I watched the boy with the strange white hair walk away with the grumpy looking girl.

I couldn't believe it when he had said hello. I felt for sure he had been talking to someone else. No one spoke to me. Not Astrid Weirdo Williams.

But I had never seen this boy before. He certainly hadn't been from my school. I wondered if he would be going to my new school. I felt the familiar dread of fear when I thought about starting secondary school. A whole new hoard of kids to make fun of me.

This boy - Draco - sounded like he might attend some kind of posh kids school, though. He certainly dressed the part. Such odd clothes he wore - as did the girl called Pansy. They looked as though they were about to attend some kind of royal party - not exactly dressed to hang out at the local park.

A smattering of laughter made me look up - and I instantly regretted it. The group of boys on the roundabout were pointing at me and I could hear shouts of 'Weirdo Williams' reach my ears. My face flaming, I hurriedly looked back down at my feet.

I hated being here. But I hated being at home more.

The church bells chiming in the distance told me it was only four o'clock.

Too soon to return to hell.

...

"Hullo,"

My head snapped up in surprise. I was in my usual spot on the swings, wondering how I was going to kill a whole day again.

It was the boy. Draco.

My heart started thudding nervously. He was standing before me, grinning down at me with his hands deep in his trouser pockets. The girl - Pansy - didn't appear to be with him. I felt oddly relieved about this.

"H-hello," I said coyly, trying my hardest not to blush, but knowing it was hopeless. I quickly looked down, allowing my hair to hide my face.

"Can I sit?" he asked, taking the swing next to me without waiting for an answer.

"So, you like hanging here," he continued, his voice a funny sort of drawl, "at this... playground?"

I could feel his eyes on me, making me feel uncomfortable.

"It's alright, I suppose," I shrugged, not looking up.

"Funny sort of place, isn't it?"

I looked up curiously at him. He was staring at me and I couldn't help but notice his eyes - his silver grey eyes - twinkle slightly.

"Huh?" I asked.

"Well," he drawled, slightly amusedly, "everyone else here seems to be having fun, and yet you are sat here on your own looking... glum."

I shrugged again, not feeling sure how to answer that.

"You don't say much, do you?"

I shrugged again.

"I don't mind," he continued, "Pansy doesn't usually shut up. How old are you by the way?"

"Eleven," I whispered, "I'm eleven today."

"Oh." He looked momentarily confused, as if he couldn't believe anyone would spend their birthday sat alone in a park. "Happy birthday."

"Thanks," I muttered.

"So... are you having a party?"

The idea of myself having a party seemed so funny to me, that I couldn't help a bubble of laughter rise up in my throat and escape through my lips.

"You don't like parties?" Draco asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"I don't have... friends." I struggled, finding it hard to admit this.

"I'll be your friend, if you like?"

"Why?" I asked, taken aback at this bold offer of friendship.

"Because you seem - I dunno... alright."

"I don't think your other friend likes me much."

He wrinkled up his nose. "Oh, don't mind Pansy. She's just funny like that."

"What school do you go to?" I asked suddenly feeling a bit more courageous. "I've never seen you around before."

A funny look swept across his face. He looked almost uncomfortable.

"I'm about to attend a... special school, one for people like me."

"People like you? Do you mean rich?"

"Yeah..." he seemed lost in thought for a second, "I get to stay there - it's going to be like moving to a new home."

"That must be nice, I'd like to go somewhere like that."

"I'll be home for the holidays, though," he said quickly, "back here, I mean."

I found myself inexplicably beaming. I don't know why, but I was starting to like this boy.

He suddenly jumped off the swing, I looked up, wondering where he was going.

"Come on," he said, as I gave him a quizzical look, "let's go do something fun."

"Like what?" I asked, "and why?"

His eyes glinted into mine. "Well it's your birthday, isn't it? And seeing as you aren't having a party, then let's do something together."

"You and me?"

"Yeah... if you want, that is?" He looked at me questioningly. I didn't know what to say. I wasn't used to this - to people wanting to be my friend. If anyone ever talked to me then it was to say mean things.

But I could see the eagerness on his face as he waited for my response. Slowly, I stood up from the swing and smiled.

"Okay, then," I said softly, as his face lit up, "let's go."

He didn't seem to know the area very well, despite having lived here his whole life, so I led him down through the woods until we came to the river. For the next few hours we paddled in the water and climbed trees. We spent most of it in a companionable silence, talking only about what we saw and what we were doing.

Neither of us talked about our families or our lives at home. I had the feeling there was something he didn't wish to share with me. And I'm sure he could tell there was something I wasn't sharing, too. But if he did, he never asked.

Eventually Draco looked up at the sky and sighed.

"I suppose I better go home," he mumbled miserably.

"Yeah, me too," I said, although I had no intention of going back anytime soon.

"Will you be about tomorrow?" He asked hopefully.

Of course I was. I always was.

"Yeah, maybe," I shrugged, feeling shy again.

Once again his pale, pointed face lit up. "Great, I'll come and find you again,"

And as I watched him walk away, I found my stomach give a little inexplicable twist of excitement.

My summer was certainly not going to be the long drawn out one I was dreading anymore.

Not now that I'd met Draco Malfoy.