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Chapter 2: The Complications of Study Groups

The campus was full of people. Everyone was running to class. The noise level was almost unbearable. The scene was simply overwhelming. I could hardly form a single thought in my own head.

"Coming through! Watch it!" I was shoved forward into the person in front of me as some imbecile pushed past at full speed. He didn't even stop to apologize.

The person I was rammed into had dropped her books, so naturally I bent down to help her gather them up. I stood and handed them to her, taking in her appearance all at once. She had dark blue eyes which were almost covered by her golden blonde hair that seemed to fall in effortless waves about her face.

"Thanks," she said to me in a quiet voice.

I shrugged, "no problem," and walked away.

A moment later the girl was walking beside me. "I'm Mariah Tyler."

I looked at her a little skeptically. So far my don't-talk-to-anyone plan had been working. But what were the chances I'd ever see her after this exchange?

"Draco."

She smiled and I did too; she was cute.

I continued to just stare forward and walk, hoping that she would drop the conversation and leave me be. But she didn't.

"Where are you headed, Draco?" She inquired.

"Introduction to Back Fired Memory Charms."

"Me too!" She exclaimed.

Oh great, I thought.

Mariah insisted that I sit next to her. Apparently one must always make at least one new friend per first class. Frankly, that annoyed me. Why wouldn't she just leave me alone? I didn't need dome little girl pining for my attention.

Mariah was still caught in her teenage years, and by how young she looked, she might have been. All class long she passed notes to me. As much as I didn't want to respond to her, I couldn't find it in my heart not to.

"Draco, I know we've only just met, but I can tell we are going to be best friends. Don't you agree?"

"Okay."

"I absolutely look forward to an entire semester with you! Actually you know what; you should join the study group that my friends and I have!"

"Sure."

She was rather upfront about the whole ordeal, and I was afraid to tell her no, so I begrudgingly consented. Her persistence was actually quite endearing.

ooooo

That evening I sat in my room reading one of the large books that Hermione had left for me to read before our next study session tomorrow.

There was a tapping sound on my window. A brown house owl sat there with a letter tied to its leg. I opened the window and removed the letter. It smelled faintly of cinnamon-vanilla.

Draco,

It was so wonderful to meet you today! Tomorrow my study group is meeting in Terrace Hall at 7p.m. I really hope that you will join us!

Sincerely,

Mariah

Dang, that girl was persistent. The problem was I already had plans with Hermione. But surely she wouldn't care. She hated spending time with me, anyways, whereas Mariah actually wanted to see me. She really wanted to see me.

I decided to accept Mariah's request and sent back a quick reply saying I would be there. Then I scrawled an apology letter to Hermione, explaining that something had come up and that we could meet the following afternoon.

Pleased with the new arrangements, I closed Hermione's book, which I now had more time to read, and changed for bed.

I fell asleep with a smile on my face that night. Something I couldn't remember ever doing before. Sure I had smirked myself to sleep over trivial things but never a genuine smile. Maybe having friends wouldn't be as bad as I thought.

ooooo

Mariah had a huge smile on her face when I showed up at Terrace Hall. She introduced me to the others. A couple dark haired boys named Jonathon Walker and Thomas Chaplin. Another blonde bloke name Blake Highman and a redhead named Carly Simms. They all were pretty average looking. You could tell Walker had a pampered lifestyle growing up. His clothes were immaculate and pricey. Chaplin wore a Puddlemere United shirt; I could tell he not only supported quidditch but had played for the past few years at least. Just a recreational league though, of course. He was a bit burly looking, so most likely a beater.

I followed the group inside and we found a table to sit at. We all pulled out various textbooks, parchment, and quills.

They had all been friends before coming to university, so I was the odd one out. But they were friendly towards me. I could tell Mariah was the ring leader and what she said went. Therefore everyone put on a smile and asked various questions about my life and my plans. Most of what I told them was B.S. I still hadn't revealed that I was a Malfoy and like the anonymity of it, so I lied about having a great childhood and loving parents, and all that.

Everyone in the group was here studying to become a healer. Therefore we were all taking similar classes and able to work on the same essay together. It made the work go by much faster than if I had done all of the research myself.

We were working diligently, about halfway through the seven page essay, when a shrill voice echoed through the hall and blew my façade of having a normal life.

"MALFOY?! You selfish, lying, ferret-faced, cockroach!"

I looked up to find an appalled, frizzy haired Hermione. I jumped up and rushed over to her, hoping to shut her up and stop the scene from becoming worse.

"Granger. Shhh, calm down! Let me explain. Just come let me explain. Please keep your voice down," I said as I wrapped my arm around her waist leading her into a hallway.

"Malfoy, get your stupid, lying hands off of me!" she shrieked the whole way.

"Granger! Stop yelling!" we had finally reached the hallway and I let her go so I could turn and look at her. Hermione's face was livid.

"You blew me off for some study group? Or I bet it's the blonde. You're just here for that Barbie Doll Blonde. You blew off our project for a Barbie?!"

I was so lost. I didn't know how to explain the situation to her. I hadn't expected her to find out. Of course I should've known that she could be lurking anywhere that there was books and studying. But I certainly had not expected her to care. And lastly, what in the world was a Barbie?

"Hermione, please. I didn't mean to blow you o—"

"Didn't you?" she hissed, cutting me off. "I bet you just wanted to spend some quality time with Blondie," she said in a sickly-sweet voice.

"I didn't even notice that Mariah was considered a 'Barbie doll;' I don't even know what that is!"

"Yeah, right. You didn't want to spend your evening pouring over books next to me, because I'm not as attractive as she is," she replied vehemently.

I wished I could tell her the truth, tell her that she was the most beautiful girl in my world, but I couldn't. she would just laugh in my face.

"I accidently ran, literally ran, into Mariah yesterday and knocked her books out of her hands," ii began. "we turned out to be in the same intro to memory class," Hermione flinched, "and I just felt bad. So I agreed to come tonight. She seemed so vulnerable, and I thought you wouldn't have minded. Please, forgive me, Hermione. And then we can just put this behind us?

"Fine," she said, arms crossed. "Just don't do it again.

"I won't. I promise," I said, actually meaning it.

She just glared at me and turned to walk away.

"So I'll see you tomorrow?" I asked her while she was still in earshot.

"Yes, don't be late!" she called over her shoulder.

I messed up. How could I do that to her? Why am I such a terrible person? I thought as I walked back to the table and the study group I had left.

The group looked a little uncomfortable as I sat back down. I had forgotten that Hermione leaked my last name to all of these people during the scene. I wanted to be mad at here for ruining my bubble, but I was the guilty party here.

"Draco?" Mariah said cautiously.

"Malfoy?! You're a Malfoy?!" Chaplin spluttered accusatorily.

"Yes," I said defeated.

"Get out! We don't want your kind here." Chaplin said.

"Thomas, you're being ridiculous! Draco hasn't actually done anything wrong to us and a name isn't everything," Mariah snapped at him.

I stood up, "I will leave, Chaplin, if that's what you want. I understand if you decide to judge me on something out of my control. I hoped you all were accepting enough to let me show you I'm more that the name I was born with, but oh well." Ad with that I picked up my stuff and left.

Once out of the building I took a deep breath. I guess I really shouldn't have expected anything better. I had done some bad things, and that was all people chose to remember about me. Not the fact that I had walked away from the battle and chosen not to be further involved for the wrong side. Maybe in time I could show people that I had changed.

"Draco!" Mariah's voice caught me off guard. I turned around and the blonde was chasing after me. When she caught up she was panting from running. "I'm really sorry about that, Draco. Thomas can be quite irrational sometimes. Plus he lost an uncle in the war, so he's a bit emotional about stuff like that too."

I couldn't believe she had left her friends for me, the despised Malfoy.

"So what happened in there anyway? Was that your girlfriend? Why was she so upset with you? Mariah pried.

"GIRLFRIEND?! GRANGER?! Never in a million years. We've hated each other since we were eleven. She was friends with Saint Potter at school and he and I were enemies, so naturally Granger and I hate each other." I replied, completely leaving out how I'd give anything for her to be my girlfriend. To be allowed to call someone as great as her mine would be such an honour, of which I'm completely unworthy.

"That seemed like more than just petty school hatred. You must've done something to really aggravate her." Mariah commented. She sounded concerned but she was smiling. She gotten this strange smile on her face when I said I wasn't dating Granger.

I wasn't sure if I should tell Mariah what was going on. After all, I'd only known her for a day. And it had never been my policy to tell people personal business.

"I'll deal with it. Goodnight, Mariah," I said before I apparated home.