It was a Saturday night, and Scarlet had just finished her training, planning to head back to her dorm for a shower. As she rounded the corner, she noticed Draco standing there, seemingly waiting for someone. From the look on his face when he saw her, she realised she was the one he’d been waiting for.

This was just a few days after their last meeting in the corridor after class.

Wiping her sweat with towel, Scarlet asked, “Hello, Draco. Can I help you with something?”

Draco looked awkward, like he’d been forced into this situation. He hesitated for a while before finally managing, “I...Uhm, what did you mean that day?”

“What?” Scarlet blinked.

“About pride and arrogance,” Draco clarified, frowning. “What does that have to do with making friends?”

Oh great, now I’m the school counsellor...Hogwarts should be paying me for this, Scarlet thought wryly. She pulled out two buttons and, with a wave of her wand, transfigured them into chairs. With a casual motion, she sent the chairs over to the nearby balcony. “Sorry, I don’t have any tea to offer, but I’m sure you don’t mind. This won’t be a short conversation, Draco. Sit down – you'll want to take your time thinking it over.”

Draco sat down, looking confused.

“We’ll get to the difference between pride and arrogance in a bit,” Scarlet said, continued wiping her sweat. “For now, let’s start at the beginning. You tried to befriend the famous Harry Potter, right. I assume part of the reason was that you saw something valuable in him - his fame, perhaps his status?”

Reluctantly, Draco nodded.

“Alright, let’s approach it from that angle, since I imagine that’s how purebloods tend to think.” Scarlet gave him a knowing look. “Now, most people don’t put that much thought into making friends...I know that might sound strange to you, but it’s important to remember this because this is exactly how Ron and Harry became friends.”

Draco’s lips tightened in frustration, still unable to comprehend why Harry Potter would choose to befriend a poor, “blood traitor” like Weasleys over someone like him - an elegant pureblood.

“Now, do you remember the first thing you said to Harry when you tried to befriend him?” Scarlet asked.

Draco thought for a moment before replying, “I told him to choose the right sort, not hang around with the Weasleys,”

“There’s where the first mistake was made,” Scarlet said, dissecting the situation. “You wanted to be Harry Potter’s friend because you saw his value. So why didn’t you do any research before approaching him?”

Draco looked blank, clearly not having considered this before.

“You didn’t know his likes and dislikes. You didn’t know his background or how much he knew about the wizarding world. You didn’t even understand his strengths and weaknesses,” Scarlet continued. “You didn’t present yourself as someone he’d think was worth befriending.”

“But I --”

“You just assumed, didn’t you?” Scarlet interrupted, raising her finger to stop him. “You assumed he already knew the ins and outs of the wizarding world. You assumed he knew about purebloods, Muggle-borns, and all the old traditions. You thought that once he found out you were a Malfoy, he’d naturally favour you. But in reality...”

“He knew nothing about the wizarding world,”

“He knew nothing about purebloods or the old wizarding families.”

“He didn’t even know what Malfoy meant,” Scarlet said pointedly.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

Scarlet noticed Draco growing even paler for every point she mentioned. “Imagine standing at the King’s Cross Station, and out of nowhere, a boy approaches you, holds his head high, and says, ‘Oh, so you’re going to be my classmate? Well, you should feel honoured to be in my presence. You should be grateful.’ How would you react?”

Draco blinked, taken aback, but reluctantly admitted, “I’d think he was arrogant and insane for not knowing who I am?”

“Exactly. And now imagine this: he knows exactly who you are, and he’s still trying to be your friend. But you can’t expect a royal prince to bow to you, can you? Well, let’s just say he’s the royal prince - his family owns all of England. He’s wealthier than the Malfoys, and he could order you out of his country. But he admires you and wants to be your friend.”

Scarlet paused to let the analogy sink in. “See any similarities between you and this prince?”

Draco stared into the distance, thinking hard.

“And now that you know he’s royalty, would you still be inclined to befriend him? Some Slytherins might, for the benefits. But definitely not Gryffindors.”

Draco finally broke the silence, “Even as a Slytherin, I wouldn’t want to anything to do with that prince.”

“And that’s precisely why Harry doesn’t want anything to do with you.” Scarlet nodded, “On top of that, you’ve been insulting his friend. Why would he bother being friendly with you? And to make things worse, you keep antagonising him with your sharp tongue.”

Draco glared at her, “You’re so clever. Why don’t you tell me what you would’ve done if you were in my shoes?”

“I’d have done my research first, before taking any steps,” Scarlet replied coolly. “Information is key to secure your position and achieving your goals. If I were you, I’d start by learning his likes and dislikes, what he needs and what he doesn’t.”

“He needs someone to show him the wizarding world. Ron had done this brilliantly.”

“He needs someone to guide and accompany him through Hogwarts. I’d say the Gryffindors have that covered.”

“And he needs someone who can understand his suffering.” Scarlet grinned, “Draco Malfoy, blessed with his parents’ love and living a wealthy life, could never understand what it feels like to be an orphan, relying on relatives who despise. Ron can empathise, to some degree, because of his financial situation. Hermione tries to help, even though she’s from a middle-class Muggle family and doesn’t fully understand, but at least she’s making an effort.”

Draco looked stunned.

“Imagine you were an orphan,” Scarlet said. “Living in a house where no one values you, thinking you’re just a burden, wasting their money. Then imagine the people you loved the most - your father and mother – just vanishing, killed in front of you...And then some jerk in your class keeps mocking you for being an orphan--”

“How dare he!” Draco burst out, standing up angrily. But then realisation dawned, and he sank back into the chair, silent.

“Yep, that’s exactly how Harry think of you right now.” Scarlet shrugged. “Can’t really blame him, can you?”

Draco remained silent.

“Your arrogance blinds you, Draco, and it makes your words sharper than they need to be. That only makes things worse. From your point of view, you’re just telling Harry how much better you are, and how awful the Weasleys are. You’re trying to pull him away from them and onto your side. But in reality, all you’re doing is pushing him further away. To him, you’re not just a classmate; you’re an enemy. If anything bad happens to him, you’ll be the first person he suspects. Because, in his eyes, you’re just some spoiled rich kid who would love to see him suffer.”

A cool night breeze swept through, ruffling their hair. Scarlet felt the chill and quietly cast a warming charm for both of them. Draco, deep in thought, didn’t seem to notice.

Finally, in a near-whisper, Draco asked, “So there’s no chance of us being friends?”

“Not for now,” Scarlet nodded, “Even if you apologised, he’d just assume it was a trap.”

Draco glanced at her, hope flickering in his eyes. “But you’ve got a solution, right?”

Scarlet shook her head, “I have a suggestion.”

“I’m listening.”

Scarlet smiled, “Be his rival.”

“What?” Draco looked confused, “I’m not trying to be his enemy...”

“Rival, not enemy. There’s a difference,” Scarlet explained. “Enemies try to destroy each other, or watch their opponent fail miserably just for the satisfaction of it. That's not what you want, is it? As a rival, you’ll be competing with him – whether it’s Quidditch, grades, or anything else. Challenge him openly, but without words. Use more of your body language, Draco; you’re quite skilled at that. Be his rival, and in doing so, you’ll push yourself and him to become better.”

Scarlet leaned in, her voice dropping to a whisper. “The most important thing is this: be his rival, and you’ll become his only true rival. He’ll remember you, and eventually, he might even value you as someone significant in his life. One day, he could carry the name ‘Malfoy’ with respect, even in his future conversations. Imagine that – the famous Harry Potter respecting the Malfoy name. Sounds like what you’re after, doesn’t it?”

Draco’s eyes widened, frozen in his seat, even after Scarlet had left.

From that day on, Scarlet rarely heard Hermione complain about Draco. Instead, she would grumble about Ron’s hot temper whenever Draco smirked at him, or about Harry being “surprisingly determined just to beat Draco in writing essays”.

Clever boy, Scarlet mused as she continued with her paperwork. I wonder what his father was like...