***Author's Note: Originally, I had planned "Hidden Intents" as a stand-alone story. That meant I didn't have to worry about the passage of time and how the advent of Book 5 would affect my characters.
But since finishing "HI", I've had a yen to write Draco, and then Harry's stories. This means I have to get a little, um, 'creative' in my solutions to certain problems.
Therefore, for the purposes of this story we're going to assume that the events of Book 5 occurred in the second half of the year. In other words, Umbridge, the DA and Sirius dying all happened AFTER Christmas and the events of "Hidden Intents". Let's also pretend that Draco did NOT serve in Umbridge's little gang. I apologize if this causes confusion, but just stretch those big brains of yours. *smile*
And now, without further ado: Draco's Story!
Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. If it's not in The Books, it's mine.
Chapter 1
Sonora hummed as she reviewed her lesson plans for the fifth time that day. So what if she had barged in on Severus in his office only an hour ago, just to ask him if he really thought the third-years should do the Wakening Potion, and did they have enough blubberpus to last until the first Hogsmead visit?
Severus had glared at her and snarled something along the lines of "if she asked him one more time, he'd demonstrate a new use for the aforementioned blubberpus", at which point she'd been unable to keep from giggling. Sonora paused and grinned, remembering. He was just so damn cute when he got evil. Besides, it always gave her the perfect opportunity to kiss him. After all, she had to leave him with a smile, didn't she?
She shuffled her notes once more, and then stacked them neatly in the top drawer of her desk. Sighing, she gazed around the empty classroom. Students were due to arrive any minute, and she should really be getting upstairs for the welcoming feast.
But for a moment, she savored the stillness of the cool, damp stone walls and the slight crackle of the fire burning in the hearth. Ah, potions, she thought. Was there anything more appealing than the sound of something bubbling in a cauldron? More satisfying than a successful brewing?
Just then the classroom door slammed open, and Severus appeared, scowling. "Sonora," he said, in those silky tones that said his patience was running short. "Will you please hurry up and finish? The first years are about to arrive, and the Headmaster does prefer to have all his professors present at the Welcoming Feast." His hair, still longer than most, hung to his shoulders. His nose was still prominent, and his skin still pale. But some of the care had faded from his face since the events of last year, and his eyes, those dark, deep pools, were still intense and glittering. Not to mention that lovely body was still as lovely as ever.
Sonora smiled and reached for her cane. Well, maybe there was one thing better than Potions.
Draco stared blankly down at his plate. The house elves had made quite a feast for the Welcome Banquet, but he didn't really have much of an appetite. Not yet, anyway.
He shot a glance up at the Head Table. The Headmaster was sitting, eating and talking with Professor McGonnagal. Next to him, Flitwick and Sprout were toasting each other, it looked like.
His gaze moved to the two people he was most interested in. Professor Stone sat next to Sprout, Hagrid having disappeared after delivering the latest batch of snivelly-nosed first years. He studied her for a moment. She looked good, he decided. Relaxed and happy and quite pleased with the world around her. In fact, at that particular moment it looked like she was trying not to laugh.
He shifted his eyes to the reason for her laughter. Next to her, Professor Snape was glaring over at the Gryffindor table, his plate currently filled with something that appeared to be… wriggling? Draco resisted the urge to sneer. Couldn't those wretched Weasleys think of something more original. He briefly wondered which one had done the deed. The twins, Fred and George, had made their admittedly spectacular exit last spring, so that left only Ron and Ginny.
Draco shot his eyes briefly to where the Golden Threesome was sitting, with the little Weasleyette. He couldn't help scowling. So what if he and Potter had managed to work together in class last year. He didn't like the prat, and never would. And Weasley! Hah. The tall boy was currently snickering into his plate. Draco wondered what he would look like if his food suddenly turned into wiggle worms.
Just then, Dumbledore rose from his spot, drawing Draco's eye back to the head table. "If I might have your attention for a moment, please," the old man said, eyes twinkling even from that far distance away. Draco had to admire the old man's magic. He did quite a sonorous charm.
The room got quiet as the rest of the students turned toward their headmaster. Dumbledore smiled at them. "I have just a few announcements," he said. "One, the Forbidden Forest is still just that, forbidden. Do not enter it unless you wish to suffer a most painful death. Secondly, I am pleased to welcome back Professor Stone." There were scattered cheers from some of the students. Draco snorted softly. Idiots. They didn't have the brains to realize that Snape was about as brilliant as they could get for a Potions Master. Not that Professor Stone wasn't remarkable, too, but one should still be able to recognize greatness.
"I am sure you will all be pleased to know that she has accepted a permanent position here, as she and Professor Snape collaborate on research throughout the year." A mild thrill shot through Draco at those words. The best moments of last year had been spent helping Professor Stone with her research. Would she let him help again? he wondered. After Umbridge had locked up all her research materials last term…
"Finally," Dumbledore was still going on, "I would like to welcome our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Weasley."
Draco muffled his groan, as the Gryffindor table erupted into raucous cheering. Dammit. Another Weasley. He glared at the tall red-headed man who was grinning and waving back at the applauding students. One of the older ones, it looked like. He couldn't remember their names, there were so many of that wretched family. Well, it looked like this term would be shot to hell, he thought.
He glanced down the Slytherin table to where his old cronies were sitting, muttering amongst themselves with similar looks on their faces. Hah. Little Death Eater spawn. None of them had bothered to speak to him as of yet, and he seriously doubted they would try. The events of last year were too well known. His father's death, the rumor that Draco had helped thwart some major plan of the Dark Lord's, and Draco's refusal to join in Umbridge's little militia despite the "Headmistress'" bribe of lifting his probation. Instead, he'd walked a very fine line last year, learning to fade into the background of whatever room he was in. Umbridge had finally given up on him and left him alone, but so had his housemates.
He lifted his goblet of pumpkin juice and sipped. At least they were all still scared of him. With his probation gone this year, he was free to hex anyone into oblivion who tried to pull anything on him. Last year, he'd had to resort to serious charms about his bed and personal belongings, and he'd spent far too much time in the library researching how to reverse various unpleasant hexes. He shuddered slightly, remembering the dreadful combination of a Flatulance Hex with a Laxitivus Charm. He'd had to throw those robes away.
The Head Boy and Head Girl, some no-names from Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, were starting to hustle people away from the tables, aided by the prefects. Draco fingered his wand in his pocket, and sneered as one of the Slytherin prefects made as if to turn in his direction. He smirked as the foolish girl, Martha, he thought her name was, took a step backward and then spun around and ignored him. He rose as smoothly from the table as he could.
This year, he thought, he wasn't going to be the invisible man in the room. No, this year, he'd make sure everyone knew he was there. They'd know it was him, and they'd all take a step back. The look on his face deepened as he swept down the steps to the Slytherin common room. No one was going to get close enough to him this year to cause him any mistakes.
Cara McDouglas heaved a sigh as she followed the Gryffindor prefects toward the tower and the common room. Thank god she was back at Hogwarts, she thought, feeling more cheerful with each step she took. Ahead of her, her dormmate Ginny was giggling with Harry Potter. Cara grinned. Ginny'd had a thing for Harry for years, and even though she'd started seeing other guys last year, Cara knew her friend was still gaga over the guy.
Well, she couldn't blame her, she thought in amusement. After all, Harry was really nice, and smart, and cute, and you couldn't forget all that Hero-Boy-Who-Lived stuff. And a really great quiddich player, too. Cara sighed. Here she was, fifteen, and she'd never been kissed. Thanks to that prat, Michael, Ginny'd beat her at that, as well.
Cara quickly shrugged off the depressed feeling. There'd be plenty of time for depression once classes got started. She hoped Professor Weasley was a better teacher than that scary woman last year. Umbridge had been a nightmare, and DADA had always been her best class. And then there had been Potions… Cara shuddered and beat back the thoughts. Plenty of time for agonizing later.
The Fat Lady was greeting them all as the students streamed in. "Oh, it's always so nice to see you children back again," the portrait was saying in a slightly muffled voice, as she was currently pressed open against the wall. "It gets rather lonely during the summer, you know, nothing interesting happening, no one sneaking out for late night snogs…"
Cara blinked as she heard those last lines, stepping through the opening. Had the Fat Lady spiked her tea again?
And then she was in the common room, and people were laughing and greeting each other as they made their slow way toward bedrooms. "Cara!" Ginny was calling, and Cara paused with one foot on the dorm steps.
"Yes, dahling?" she called over her shoulder, grinning.
The redhead dropped an arm over her shoulders. "What do you say we grab our brooms, jump out the window, and join a muggle circus?" she said.
Cara giggled at their longtime joke. "But you couldn't come, they've already filled the part of the monkeys," she teased back.
Ginny wrinkled her nose. "Fine. I'll be a one of those people who swings around on those wire things in sexy little outfits."
Cara giggled again as they reached their dorm room. "You're going to need to grow something up top first, you know," she snickered.
"Ooh," Ginny groaned. "That was low."
"No kidding," Cara smirked, with a pointed gaze down.
"That does it," Ginny said, half shrieking, half laughing, and drawing wary looks from the other three girls in their dorm. "You're going down, McDouglas."
Cara barely had time to snatch the pillow off her own bed, before she was hit in the mouth with a sack full of feathers. She sputtered and swung her own pillow blindly, managing to come into contact with something. Blinking away the fluff that was sticking to her eyelashes, she saw Diana, one of their other dormmates looking at her with a very disgruntled look.
Cara looked at Ginny. Ginny looked at Cara. They started to smile, slow and evil.
"Pillow fight!!" they both yelled and then the feathers started flying in earnest.
Draco lay in his bed, silencing charms set and the wards around his bed in place. He'd made his bed, with the curtains drawn, of course, into his own little cave. Impenetrable to his fellow students. He had no doubt that the pricks he roomed with were up to their usual boasting about their summer's activities. Funny to think, last year, he had been one of them. Sneering at their pathetic attempts at seductions and the Dark Arts, of course, but still, one of them.
He stared at the ceiling. And now, he was an island in the middle of the all this scum. One lip curled. He'd show them all. They thought they could ignore him? Draco smiled. An unpleasant smile. No one would touch him this year. No one would overlook him. Precious Potter and his friends had better watch out, there was a new Draco Malfoy to contend with. And this one, he planned to be the best at everything.