//------------------------------// // Is He Really So Bad? // Story: A Horse at Hogwarts // by ponygirl825 //------------------------------// It had been a week since Draco's...transformation. Enchanted Hue had been spending a lot of time with him, but she felt something she didn't want to admit. She was falling for Draco. She was so annoyed with herself for it, but there was no denying it. She thought about telling Hermione, but she didn't want to lose a friend from something so stupid. She had to tell somebody eventually, but today was not the day. Draco had made his displeasure clear when he realized that the Yule Ball was coming up later this week, and he'd not be going, as no one was going to ask a horse to dance. Harry had managed to walk away from the first Triwizard challenge alive, which was reliving. Harry had gotten the golden egg, which apparently held the next clue, but Harry had yet to decode it. Ron had realized Harry hadn't put his name in the goblet, and their friendship had been bonded. Hue had found a hobby, sketching. Whenever she felt stressed or found the perfect picture, she would sketch it. Hue was a bit disappointed when she realized she wouldn't be going to the Yule Ball either, unless Harry asked her. But that would be, weird, to say the least. As Hue walked down the hall, she saw Draco leaning against a tree gazing out upon the Black Lake. His mane was being blown by the soft breeze. She blushed more than a bit at how nice he looked just then. She grabbed her sketchbook before he moved and sketched a quick version, deciding to fill in small details later. Once she finished she approached Draco. He looked over his shoulder when he heard footsteps. "Hey," he said casually. "Hi," Hue replied, still blushing a bit. She had to make some kind of conversation. "So, what do you think the next challenge is gonna be?" "Don't know," he replied, shrugging. "As long as Potter can't handle it, I'll enjoy it," Hue changed the subject completely. "What do you have against Harry?!" she yelled, surprising Draco. "I-I just, he's too, perfect. He's always there to save the day, but what have I done? Nothing. I'm rich, I'm a pureblood, my father works for the Ministry of Magic, but all anyone cares about is Potter, Weasley, and that filthy mud-blood Granger-" "Don't you ever call her that again!" Hue shouted, inches from his face. "I am so tired of you disrespecting everyone! This is why I'm your only friend!" "I don't need friends! I don't need this school, and I don't need you!!" he shouted, getting angrier by the minute. He only realized what he had said when he saw the tears forming in the corners of Hue's eyes. His expression softened. "I-I didn't, I'm," he stuttered, but Hue wasn't listening, she ran for the school. "Hue!" he called after her. He was better with his hooves, but not as good as Hue. She sprinted out of his sight. He ran as fast as he could, which wasn't nearly as fast as Hue, towards the school. He ran down the hallway looking for any sign of her. He spotted Neville and ran towards him. "Longbottom! Have you seen Hue anywhere?" he asked frantically. He nodded. "She ran up to the Astronomy Tower, she seemed really upset," he said, eyeing Draco suspiciously, but Draco didn't notice. He ran to the Astronomy Tower. When he finally reached the top, he heard soft sobs, but couldn't see much in the dusk light. He followed the sound and eventually found Hue, laying on the floor, head in hooves. She heard him approach and looked up. She glared at him. "What do you want, I thought you didn't need me." she spat. Draco cringed at the harshness of her words. He had never seen her like this. He knelt down next to her and nuzzled her neck. He blushed a bit, but he didn't know why. "Hey, listen. I'm really sorry about what I said. I didn't mean it, I was just annoyed that my only friend was also on the 'Potter is Perfect' bandwagon." he said, waiting patiently for her response. "I'm not." "Huh?' "I never said Potter was perfect, no one is, but he's still my friend and it makes me angry when someone says something rude about my friends. If it was someone else talking about you, I would have reacted the same way. And calling Hermione a-" she stopped and shook her head. "It's such a disrespectful and cruel thing to say. Promise me you'll never say it in my presence again?" she asked looking up at him. He smiled and they both blushed. He rested his head on top of hers. He didn't know why he had, it just felt right. "Promise," he whispered. They sat like that for a while before Draco sat straight up. He realized why he had blushed at seeing her and why he had rested his head on hers. He couldn't believe it, she was a horse! Well, he was too, but only temporarily! He was a human! He couldn't feel this way, he just couldn't- "Is everything okay, Draco?" Hue asked. His usually white furry face turned a deep shade of red. "Uhm, y-yeah, I just uh... f-forgot something in uh.. woo, it's getting late, I'd better eat my bed and sleep in the Great Hall! See you tomorrow!" he stuttered nervously before racing out of the room. He had to keep himself from loving her. ~~~~~~ The next few days, Draco avoided Hue as much as possible. He would walk slowly as to nut run into her in the halls and be the last to leave class. One day in potions, Draco was waiting for everyone else to leave when he noticed a small leather book at Hue's place. He picked it up and read the first page. Entry one, Today I arrived at Hogwarts. I met a few humans that go by the names of Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Harry Potter. They are all very nice, especially Harry. I also met a human called Draco. He is a total jerk- He stopped when he realized this was a journal, she probably wrote things in here she didn't want others to see. He flipped to a page further in the book. That was how she felt about him then, but what about now? Entry 12 Draco has been doing better with controlling his hooves, he's able to walk to his classes himself. Professor moody gave me five gold for the recipe for the potion I used to turn him into a pony. I realized something today, I think I've known in the back of my mind for a while, but I really realized it today. I like Draco, as more than a friend. Since I've realized this I've been creating wild fantasies about him asking me to the Yule Ball, but, the way he acts around me, I don't see that happening. I hope I work up the nerve to tell him someday. Who am I kidding, the ball is in just a few days, he's not doing to ask me. "Enjoying her secrets, Malfoy?" a voice startled him. He looked up to see Ron Weasley. His muzzle turned pink as he quickly snapped the journal shut. "I-I was just going to take it to her," he lied. Ron eyed him for a moment, then said, "She's out watching the lake from the Astronomy Tower." "Uh, thanks." "You'd better actually give it to her," Ron warned. Draco nodded and walked out the door, book in hoof. Draco eventually found her. She had her Gryffindor scarf proudly wrapped around her neck. It flowed in the wind in the same direction as her mane. He thought about what she had written as he approached her. He tapped her shoulder and she turned around. She saw the book in his hoof and her light turquoise face turned red. She snatched it with a distressed look on her face. "You, you didn't- how far did you-read?" she muttered, stumbling over her words. "Oh, uh, n-none," he lied. His face turned red to match hers. She smiled. "What?" he asked. "You're blushing. Did you talk to Pansy recently?" she asked him, teasingly. He turned even more red. He propped his front hooves against the rail like she had hers. He was debating whether to ask her or not. He settled on his answer and went for it. "Hey, so you know that, uh, Yule Ball thing is coming up," he mumbled. Hue nodded her head, her ears folding back and her smile turning to a frown. "Did you-I mean, if no one's asked you-" he took a deep breath. "Do you want to go to the ball with me?" Hue blushed furiously, eyes widening in surprise. "Really?" she asked, astonished. "I- you're not- this isn't some prank?" "What, no! Of course not!" "Omigosh! I don't know, I mean, I don't have a dress, you don't have anything to wear... Oh! Got it! Rarity still owes me that favor, I'll write her and ask her if she's not too busy and see if she can come make something!" she pacing the astronomy tower floor. "Rarity?" Draco asked. "The best seamstress in Ponyville, I did her a favor and she promised she would pay me back. I'm gonna go write her right now!" And with that, she ran to her dorm to write Rarity, leaving behind a very happy Draco. ~~~~~~ When Hue walked to breakfast the next morning, there was an extra bounce with each step, and she was even more cheerful than normal. Harry noticed. "Someone's happy about something," he said as Hue hopped up onto the bench. "Yeah, well," Hue started to explain, "someone did something very kind, and a friend of mine is visiting to do something very kind." "What was this very kind thing that someone did?" Ron asked with a mouthful of bacon. Hue blushed. "Uhm, I can't exactly tell you," "Well why on earth not?" Hermione asked, looking up from her book. "Because, I just can't," Hue mumbled looking down at her hooves and blushing more. Harry nodded. "We understand," "Hurry up then," Hermione scolded. "We're going to be late to potions! Snape'll have our heads if we're not there on time."