It was pouring rain on the Quidditch pitch. Draco stood frozen, utterly stiff, as Harry Potter had just snatched the Golden Snitch right from under his nose.
The final score was 50 to 160. Slytherin had lost the match.
Draco couldn't recall how he'd gotten back to the ground. He couldn't hear Pansy's comforting words, only vaguely registering Gryffindor students swarming around Potter.
Flint stormed over, unleashing a furious tirade. "Malfoy! You said you were a brilliant flyer, that's why I made an exception to let you on the team! And you couldn't even see the Snitch right in front of your face—" Flint roared.
"Enough! You wouldn't even have a Nimbus 2001 if it weren't for Draco!" Pansy shot back angrily.
At Pansy's words, Flint finally stopped yelling. He gave Draco a cold stare, then stalked off in a huff.
(Some might think Flint is being ungrateful, talking like that while using a broom gifted by Malfoy. But before Harry's arrival, Flint had won several Quidditch Cups in a row with his old broom, so in his eyes, the broom itself wasn't the most crucial thing.)
Finally, Draco moved. He pushed away Pansy, who was holding an umbrella over him, and stood alone in the rain.
"Come on, let Draco have a moment alone," Blaise told Pansy.
"But Professor Snape said we all have to go back to the castle together," Pansy argued.
Seeing he couldn't persuade Pansy, Blaise tried to pull her away by force.
But Pansy struggled, unwilling to leave just yet.
Draco finally spoke, his voice hoarse. "It's fine, Pansy. You go ahead. I'll be alright."
Only then did Pansy reluctantly leave, looking back over her shoulder every few steps.
The students, led by Dumbledore, quickly returned to the castle, leaving Draco alone on the Quidditch pitch.
*Am I truly not as good as Potter? Is Potter really so unbeatable? Why...*
Draco thought, feeling utterly helpless.
Suddenly, a massive figure appeared, using a giant pink umbrella to shield Draco from the rain.
Draco looked up blankly; it was Hagrid.
Before the Norwegian Ridgeback incident, Hagrid had always held a strong prejudice against the Malfoy family.
Even though Dumbledore constantly emphasized that children were innocent, Hagrid stubbornly insisted, "He's a Malfoy, that evil Slytherin!"
However, Draco's own actions had slowly begun to change Hagrid's perception.
Even though Draco's tongue was still as sharp as ever, and he still looked down on the half-giant, he hadn't spoken many words to Hagrid.
Even though Draco visited Norbert every week, more diligently than Hagrid himself, Hagrid stubbornly believed he had ulterior motives.
Until one day, Draco brought Norbert some Muggle alcohol. Hagrid was utterly shocked when he discovered it; this was completely unlike the pure-blood wizards he'd imagined.
From that day on, Hagrid began to seriously consider Dumbledore's words: that children were different from adults.
Later, Draco and Norbert gradually became good friends. Norbert even started waiting for him in the Forbidden Forest at regular times, a privilege even Harry didn't have.
Hagrid finally stopped giving Draco the cold shoulder; he was convinced that Draco's love for magical creatures was genuine.
Hagrid started greeting Draco, and even when Draco responded with furious curses, Hagrid would still prepare him some rock cakes.
*How bad can someone who loves magical creatures truly be?*
Hagrid's reasoning was always so wonderfully simple.
So, upon seeing Malfoy standing alone in the rain, Hagrid volunteered. "Leave him to me, Dumbledore. I'll make sure to get Malfoy back to the castle safely."
And that's how Hagrid ended up holding an umbrella for Malfoy.
"Malfoy," Hagrid hesitated, then corrected himself. "Draco, don't be sad. Harry, he—"
"I don't need comfort from a half-giant," Draco coldly interrupted Hagrid.
Hagrid stood frozen, utterly stiff. He thought he and Draco had become friends.
It was a good thing Snape was currently conducting a thorough search inside the castle, otherwise, he would surely have scoffed at Hagrid's whimsical notions.
(Not all of Malfoy's friends were pure-bloods; Lucius and Snape are prime examples, though Draco didn't know Snape was a half-blood.)
"Hagrid, I told you Malfoy doesn't need your comfort," a female voice said.
"Uh, Ginny, but he... I clearly..." Hagrid mumbled awkwardly, unsure what to say.
Ginny slowly emerged from behind Hagrid, looking at Malfoy coldly.
Ginny didn't want to go back to Gryffindor Tower. She knew the common room would be bustling, but she didn't want to see Harry and Hermione happily sitting together, so she'd made the excuse of wanting to see the Norwegian Ridgeback to stay behind.
After a moment, Hagrid said firmly, "Draco isn't like that. He's just too upset."
Ginny shook her head, saying no more. After all, she wasn't very familiar with Hagrid, and seeing the Norwegian Ridgeback was merely an excuse to remain there.
After standing in the rain for a bit longer, Hagrid pretended to check the time, then suggested that since neither of them wanted to return to the castle, they might as well come to his hut for a sit-down. He could even take them to see Norbert.
At Hagrid's words, Draco finally reacted. He said coldly, "Didn't you say Norbert's existence was supposed to be a secret? Why are you taking outsiders to see her?"
"Ginny isn't an outsider; she's a Gryffindor," Hagrid said nonchalantly.
Draco scoffed, but didn't argue.
And so, the trio made their way to Hagrid's hut.
Hagrid first hung his soaked overcoat by the fireplace, then brewed a large pot of tea.
"Have some hot tea to warm yourselves up first; this rain is just too heavy," Hagrid said heartily.
Ginny took the teacup and thanked him. To her surprise, Draco also accepted a teacup.
"I thought a Malfoy wouldn't deign to use a teacup like this," Ginny sneered, but Draco simply drank his tea in silence.
Finding Draco ignoring her, Ginny quickly grew bored. She started looking around.
The hut was just as Fred had described it—very homey...
Ginny felt it was much like the Burrow.
After a while, Ginny idly scratched Fang's chin, watching Hagrid mix brandy and chicken blood nearby. She curiously asked what he was doing.
"Norbert loves this drink," Hagrid said without looking up.
"Mix in some gin," Draco suddenly spoke.
"I knew I was forgetting something!" Hagrid exclaimed, slapping his forehead in realization, and retrieved the gin from under the table.
"Draco actually brought this gin, you know," Hagrid explained as he poured the gin in.
Ginny picked up an empty bottle and saw that it was, indeed, Muggle alcohol.
"Did a Malfoy really bring this?" Ginny asked in disbelief.
"Oh yes, yes, thanks to him, I learned Norbert prefers gin!" Hagrid said, wiping sweat from his brow.
Hagrid then rummaged in a corner and pulled out a few leather raincoats.
"Ginny, this one's a bit big, but you should be able to wear it. Oh, Draco, yours is a bit dirty."
Ginny took the raincoat and struggled to put it on. She turned around only to find Draco already wearing his, standing by the door.
The group walked along the Forbidden Forest path, Hagrid leading the way with two buckets of the special drink.
Just thinking about seeing Norbert, whom he hadn't seen in a while, lifted Draco's spirits a little.
When they reached Norbert's lair, something else surprised Ginny.
After drinking the special concoction, the Norwegian Ridgeback stretched out its tongue and licked Malfoy's face a few times.
Even though Norbert covered Malfoy's face in chicken blood, Malfoy didn't get angry. Instead, he smiled and patted the dragon's head.
Ginny couldn't help but ask, "Are you *really* a Malfoy?"
"You ignorant weasel," Draco sneered, without looking back.
(Here's a fan art of Draco and Ginny.)
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