Capable of Cruelty

Draco Malfoy wasn't feeling particularly well at the moment. Crabbe and Goyle were in another compartment with that damned Zabini, and Pansy was off...well who really cared anyway? It was perhaps the culmination of being alone on this rumbling train and having been force-fed breakfast by his mother that morning, which made Draco's stomach rather unstable. It was in this condition, breathing rhythmically with his head leaning heavily against the compartment wall, clenches his eyes shut when a wave of sickness threatened to engulf him, that he heard the compartment door open and beheld a girl he'd never seen before.

Suddenly, he didn't feel sick anymore, but rather warm and muddy-minded as he took in her appearance. She was, purely and simply, hott. She was new, he knew that much, and he quickly sent a prayer up to the god of sorting that she would be in Slytherin.

"Hi, can I sit in here? Everywhere else is full," she said, looking imploringly at him.

"Oh, ya, sure," he said, grabbing Crabbe and Goyle's coats off the seats opposite him and stowing them in the luggage racks up above.

"Thanks," she said, flashing him the most beautiful smile he had even seen.

It was only after she had sat down directly opposite him, by the window, that he noticed the cat that had wandered in behind her. "Is that your cat?" he said, gesturing at the entirely black creature that, just as he spoke, jumped onto the seat next to him.

"Ya, that's Nox. Sorry, do you want me to-" she began, making the motion of getting up and removing from the cat from Draco's side.

"No, no, that's alright. He or she?" he inquired, stroking the cat, which had now made its way right onto his lap.

"He," she said, looking curiously at the cat.

"Friendly, isn't he?" Draco said, still stroking the now purring cat.

"Not normally," the girl said, looking rather amused by the proceedings. "He doesn't tend to like strangers. He usually scratches them...a lot," she said, watching the cat as if she expected it to suddenly attack Draco.

"Well I doubt he'll be doing much scratching, seeing as I think he's gone to sleep," he said, and indeed, the cat had gone asleep on Draco's lap. The girl laughed lightly, and Draco's pride ballooned up; he had made her laugh. "Nox, that's an interesting name," he said, desperate to continue a conversation with her.

"Yea, I named him for his color. Nox means-"

"Goddess of the Night," Draco said, cutting her off. She smiled at him, visibly impressed, and his pride grew even more.

"So, now that I know your cat's name, what's yours?" he said, as charming as possible.

"Zorranah Willet, but everyone calls me Zane," she said, stretching her hand out to him.

"Draco Malfoy, and some people call me Draco, others Malfoy," he said, taking her outstretched hand and shaking it as warmly as he could manage.

"Any idea which one you prefer?" Zane asked, leaning back in her seat once again.

"Probably Draco," he said. He really had no idea which one he preferred, but he liked the idea of her calling him by his first name. Very few people did, after all.

"Right, I'll call you Draco then," she said, nodding to accentuate her point.

"Topping," Draco said, in as ridiculously a posh voice as he could force out. She laughed and then simply gazed out the window, watching the hills and pastures roll by. Draco, as he snuck glances at her every now and again, thought that this ride wasn't going to be near as bad as he had thought.