A.N. Found this half finished from a bad mental health day a while back. This ties into one of my personal headcanons that Draco has OCD (a disorder that I have a bit too much experience with). Not sure I'm quite happy with it (a certain paragraph that I just added on for completeness gives me pause), may come back later to revise, but thought I'd stick it here as is for now.
Mild TW for self harm.
Disclaimed.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
There is something about a loose faucet, or a leaky pipe that unnerves Draco Malfoy.
Drip.
Water is a transformative element. One can enter into water as one thing, and exit as something completely different. Clean. Whole.
Drip.
Drip.
Draco Malfoy has always loved being clean. Slick hair and proper dress give control over the perception of others. From clean, grit and dirt can be layered on, but a clean palate ensures precise addition of those things with which people judge a person.
Drip.
How can a transformation be completed if the water is still running? For the cleansing nature of a hot shower to be complete, the shower must end. The water must stop running and you must step out onto the cold tile. That little jolt that helps you to wake up a little, that encourages you to find your socks. The ritual is complete only when everything is dry.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
A leaky faucet though, a leaky faucet implies a continued dirtiness. Mold forms where water leaks. Mildew seeks out a wet towel if not hung up to dry.
Drip.
There is a constant dripping sound that echoes around Draco Malfoy's cell in Azkaban. Perhaps it is water on dark stone, a product of an island prison. Perhaps it is blood on his mattress, a product of scratching away a marked arm which will never be clean again. Perhaps it is nothing, a product of too many days and too many dementors and too little clean.
Drip.
Drip.
Draco Malfoy hates being dirty. He supposes he will never be clean again. Perhaps he never was.
Drip.