Eloise sat with her forehead pressed against the window, staring down her long acne-prone nose past her protruding jaw to the dusty floor below.
The weather outside was, of course, abysmal, as it was on every day when she was in a foul mood.
Where is he where is he where is he...
She rubbed her eyes hard, trying to process why he would lie to her. Trying to process why her best friend would lie to her.
- - -
"Are you nervous about school?" Draco asked her, taking her hand to help her up the stone steps.
"Yeah," Eloise replied, wiping her face with her t-shirt. "You know how the kids are. For the past 11 years you've been my only friend, so why will it be any different?"
"You'll meet other people like you!" Draco said, smiling at her.
"Ugly fat stupid girls who are boring?"
"You're none of those!" he replied. "You're beautiful on the inside, and that's all that matters."
Draco sat, and motioned for Eloise to sit beside him. This was their spot; every evening they would take the ten-minute hike from Draco's house up the hill to watch the sunset. They would watch the sun change from yellow to a bright orange, slowly descending from the sky, plunging it into darkness. They would watch the sun hit the water, brilliantly reflecting off it, making it almost brighter than every other part of day. There was a perfect moment, just before the sun would completely disappear, when they could see the sun go yet look up and see the stars beginning to sparkle. They would tell each other their deepest desire at that moment; for after that, Draco's mother would call them in for a spot of tea before bed.
"Will you stay with me the first day?" Eloise asked. "Stay with me on the train and everything?"
"Of course."
"You'll help me make friends, right?" she continued. "So I can have a Crabbe and Goyle of my own?"
Draco laughed. "They aren't my pets, I don't own them."
"You act like a commander to them, though," she replied, her brow furrowed. "You're always different to them. Like they're lesser beings."
"Well, they are," he pointed out. "They're not pure-bloods like us."
She let out a sigh. "My wish of the night is that you'd stop treating us like higher beings just because we're pure-bloods."
"My wish is that you'll make friends and be happy in school."
"With you by my side, I surely will."
- - -
"Where is he?" Eloise muttered to herself, coming out of her dream world.
She was sitting on the Hogwarts Express, alone in a compartment. No one had bothered to sit with her, and she had yet to see Draco.
Of course, she didn't like Draco as a boyfriend...just a best friend. The two had been friends since they were in cradles, and when they were both accepted to Hogwarts it was like a dream come true.
Eloise smiled lightly as she remembered some of the good times they had together...they had taught each other everything, and they had never lied to each other.
Until now.
- - -
"Dwaco, where are we going?"
"Somewhere cool!" he said, smiling at her.
"Is it pwetty?" Eloise's 7-year-old self asked.
Draco stopped and bent down. "Look down there," he said.
He was pointing to a small hole that was shaded by rocks. Inside was Eloise's previously missing cat, surrounded by 6 kittens.
"Fwuffy!" Eloise screamed. "You're ok!"
"She's better than ok, I think," Draco said.
"You saved her," Eloise said. "Thank you."
- - -
He taught me about all the great things in the world. He showed me what beauty truly is; beauty is not how a person looks, but how they are on the inside.
"Anything from the trolley, dear?" the elderly woman asked, holding out a licorice wand.
"A chocolate frog and Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans, please."
- - -
"Harry Potter," Draco spat, "at our school. And I thought they could sink no lower."
He threw his Daily Prophet at Crabbe, who jumped back.
"Yeah," Crabbe muttered. "Potter stinks."
Draco rolled his eyes at the poor attempt at an insult.
"Who's worse? Midgen, or Potter?"
Crabbe and Goyle stared at each other stupidly, unsure of an answer. "I don't know," Goyle muttered.
"They'd make a good couple," Draco sneered.
He swallowed a pang of guilt at the thought of Eloise. He had abandoned her today...but he knew that she gave him a bad image. He would never fit in to school with her by his side.
"I'm going to find that bloody trolley lady," he said. "I'm starving."
He left the compartment and headed down the hall of the Hogwarts Express, staring in each window looking for her. He finally found her alone in her compartment, playing with her rat.
"Can I come in?" he muttered, sliding the door open.
She looked up at him, her gloomy face brightening up at the sight of him.
"You're late," she said, smiling at him. Though she wasn't the most attractive girl, she still had a warm smile.
"Well, first I was almost late for the train because father had to stop by work..."
- - -
Eloise held her hand over her mouth, trying to restrain loud outbursts of giggles.
"...and then," Draco continued, "this huge troll jumps in front of me..."
"Stop!" Eloise cried, letting out a loud snort that was sure to echo throughout the train. "You're such a bad liar!"
"Would I ever lie to you?" Draco reminded her, raising an eyebrow at her. He took a quick check at his watch, realizing he had spent an entire half hour with Eloise.
"Err...Eloise..." he muttered. "I have to go find Crabbe and Goyle."
"You can't stay?" she asked softly, staring up at him sadly.
"If I'm not at Crabbe's side he can't find the way to his own bedroom," Draco reminded her.
Eloise laughed lightly. "All right, but come back soon."
"I will," Draco said, realizing that this was the first time in a long time he had lied to Eloise.
- - -
A/N: I actually got reviews on my last chapter! How exciting! dances a little Keep the good work up!