Draco wanted to fling his custard. Today it was an abnormal yellow, florescent and lumpy. It was cold. He scanned around for a target, thinking of a reasonable explanation as to why he'd decided that the yellow custard would look good in their hair.
Blaise was talking in a low voice to Pansy, who was nodding. They only sat a few centimetres from him but they felt a thousand miles away. At the time he needed them the most Pansy and Blaise, his best friends, weren't able to help him.
They were all in their sixth year. His impossible task was making him exceptionally grumpy and he glared at the table.
Daphne joined them, returning from the library. Her hair was messy and her lip gloss slightly smudged. Draco momentarily forgot his urge to see custard smeared on some one's face. He leant forward.
"What the hell happened to you?" He asked. It was not normal for Daphne to appear less than stunning. He didn't try to keep his voice down. Pansy and Blaise turned to look at him, then to Daphne. She was blushing scarlet.
"Oh, I"- She started. Theodore Nott made his entrance then, and his top button was undone. He was grinning like an idiot. Daphne and Theodore avoided each other's eyes.
"Did you two"- Draco clicked the two together. "Are you two- a thing?" Draco was surprised. "I thought you were with Smith?" He asked Daphne.
Daphne grabbed a toast and nibbled the edge. "Smith's an idiot." The blush was receding form her cheeks.
Theodore who had been looking at her intently looked away, smirking. Something made Draco see everything in perfect clarity then. Theodore's secret smile, Daphne's hidden happiness. Blaise's snorts and Pansy's giggling.
No matter what happened, whether Draco succeeded or not, nothing for them would be the same for them. They were Slytherins and their parents were in league with the Dark Lord; and that made them in the Dark Lord's inner circle, whether they wanted to be or not.
He flung the custard. At Theodore.
Theodore froze his mouth open. "What the hell, Malfoy?" He said one word at a time, slowly. Draco sneered. There was a millisecond silence at the table before Blaise broke in to fresh sniggers. His juice was dribbling down his chin. Pansy looked at Blaise in disgust.
Daphne narrowing her eyes at Draco, grabbed her pumpkin juice.
"Nobody, Malfoy, throws food at my boyfriend!" And the juice was in his face before he could duck away. He laughed out loud as it dripped one drop at a time down his face.
He snatched up his cereal and threw it chunks at Daphne. Blaise and Pansy soon joined in soon after. The other Slytherins ignored them. Draco doubled over wheezing with laughter.
Draco Malfoy wished he could record this memory forever. The memory of a time when they were still kids, in a carefree world.