A/N: These two one-shots are based around the character of Draco Malfoy and show two sides of him: the vulnerable side and the confident side. Just a bit of character exploration for him, based on what I believe Draco Malfoy has faced.

Disclaimer: None of my work belongs to me, it is solely the property of the one and only J.K. Rowling and any other company which has the copyright of Harry Potter, including Warner Bros. Nothing here belongs to me; all the characters are J.K. Rowling's originally, though any new character not part of the Harry Potter series belongs to me.

Title: Walls

Author: hpjkrowling4ever

Defense

If Draco Malfoy were to face a Boggart, it would manifest itself as an empty chair in unnatural stillness. Silence. But he would be able to tell you that silence had a sound. The sound of silence was suffocating, oppressive; it bore a weight heavier than anything Draco had ever carried. It meant danger. It made him want to hide himself in a corner and curl up as small as possible because maybe, maybe this time he would be able to escape, maybe this time he wouldn't be seen. If he closed his eyes hard enough, and made enough wishes, this time he would be safe.

Despite his relaxed posture as he lounged in a chair in his en-suite drawing room, Draco's ears were perked and every sound made him flinch. It was the steady tip-tap of his father's cane and the heavy, even footsteps, though, that made him flinch the hardest, before drawing himself up into a stiff, perfect posture in his chair. As if that would save him this time.

"Draco." Lucius Malfoy's voice betrayed nothing. His face was as expressive as stone. His grey eyes bore deep into Draco and Draco tried hard to keep his father's stare, but it was too hard and he dropped his head, ashamed of himself.

"Father." He replied, his eyes trained on the cane held loosely in his father's hand. He had seen the snake strike before and he would not let it strike again.

"Do you have no respect, child? Stand when your elders enter the room." Mr. Malfoy ordered, and Draco rose to his feet reluctantly, and his eyes moved up to look at the wall behind his father.

"Yes, sir." Draco replied, remaining as still as possible.

"I have seen your end-of-term results, Draco." Mr. Malfoy said, and moved so that he stood right beside his son. Draco could feel the cold breath of his father and he shivered despite himself.

"Yes, sir." He answered, refusing to rise to his father's baiting. His father glided his can against the side of Draco's foot, and Draco shivered once again, as if awaiting a blow.

"They were below par, Draco." Mr. Malfoy hissed, his voice soft and silky and so very, very dangerous. Draco tensed, waiting for the blow to come. "Malfoys are never below par. Give me one good reason why I should not give you the education you have been missing here and now."

"It's not my fault that Granger's so bloody eager!" Draco shouted, and jumped aside as his father's cane whistled through the air, just missing him. His father sneered at him and grabbed him by his collar. Draco's heartbeat rose several notches, but he refused to show any fear.

"She is a Mudblood, Draco!" Mr. Malfoy snarled, throwing Draco onto the sofa. Draco pushed himself up again and crossed his arms angrily, throwing a half-defiant, half-scared look at his father.

"She has something to prove – and the teachers are biased against me, Father." Draco answered rapidly when he saw his father's fist tighten at his son's sign of anger. Draco dropped his arms to his side but continued to stare at his father.

"Are they, Draco, or is that some convenient excuse you have concocted?" Mr. Malfoy stalked towards Draco, predator chasing prey, and Draco took a step backwards, only to fall back into the sofa. Mr. Malfoy gave a grin completely devoid of humour.

"I do not concoct convenient excuses, Father." Draco answered, his teeth clenched. His father raised an elegant eyebrow in a move Draco had so often copied and this time his cane did not miss when it hit the side of his leg. Draco winced, but soon schooled his expression into a blank, expressionless one. His pride would not let him show pain. Malfoys were beyond pain. Draco saw a tiny bit of approval enter his father's eyes and he felt adrenaline race through him.

"Why, then, Draco, can a Mudblood with no previous magical training do better than you?" Mr. Malfoy asked, twirling his cane in his hand. His eyebrow joined his hairline again and Draco ducked his head in shame once more. "Is it because she is more…dedicated to her studies? Is it because she…cares more, Draco?"

"Are you saying that I don't?" Draco asked defensively, pushing himself further back into the sofa. He felt his back hit the pillow and knew he was trapped.

"Yes, Draco, that is exactly what I am saying." Mr. Malfoy smirked at his son and Draco swallowed heavily. "If I do not see an improvement in your results, Draco, you will know the pain of my anger. The full pain."

"I will do my best, Father." Draco said around the painful lump in his throat. Mr. Malfoy nodded curtly.

"See that you do."

With that, his father was gone and Draco was left alone in the drawing room, with the silence wrapping around him once more and all he wanted to do with curl up in that corner, close his eyes because maybe this time he would be safe. But when the repressive silence drew her tendrils tighter and tighter around him, choking and squeezing him, Draco knew that he would never be safe again.

Because you can always hear the footsteps coming when it's silent.

A/N: The prompts I used were: pride, someone crossing their arms, wall, but I don't know if just mentioning Hermione Granger counts.