Qiya

  It was a Saturday night, and Scarlet had just finished her training, pnning to head back to her dorm for a shower. As she rouhe er, she noticed Draco standing there, seemingly waiting for someone. From the look on his face when he saw her, she realised she was the one he’d been waiting for.

  This was just a few days after their st meeting in the corridor after css.

  Wiping her sweat with towel, Scarlet asked, “Hello, Draco. I help you with something?”

  Draco looked awkward, like he’d been forced into this situation. He hesitated for a while before finally managing, “I...Uhm, what did you mean that day?”

  “What?” Scarlet blinked.

  “About pride and arrogance,” Draco crified, frowning. “What does that have to do with making friends?”

  Oh great, now I’m the school sellor...Hogwarts should be paying me for this, Scarlet thought wryly. She pulled out two buttons and, with a wave of her wand, transfigured them into chairs. With a casual motion, she sent the chairs over to the nearby baly. “Sorry, I don’t have ao offer, but I’m sure you don’t mind. This won’t be a short versation, Draco. Sit down – you'll want to take your time thinking it over.”

  Draco sat down, looking fused.

  “We’ll get to the differeween pride and arrogan a bit,” Scarlet said, tinued wiping her sweat. “For now, let’s start at the beginning. You tried to befriend the famous Harry Potter, right. I assume part of the reason was that you saw something valuable in him - his fame, perhaps his status?”

  Relutly, Draodded.

  “Alright, let’s approach it from that angle, since I imagihat’s how purebloods tend to think.” Scarlet gave him a knowing look. “Now, most people don’t put that much thought into making friends...I know that might sound strao you, but it’s important to remember this because this is exactly how Ron and Harry became friends.”

  Draco’s lips tightened in frustration, still uo prehend why Harry Potter would choose to befriend a poor, “blood traitor” like Weasleys over someone like him - a pureblood.

  “Now, do you remember the first thing you said to Harry when you tried to befriend him?” Scarlet asked.

  Draco thought for a moment before replying, “I told him to choose the right sort, not hang around with the Weasleys,”

  “There’s where the first mistake was made,” Scarlet said, disseg the situation. “You wao be Harry Potter’s friend because you saw his value. So why didn’t you do any research before approag him?”

  Draco looked bnk, clearly not having sidered this before.

  “You didn’t know his likes and dislikes. You didn’t know his background or how much he knew about the wizarding world. You didn’t even uand his strengths and weaknesses,” Scarlet tinued. “You didn’t present yourself as someohink was worth befriending.”

  “But I --”

  “You just assumed, didn’t you?” Scarlet interrupted, raising her fio stop him. “You assumed he already khe ins and outs of the wizarding world. You assumed he knew about purebloods, Muggle-borns, and all the old traditions. You thought that once he found out you were a Malfoy, he’d naturally favour you. But iy...”

  “He knew nothing about the wizarding world,”

  “He knew nothing about purebloods or the old wizarding families.”

  “He didn’t even know what Malfoy meant,” Scarlet said pointedly.

  Scarlet noticed Draco growing even paler for every point she mentioned. “Imagianding at the King’s Cross Station, and out of nowhere, a boy approaches you, holds his head high, and says, ‘Oh, so yoing to be my cssmate? Well, you should feel hoo be in my presence. You should be grateful.’ How would you react?”

  Draco bliaken aback, but relutly admitted, “I’d think he was arrogant and insane for not knowing who I am?”

  “Exactly. And now imagihis: he knows exactly who you are, and he’s still trying to be your friend. But you ’t expect a royal prio bow to you, you? Well, let’s just say he’s the royal prince - his family owns all of Engnd. He’s wealthier than the Malfoys, and he could order you out of his try. But he admires you and wants to be your friend.”

  Scarlet paused to let the analogy sink in. “See any simirities between you and this prince?”

  Draco stared into the distahinking hard.

  “And now that you know he’s royalty, would you still be ined to befriend him? Some Slytherins might, for the bes. But definitely not Gryffindors.”

  Draco finally broke the silence, “Even as a Slytherin, I wouldn’t want anything to do with that prince.”

  “And that’s precisely why Harry doesn’t want anything to do with you.” Scarlet nodded, “On top of that, you’ve been insulting his friend. Why would he bother being friendly with you? And to make things worse, you keep antagonising him with your sharp tongue.”

  Draco gred at her, “You’re so clever. Why don’t you tell me what you would’ve done if you were in my shoes?”

  “I’d have done my research first, before taking any steps,” Scarlet replied coolly. “Information is key to secure your position and achieving yoals. If I were you, I’d start by learning his likes and dislikes, what he needs and what he doesn’t.”

  “He needs someoo show him the wizarding world. Ron had dohis brilliantly.”

  “He needs someoo guide and apany him through Hogwarts. I’d say the Gryffindors have that covered.”

  “And he needs someone who uand his suffering.” Scarlet grinned, “Draalfoy, blessed with his parents’ love and living a wealthy life, could never uand what it feels like to be an orphan, relying oives who despise him. Ron empathise, to some degree, because of his financial situation. Hermiories to help, even though she’s from a middle-css Muggle family and doesn’t fully uand, but at least she’s making an effort.”

  Draco looked stunned.

  “Imagine you were an orphan,” Scarlet said. “Living in a house where no one values you, thinking you’re just a burden, wasting their mohen imagihe people you loved the most - your father and mother – just vanishing, killed in front of you...And then some jerk in your css keeps mog you for being an orphan--”

  “How dare he!” Draco burst out, standing up angrily. But then realisation dawned, and he sank bato the chair, silent.

  “Yep, that’s exactly how Harry thinks of yht now.” Scarlet shrugged. “’t really bme him, you?”

  Draained silent.

  “Your arrogance blinds you, Draco, and it makes your words sharper than they o be. That only makes things worse. From your point of view, you’re just telling Harry how much better you are, and how awful the Weasleys are. You’re trying to pull him away from them and onto your side. But iy, all you’re doing is pushing him further away. To him, you’re not just a cssmate; you’re an enemy. If anything bad happens to him, you’ll be the first person he suspects. Because, in his eyes, you’re just some spoiled rich kid who would love to see him suffer.”

  A cool night breeze swept through, ruffling their hair. Scarlet felt the chill and quietly cast a warming charm for both of them. Draco, deep in thought, didn’t seem to notice.

  Finally, in a near-whisper, Draco asked, “So there’s no ce of us being friends?”

  “Not for now,” Scarlet nodded, “Even if you apologised, he’d just assume it was a trap.”

  Draced at her, hope flickering in his eyes. “But you’ve got a solutiht?”

  Scarlet shook her head, “I have a suggestion.”

  “I’m listening.”

  Scarlet smiled, “Be his rival.”

  “What?” Draco looked fused, “I’m n to be his enemy...”

  “Rival, not enemy. There’s a difference,” Scarlet expined. “Ery to destroy each other, or watch their oppo fail miserably just for the satisfa of it. That's not what you want, is it? As a rival, you’ll be peting with him – whether it’s Quidditch, grades, or anything else. Challenge him openly, but without words. Use more of your body nguage, Draco; you’re quite skilled at that. Be his rival, and in doing so, you’ll push yourself and him to bee better.”

  Scarlet leaned in, her voice dropping to a whisper. “The most important thing is this: be his rival, and you’ll bee his only true rival. He’ll remember you, aually, he might even value you as someone signifit in his life. One day, he could carry the name ‘Malfoy’ with respect, even in his future versations. Imagihat – the famous Harry Potter respeg the Malfoy name. Sounds like what you’re after, doesn’t it?”

  Draco’s eyes widened, frozen in his seat, even after Scarlet had left.

  From that day on, Scarlet rarely heard Hermione pin about Draco. Instead, she would grumble about Ron’s hot temper whenever Drairked at him, or about Harry being “surprisingly determined just to beat Dra writing essays”.

  Clever boy, Scarlet mused as she tinued with her paperwork. I wonder what his father was like...

  Qiya