Kathrine Weasley was always an ambitious little girl. One would have to be truly blind in order to miss the hard work the girl put into everything she did and the deep urge she had to be better. That's how the eleven year old managed to get herself a job at Flourish and Blotts for the summer before her first year.

It was an easy job, not meant to be hard. The struggle that the owners of the shop had had with finding a worker, was finding a reliable one. Somehow the most reliable worker that they could find came in the form of an eleven year old who really liked books and really wanted some extra money.

All Kathrine had to do was restock the shelves and help people out when she could. But the owners reassured her that she would never have to work the registers or interact with any customers that often.

She loved it.

When the store was slow or when she ran out of new books to stock, the girl was allowed to find a quiet corner to read any book that she wanted. The other employees, as few as they were, were nice, some even helped her learn a handful of beginner spells when they found her reading school books.

The only thing about her job, was that Kathrine rarely ever met anyone her age in the shop. No one near her age regularly came to Diagon Alley, at least not until the week before school was to start. So Kathrine, even with fantasies of meeting someone in her year before the year began, soon chased away the idea of making a friend outside of school.

That was until the day that they showed up. The Malfoys.

Kathrine recognized them right away, it's not hard to figure out who the pretentious Pure-blooded families are. The Mr. and Mrs. soon disappeared with the owner of the shop to examine some older books they wished to add to their collection, leaving their son in the lower half of the store alone with Kathrine, the only employ working between the shelves.

The blond boy was about her height, just a little shorter, blue eyes startling clear and glass-like. He looked more like a little kid playing dress up in the dark suit than a kid getting ready for his first year at Hogwarts.

But there he was, approaching Kathrine with no idea of who she was, a broad smile on his face.

"I'm Draco."

The brunette Weasley smiled at the blond and took his hand when he offered it.

"Kathrine."

"So are you going to Hogwarts?"

The boy sounded excited. Kathrine suddenly felt a wave of excitement roll through her, ecstatic to be making a friend before school, smiling wider as she nodded.

"I'm sure that I'll be in Slytherin. Where do you think you'll be sorted?"

"Anywhere but Gryffindor, I hope."

Kathrine and Draco giggled at their unsaid dislike for the "brave" house.

Kathrine moved on, placing more books on the shelves where they needed to go. Draco followed behind her, both wanting to keep talking.

"So, why do you work here?"

"I want my own money for my first year. Plus I get to read any of the books that I want when we aren't busy."

Draco looked absolutely invested at that.

"Have you read any spell books?"

Kathrine leaned in real close to tell the boy her little secret.

"I have! The other workers here have even taught me how to do some of them!"

Draco's jaw dropped in awe.

"My father doesn't let me try any spells in the house." Then an idea came to the boy, "what if you tried to teach me one on the way to school?"

Kathrine grinned — she had truly just made her first friend.

"I could try?"

"What's your last name? That way I can find you easier on the train."

"Oh, well, you might not like me anymore if I tell you."

"Nonsense!"

Draco stuck his hand out, brow furrowing with determination.

"I swear that I won't dislike you if you tell me. I promise! I just want to have a friend that my parents didn't set up for me to meet."

"What'll you swear on?"

"A whole Galleon!"

Kathrine took his hand, grinning as she told him her last name.

"Well you don't seem like anything my parents have said of your family."

"Neither do you."

"So, we're still going to be friends?"

"Yeah," Kathrine nodded, "and I'll definitely try to teach you a spell on the train."

The two let go of each other's hands when they heard Draco's mother call for him. But they held true to their words, meeting on the train where Kathrine tried to help him learn lumos before they made it to Hogwarts...

"Lumos."

Draco's wand lights up as he shoves it under Kathrine's desk.

"I don't see it. You do have other quills, right?"

"Of course I have other quills!" Kathrine huffs, arms crossing over her chest defensively, "I just really like this one."

She ducks back under her bed in the manor as Draco groans, face palming.

"Found it!"

Kathrine grins like she's gone mad as she holds up her favorite green-tipped, silver quill. Heat rushes to Draco's cheeks at her smile, hair messy around her face from digging under the bed, sweatshirt just a little askew.

Gosh, she has no idea what she does to him.

He runs a hand through his hair, the pure blonde beginning to darken just a little, hoping to hide the heat in his cheeks.

The rest of their summer had flown by surprisingly uneventful. Draco and Kathrine had traveled to Diagon Alley for the new supplies that they needed. Both needed new books for the year and extra parchment, Draco needed a few other things, and Kathrine needed to have her robes resized.

Kathrine rarely needed to buy anything for school. Draco's father was rather brutish and uncaring for the two teens living in his house, but Narcissa Malfoy would always greet them with a kind smile. She often bought too many rolls of parchment or one too many ink bottles that she gave to Kathrine. All three knew exactly what was going on, but Kathrine appreciated it nonetheless.

"Draco? Kathrine?"

Narcissa pokes her head into the room, a satisfied smile coming to her lips at the sight of the pair on the floor.

"All packed?"

"Just finished, Mother."

Kathrine nods, sticking her quill in its' spot in her bag before setting it on top of her trunk.

"Very good. Now remember, the driver will be here to pick you up at 9:40 just to make sure that you both get on the train in time."

The pair nod again, and Narcissa leaves them be. A small sliver of anxiety drumming in her heart, but she shakes it away as though it's nothing.

"So you made sure to get transferred into Advanced Charms right?"

"Yes, Mum."

Kathrine teases.

"Hey! I'm the reason that you decided to switch."

"No you convinced me to. I switched so that Natalie won't beat me up."

"Yeah well, if that's what it gets you to actually join the classes that you should be in."

"You signed up for Ancient Runes and Care of Magical Creatures, right?"

"Those are supposed to be the easier classes, right?"

Kathrine moves to pinch him as she settles on top of her made bed.

"They're supposed to be interesting!"

"Nerd!"

She moves to hit him with a throw pillow, but he dodges her attack this time and laughs when she flips him off. Her head falls onto his shoulder as Kathrine lets out a heavy sigh. Draco freezes at the contact, cheeks rising in color again.

"I don't know how I feel about this year."

"You're going to do fine. You'll be top of our house again, and near top of our year."

"I meant with my family, Drake."

He pauses. She still hasn't told him what exactly had happened earlier in the summer.

His voice is soft as he asks her, "what happened this summer Kat?"

Kathrine's eyes begin to water as she thinks about that day like she has every night since.

"They called me a snake, just because I'm in Slytherin. They said all of these horrible things, like I'm some kind of monster! And Ron said the worst of it. I know that they haven't ever liked that I was in Slytherin, but I didn't think that they would hate me."

"They're awful!"

Draco jumps up, surprising the girl leaning on him. He's mad, angry. Red in the face and ready to hit anything. He chooses a decorative pillow as his target before Kathrine grabs his hand.

He's panting and she can see tears in his eyes he's so angry. But the moment that he sees the tears falling down her cheeks, Draco's pulling Kathrine into his arms and telling her how sorry he really is.

"You know, you won't need them."

Kathrine looks at him confused, and Draco continues with ideas in his eyes.

"You can stay with me over breaks and summers. And our friends can be your family, I know that we already act like it. Not to mention you have your honorary sisters to take care of you too."

"I can't ask that of everyone-"

"But that's what you've given us since day one Kate."

"Draco, I didn't-"

"You did. You offer free tutoring and praise like no one else. You get everyone gifts. You got your Hufflepuff friends to show you the kitchens so that you can get everyone cake for their birthdays. You've talked everyone through panic attacks and episodes better than anyone else who's ever tried. You made all of us better people too. Better than what are parents have made us. And I know that none of them will be against, finally, getting to call you family out loud."

Kathrine laughs through her tears, pulling him into a rib-crushing hug that surprises him. Her grip is tight but as she shifts to wipe her cheeks, he can only smile.

"Now I'm really crying, you jerk."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You love me though."

"Hmm, sure, you idiot."

But the small smiles hiding behind each other's backs tells the truth behind their teasings. And the truths in their hearts.

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08.31.2022

SURPRISE!! a cute little update with some very angsty Draco!!

I don't feel like talking much about this chapter so talk to me instead!! what are your thoughts? feelings? what are you looking forward too?

anyways, hope that you liked it!!
love y'all to the moon and back💕

word count:: 1786