The week was almost over, but the Gryffindor and Slytherin students had yet to have their first Defence Against the Dark Arts class till now. Entering the classroom, Harry was clearly fidgety and glum to be facing Severus Snape in his favourite class, while Ron was looking shiftily at the teacher's desk. Hermione was also jittery, but for very different reasons. She cast a glance at Draco Malfoy, who had seated himself against a pillar so that he could lean back comfortably. He tossed his silver-blond hair, spiked out the tufts, and met her gaze.
Hermione nearly jumped when he stared back at her, and she hurriedly dropped into her seat near the front. She wondered whether he had done what she had suggested.
She scanned the classroom. Aha! Somebody was missing. Which meant Draco Malfoy had done it. Her eyes fell back to him, but he closed his eyes in a lazy gesture.
The door behind suddenly slammed, and Professor Severus Snape strode right up front and swung around, his black cloak nearly knocking Ron out of his seat, causing the redhead to turn purple in the face. Snape took no notice, and merely waved his wand, signalling that he wanted textbooks on the table. As he proceeded to his desk, Hermione shoved her hand into her bag, only to widen her eyes in horror.
She had left her book in the library last night!
Hermione groaned inwardly. Why hadn't she checked? Her Defence Against the Dark Arts textbook had been in the stack of books she had brought up to the library last night, and Draco Malfoy had shoved the stack behind his chair after Disillusioning them. And she had forgotten to retrieve them! How could she, the renowned bookworm of Hogwarts, forget about her books!
Flushing red, she raised her hand. Snape raised his eyebrow.
"No textbook, Miss Granger? I thought you more discerning and intelligent than to turn up for my class without a textbook," he drawled, coldly. Hermione tried not to look flustered. "Ten points from... yes, Mr Malfoy, what is it?" Snape was clearly irritated to have been interrupted by his favourite student, whose hand was in the air.
"No need to take away points, sir," replied Draco, lazily, holding up a textbook. "I've an extra one."
Everyone stared at him as he whipped the book over, just narrowly missing Ron and landing on Hermione's desk.
Hermione stared at the book in front of her, disbelieving.
The last time a book came between us, he accused me of ruining it and stalked out of the room!
Snape was clearly angry at the interruption, but still took away five points for the fact that Hermione wasn't holding her own book.
Hermione dared not look around to meet everybody's gaze. She could feel herself growing hot. Opening the book, there was a flourishing scrawl at the bottom right corner of the first page:
'Draco Lucius Malfoy'
The book was highlighted and scrawled with Malfoy's familiar handwriting. Hermione frowned. This was clearly his own book! Did he actually have a second...
She sneaked a glance when Snape was reiterating the stances for wand wielding for advanced Shield Charms. All the DA members had practised under Harry last year, and were more than capable of wand wielding after the 'private lessons', including the more advanced Charms. She saw Draco leaning over his book, and the pages were the same as those of the book he had given her. It was a Defence Against the Dark Arts textbook all right. She flipped back the book on her table and stared at the cover. This was also a real textbook. But why would he buy two...? She couldn't help glancing back at him.
Draco met her gaze, and then she saw the familiar shine in his eyes. With a smirk, he lifted up the back cover of his book, and Hermione saw that it was his Charms textbook! Swallowing back her gasp, she realised he must have Charmed the textbook pages to look like the DADA one.
And instead of giving her the Charmed one, he had given her his original textbook. Which meant that if anybody was to get into further trouble, it would be him.
Hermione felt the knot in her stomach tighten.
"Miss Granger, could you please demonstrate to me how to wield your wand for an Indervo Charm?" boomed Snape, dangerously, startling Hermione to look up.
Hermione's expression turned confident, and Snape's cold expression darkened.
When Snape dismissed the class, he ordered Draco to stay behind. Harry and Ron exchanged looks before walking out with the other Gryffindor students. Hermione dawdled a little, then looked at Draco, but he pretended to adjust the strap of his bag. As he made his way to the aisle, she hurriedly caught up and slipped the textbook back into his open bag before walking off. Draco didn't flinch; he merely walked on right in front of Snape, whose back was facing him. As the last of the students filed off, Snape swung back and the doors of the classroom slammed shut.
"Did you do it?" Snape demanded, glaring at Draco.
"What?" asked Draco, innocently.
"You stole the Greengrass girls' pendants, didn't you?" accused Snape.
"What pendant? And why are you accusing me?" retorted Draco, folding his arms. Then nonchalantly, he added, "So that's why Daphne Greengrass isn't in class today, is it?"
Snape's eyes flickered. Then he smirked. "To think I taught you the very skill you're using to protect yourself now."
"You can't accuse me without evidence," replied Draco, coolly. "And I really don't know what you are talking about."
Snape narrowed his eyes at Draco. "This is no joke, Draco. The Greengrass girls are now in potential danger because of this."
Draco shrugged his shoulders.
Snape knew that there would be no use interrogating Draco anymore. Then he eyed the textbook half sticking out of his bag.
"Since when were you so generous, by the way?" His voice was silky and dangerous.
Draco glared back. "You're not my guardian. You're only supposed to interfere when I need you to. So don't try messing with my affairs, if you don't want to help," he snarled. Then he turned around and stalked off. Snape was left staring after him, almost scarlet in the face.
-.-.-.-.-.-
"You're actually progressing!" Harry gaped, as they sat down at the usual place facing the courtyard once lessons had ended. The weather had warmed, and the snow was clearing, leaving a rather bare piece of land.
Ginny looked worriedly at Hermione, while Ron looked skeptical.
"Is that supposed to be a good thing?" asked Ron, rather annoyed. "It doesn't seem to bode well when Malfoy suddenly turns all nice and helps you out."
Hermione had forbidden the other Gryffindors (particularly Corrinne, who hadn't been very happy about it) in her Arithmancy class from telling Harry and Ron what had happened, citing fear that they would go beat Malfoy up into a pulp. And she was thankful now that she had kept it from them, or else they would have made a big fuss over the huge difference in attitude.
"What have you two been talking about?" continued Ron.
Hermione exchanged looks with Ginny, then simply said, "We're getting along a bit better than before."
"What does that mean?" asked Harry, genuinely curious.
Hermione hesitated. Beforehand, she had told Ginny that she was 'sick of Draco Malfoy'. But it seemed that she had to meet him a lot more regularly than just during patrol times now that it was her plan that he was following. She knew she couldn't hide too much from Harry and Ron, and they were her best friends after all. But still...
"Ginny told me it's been quite tiring for you to be facing Malfoy's insults all the time," said Harry, rubbing his nose ruefully. "But if he's helping you out in class, it shows that he's beginning to see you as – you know, a potential friend!"
Friend? Hermione almost laughed at the thought. Draco had talked about killing her everytime they met. He was only using her for her brains. As for what he did during Defence class, she couldn't fathom it either.
"I've been asking after him ever since he fainted during patrol," said Hermione, awkwardly. "And I think... the way I analysed his emotions seemed to have been spot on. He just – kept staring at me when I was talking about how he should stop mistaking others' concern for him as pity, and stop being so arrogant just because he is a bloody Death Eater. Nobody talks to him about this except for me, and he gets furious when I hit a raw nerve, but that's okay. That's just him. And I told him I don't believe he's being a Death Eater because he wants to be, but because he's avenging his father."
"So he really is avenging Lucius Malfoy?" asked Harry, in a low voice.
Hermione nodded. "He refused to admit it, but I'm quite sure he is."
"That's equivalent to not knowing the truth," growled Ron.
Hermione glared at him. "Trust me, okay?"
Harry pushed up his spectacles. "If that's the case, then what's he up to now?"
"Well..." said Hermione, trying hard not to look at Ginny. She wasn't really sure of what to say. She knew that if she told Harry about the Wentervale issue, Harry would intervene and want to go after this man himself, since Maldash Wentervale held a secret about Voldemort which Voldemort wanted him to bring to his grave. But this would mean that if Harry reached Wentervale first, Draco was more than likely not to retrieve any information regarding his father's death should Harry finish off Wentervale, or even worse, the other way round, Hermione thought and shuddered. Harry was still a student after all, and Wentervale an ex-Death Eater. Not that Draco Malfoy was any different...
But it seemed a better option if Draco Malfoy went after Wentervale himself. If she was helping to plan his way there, then she would get to know the information Wentervale might reveal to Malfoy, or so she hoped. That way, she could bring the information back to Harry without risking his life. At the same time, Malfoy would find out more about his father's death.
"He's not telling me anything yet," said Hermione, at last. "He just goes on about how you Mudbloods won't know a thing and stop trying to be preachy. But he actually talks to me now and not like insults me after every sentence kind of thing."
"What about the killing of someone?" asked Harry, looking edgy.
"I'm not going to confront him like that, Harry," said Hermione, pointedly, wishing that her heartbeat wasn't so fast.
Harry looked apologetic, but at the same time, none of them were at ease when Harry had mentioned 'killing'.
"I suppose he appreciates that somebody is talking to him and not beating about the bush with his status. As for today, maybe he was trying to show me he can be civil after all," added Hermione, hoping that she sounded convincing. Part of it was true anyway; she hadn't expected Draco to lend a hand, and in public as well.
"You make him sound human," snorted Ron, and Ginny was still looking worried. "For somebody who is about to become a murderer."
"He is human," said Hermione, under her breath. "And I won't let him become a murderer."
When Hermione and Ginny had returned to the girls' dormitory, they put down their textbooks and stationery and got ready to go out to bask a bit in the increasing warmth of the weather. As Hermione placed her textbooks neatly at the bottom of her cupboard, she heard Ginny walk over and sit on her bed. Turning to look at the red-haired girl staring at her, she felt a wave of uneasiness.
"Wow, you're fast," she managed to say, weakly.
"Sick of Malfoy, huh." Ginny's voice was skeptical. "Did you go see him last night instead of researching in the library?"
Hermione was startled. "What? Are you suggesting I had some rendezvous with him?"
"Ew, rendezvous with such a ferret?" Ginny wrinkled up her nose. "Okay, I went a bit far, sorry I suggested that." Then Hermione couldn't help grinning, and Ginny laughed, both girls' laughter tinkling about the room as other girls were filing in to put down their books too. Even while laughing, Hermione felt her heartbeat accelerate a little again. What was wrong with her?
Then Ginny stopped laughing and looked seriously at Hermione, her voice low so that no one else could hear. "So what was true and what wasn't? I don't really like it when you're not telling the whole truth, Hermione."
Hermione sighed. Ginny was trustworthy, but she was still Harry's girlfriend and one of her closest friends after all. If she was to be put in serious danger, then Ginny wouldn't let her take any step leading to that consequence. She was feeling rather guilty for side-stepping the library incident – after all, she did have some kind of rendezvous with Malfoy – but yet she couldn't take any risks. Harry couldn't know about this for now, and Malfoy would be livid if he found out anybody else other than Hermione saw his vulnerable side.
"You remember I got to know about Wentervale through eavesdropping?" reminded Hermione, trying to steady her voice. "Right now, Malfoy hasn't told me anything worth knowing directly..."
She hesitated. Well, it was relatively true. The only thing he had told her directly had been – Hermione's breath nearly stopped. If she let Draco's first mission out, there would be chaos.
"I still need to – you know, build up the rapport and all." Yes, rapport. She would somehow make Malfoy come round and see that he was never going to be able to kill Dumbledore, and not only would be futile, it would be against his conscience to do it to the man who was willing to keep him in Hogwarts for the sake of an education, despite the fact that he was a Death Eater. Hermione's heart ached just thinking of that. Professor Dumbledore – their wise, skilled, and almost grandfatherly Headmaster.
"Rapport," Ginny spoke the word with distaste, jerking Hermione out of her thoughts. "Merlin, I can't imagine how you agreed to help Harry with this. I'd be so disgusted everytime I talked to that arrogant jerk. I'm not one of those people who pities him either, so full of himself just because he's become a Death Eater."
"Did he do something?" asked Hermione, glad to shift herself out of the focus.
"Just before we filed out onto the pitch for that Quidditch match, I casually remarked he had a few threads sticking out of his robes," said Ginny, sniffing. "And then out came the whole insulting-Weasleys-as-blood-traitors-thing – like how we're so pathetic we're reduced to wearing hand-me-downs and tattered jumpers, so I didn't have the right to point out his flaws. What the hell? I was just trying to be nice!" She rolled her eyes. "For you. So that maybe he wouldn't give you such a hell of a time as I figured he would."
Hermione's heart ached even more. "I'm sorry, Ginny."
Ginny was about to remark that there was nothing to be sorry about for a ferret, especially one that could potentially be a lot more dangerous than he was, when Corrinne Whitemayer walked over, her eyes glittering dangerously.
"What was that about that bloody Malfoy?"
Her voice was so venomous, both Hermione and Ginny couldn't help wincing.
"Argh, Corrinne, you ought to be less vehement," said Ginny, scowling. She hadn't gotten over Corrinne's rash act on the pitch that had nearly been construed as a foul.
Corrinne was not looking at her; her fierce gaze was set on Hermione. She had seen both the angry outburst Draco had in Arithmancy, as well as the helpful gesture in Defence Against the Dark Arts, and she was definitely not pleased.
"We're just saying what a jerk he is," said Hermione, shrugging her shoulders.
Corrinne raised her eyebrows and scowled, turning away. Hermione knew that she would have to talk to Corrinne again soon, but as Corrinne walked away, Ginny couldn't resist bursting out, "Stop playing your personal matters on the pitch, Whitemayer, you'd send us all off one day with that temper of yours!"
"Looks like you aren't any different, Weasley," said Corrinne, smirking, and walked out of the dormitory.
"She irks the hell out of me!" It was Ginny's turn to be vehement, and Hermione winced again. This was going to be far from a good year.
-.-.-.-.-.-
"This is preposterous!"
The voice was wheezy, shaky, but full of rage and iciness. Severus Snape maintained as emotionless a mask as he could manage, in front of the wrinkled face of an old lady that was crinkling into even more lines. Her eyes were, however, full of life and determination.
"I assure you, Mrs Greengrass, that we are currently embarking on an investigation..."
"There is no need for an investigation!" huffed the old lady, leaning so heavily on her cane that Snape thought she might fall over any moment. "There can only be one perpetrator!"
Astoria turned a smouldering gaze onto Snape. "It has to be Draco Malfoy."
Snape hoped that the flash in his eyes didn't give him away. "And why would that be, Miss Greengrass?"
"It has to be a Slytherin," came the curt reply. "Only Slytherins can enter our common-room, and I believe that given Mr Malfoy's capabilities," the voice was now dripping with sarcasm, "he's more than a worthy suspect."
At the side, Daphne shuddered and clutched at the empty space in front of her chest.
"Get him here!" snarled the old lady, suddenly brimming with newfound vitality as she tried to straighten her back. "Incompetent fools, all of you. I just ask that my granddaughters are protected, and then you bring that damned creature back into Hogwarts!"
Snape didn't know whether it was the right thing to get Draco in alone with the lady. But he knew that he had to handle the matter carefully, or else he'd risk blowing everything up into the face of Albus Dumbledore. And that was certainly one of the last things he wanted to do, as he thought about what the Dark Lord had told Draco to do.
A little flick of his wand sent a rolled-up scroll into the hands of an incoming house-elf, and the creature scurried out. Minutes later, Draco Malfoy, with his slicked blonde hair rising in a tuft above his cold gray eyes, entered the room. His face remained impassioned upon seeing the Greengrasses standing around, all glowering at him.
"So this is the young Master Malfoy?" croaked the old lady, coldly.
"Professor, what is this about?" Draco folded his arms, his face full of haughtiness.
"The Malfoy arrogance!" snapped the old lady, and Snape shook his head. "Mr Malfoy, this is Mrs Lily Greengrass, the Greengrass girls' grandmother. She would like to pursue the matter of the pendants."
"What pendants?" Draco's expression was bewildered. "I told you I had nothing to do with any pendants! Professor, this is atrocious."
"You filthy Death Eater!" The poisonous voice of the old lady made Draco wince with pain and anger.
Snape raised his eyebrow.
"Mrs Greengrass, I hope you permit that I stay to..."
"I'm not going to harm him," spat the old lady, glaring at Snape, who scowled. "I would just like to have a few words with him. I'm not even accusing him of anything now."
Snape had to relent when she said that. If he didn't let her have her way, things would become complicated. His eyes flickered as he watched Draco.
So he had figured it out...
Snape took a deep breath, then motioned for both Astoria and Daphne to follow him out of the room. Daphne was shaking; Astoria was white, but both girls complied.
Within seconds, there was only Draco Malfoy and the old lady in Snape's office.
Draco's shocked expression gave way to a look of calmness. He then gave a bow. "My honour to meet you, Mrs Lily Greengrass."
The old lady smirked. "Draco Malfoy. What theatrics you put up. You may dispense with formalities."
"Or should I say," continued Draco, with a glint in his eyes. "Madam Lanneria Wentervale?"
There was silence.
The old lady didn't really move much; she just looked at Draco. Finally she smiled, but it was a rather tired smile. "And I was still hoping that it was just a case of theft. So you do admit you stole the pendants. To get me to appear."
He smirked. "You're not bad at theatrics yourself, Madam Wentervale, making it seem as though you're angry because it is a case of theft. You're clearly frightened that I have come to know of your identity. And as for my Professor, I assure you that he has more intelligence than you accord him."
Lanneria shook her head. "I acted for my granddaughters."
"So you did."
She smiled serenely, as she lifted up her wrinkled face. "Do as you wish."
Draco barked out a harsh laugh. "Do you think I will kill you? It is not my honour."
"You are but the Dark Lord's minion."
"You address him as such?"
"As a respect to my half-brother, who insists on still addressing him as such."
Draco whistled. "So Maldash Wentervale still retains an iota of respect for him?"
"Certainly, if not he would have revealed everything to everyone possible," replied Lanneria, coolly, her hand resting calmly on her cane.
"But he still revealed things to my father," pointed out Draco, darkly.
"Is that what you have come for?" asked Lanneria, her gaze fixed on Draco. "For Lucius Malfoy?"
Draco was silent.
"You just want to know where my half-brother is," said Lanneria, smiling, but her smile was not very pleasant. "And what makes you think, my naive little boy, that I will tell you?"
"Because I have your granddaughters' pendants."
Lanneria laughed, a tinkling little laugh that ended up sending shivers down Draco's spine. "And what makes you think I cannot make another pair, or that I have another?"
"And what makes you think the Dark Lord cannot figure out the magic that you have used to charm your pendants now that I have one pair?" asked Draco, silkily.
Lanneria's smile vanished, and was replaced by a cold look.
"You can take me. A life for a life."
"You care for Maldash Wentervale." Draco observed, looking straight at her defiant eyes. "You would rather sacrifice your life than to divulge his whereabouts."
"I don't even know where he is."
"A valiant attempt."
"I really don't know." A hint of frustration showed in Lanneria's eyes. Draco suddenly realised that she was telling the truth.
"But you have clues," he urged.
"A life for a life," she repeated.
"The Dark Lord won't take your life till you tell us where Maldash Wentervale is," said Draco, smirking. "He will keep you and torture you. And whilst he does, your husband, your children, your grandchildren – they won't sit still and watch you die a slow death. Surely, after all these years of protecting you, they would risk limb and bone for you."
The smile came back over Lanneria's face; it was almost peaceful. "You underestimate my family, Mr Malfoy."
Draco raised his eyebrows. So they had all been prepared for this day. Of course, how foolish of him, if not, she wouldn't have come personally to look for him.
"Astoria told me that you knew of my identity – to me, it is not important how you found out. I know it was a secret that would be divulged sooner or later. But these last few decades that I've managed to evade capture, that I've spent with my family, are more than enough. I told Jeremiah that I only estimated our relationship to last two years at most. But surprisingly, I am now old enough to be a grandmother of two," said Lanneria, in a wistful tone. "That is more than I can ask for. Therefore, I don't care that you take me now, in fact, it is a form of release now that I don't have to keep hiding from everyone."
Breathing heavily, Draco knew he had to take a very dangerous step. It was now or never.
"If I guarantee that this information does not go to the Dark Lord?" he asked quietly.
Lanneria Wentervale raised her eyebrows. Then her eyes sparkled with a hint of understanding. "For your father?"
Draco didn't say a word. The less, the better.
"You are naive, child," said Lanneria, in a sagely voice. "You won't get far."
"I just want to know what really happened to my father. I want to know why he took the risk to let your half-brother go," snarled Draco, his resolve breaking. "And speaking of that, maybe you owe me one for the fact that my father saved your half-brother twice."
"Maldash will meet his doom sooner or later," Lanneria admitted, and she shook her head. "But it should not be through betrayal."
Outside there was a firm knock. "Can we come in now?" asked Snape's impatient voice.
"No!" Draco and Lanneria's voices echoed back, equally firmly.
Lanneria chuckled as she stared at Draco. "Poor boy. You are only a Death Eater because you are forced into it, aren't you?"
Draco bristled at the use of the word 'boy' once again, as if to emphasise how small and naive and stupid he was, and at the same time, the fact that she seemed to be able to guess everything going on in his head. Just like Granger.
He shook his head to rid himself of all the uneasiness.
Then he looked back at Lanneria, feeling the iciness emanate from his gaze. "You don't have many options you know, Madam Wentervale. If I have the ability to sneak into the girls' dormitories to steal your granddaughters' pendants, Merlin knows what I could do to their little necks." His fists curled up into a ball. Lanneria's eyes widened with a hint of shock, her smile fading again. "I may only be a little boy, but I know many things little boys don't know, or might not have the guts to do."
"You stay away from my girls!" Lanneria gritted her teeth, her cane slamming into the floor.
"You have nothing to play with," said Draco, coolly. "You can give a life for a life. But that won't stop me from giving the Dark Lord the pendants, and your granddaughters will be in for it deep. The only hope you have is to gamble with my promise that I will not divulge Maldash Wentervale's whereabouts to the Dark Lord."
"And you'll still get him killed anyway once you get your information from him." Lanneria glared at him coldly.
"As I said, it's your gamble. That's all you're left with," replied Draco, turning around. "I could give you some privacy to play around with your emotions."
As he said that, his mind wandered to the face of Hermione Granger, in the library, her face wincing as she sat on the floor. Her defiant look. The wafting scent of strawberry. I hope you're sure as hell right about this, Granger!
Lanneria began to shuffle along towards the main office door. Draco's gaze followed her; he wasn't sure how to feel at this moment. He had lost the gamble!
Her face turned back to him, and her eyes were more crinkly than ever, and her lips set firmly in a thin line. Then she placed her frail fingers on the door handle and turned it. As soon as she did, Snape came in, with Astoria and Daphne following after. Astoria's face was still pale, but her red hair was as flaming as ever, burning as much as the fire in her eyes. Daphne, on the other hand, had been to the brink of hysterics and back, her brown hair not as outstanding as her sister's, but the beautiful curls now lay limp as she stared at Draco with a rather frightened look.
"Grandma, did he hurt you?" asked Astoria, her eyes still fixed harshly on Draco as she reached out for her grandmother's hands.
"No," replied Lanneria, in the same serene voice Draco had heard earlier on. "And he won't hurt the two of you anymore, will you?"
It was not a question; it was a warning.
But she hadn't even told him...
Draco refused to let his gaze leave the old lady, despite Snape's obviously angry gaze willing him to look over in his direction.
Lanneria's crinkly smile came back. Suddenly, a lilting voice, enchanting even, began to caress the still air surrounding them.
"A labyrinth of secrets, a ring of truth..." sang the soft sound, and Draco couldn't believe that such a beautiful and youthful voice came out from the sagging lips of the old lady before him. Astoria and Daphne stared at their grandmother, equally surprised. Snape's eyes lighted up at those words.
It was when Draco saw the light in Snape's eyes that he felt the burst of recognition in him towards those words. But Lanneria was not done.
"Angels of fire no water could soothe... The secrets of a lifetime, that no one could prove...
Draco felt his throat constrict.
Lanneria gave a little bow, then her smile became a little sad. "One is all I have," she whispered. "You now have three."
What she said was rather incomprehensible, until Lanneria whispered the last words in song, "Two, two, and three?"
Draco was still reeling from all the softness of the music, when Lanneria, Astoria and Daphne had exited from the room. Snape left a curt parting, "My apologies, Mrs Greengrass," before he descended upon Draco, shaking the stunned Slytherin's shoulders hard.
"What did you all talk about?" demanded Snape, furiously.
Draco shook his head.
"Draco, I've started you off on the only thing that I know, and you need to tell me what is going on so I can help you!"
"And how else can you help?" exploded Draco. "You can't tell me a thing because you're so bloody close to the Dark Lord, you'd risk getting killed! So shut up about telling me you'll help because you can't help me!"
Snape shot him a dirty look. "What about the pendants?"
"Let's just say your head will still be on your neck, and Dumbledore won't know anything about what happened," snapped Draco, twisting himself away out of Snape's grip. His mind was back in a whirl again. What did Lanneria mean?
He had to get to Hermione Granger. Now.
"Draco," began Snape, his eyes flashing, but his protege swung away and fled out of the room, leaving Snape to glower at his desk, his fist crashing down on the side of it.
