Written for: The Christmas Collection Competition on the HPFC forum

Prompt: #15 (colour) Maroon

Pairing: fem!Harry/Draco

December 1st, 1989

Friday

Draco doesn't like the fact that he is being made to visit Diagon Alley for Yule shopping. And what's worse is that he and his mother are visiting it like commoners, through some local pub called The Leaky Cauldron.

At least, it isn't a Muggle one.

Merlin, that would be so dreadful.

They're standing on Charing Cross Road right outside the entrance of the dingy looking pub. The entrance looks awful and dirty. His mother goes in, but Draco doesn't follow.

He's wearing new robes; he doesn't want to get them dirty. It's in his favourite colour, green. No, he won't go inside.

He stands outside and surveys the Muggle road. Those creatures are so savage and barbaric. They walk in a rush, without any dignity or style.

On the other side of the road, he sees a horsey looking woman dressed in Muggle clothes walking in front of a skinny little black-haired girl, who's carrying a lot of parcels. The girl looks his age.

But Merlin, she's wearing such horrid clothes! So ill-fitting and ugly! How can anyone show their face in public looking like that? Such a shade of maroon should be made illegal.

Has she even combed her hair? It's such an unruly mess.

It's almost like the girl feels him staring at her, because she turns and stares right back at him.

When Draco narrows his eyes and gives her an aristocratic look, one that tells her her place in the world, she sticks her tongue out at him.

How childish!

But that doesn't stop him from sticking his tongue out right back at her.

"Girl, why have you stopped?" yells the horsey woman, without any class. The girl hurries after her, but not before throwing a bright grin at him.

Muggles are stupid. Muggles are classless. Muggles are animalistic.

And yet, he smirks back at her.

What would Father say?

A hand grabs him by the shoulder, and he's spun around so that he's face to face with Mother.

"Draco!" she admonishes in a soft, cultured voice. "Don't ever do that again! I was so worried!"

"Sorry, Mother," he says, before allowing her to drag him inside.

~o~

Later that night, when he's lying on his bed, he thinks of the Muggle girl in the maroon sweater.

Her dressing sense was awful, and she looked wild and unrefined.

He doesn't know why, but the thought of her makes him smile.

Maybe maroon isn't that bad a colour, after all.

Word count: 418

AN: Reviews are love. I need motivation to write the other 30 days. :)