Draco awoke to one of the house elves bustling around his room, gathering his new robes, school books , quills and cauldrons. Not that he would need any of them. This year was going to be solely devoted to The Dark Lord's task. He was desperate to prove to everyone, including himself, that he was a Malfoy. But no matter how many times he told his mother he needn't worry about school anymore she would hear no word of it. She was determined that Draco should have as much a normal school year as possible. Draco thought this was for more of her sake then his.
Draco had to admit, he was a bit irritated with his mother's behavior. She was treating him like it was first year at Hogwarts. She wouldn't let him do anything on his own. She had insisted on helping him get all of his school books, and robes for Hogwarts. He lost his patience with her that day, and he did regret it a bit. Especially since Potter had seen him become snappish. Draco usually didn't care what the scar-head thought of him, but he didn't like knowing that Potter and Weasel saw him getting fresh with his mother. He was many things, but not ungrateful towards her.
Just then he heard a soft knock on the door.
"Draco darling. Get up, you don't want to miss the Hogwarts Express"
Draco rolled over and groaned.
"I'm not eleven mother!"
Despite of his unwillingness Draco managed to pull himself out of bed and was ready to leave within the hour. Like he expected he arrived earlier than most students. But it was better this way. He could find a better compartment, without having to hex the previous occupants. As he walked to the platform to load his trunks he heard his name yelled over the bustle of students.
"Draco!" He turned to see Pansy Parkinson waving at a window beckoning him over. He inwardly groaned. He didn't mind Pansy, but god could she be clingy. He walked over to her, hoping his mother saw so she would get off his back about having a normal school year.
Pansy faltered as Draco flashed his white smirk in her direction.
"I have a compartment saved." She paused waiting to see if he was going to say anything back. He just stood there with his arms folded across his chest looking bored.
"Well…. Anyways. You can fill me in about your summer."
"Ha. You should at least know that I can't do that Pansy."
Her eyes flickered with curiosity and excitement. Before she could get another word in he walked back towards his mother, who was looking anxiously for him.
"Oh Draco! There you are. I thought you were going to leave without a goodbye…" She was starting to tear up again.
"Mother, please." He softened his tone a bit as she looked into his eyes.
He whispered as he said the next bit "Look. Everything is going to be fine, by the end of this year the Malfoy name is going to be once again honored. I'm going to make this happen. I'm going to fix this. I promise. Nothing bad is going to happen" He put as much truth in the words as he could.
His mother said nothing. He just hugged her.
"Bye Mum. I'll see you at Christmas."
Draco waved goodbye as he jumped onto the train. He felt a tad guilty for leaving. Part of him wanted to stay with his mother, but he knew he had to fix things. And doing what the Dark Lord asked was the only way to do it.
He found Pansy in her compartment. Eagerly waiting for him. She tried to make small talk with him but he just laid down on the seat waiting for the train to leave. Within the next twenty minutes or so the compartment began to fill. Crabbe and Goyle showed up, along with a few other Slytherins. He moved over as Pansy took her usual seat beside him. Soon the train began and he found himself looking out the window, growing wearing with the lack of no conversation.
"Where's Zabini?" Draco suddenly noticed that he was not present.
"Oh. That new professor wanted to see him. Something about a meeting." Said Blaise.
A new professor wanted to see Zabini? Thought Draco. Why Zabini? But,…Why not him? After all, He was a Malfoy. Not that it meant much now. In his sudden irritation Draco noticed his hunger.
"I wonder what's taking the Trolley Woman so damn long?" Before anyone could answer he was out of the compartment. He nearly ran into what looked like a first year girl, because she was just standing in the hall with her trunk.
" What are you stupid? Watch were you're going. Or I'll hex you into next week. Stupid girl!"
"That's real nice Malfoy." Draco looked up to see Mud-Blood Granger across the hall.
"What do you want?"
"I want you to do your job instead of harassing first years." She said crossly.
"Yeah? Well, I want you to disappear, but we both know if wishes were Threstals beggars would ride."
"Oh grow up."
Just then, right on cue, the Weasley idiot came to save his damsel.
"Oy. What's going on here?"
"Nothing. Here come with me." Granger beckoned the little girl to her side.
"What are you doing Malfoy? Don't you have an ugly contest to win?"
"Nice one Weasley. Maybe next time you can try to say something that you didn't get out of a children's book." Draco retorted.
With that he made his way towards the front of the train to the Trolley Lady. As he continued walking he heard someone behind him. He turned ready to hex them to tomorrow.
"Don't you have your duties Malfoy?" It was the Mud-Blood again.
"I have more important things to do. Maybe one day you will realize Granger that life doesn't revolve around school or prefect duties. Oh wait. Excuse me, YOUR life does revolve around that. Bug off Mud-Blood."
For a small second she looked upset, but he seemed to hope for too much, because she stalked away, furious. All of a sudden he felt this tad hint of remorse for being so mean. But he pushed it back as he shoved another first year out of the way.
* * *
The remainder of the train trip proved to be boring. The mud-blood kept out of Draco's way and he stayed in his cabin. Zabbini drifted in half way though the journey. He had some trouble with door but he finally got it to close.
"Where were you?" Draco asked. He was lounging with his head on Pansy's lap. She was weaving her fingers through his hair.
"The new Potions Teacher had gather a group of "promising "students. He's some sort of collector or something."
"I can see that he was just waiting to meet me." Draco said slightly upset.
As Zabini sat down Draco thought he saw a trainer in mid air near the luggage, but before he could get a good look it vanished.
"You wouldn't have wanted to be there any way." Said Zabini. "He invited that Potter, thought he was a prize piece. You should have heard…
"He invited Potter?" Draco interrupted. He felt jealously serge through him. That spoiled boy had had everything handed to him on a silver platter since he was a baby. He never had to do a hard day's work in his life.
"Draco" Said Pansy. "Just forget about it. You only have two more years left here."
"One." Corrected Draco. He smirked. Do you honestly think that after this year there will be a Hogwarts? Even if there is I won't be attending." Pansy looked at him.
"Ah, come on. Do you think He will care about N.W.E.T.S or the service you gave to him?
"Did He finally ask you?" Pansy asked, wonder filling her eyes.
"I think he is bluffing. To make up for his father." Blaise said.
Draco stood up defensively. He could feel his anger rising. No one ever believed him. It made him feel weak, weak like his father. Crabbe and Goyle followed him up. Draco groaned to himself. He wasn't allowed to do anything by himself even at school. He waved for them to sit down. They obeyed.
"I'll have you know that I am not bluffing."
"Prove it" said Blaise, who was now standing as well.
"Fine." Growled Darco. He reached for his arm and the mark the lay beneath it. Pansy put her hand on his.
"Not now Draco." She whispered softly. "He just wants to pick a fight. He's jealous. We're all jealous." Draco felt his anger slowly dissipate. He turned to look at Pansy. Pansy sat back down and brought Draco with her. He rested his head on her lap again and the compartment grew silent.
As the train neared Hogworts Draco announced that they should put their robes on. Crabbe reached up in to the baggage shelf and shoved a trunk violently aside to get to his own. A quick moan of pain was heard. Daco looked up. Someone one was up there. He looked around at the others, none of whom seemed to have heard. He had a pretty good idea who was up there and was going to wait to confront him until everyone left. The train pulled in to the station and Zabini threw open the door and pushed himself out in the crowd. Pansy looked at Draco to see if he was coming.
"I'll be along later." He said. Pansy left as Draco closed the door behind her. He reached in to his pocket and removed his wand. As he turned he shouted. "Petrificus Totalus!"
There was a loud crash as something unseen fell to the floor. Draco put away his wand and walked across the floor. He grouped around until he found what he was looking for. He pulled off the invisibility cloak, reveling Potter. Draco smirked. Lousy Potter had been snooping and Draco had caught him. Potter looked up at him, frozen in place. He was entirely at Draco's mercy.
"Thought you might have heard something important Potter? Draco asked.
Potter only gazed up at him. Even though the immobile spell was his own Draco felt defied by the hard stare. A sudden urge filled Draco. He brought his foot down hard on Potter's face. There was a sicking cracking sound as Draco could felt Potter's nose break beneath his trainer.
"That was for my father." Said Draco. He removed his foot. Blood covered Potter's face. A grin spread across Draco's face. It made him feel good.
"To bad they won't find you until you get back to London." He said to Potter. He pulled the cloak back on Potter and left the compartment. The station was almost empty as he emerged from the train. Draco pushed his way on to one of the carriages, making a group of third year girls get out. As the carriage traveled to the castle Draco though about what happened on the train, Potter was onto him. He would have to be extra careful.