Chapter 11- Draco
The rebel strikes again. I believe Seneca was the first person I'd ever seen laugh during her sorting. What had that dumb hat said to her? It didn't really matter; she was being welcomed with open arms into the Ravenclaw circle.
"Per favore, Dio(1), don't let Father hear about this," Lucan muttered as he watched her through introductions to all her new classmates. He worried too much. Their father couldn't touch her at Hogwarts.
I just looked at him and smirked. Not exactly reassuring but it was as close as I got. "Relax, Lucan. She's fine, we're fine, and she's with people who will completely accept her." At that moment, Seneca looked up at Lucan and displayed a comforting smile. He visibly loosened up.
The feast went just like the six other feasts I'd been to at school. We ate, Dumbledore made his usual announcements, and we were all dismissed to our dorms. Seneca ran up to hug Lucan and wish me goodnight before walking off with her house. Lucan and I headed to the dungeons.
I lay in bed that night thinking about many different things. These things that I could look at from the new perspective I'd achieved. No, I didn't believe I could follow Voldemort any longer. My first meeting with him had been over the summer, and he. . . I don't know. Scared me. Disgusted me. Angered me. All of the above and more.
The first thing to change was my calling muggle-borns mudbloods. It didn't matter anymore. Everything else came tumbling down after that. By the time the Votrians arrived, I'd completely changed my whole way of thinking. I'd realized that a person's origins didn't affect who he or she actually was. Surprisingly, that statement was even true for me.
Of course, I was still mostly disagreeable to people I didn't like. Potter and his gang was a prime example. I no longer cared that Weasley was a muggle-lover or that Granger was a muggle-born. I used that against them still because it's what hurt them the most. It wasn't worth my time if I couldn't damage the opposing side.
There was one other reason I didn't cut the Wonder Trio a break. One person affected every decision I made. My father. I didn't particularly care for him, nor did he expend any feelings on me. He could, however, make my life a living hell if I didn't follow the decisions he made for me. And, quite frankly, I was no "brave" Gryffindor; I couldn't stand up to him.
So, overall, my life was quite screwed over. I insulted people for beliefs I no longer held. I was dead-set on a path to the dark heart of the forest when all I really wanted to do was explore the trees. The worst part was that I had no idea how to break myself out of the chains that kept me so obedient.
Tossing and turning because I was too busy thinking all of this to sleep wasn't my idea of a great night, which is why I found myself wandering the halls at 1:30 in the morning. As I knew that many students acquired this habit, I wasn't surprised to run into a human body near the Runes classroom. I was mildly surprised who the body belonged to. "Weasley," I acknowledged the youngest fire-head.
"Malfoy." She studied me for a moment then continued. "It's only the first night. I do hope you aren't making too much trouble." The laughter in her eyes told me she was joking. With me. Perhaps I should let the Weasel know his baby sister was slightly possessed.
Until then, I could play along. "How exactly would you know I'm making trouble?"
She giggled, a rather cute (I did not just think that) sound that I certainly wasn't used to. "I wouldn't. I don't. In fact, I suspect you weren't even planning to make any trouble. You're just the perfect little innocent, aren't you?" she commented, somewhat sarcastically.
This was insane. Ginny Weasley was actually being almost nice to me, and I wasn't minding so much. That's not the way it was supposed to work. "Can I ask just what you're doing here?" There it was, almost back to my former indifferent voice. Some people said I had a cruel and sneering tone most of the time. Alright then.
And she wasn't affected. Not in the least. In fact, she smiled more. "If you're asking what I'm doing in this place at this time, well, I'm talking to you. Obviously. If you're asking what I'm trying to accomplish by talking to you, not much really. Just being civil to a fellow rule-breaking student."
She just wanted to be civil. "But-" I stopped. I wasn't going to bother asking why. "I'm just going to go now. Because . . . yeah." I walked away, leaving her standing in the hall. Strange night. I needed sleep.
1- Please, God
