This chapter starts around the time Draco first saw (y/n). This is meant to give you some insight on his thoughts and how he thinks so you can better understand his actions throughout the book so far.

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Draco Malfoy's POV

"Let me get a—" I paused when I realized the person walking by my compartment wasn't who I was looking for, "Oh, you're not the trolley." I scanned her from head to toe, disappointed since I was near starving.

The moment I locked eyes with her, I swear it felt like someone hit the pause button on my breathing. A wave of confusion washed over me when I realized I didn't recognize her; how could I have overlooked someone so pretty? Surely, a girl like her was impossible to forget. Unless she was new, it's not common for a transfer, but not an impossible thought either.

"No, I'm not. The trolley is two compartments down," she replied softly, offering me a fleeting smile before turning away.

I leaned against the doorframe, captivated as she walked away. Her hair danced with each graceful step, and I found myself unable to look away; she was undeniably pretty. "Draco, what are you doing?" Pansy's voice broke through my thoughts, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the girl who had been relentless in her quest for my attention all last year and through the summer. Honestly, I'd lost track of how many letters she'd bombarded me with, each one promptly incinerated in the fireplace without a second thought. I had no intention of wasting my precious time on her tedious tales of summer escapades that I couldn't care less about.

"Just waiting for the trolley," I shot back, my eyes still glued to the girl as she hesitated outside a compartment not too far from me, uncertainty on her face.

Seconds later, the trolley rolled up, and the older woman smiled at me, asking, "Anything from the trolley, dear?"

"Yeah," I got what I wanted, ignoring Pansy's whiny request for a little something for herself, and closed the door behind me. But not without giving that girl one last glance.

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With Blaise and Pansy following me, we made an attempt to exit our compartment, only to be halted by a Professor. Moments later, another Professor strode past, cradling someone in his arms. Oddly enough, I recognized the person he was carrying by the way her hair danced with each of his steps. "What happened?" Blaise inquired, his curiosity evident.

I observed their departure, my own curiosity mirroring his. "Clearly, I wouldn't know, Blaise. I've been with you the whole time," I replied, prompting him to roll his eyes, a gesture I caught from the corner of my own gaze.

Once we received the go-ahead to continue, I grabbed my suitcase and stepped onto the platform. To our surprise, Professor Snape awaited us there. "First years, step off to my right; the rest of you, remain to my left," he instructed, his eyes lingering on the girl now cradled in Hagrid's arms. "I will be escorting you all into the campus, as Hagrid is currently indisposed." His words were slow, as was his gaze, which finally settled on us.

"Will she be okay?" The voice grated on my nerves like nails scraping against a chalkboard, and I couldn't suppress a small groan that slipped from my lips. Each year, I dreaded the sight of that insufferable fool, clinging to the hope that one summer he would simply vanish. It was a dream, really.

"Yes," Snape replied to Harry, his gaze sweeping over the assembled crowd. "Now, follow me."

As we began to move, a friend of Pansy's approached us. "I heard Potter and that girl fainted," she started, directing her words at Pansy, though I was close enough to catch every syllable. "This Ravenclaw in the compartment next to them said one of the Azkaban guards came in, and they both fainted because of it."

"Pathetic," Pansy chuckled, her laughter ringing out.

If only she realized that the true pathetic one was standing right here. Her.

I tuned out the whispers of the girls, my attention drawn instead to Professor Snape, who stood a short distance away. "Malfoy," he called, his voice cutting through their gossip to gain my attention. "As the head boy of your year, I would like you to take it upon yourself to show a new student around the school. Introduce her to her classes and assist her in any way you can to help her catch up with our curriculum." A swell of pride surged within me at the mention of my title; I had worked diligently to earn that distinction. The only student who outperformed me in grades was Granger, but this year, I was determined to change that. "If you choose not to, I will have to ask Granger instead."

"I'll do it," I replied without a moment's hesitation. My eagerness stemmed not only from a desire to outshine Granger but also from the undeniable curiosity I felt about this new girl. I was certain she was the same one I had met on the train, "Where does she come from?" I asked.

Snape cast a sidelong glance in my direction, his expression inscrutable. "Beauxbatons Academy," he remarked.

I nodded thoughtfully, a smile forming onto my lips. "A French girl." I was aware that her voice carried a subtle accent, distinct from my own, yet I couldn't quite place it in the moment.

"Keep those raging teenage hormones of yours in check, Malfoy," Snape admonished, his voice low enough to avoid drawing the attention of others.

I shot him a look of surprise, but chose to remain silent. It was always wiser to refrain from provoking him, especially if I wanted to avoid a sharp smack to the back of the head.

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"Slytherin!"

The girl, now known to me as (y/n) Maxime, rose gracefully from her chair and glided toward us, the sound of our cheers and the rhythmic pounding of our hands on tables and floors echoing in the air, a customary welcome for a newcomer. As she drew closer, I swiftly shoved Goyle aside, creating a space for her to settle beside me rather than anywhere else.

"Ow!" Goyle protested, rubbing his arm with a look pain.

"Shut it," I snapped and seconds later she came and shyly sat next to me, "(Y/n) Maxime," I leaned casually on the table, my chin cradled in my hand. I captured her gaze, and she turned to me with those nervous eyes. With her so close now, the scent of her enveloped me, a scent that was sweet like cinnamon. In that moment, I grasped the truth behind the whispers of the upperclassmen who spoke of girls as if they were a potent elixir. It was an intoxicating experience, one that left me utterly captivated. "As in the Olympe Maxime?" I looked over her once again, taking in just how much prettier she is up-close. "Should we expect a dramatic growth spurt?"

"I'm adopted, so no. Consider yourself lucky."

I raised a brow, curious, "And why would I be lucky?"

"Because then there's no chance that one day, after my growth spurt, I'd be able to find you and crush you beneath my enormous feet."

She was funny and feisty. It was oddly charming, "Well, well aren't you just a ball of fire," I remarked, a grin spreading across my face, "Get that from your mommy, do you? I hear she's quite tough." I teased, perhaps it was my way of subtly flirting, who knows. I've never been one to flirt or even give a girl my attention, this was a first. And judging by the glare I'm receiving from across the table, Pansy caught on to my new-found interest.

"Leave her alone Malfoy." Potter interjected from behind us.

I turned and gave him a sharp look, "Sorry, Potter, did I offend your girlfriend?" I said with a smirk, not that I believed something like that could possibly be true. But from the looks of it, I'm not the only one who got caught up in those eyes of hers, "I heard you fainted too, Potter. I can understand it from a girl, but you? Surely, you can't be that weak."

"Leave him alone, Malfoy." She defended him, causing our eyes to lock again, "You weren't there, you didn't see what happened, therefore you don't get an opinion."

In that instant, it felt as though every tender thought I had of her vanished from my mind the moment she stood up for him. She was undeniably beautiful, a truth I unfortunately can never deny. But even that was not enough to save her from the scrutiny that awaited her for aligning herself with him.

"Welcome, welcome to another year at Hogwarts."

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"Your room is down that hall, third door, on the right," I informed her, pointing toward a narrow corridor lined with doors that housed the entirety of Slytherin.

"Thank you?" She looked confused that I was helping her, but of course I already agreed to do this. Backing out of a promise made to Snape was simply not an option.

"Professor Snape told me to make sure you find your room," I explained, not being able to hide my irritation, "And he also said I have to escort you to your divination class in the morning. I'll be here in the common room half an hour before class starts. Don't be late, or I'm leaving without you." As I pivoted on my heel, I made my way back to my friends, sinking onto the couch with a deep, and heavy exhale. It was just like Potter to throw a wrench into every aspect of my life.

"What is your problem? You don't even know me, yet you've been rude since the moment I met you." She appeared before me in the blink of an eye. I should have anticipated her following me; her audacity has been obvious so far. There was a certain allure to her fearless nature that I still found captivating, yet the thought of her friendship with him gnawed at me. It left a bitter taste in my mouth, as if she had been tainted by association. Maybe it has to do with my hatred for him being stronger than anything else.

"I don't need to." I smirked, somewhat enjoying how frustrated she seemed, "The company you keep is enough. Granger, Potter, Weasley." I spat their names. "You might as well befriend the sewer rats."

You made your bed love, lay in it.

"At least they're kind people, which is more than I can say for you. Enjoy your evening." She stormed away, leaving that damn smell of cinnamon behind that filled my head with thoughts of her I no longer wanted. Like if her lips tasted like cinnamon. I shoved the thought away and leaned back, staring at the ceiling in thought.

"Girls." I scoffed, "Pleasing to the eye, but a nuisance to the ears."

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If anyone is confused on his switch up, let me remind you that teens, especially boys are complicated little devils. He obviously felt an attraction towards her, just as any boy would do when noticing a pretty girl for the first time. But when she stood up for Harry, it angered him so now he no longer wants to feel any kind of attraction for her because he now sees her as Potter's friend, a person he loathes. So he's going to have some disdain and frustration about that since anything associated with Harry is a nuisance to him. Hope this makes sense. But also yeah clearly he's still attracted to her, you can't just shut something like that off. As much as he might want to right now.

Let me know if I did a good job portraying his emotions and thoughts! If it needs work, I can fix it but I hope I did it justice and wasn't too confusing? I'd do more but it was already getting pretty long.

Any questions, please feel free to ask!