Without You

Pilot

Autumn could not forget the first day she met him.

- - - - - - - - - -

It was the start of our fourth year in Hogwarts when I first met him. He had bleached blonde hair, styled and parted away from his eyes. His eyes were silver-grey, contrast to my dark orbs. I had never actually seen him around the school until this day, when I first made an approach to him.

It was quite funny, actually.

Crabbe and Goyle were beside him when I first approached him. He had said terrible things to Hermione, and even made her cry. I couldn't just sit around and comfort her. I pushed Malfoy backwards. Goyle was quick enough to push him back to his feet. I could feel my eyes burning with rage as I stared him down with my wand held out. He looked confused, but angry. It must have been uncommon for females to act this way towards him. Everyone was so afraid of him and his father, but I certainly wasn't. This boy needed to be taught a lesson.

"What was that for?!" he yelled in defence, staring back at me. He scanned my clothes, looking up and down. He was probably trying to figure out what House I came from, and what Grade I was in.

He snarled, "Eugh... A Gryffindor... What do you want?"

"You disgraceful pure-blood," I spat, "How dare you call Hermione a Mud-blood?"

I glared at him, giving him a threatening look. My hands were tightly balled into fists. I didn't know if I was going to punch him or not. But honestly, I definitely wanted to.

He snickered, "You gotta know what you are. Mud-bloods shouldn't even go to Hogwarts."

I swore under my breath, before pulling my wand out of her pocket, "Anteoculatia!"

Crabbe and Goyle ran for their lives as soon as I cast a spell. Seconds after I raised my wand, antlers grew on Malfoy's head. In response, he picked up his wand, ready to fight back. I didn't dare to flinch.

"Confrinㅡ"

"Expelliarmus!"

Professor Snape made it in time before that evil Slytherin could burst me into flames. I wasn't too afraid since I, myself, was ready to disarm the stupid boy. The Professor stared at the two of us with a questioning look. I didn't blame him, I mean. Things were going to get violent if he didn't stop us.

"Rosewood and Malfoy, come with me. If you have time wasting your energy, I'm sure you have time to clean gum off desks."

I did not want to clean gum someone else chewed off the bottom of desks, but I definitely did not want to do it accompanied by him. I didn't like him, even if I had only met him just now. Hermione is one of my good friends and seemed awfully upset because of this boy who constantly calls her a Mud-blood.

Snape slammed the door behind him, and I could feel the strong glare of a blonde boy fixed on me.

"What? It's not completely my fault. If you didn't call Hermione stupid names, none of this would have ever happened." I defended. I knew by the look on his face that he was going to he unreasonable. Hermione told me that boys our age took much longer to mature than girls. I could clearly see that in this boy.

"Well, that's her fault for being a Mud-blood, isn't it?"

I refused to look at him, picking up a spatula. Might as well do the work and get out of here quickly.

"No. You know what? Why don't you go open a new school for you and your little pure-blood friends? Hogwarts would be better off without you, anyway." I rolled my eyes, collecting the mouldy gum underneath the desks.

"See? Gum. If this school was full of pure-bloods, this gum wouldn't even be here."

"I wish I had thought of setting you on fire. Wouldn't that be amusing to watch?"

I heard him scoff, "Of course a Mud-blood couldn't think of that."

I didn't bother defending myself. I was a pure-blood witch, but he didn't need to know that. There was nothing wrong with being a Muggle-born, anyway. I've always thought it was more shameful to be a pure-blood.

He continued to talk about nonsense, often bragging about his pure-blood family. I was proud of my family, too, but my father is dead. I just don't like talking about it, and the subject is best left alone. The wand I use at Hogwarts was my mother's wand, given to her by my father. They met in Hogwarts in their first year, when they became best friends. Mother says that dad was her crush since her second year, but only started having feelings for her in their sixth year. Before they graduated, father gave this wand to my mother as a gift. Although this was probably my mother's most precious possession, she had given it to me on my second year. It was all I had to remind me of home right now.

My thoughts were suddenly interrupted when the blonde boy continuously called my name. He probably found my name when Professor Snape called the two of us to stop. I wish he didn't.

"You're a friend of Harry Potter?" he asked, his eyebrows raised.

I nodded. "Why?"

He burst into laughter, "Of course you are. Gryffindors are the worst."

"I'd say the same about Slytherins."

I didn't understand why he was laughing. What was so funny about any of this?

"And where do you hang out? In the girls' bathroom with Moaning Myrtle? 'Cause you don't have any other friends?" He continued to laugh, his hair miraculously still in place.

I didn't let this bother me. He could say what he wanted.

"And Weasley. Am I right? That boy who can't even afford a wand that works."

I stormed out. I had enough of hearing his annoying voice and his rude comments about me and my friends. If I was left with him in a room for another second, I swear I would have killed him. I didn't care what Professor Snape would say. If he wants to give me another punishment, I can take it. As long as I don't have to hear anything from that Draco Malfoy, I was completely fine with whatever was to come.

Oh boy, was I wrong. My next class was with Professor McGonagall, who loved having everything in order. And so, she decided to make a seating plan ordered at her own desire. Go and make a guess. Guess who I had to sit beside during every Transfiguration lesson? Of course, it had to be Draco Malfoy. He greeted me with a nudge.

"Look who it is, the Gryffindor who left me to do all the work." he sounded like a ten year old trying to impress his friends with his insults, "You should cut your hair. It's filthy, like your blood. You Mud-blood."

"I'm not a Muggle-born." I said, dryly. I opened my spell book, not looking up from it.

He nudged me again. And again. After the third time, I nudged back harder. He screams out in pain, receiving the attention of the other students in the class. I rolled my eyes, glaring at him. Sometimes, he'd act like a girl.

"Can you stop it? One more time and I'll turn you into a toad."

"Oh yeah? How are you going to do that without a wand?" He started laughing.

Almost immediately, I felt my pocket for the wand. He was right, it was gone. I must have left it in Snape's classroom from earlier. I shot up from my seat, running towards Snape's room. I pause at the door, realising there was a class inside.

"Looking for your wand, Miss Rosewood?"

I nodded, out of breath. It was the one thing I couldn't afford to lose.

"Malfoy said he'd returnㅡ"

I took off once again, eager to rip that blonde boy to shreds. I knew he had something to do with it.

Before I returned to Professor McGonagall's classroom, I stopped by the girls' bathroom to freshen up. I froze on the spot when I saw a familiar wooden object on the ground, snapped in half.

I bent down, hands shaking, as I picked up what was left of my wand. I was more upset than angry this time. I knew Draco Malfoy was a terrible boy, but I didn't think he'd take it this far.