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Draco didn't believe in "love at first sight", especially not at eleven years old, but he knew he felt something the first time he saw her.
He had been browsing the shelves at Flourish and Blotts in Diagon Alley while his mother purchased his school books. It was there that he saw her—curly, unruly hair, a wide smile, and so much wonder in her eyes as she paged through a thick tome.
She wasn't pretty like the other pure blood girls he grew up with, but her smile was beautiful and Draco didn't quite know what to think when his stomach felt like fairies were fluttering inside of him.
The young witch must have felt him staring at her because she suddenly looked up and directed her smile at him.
"Oh, hello!" She gave him a little wave. "Are you starting Hogwarts this year too?"
"Yes, I am." Draco stepped closer. "What's that you're reading?"
"Oh it's such a wonderful book! It's called Hogwarts, A History ! There's so many amazing facts about the school. Have you read it already?"
"I haven't, no."
"Oh, well, you certainly should, especially with starting school so soon," she said as she placed it back on the shelf.
"Are you not going to buy it?" he asked her curiously.
The girl shook her head sadly. "No…perhaps next visit. We didn't bring enough currency with us to get a lot of extra things after getting all my school supplies."
Without thinking, Draco stuck his hand in cloak and pulled out his pouch of pocket money. "Here," he said, giving her the pouch. "Now you can get the book."
"Oh I couldn't—don't you need this for your own school supplies?"
Draco shrugged indifferently. "It's no big deal, my family's pretty well off."
The girl bit her lip. "Well….if you're sure…"
As an answer, he pulled the book from the shelf and handed it to her. "I insist."
Her smile grew. "Thank you. I'm Hermione, by the way. Hermione Granger." She held out her hand.
"I'm Draco Malfoy." Her hand was small and soft in his and he could have sworn he saw her blush.
"Well, I should probably go find my parents….I'll see you around, Draco. Maybe we'll be sorted in the same house?"
He smiled back at her. "Hopefully."
He watched as she went up to the counter and bought her new book. Before she exited the shop, she turned around to look at him once more, smiled her pretty smile, and left.
"Who was that, Draco?" his mother asked a moment later.
"Just some girl…"
"I see," his mother said with amusement in her eyes. "Well, if you're done staring after 'some girl', are you ready to head over to Madam Malkin's?"
For the rest of his outing, he kept an eye out for the pretty girl with curly hair—Hermione, he reminded himself — and hoped that he would see her again, and more often, when the school term started.