
"Hello, Mister Malfoy." She said as I approached. She smiled at me and had me sit next to her. "You want to know about Noah. You want to know why she hasn't been here these last six years. I'll tell you the first part, but only with the promise that you'll ask her about why she hasn't been here. It's not my story to tell."
I nodded again, looking at my feet. I didn't know why she was going to tell me anything about her niece. It wasn't like I was her favorite student. Hell, I don't think I was anyone's favorite student. I wasn't really the best student at Hogwarts, but I wasn't really the worst, either.
"Noah is my only niece. Well, the only one who wanted anything to do with me, at least. I have only one sister, you see. She didn't care for me, what with my magic and all. She was married in a hushed ceremony, knowing the man only a few months; only I and the minister knowing. It came as a huge surprise when I received an invitation in the mail to come to a baby shower. I went, of course, and my sister was furious. We were never very close, you see." She took a breath and I chanced a glance at her. "Her husband had found the only picture of us together and had taken it upon himself to invite me, hoping that it would have been a good reunion for us. It wasn't; it was a disaster. She threw me out. He called later and apologized. He asked if I'd like to stay in the baby's life, and I said yes.
"About a year later, my sister left. Haven't heard from her in years, now. I'll tell you, it's fantastic. Gordon was granted full custody of Noah and rightly so. He wrote to me every year, telling me about her progress, sending me pictures. When she was old enough, she began writing to me herself, telling me about her situations and her struggles."
"What struggles, ma'am?" I asked before I could stop myself.
"Ah, that's what you'll have to ask her, darling. It's not my place to tell." She stood up then, and I did too. "I think that's enough story time for now, Mister Malfoy. It's getting late, and I expect your friends will be waiting up for you. Good night."
"Good night, professor." I said, standing up and waiting for her to leave. "Good night, Headmaster."
"Good night, Draco." He said as I walked past and out of the Hall. I walked out and began to walk toward the dungeon staircase. I couldn't decide if I wanted to go straight to the common room or if I wanted to walk around more clearing my head. I decided I might as well just get it over with, even though I wasn't sure if she was still up. I took a deep breath and walked down to the common room.
"Draco, over here!" I heard Pansy say as I walked into the room. "She's in her room, you're safe. Come, let's talk." Crabbe slid over on the couch and I sat down next to him. I noticed Pansy sitting across from him, smiling at him, and I made a mental note to ask him about it in the morning.
"Where were you?" Goyle asked, taking his face away from the fireplace. "I thought Prefects were supposed to be the first in the room." He added, jokingly.
"I was just talking with the Headmaster about the events for the year. There's going to be a Halloween party, which will be decided on by the Heads as well as the Heads of Houses and the prefects. We will be taking ideas from the students, though." Okay, so I lied. I mean, we were having a party, which was true. But I'd been told that by McGonagall on the train in the Head Boy briefing. "Make sure you think of cool things."