Chapter 4 – First Blood

Draco glided into the Prefects' compartment with Ron trailing behind him, still staring as though blindsided. Hermione nodded in acknowledgement from her place at the front and continued.

"Our new Headmaster has brought a somewhat unorthodox tone to his first year at Hogwarts. He has appointed two Head Boys." There was a gasp and a rush of chatter in the compartment, which Hermione quickly silenced. Draco and Harry looked stunned. "I have the honor of introducing this odd pair to your tonight: Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy."

"WHAT!" Harry cried in outrage. "That's RIDICULOUS!"

Draco rose slowly. "For once," he said quietly, "I believe Potter and I are in agreement. How that temper of his merits the rank of Head Boy escapes me, especially since he wasn't even a Prefect." He smirked haughtily at the Gryffindor.

Harry lunged at the blond, but Ron caught his arm and held him back. "I deserve it more than you, Malfoy!" He broke Ron's hold and rounded on Hermione. "He can't do this to me! What kind of idiot does this new headmaster have to be to pair me up at all with this slimy, backstabbing Slytherin! I deserve this! I warned everyone about Voldemort, I've fought him over and over, and I've protected everyone! I've lost every bit of family I've ever had over him! I'm the fucking Boy Who Lived! I deserve to be Head Boy! What kind of evil, Voldemort-supporting bastard does he have to be to make that Death Eating scum Head Boy!"

Harry couldn't blink before Draco had him pinned to the wall again. His voice was calm and even, but there was a deadly edge to his voice. "What did I tell you about that name, Potter? Do you want to die, even before we get to the school? I'd really rather not have to kill you. You may be the Boy Who Lived, but the only one that's got trouble killing you is Voldemort, and I am not him."

Harry snarled at him. "You're the whole reason the school was invaded last year! And you couldn't kill me. You're too weak! You were supposed to be the one to kill Dumbledore and you couldn't. Snape had to come in and do your dirty work! I saw you!"

Dumbledore never did anything against me. Even though I was raised to hate him, he was an innocent in my eyes." Draco kept his voice low and calm. "And yes, I repaired the Vanishing Cabinet. I was the lynchpin. But if you were there when Dumbledore died, you know that he knew why I was there and what I was doing. He knew it had to happen. Dumbledore could see past his crooked nose to what sacrifices had to be made for the most good to be achieved. You, on the other hand, are so short-sighted and selfish that I'm surprised you can see past your glasses." Draco released Harry and turned around to look at Hermione.

As the blond began to speak, Harry cocked his hand back to knock Draco out, but Ron reached out and grabbed his wrist with a clap. Draco's words cut short and he turned. Ron hissed a warning to Harry. "Calm down, mate. You're ruining your reputation."

Draco nodded to the Weasley and turned back to Hermione. "I do, however, agree with the sentiment about the headmaster's sanity. Do you know who our new administrator is?" Hermione shook her head.

"I think it's supposed to be a surprise, or maybe a security measure. I think even the new student letters were signed by McGonagall."

"I could see that. Well, I hope we get an explanation for this madness at the feast. Otherwise, I'm going to have some sharp words for him." He turned back to Ron. "I believe I promised your sister that I'd return."

"YOU STAY AWAY FROM GINNY!" Harry looked wild again. His rage had knocked his glasses askew and his unruly hair had fallen into his wide eyes. "You spoiled, self-important, entitled git, I won't let you take what's mine! Not the Head Boy spot, not Ginny -!"

Ron knocked Harry cold with a rabbit punch. His face was red and he bared his teeth. "My baby sister is no one's property," he growled. "Go on, Malfoy. At least you treat her like a person." Draco nodded to him and, with a disapproving look at Harry's unconscious form crumpled on the floor, turned and walked to the door.

The room was silent for a moment, but a rush of conversation came with the slamming compartment door. Hermione and Ron struggled with Harry's deadweight to move him to a bench. Eventually, the noise overwhelmed even her.

"QUIET!" she shrieked. The crowd fell silent. "Look, I know this is crazy, but we're all just going to have to deal with is and do our jobs. You have briefings to do. Prefects dismissed!"

Ginny smirked as Draco opened the door to her compartment. "How'd everything go?"

"Violently." Draco shook his head. "Did you know there's two Head Boys this year?"

She nodded. "Ron told me when we were talking earlier. I had wondered why Hermione was so stressed out after the letters came this summer. Congratulations, by the way."

Draco snorted. "Thanks. If Potter's been that way all summer, I'd bet she was tense. He actually dove for me, more than once. Your brother knocked him out by the end of it. I was impressed."

Ginny blinked. "Ron hit him? Harry must have really screwed up." She shook her head. "Sadly, I'm not really surprised. Harry's been almost psychotic lately. He tried to molest me earlier today – I had to kick him in the groin to get him to stop." She saw his expression darken. "I can take care of myself, Draco." She heard her voice turn defensive and cut that short. "He can't hurt me."

"I don't care," Draco growled quietly. "Potter should know better. Regardless of what my father thinks, money doesn't make respectability. You're more of a lady than most, and you deserve to be treated with the respect and deference due one." Her eyes widened in surprise and she blushed just a bit. He turned and looked her in the eye – she was shocked to see a protective edge in his strikingly gray eyes. "Do you know what Potter said that Ron knocked him out?" Ginny shook her head. "He told me to stay away from you. Told me that you were his and that he wouldn't let me take what belonged to him." She bristled a bit, but was too stunned by his intensity to get angry. "Your brother cold-cocked him for that, said that you were no one's property, and then told me to go on and come back here because I, at least, treat you like a person." He flashed one of his crooked, real smiles. "I think he's getting to like me."

That broke her and she threw her head back, laughing. "Gods, I hope so!" When she opened her eyes again, wiping away the tears of laughter, Draco was beaming. It was just so out of place, she couldn't help but break into giggles again.

"What's so funny?" he asked, his grin still on his face.

"Your face!" she gasped out, and collapsed into giggles again.

Draco's smile faltered for a moment, and he cocked his head to the side, a confused frown working into his brow. Ginny gasped another breath. "You just look so happy!"

Draco laughed, loud and clear. Ginny was surprised at how musical this laugh was, pure and uninhibited. Even the laughs that had escaped him earlier paled in comparison. It was infectious, and she curled up, collapsing into her laughter. "Happy?" he asked, still chuckling. "Why shouldn't I be happy, Ginny? You're actually talking to me." She looked up and his gaze was clear and sincere. "This amazing girl who hadn't ever given me anything but glares – even though I definitely deserved them – is sitting here laughing at one of my jokes! Her brother knocked out his best friend in her and my defense and then told me to go back to her! Of course I'm happy." He smiled warmly at her, and she blushed, surprised. He chuckled and said, "Besides, I just got to see Harry Potter laid out by his best friend. How often does that happen?"

Ginny laughed, but she was still preoccupied by what he'd said. Draco noticed her distraction. "Hey, sorry if that was too close to home. I'm sure those two will work things out. They always do, even if Potter has gone 'round the twist."

She shook her head. "No, that's not it." The question wrote itself across his face. "It's not that they're fighting – that happens occasionally, and I'm glad Ron's finally growing a backbone – it's just that…" She looked at him a bit nervously. "No one's ever really talked about me that way."

Draco looked puzzled for a moment, and then the understanding dawned on his face. "Really? No one's ever thought to tell you how amazing you are?" She shook her head, refusing to meet his eyes.

"I guess in a family of 9, even the baby gets overlooked."

"I suppose," he said. "I doubt I could ever understand how chaotic things must be." His eyes softened a bit, and he reached out, brushing her bangs from her face. She looked up, suppressing the startled feeling fluttering in her chest, carefully composing her expression. "But I do know what it feels like to be ignored. I'm sorry, Ginny, if I'm being too direct. I just hate to see someone as strong and – "

"And what, Draco?" Ginny asked, carefully keeping her voice from shaking.

"Someone as strong and beautiful as you so badly treated." His voice was quiet and sincere, and she could hear the emotion behind it.

Ginny was dumbstruck, and her vision became blurry as her eyes filled with tears. She turned her head away from him, shaking her bangs back down across her face to hide her shock and embarrassment. She blinked her eyes fast to suppress the tears. "I am so very sorry, Ginny." Draco's voice was soft and constricted, and she heard a slight crack, as though he were also quelling tears. "I'll leave you to your book." He retreated to his bench and, when she looked, he was curled around the paperback, carefully avoiding her. Ginny turned toward the wall and laid down, staring at the upholstery in confusion and embarrassment.

They stayed that way for the rest of the trip.

Draco helped Ginny to the ground from the train, but quickly disappeared. Ginny chased after her brother.

"Ron!" The older boy stopped and turned to see Ginny waving to him. "Ron, wait up!"

"What's the matter?" Ron was puzzled, but his voice quickly gained an edge. "Did Malfoy do something to you? I knew I shouldn't ha-" Ginny cut him off.

"No, Ron. Nothing happened." She looked at him with a deprecating stare. "You worry too much. I just lost him in the crowd getting off the train. I guess he went to join his Housemates or something." She pulled her hair up into her customary ponytail, smoothing the flyaway strands back into place, and brushing the brusqueness away with it. With a smirk, she looked at Ron with a bit of the same mischief the Twins always had. "Draco told me what happened in the Prefects' meeting. Did you really clock Harry in the head?"

"Yeah, and since when is it Draco?"

"Since he told me to call him that, now quit changing the subject." She brushed off Ron's concern like it was lint on her robes. "What did he do?"

"Made an arse out of himself, as usual," Ron growled, obviously frustrated. "I don't wanna talk about it; let's just get to the carriages."

They sped up, walking quickly to the carriage that Hermione and Luna were holding for them. Ron kept glancing at his sister quizzically. There was definitely something off with her, but Ron couldn't place the change. He shook himself inwardly, resolving to keep an eye to her.

Draco's lip curled as he walked into the Great Hall. Baines Selwyn sat at the Headmaster's spot at the High Table, speaking haughtily to a frazzled-looking McGonagall. How did that fucker get the Headmaster's job?

"Draco? What's wrong?" It was Blaise Zabini, looking at Draco, his pale brown face and dark eyes wearing a look of confusion. Draco nodded to the Table, and Blaise's expression darkened as he followed the gesture. "What's he doing here?"

"Appears to be the new Headmaster," Draco replied darkly. His memories of Selwyn were replaying in his mind. He had been a Death Eater from the first, and was one of Voldemort's many Auror plants in the Ministry. More importantly to Draco, Selwyn had joined in Lucius' torture since he was a child. "I'd bet he's the reason I'm sharing the Head Boy title with Potter."

Surprise registered on Blaise's face, but he nodded. "Makes sense. They figure they can use you to keep an eye on Potter, and Selwyn can keep an eye on you." Draco nodded his agreement, but his mouth went dry at the thought. To anyone else, the shock wouldn't have registered, but Blaise knew Draco better than anyone else. He saw Draco's face lose its color and his eyes dilate. "Hey," Blaise put his hand gently on Draco's elbow, a subtle reassurance. "He's too visible now. He can't do anything to you."

Draco shook himself. "You're right, and I've got the advantage. They don't know that I'm not loyal anymore. They think it's a cover."

The two Slytherin boys found their seats toward the head of the table. Draco expected an introduction and an explanation of sorts for the odd situation. And then, he thought, I'll get the real story.

As the Great Hall filled, Draco let his eyes wander. He saw Potter walk into the Hall, surly as ever, with Granger running interference. The two Weasleys trailed behind them. He smiled a bit as he watched Ginny pull her hair down and shake it out. The copper highlights shone in the candlelight as the sheet of hair fell to her waist.

She really was beautiful, he thought. A redheaded angel fallen from his personal Heaven. Draco laughed at himself for that comparison; so cliché. He couldn't believe how awesome it had felt to hear her laugh and see her face light up, and how much it had hurt to have her flinch from him. His smile faltered then, and he noticed her brusque manner and wondered what had happened.

What he didn't see was Blaise watching him.

"Greetings, Hogwarts students!" Draco's attention snapped towards the front. Selwyn was standing at the Head Table, a proud smile on his face, but Draco recognized the arrogance in it. "Welcome to a new year. My name is Baines Selwyn and I will be your Headmaster this year. As some of you know, I am an Auror for the Ministry of Magic. Given the Dark Lord's bold return last summer and the blatant targeting of Hogwarts School, I have been assigned to help ensure the safety of this student body. I know that many of you are concerned that the Ministry will interfere in the operation and routine of the school." A dark murmur swept quietly through the Hall; no one could forget about Umbridge's mad reign. Draco caught a few dirty looks that flew his way, but ignored them. "I assure you that I will try to make as little impact on the routine as possible." This received a few cheers and a bit of applause from the students. Draco was suspicious.

"Speaking of impacts on the school routine, I suppose it's time to introduce your new staff member! Some of you will remember that Professor Slughorn had taken over the position of Potions Master. Well, he declined to return this year, so I am returning it to the Slytherins' Head of House, Severus Snape." A cheer rose from the green and silver table, and even Draco joined in. Snape stood and waved to the Slytherins, and even had a hint of a smile on his face. He sat, and the group refocused.

"Now, the perennial problem here at Hogwarts: who will teach Defense Against the Dark Arts?" Everyone laughed. "Minister Rufus Scrimgeour wants us to take a practical approach to defense –" Draco heard a slight tension –irritation? "- so we've screened several candidates based on real world experience and versatility. I feel that our new staff member will be very effective in imparting his knowledge and experience as well as relate to his students. Please welcome our new professor, Bill Weasley!"

Draco was dumbfounded as a tall man with a long, ginger ponytail, an attractive but scarred face, a fang earring, and a broad grin strode across the dais and the Gryffindor table exploded into cheers. He sought out Ginny and saw her practically scrambling over the bench and streaking up the aisle to the man who must have been her brother. Bill Weasley caught his slight sister in a bear hug, and Draco couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy. Ginny was giggling and flushed, a full smile flung across her face. I wonder if he'll ever accept me?

Draco blinked as he realized the thought that had just crossed his mind. He didn't have time to contemplate it, though, because the noise was dying down and Baines Selwyn was gesturing the Head students up to the front. He stood, carefully eyeing Potter. Granger seemed to have control of the situation, so he got up and strode quickly to the dais. He caught Ginny's eye on her way back to her spot at Gryffindor table. She flashed him an encouraging smile, and he felt his tension lift.

"One last thing before we begin the Sorting," Selwyn called over the remaining chatter. "We have a unique circumstance this year with our Head students.

"Tradition says that a Head Boy and a Head Girl should be selected from the seventh-year Prefects and they should be stellar examples for the student body. The position is one of honor and responsibility.

I have determined, however, that there is a special circumstance and an individual that needs to be recognized and honored, which the staff and I have chosen to honor in this fashion. So the introductions are as follows: Your Head Girl this year, our best and brightest student and a shining representative of her House, Hermione Granger!" She strode across the stage to a chorus of cheers, especially from Gryffindor. She met Selwyn at center stage, shook his hand, and then stood back.

"Your Head Boy is where the peculiarity comes in. This year, there is not one, but two boys receiving this honor. The first, another brilliant student and a strong, cunning, ambitious leader, is Draco Malfoy!" Draco crossed the stage to a noticeably quieter response, but the cheers coming from his House made up for the lack of support. He shook Selwyn's hand, looking the man pointedly in the eyes, allowing a coolness to take over him. Selwyn's cozy smirk chilled Draco to the bone, but he guarded his expression. He broke the handshake and joined Granger by the table. She nodded at him tensely. They both knew this could be bad.

"The second is our special case. He has endured much over the course of his life, and has been ignored and scoffed at for his troubles over the last six years. He has seen death, known pain, and lost everyone that we all take for granted. If we had listened to him, many of us and our loved ones would still be alive." The Hall was silent. Draco glanced at Potter and grimaced inwardly at the smug look on his face. God, is that what I look like? No wonder no one cheered for me. "Introducing your other Head Boy, Harry Potter!"

Harry's cocky look transformed so quickly into his usual easy smile that Draco blinked to make sure wasn't seeing things. Harry Potter shook Selwyn's hand, turned, and shot Draco a withering glare before he took his place on Hermione's other side.

Nope. He hadn't missed anything. He just didn't know what was wrong with this boy.

"Please return to your seats, Heads, and let the Sorting begin!"

The welcome feast went smoothly after that and, aside from the few Slytherins that came up to congratulate him and his greetings to excited first years, Draco was able to relax. His eyes kept drifting to the long sheet of ginger hair at the Gryffindor table. He blushed when Blaise had to snap him back into focus.

When everything let out, Draco excused himself from Blaise and made to catch up with Ginny near the doorway. "Miss Weasley!" She turned her head, slightly surprised. "Ginny, wait!" She stopped, nodding her head in dismissal to her Housemate. Draco wove through the crowd to her. "May I talk with you, please?"

"No, you may not, you bloody Snake," a growling voice spat. Potter.

Draco raised a pale eyebrow, drawing his calm, superior air back around him. "Oh, and I suppose Miss Weasley is under your control, Potter?" The sarcasm practically dripped from his lips.

Harry didn't catch it, and wrapped a possessive arm around Ginny's waist. She bridled at his touch and tone, and her hazel eyes flashed with rage. "Yeah, Malfoy," he spoke Draco's name like an insult, "she's mine -!" Potter's words were cut short when Ginny slammed her elbow into his solar plexus and whirled out of his grasp. Her copper hair flung wildly and she bridled, the air crackling with her power.

"YOURS?" she cried. "HARRY JAMES POTTER! How dare you even think you can possess me!" The Great Hall and the corridor fell silent at her outburst, and all foot traffic stopped as the whole student body turned to see what happened. Draco peripherally noticed Bill Weasley, McGonagall, and Snape working their way through the crowd. "I belong to no one, and NEVER to you!" Ginny whipped out her wand and leveled it at Harry's chest.

Draco slowly drew his own wand and advanced, walking up to join Ginny. Her sudden transformation from a ginger-haired young witch to this fiery, vengeful goddess was shocking, and he felt a trickle of fear of her wrath. It was quickly joined by an icy hatred for Potter, who had provoked this rage, and he leveled a sharp stare and his wand at the offender.

Harry snarled, and Ginny tossed her hair in a defiant challenge. Potter's voice rang through the Hall, an unbalanced madness coloring the scream of possessive rage. "You BITCH! You filthy, turncoat, Snake-loving whore!" She bared her teeth at that, and Draco registered the eldest Weasley's snarl. He was too far away. Potter would strike before they could get through. "How dare you betray ME? Refusing me is tantamount to abandoning your House! You disloyal slut, I'll teach you!" He lunged for her. The two wands flashed and Harry crumpled to the ground with a bloodcurdling shriek.

When their eyes cleared, Harry Potter was a whimpering, snarling mass on the floor, a trail of blood running down his face. Draco walked up to him, his anger cold, and his frozen dagger stare pinned Potter to the floor. "I think," Draco said, his tone frozen and sharp, but loud enough to carry through the ringing silence, "that you need to rethink your definition of loyalty. Your Housemates don't seem to agree." He gestured to the furious faces of the crimson-clad students. "You, Potter, have a lot to learn about loyalty, as well as respect. I'm sure your mother would have been appalled to see her son act this way. Obviously, those Muggles who raised you have no concept of proper behavior.

"You will treat Miss Weasley with the respect and deference deserved a woman of her caliber. I doubt that any threat from me is necessary – she is a fearsome power in and of herself – " he flashed her a smile, and the wry, proud grin of a Fury answered him, "but don't take that to mean that I'll allow it to continue, either. Besides," Draco quipped as he knelt down to Potter's level, "I believe the battle is over, and Ginny and I have won." He reached out and touched the stream of blood, then showed Potter his rust-streaked fingertips. "First blood."

Ginny snarled, but allowed Draco to lead her towards her brothers. As they turned their backs to Harry, they exchanged a tense look. They knew they shared the same feeling that, while they had won this battle, Potter was about to start a war.

A/N 8 June 2012: Final edits for Chapter 4.

A/N 10 June 2012: Edited phrasing.

Tell me if these editing notes get annoying. I don't know if sends you updates when I edit, but I figured it helps in case I change things.

A/N 22 June 2012: Edited description of Blaise Zabini to more closely match canon.

Okay, I know you guys have to be getting irritated with my changing things, but going back through to keep my new writing consistent, I'm noticing little errors that didn't get corrected. And then some not-so-little errors. I completely forgot a rather important scene at the end of the next chapter. It leaves a bit of a continuity hole in the story, so I'm working to correct that. Keep your eye out for the updates and please read the new scene!