Disclaimer: Much as I'd like to, I don't own Draco Malfoy, or any part of the magical world that J.K. Rowling has all the copyrights to ... please don't sue me. There are some parts of this story that are quotes from the book - it can't be helped - events are the same as in the book, but Draco's opinion of these events may vary from Harry's.
Author's Notes: Screw it - I'm not waiting for my beta to get back to me. No one got all three! *looks through her reviews* the closest we have is duochang97, with one right. You win. Anyways, the three references were the chapter title, the scene where Wednesday saves Draco from being beaten up, and the reference to fading away and never being seen again.
PansyParky: Sorry, I didn't get your review till after I uploaded the last chapter. Glad you like.
dstrbd child: Well, even I couldn't resist that classic. As for Theo ... he's insane. Yeah - Draco didn't fight back because he didn't want to encourage the Gryffindor to hit his face. Of course he'd have beaten the crap outta Ron if he'd fought back ... but you saw in first year that Neville held his own against both Crabbe and Goyle - shows how useful those two are, doesn't it?
Exodia Himself: *bows* that's exactly the effect I was going for.
duochang97: That was one of the Buffy references, not all three. Luna is everywhere - she manages to get into everything, but she's often ignored, unless you know her. I'm like that, too - but if you knew me, you'd never forget me. Hermione's waiting for the poor owl that's delivering the reference books she's gonna give Draco.
angelkas: What'd Wednesday mean by what? Yes, he punched Crabbe - I'm glad someone noticed *giggles*. Luna was at the Hospital Wing because she's Luna ... you must not seek reason behind anything she does.
Bob: Crabbe didn't hit back because a: he's stupid, and b: he believes he's supposed to be Draco's bodyguard (I had to go back and edit that line I just typed ... I almost said "he thinks" *shakes her head* that wouldn't do, now would it?).
Simply Myself: Um ... you didn't notice the signs that Theo's already become Slytherin house's unofficial bookie? Skrewts - boxes - hibernation - chapter 17 ... you'll have to wait and see (oh, and Lavender, Dean and Seamus were also helping Hagrid that day - it says so in GoF). PoA 8: Just slightly? A snow leopard - well, it's a feline - wild, therefore independent - but unlike the other wild-cats, it has a much colder personality, less inclined towards socialising, and its strength is in endurance rather than speed. I most definitely did not say Draco was Veela in this fic ... and he's certainly not a vampire. 9: Sugar is good. 10: There is a blank wall outside the Slyth dorms. Pansy is growing up and becoming more bearable - there's a reason for this - trust me. 11: Draco explained why he doesn't like Christmas - it's the Death Eater Christmas Parties he's usually forced to attend. You're in no danger, if your mom's a collaborator with the rubber ducks. 12: Harry will likely never even hear of the Runespoor ... Voldemerde, on the other hand, though. He tried the Cruciatus on pigeons that tried to crap on Lucius' limousine, and the Imperius on the remaining house-elves. 13: *grins evilly* TR/DM is one of my favourite pairings to write when I'm feeling particularly sadistic. 14: Draco learned to swear, from his father. 15: Yeah, that theory about Gryffs and Slyths is actually pretty accurate. 16: Meh, I thought I copied it well enough ... and Draco's idea of being laughed at, and Harry's idea of trying to sound casual could be pretty similar. 17: I have never seen TaleSpin ... so I don't know what you're talking about. Figuratively.
Druscilla Black: Potter Stinks, indeed.
Elizabeth: Glad you liked.
Hrei-siesn: Thank you.
Ashla86: Well, here's more ... and I'll be updating approximately every five days until Christmas (when I'll post an extra one as a present).
Devi: He was not half asleep - he was wide awake, he just needed the clock to remind him so he didn't miss the feast ... and it just shut the clock up - the clock is charmed not to break - Draco tried to break it when he was nine, but failed miserably. Susan had commented that Potter would make a good Hogwarts champion ... that was what Wednesday meant when she said it looked like she'd got her wish. Hermione called him ferret because he insulted her friends (specifically Harry). Yes, he broke Crabbe's nose.
Zyzychyn: Thank you. Just a little bit? Well, I ain't saying yes or no ... all I'll say is I have every detail already planned for those two.
dragonsprincess: Glad you enjoyed ... were you high when you wrote that review, though?
"You're really an evil man" "Oh, you're making me blush" -Now and Again
Chapter 14 - Potter Stinks
The next few days were spent working on my Transfiguration, and a couple of other homework assignments. Theo threatened to compare me to Hermione for the fact I'm actually studying every time he looks at me. I threatened to feed him to a Blast-Ended Skrewt.
Theo and I were in the Library (and miraculously, Hermione wasn't), when I overheard, "Need a fan club, Cedric?" I looked up to see two sixth year and two fifth year Ravenclaw girls surrounding Cedric Diggory ... Theo also looked up and grinned as he listened as well.
"Um ... not really." Diggory said warily.
"Oh, come on. If we're your official fan club, no other girls'll bother you. What do you say?" one of the sixth years said.
"Weren't you asking Krum to sign your chest with a lipstick, not too long ago?" Diggory asked sceptically.
"Why? Would you like to?" the girl asked with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"Not in the Library." Diggory replied waving her off as if that meant 'no'.
Theo took the pause to inform me, "The one who asked him to sign her chest is Samantha - the other sixth year is my sister Carrie ... the other two are their fifth year friends - they're all actually good friends with Diggory." I nodded.
Samantha got an evil grin on her face for all of a second before Diggory gave her a warning look and she just shrugged casually, "Whatever you say, Cedric."
Diggory started to leave, and the girls followed, keeping close formation around him. "Must you follow me like that? You four are reminding me of those thugs that Malfoy brat has!"
"Hey! My twerp of a little brother is friends with that brat." Carrie snapped, then grinned, "Besides, I'm pretty sure his thugs don't beg him to sign their chests." she added.
"I hope not." I heard Diggory muttering as he left the Library.
"Oh, please Cedric, would you sign my schoolbag?" Carrie's voice echoed in from the corridor.
"That's a scary thought, isn't it?" Theo muttered.
"If you're talking about what they said about Crabbe and Goyle, I've already repressed it." I replied, resuming my work.
* * *
"Hey, Draco ... you know my sister?" Theo asked.
"I saw her in the Library, once ... I don't know her." I replied.
"You know of her, then?" Theo rephrased.
"Yes."
"She gave me these, I thought I'd share them around the Slyths." he handed me a fistful of badges that read in luminous red:
'Support CEDRIC DIGGORY -
the REAL Hogwarts Champion!'
"Amazingly, I like these." I said, taking one, "Better than the badges we saw Granger making."
"They need a little something, though ... wouldn't it be nice to have badges that said said something rude like 'Potter Sucks' on them, right next to this?" Theo suggested.
I smirked, "They'd be confiscated the second a teacher saw them ... but it'd not be difficult to charm these to say something like that as well." I said, taking out my wand, and a quill - I spent a good fifteen minutes drawing a bright green design that said 'Potter Stinks' on a piece of parchment, then I cast a copying spell onto the badge and another charm so it flashed 'Potter Stinks' only when you pressed it, and had its original message the rest of the time. "How's this look?" I asked.
"Oh, I like." Theo replied, grinning.
"Start copying the design and charms onto those then." I said, walking off with my own badge.
The 'Potter Stinks' variety of the badges were all over Slytherin house by the next morning. And we happened to have Potions class that afternoon - what perfect timing.
* * *
At lunchtime before the Potions class, I was in the Library, working on - surprise surprise - Transfiguration. When Hermione walked in, spotted me, and made her way over to the table I was working at, "Twenty-eight days and three hours."
"Excuse me?" I asked, looking up at her.
"That's how long I turned back with the time-turner." she said.
"You bothered to go back over it and do the math? I'm impressed." I said, then tilted my head to the side, "If I wanted to be polite, I'd say you didn't look like you'd aged that much ... but I don't notice those sort of things, and I don't want to lie."
"You're an inconsiderate prat."
"I'm not inconsiderate, I just don't want to lie to save your feelings." I said. She glared. "There's no way I'm going to talk my way out of this without getting slapped again, is there?" I asked, edging away from her slightly.
She sighed. "You are cruel and heartless."
"No, I'm not ... I have morals, and a heart ... I've just not found a good use for either, yet."
"Doesn't surprise me."
"It's like Theo - he has a brain, it's in perfect condition ... it's never been used. Crabbe and Goyle, on the other hand ..."
She tried not to laugh, and nearly succeeded. I smirked. "You, Malfoy, are impossible."
"Thank you."
She sighed and sat down, "I got those books for you." she said, handing me a formidable stack of books that could only have fitted into her schoolbag with a Tardis Charm.
I blinked and stared at the books, "Are you sure you've got enough there?" I asked sarcastically.
She glared, "If you don't want my help -"
"No, it's not that ... it's just that it's only a five roll project due by Christmas, not a two year one hundred roll thesis." I said weakly.
"Well ..." she said, frowning and looking like she was thinking about something, "You could work mainly from this book." she said taking one particularly thick book out of the middle of the pile, "These three leaflets are good for brief summaries." she took out three flimsy booklets from the top of the pile and set them on top of the thick book, "And this book is Muggle reference on complimentary medicine for -" she paused, "You don't need that ... I guess those four are plenty, really." she said blushing and piling the other half-dozen huge books into her bag again. I pity the owl that delivered that lot to her.
I smirked, "I think this'll be enough." I felt the inexplicable urge to say 'thank you', but I pushed it aside as quickly as I could. I'm a Malfoy - I don't do 'please's, 'thank you's, or 'sorry's if I can avoid it at all.
"Glad I could help." she said coldly, making it obvious she'd expected me to thank her.
And despite my worst intentions, after a few seconds I still said, "Thank you."
She smiled, "So you can be civil when you want to be."
"I don't often want to be." I replied coolly.
"So I noticed." she said standing up ... a box fell out of her bag, and when she picked it up it made a rattling noise, "I don't suppose there's any point in asking you about this." she muttered almost to herself.
"About what?" I asked, curiously.
"You'd not be interested." she said quite coldly, "After all, you're part of the problem, aren't you?"
"I have no clue what you're on about."
"House elves."
"What? What about them?" I asked, confused now.
"They're enslaved and oppressed." she said as if she was on some holy crusade to free them.
"And most of them like it." I replied.
She glared.
"Ok, Dobby didn't like my father, but even he liked taking orders from me. Especially when I ordered him to spy on my father for me." I said smirking.
She blinked, "You're just horrible."
"How, exactly, this time?" I asked.
"You're as bad as everyone else." she sighed.
"What's in the box that's got to do with elves anyway?" I asked, still a bit curious, if a little pissed off as well.
She opened the box to reveal many badges saying SPEW on them.
"You want people to vomit for house elves? Actually sounds fairly appropriate." I said smirking.
She glared, "I won't bother asking you to take one." she said coldly, "And for your information, it's S.P.E.W. - the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare."
"Lovely acronym." I muttered. She continued to glare. I shrugged, "You're wasting your time with that, really, Granger. But if you want to try, I won't try to stop you."
She blinked, "Seriously?"
"Seriously. Now, I have to get this Transfiguration essay finished before Potions class - I have other things to do this evening."
She glanced over my shoulder, "You're five chapters ahead of us." she said frowning.
"Yes, I am. I think I told you why, in third year." I said, not looking up at her.
"Oh." then after a brief pause, "Oh! You're - but - oh." and she shrugged, "I'll see you later, then?"
"Yeah, don't expect me to be polite, though. Remember what I told you in second year about the word Mudblood." I smirked, "Because I don't want you to hate me ... not really."
She raised an eyebrow, "I remember ... and I don't hate you, I just think you're a rotten evil git."
"I can live with that." I said, smirking.
She sighed, "You still confuse me."
"You need to learn to see the shades of grey." I said, not looking up from my homework.
"Yeah, whatever." and she left the Library.
* * *
I was already waiting outside the classroom, when Potter arrived for Potions class that afternoon. He saw the badges we were wearing, and did a double-take before scowling at me specifically. Like he thought the original design on the badges was my fault - ha. Well, if he's blaming me, best to get credit for what I really did, "Like them, Potter?" I asked sarcastically, "And this isn't all they do - look!" I pressed my badge to show the 'Potter Stinks' slogan. Potter glared some more.
Pansy was in hysterics with laughter, as she also pressed her badge. The rest of the Slytherins followed suit. I think we hurt Potter's feelings - don't know how, he already knew we hated him - because his hands were shaking, and he was flushed with anger.
"Oh, VERY funny. Really WITTY." Hermione snapped sarcastically. I was pleased to note Weasley wasn't bothering to stand up for his hero, meaning he's still not forgiven Potter yet - good.
"Want one, Granger?" I asked, smirking, and offering her a badge, which she wrinkled her nose at as if it was diseased, "I've got loads. But don't touch my hand, now. I've just washed it, you see, don't want a Mudblood sliming it up." actually, seriously, she had ink stains all over her hands, and I had just washed mine ... but wording it like that is practically guaranteed to upset the Gryffindors' delicate morals.
Hermione raised one eyebrow at me and practically sneered (I thought it was only Slytherins who could do that?) - she looked like she had a cutting reply to that on the tip of her tongue, but I never got to hear it because Potter went for his wand, and I really had to turn to face him, slowly reaching for my own wand.
"Harry!" Hermione said, warningly.
I shot her a sideways glance that if she'd looked at me she'd probably have read 'if he wants to make an idiot out of himself, why don't you let him?' in. I then sneered at Potter, "Go on, then, Potter." I said, pointing my wand at him, in the unaccepted unofficial and generally more efficient Slytherin Duelling Stance. "Moody's not here to look after you now - do it, if you've got the guts -"
I looked him in the eyes, and I saw the predatory-damned-near-homicidal flash that said he was about to attack, and I cast my curse at the same time as he shouted, "Furnunculus!"
I yelled, "Densaugeo!" honestly, I'd planned to hit him with a jelly-legs hex, but the homicidal glint in his eyes caught me off-guard and I said the first curse that came to mind ... my mind had been on my Muggle Studies project before I started tormenting him.
The two curses were both perfectly aimed ... too perfectly ... they hit each other, and deflected into the crowd of Gryffindors and Slytherins that were watching us. The unfortunate victim of the Furnunculus curse was Goyle - it might make him look better, but I'd take his side for official purposes only. Meanwhile, the Densaugeo hex hit Hermione in the face, and her teeth started growing longer ... as if they'd not already been oversized anyway.
I watched as Weasley rushed to see what I'd done to Hermione ... I noticed out of the corner of my eye that the other Slytherins were also too morbidly fascinated by Hermione's plight to give a damn about Goyle. Hermione made a terrified whimpering noise, when she realised just what had happened to her teeth ... and as if that noise was a cue of some sort, Snape appeared on the scene, "And what is all this noise about?" he said, in that tone of voice that should be too quiet to hear but somehow manages to resonate in your head creepily - the tone that usually means he's in a bad mood.
Every single one of the Slytherins in the hall, save myself and Goyle, tried to talk at once ... until Snape gave them a terrifying glare, and pointed at me, "Explain."
"Potter attacked me, sir -"
"We attacked each other at the same time!" Potter interrupted.
I ignored the interruption, "- and he hit Goyle - look -"
Snape turned to look at Goyle, and almost as soon as he saw him, he said, "Hospital wing, Goyle."
"Malfoy got Hermione!" Weasley tried to say, "Look!"
But Snape wasn't in a good mood, as I noticed the second he arrived, and torturing Gryffindors is a good way for him to deal with a bad mood. When Weasley forced Hermione to let Snape look at her teeth, Snape somehow kept a straight face when he said, "I see no difference."
That seemed to be the last straw for Hermione, and she whimpered again before running as fast as she could all the way along the corridor and out of sight. In any other circumstances, I'd have thought what Snape said was funny - and I made a point of smirking as if I did think so - but really, she was in tears, and ... now I get why she hit me in third year. I made the same mistake as Snape just did, when that gamekeeper those three like so much was near tears.
I managed to catch several words of what Potter and Weasley yelled at Snape - it went something like this:
"Are you -"
"- the most heartless -"
"-cking blind? You greasy rotten git -"
"- Blast-Ended Skrewt, how the fu-"
"- Death Eater wannabie -"
"- say that? You bloody evil maniac!"
Almost makes a full sentence between them, really.
Snape didn't seem fazed by this - in fact, he seemed very pleased to be handed the opportunity to take away house points from Gryffindor. "Let's see. Fifty points from Gryffindor and a detention each for Potter and Weasley. Now get inside, or it'll be a week's worth of detentions."
I followed the rest of the class into the classroom, and took my usual seat between Crabbe and Theo. When Snape had walked past us, I turned to face Potter, and pressed the badge again so it flashed 'Potter Stinks' briefly across the room, in so much as to say to Potter, 'I win, you lose'.
* * *
End of chapter 14
Author's Notes: Screw it - I'm not waiting for my beta to get back to me. No one got all three! *looks through her reviews* the closest we have is duochang97, with one right. You win. Anyways, the three references were the chapter title, the scene where Wednesday saves Draco from being beaten up, and the reference to fading away and never being seen again.
PansyParky: Sorry, I didn't get your review till after I uploaded the last chapter. Glad you like.
dstrbd child: Well, even I couldn't resist that classic. As for Theo ... he's insane. Yeah - Draco didn't fight back because he didn't want to encourage the Gryffindor to hit his face. Of course he'd have beaten the crap outta Ron if he'd fought back ... but you saw in first year that Neville held his own against both Crabbe and Goyle - shows how useful those two are, doesn't it?
Exodia Himself: *bows* that's exactly the effect I was going for.
duochang97: That was one of the Buffy references, not all three. Luna is everywhere - she manages to get into everything, but she's often ignored, unless you know her. I'm like that, too - but if you knew me, you'd never forget me. Hermione's waiting for the poor owl that's delivering the reference books she's gonna give Draco.
angelkas: What'd Wednesday mean by what? Yes, he punched Crabbe - I'm glad someone noticed *giggles*. Luna was at the Hospital Wing because she's Luna ... you must not seek reason behind anything she does.
Bob: Crabbe didn't hit back because a: he's stupid, and b: he believes he's supposed to be Draco's bodyguard (I had to go back and edit that line I just typed ... I almost said "he thinks" *shakes her head* that wouldn't do, now would it?).
Simply Myself: Um ... you didn't notice the signs that Theo's already become Slytherin house's unofficial bookie? Skrewts - boxes - hibernation - chapter 17 ... you'll have to wait and see (oh, and Lavender, Dean and Seamus were also helping Hagrid that day - it says so in GoF). PoA 8: Just slightly? A snow leopard - well, it's a feline - wild, therefore independent - but unlike the other wild-cats, it has a much colder personality, less inclined towards socialising, and its strength is in endurance rather than speed. I most definitely did not say Draco was Veela in this fic ... and he's certainly not a vampire. 9: Sugar is good. 10: There is a blank wall outside the Slyth dorms. Pansy is growing up and becoming more bearable - there's a reason for this - trust me. 11: Draco explained why he doesn't like Christmas - it's the Death Eater Christmas Parties he's usually forced to attend. You're in no danger, if your mom's a collaborator with the rubber ducks. 12: Harry will likely never even hear of the Runespoor ... Voldemerde, on the other hand, though. He tried the Cruciatus on pigeons that tried to crap on Lucius' limousine, and the Imperius on the remaining house-elves. 13: *grins evilly* TR/DM is one of my favourite pairings to write when I'm feeling particularly sadistic. 14: Draco learned to swear, from his father. 15: Yeah, that theory about Gryffs and Slyths is actually pretty accurate. 16: Meh, I thought I copied it well enough ... and Draco's idea of being laughed at, and Harry's idea of trying to sound casual could be pretty similar. 17: I have never seen TaleSpin ... so I don't know what you're talking about. Figuratively.
Druscilla Black: Potter Stinks, indeed.
Elizabeth: Glad you liked.
Hrei-siesn: Thank you.
Ashla86: Well, here's more ... and I'll be updating approximately every five days until Christmas (when I'll post an extra one as a present).
Devi: He was not half asleep - he was wide awake, he just needed the clock to remind him so he didn't miss the feast ... and it just shut the clock up - the clock is charmed not to break - Draco tried to break it when he was nine, but failed miserably. Susan had commented that Potter would make a good Hogwarts champion ... that was what Wednesday meant when she said it looked like she'd got her wish. Hermione called him ferret because he insulted her friends (specifically Harry). Yes, he broke Crabbe's nose.
Zyzychyn: Thank you. Just a little bit? Well, I ain't saying yes or no ... all I'll say is I have every detail already planned for those two.
dragonsprincess: Glad you enjoyed ... were you high when you wrote that review, though?
"You're really an evil man" "Oh, you're making me blush" -Now and Again
Chapter 14 - Potter Stinks
The next few days were spent working on my Transfiguration, and a couple of other homework assignments. Theo threatened to compare me to Hermione for the fact I'm actually studying every time he looks at me. I threatened to feed him to a Blast-Ended Skrewt.
Theo and I were in the Library (and miraculously, Hermione wasn't), when I overheard, "Need a fan club, Cedric?" I looked up to see two sixth year and two fifth year Ravenclaw girls surrounding Cedric Diggory ... Theo also looked up and grinned as he listened as well.
"Um ... not really." Diggory said warily.
"Oh, come on. If we're your official fan club, no other girls'll bother you. What do you say?" one of the sixth years said.
"Weren't you asking Krum to sign your chest with a lipstick, not too long ago?" Diggory asked sceptically.
"Why? Would you like to?" the girl asked with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"Not in the Library." Diggory replied waving her off as if that meant 'no'.
Theo took the pause to inform me, "The one who asked him to sign her chest is Samantha - the other sixth year is my sister Carrie ... the other two are their fifth year friends - they're all actually good friends with Diggory." I nodded.
Samantha got an evil grin on her face for all of a second before Diggory gave her a warning look and she just shrugged casually, "Whatever you say, Cedric."
Diggory started to leave, and the girls followed, keeping close formation around him. "Must you follow me like that? You four are reminding me of those thugs that Malfoy brat has!"
"Hey! My twerp of a little brother is friends with that brat." Carrie snapped, then grinned, "Besides, I'm pretty sure his thugs don't beg him to sign their chests." she added.
"I hope not." I heard Diggory muttering as he left the Library.
"Oh, please Cedric, would you sign my schoolbag?" Carrie's voice echoed in from the corridor.
"That's a scary thought, isn't it?" Theo muttered.
"If you're talking about what they said about Crabbe and Goyle, I've already repressed it." I replied, resuming my work.
* * *
"Hey, Draco ... you know my sister?" Theo asked.
"I saw her in the Library, once ... I don't know her." I replied.
"You know of her, then?" Theo rephrased.
"Yes."
"She gave me these, I thought I'd share them around the Slyths." he handed me a fistful of badges that read in luminous red:
'Support CEDRIC DIGGORY -
the REAL Hogwarts Champion!'
"Amazingly, I like these." I said, taking one, "Better than the badges we saw Granger making."
"They need a little something, though ... wouldn't it be nice to have badges that said said something rude like 'Potter Sucks' on them, right next to this?" Theo suggested.
I smirked, "They'd be confiscated the second a teacher saw them ... but it'd not be difficult to charm these to say something like that as well." I said, taking out my wand, and a quill - I spent a good fifteen minutes drawing a bright green design that said 'Potter Stinks' on a piece of parchment, then I cast a copying spell onto the badge and another charm so it flashed 'Potter Stinks' only when you pressed it, and had its original message the rest of the time. "How's this look?" I asked.
"Oh, I like." Theo replied, grinning.
"Start copying the design and charms onto those then." I said, walking off with my own badge.
The 'Potter Stinks' variety of the badges were all over Slytherin house by the next morning. And we happened to have Potions class that afternoon - what perfect timing.
* * *
At lunchtime before the Potions class, I was in the Library, working on - surprise surprise - Transfiguration. When Hermione walked in, spotted me, and made her way over to the table I was working at, "Twenty-eight days and three hours."
"Excuse me?" I asked, looking up at her.
"That's how long I turned back with the time-turner." she said.
"You bothered to go back over it and do the math? I'm impressed." I said, then tilted my head to the side, "If I wanted to be polite, I'd say you didn't look like you'd aged that much ... but I don't notice those sort of things, and I don't want to lie."
"You're an inconsiderate prat."
"I'm not inconsiderate, I just don't want to lie to save your feelings." I said. She glared. "There's no way I'm going to talk my way out of this without getting slapped again, is there?" I asked, edging away from her slightly.
She sighed. "You are cruel and heartless."
"No, I'm not ... I have morals, and a heart ... I've just not found a good use for either, yet."
"Doesn't surprise me."
"It's like Theo - he has a brain, it's in perfect condition ... it's never been used. Crabbe and Goyle, on the other hand ..."
She tried not to laugh, and nearly succeeded. I smirked. "You, Malfoy, are impossible."
"Thank you."
She sighed and sat down, "I got those books for you." she said, handing me a formidable stack of books that could only have fitted into her schoolbag with a Tardis Charm.
I blinked and stared at the books, "Are you sure you've got enough there?" I asked sarcastically.
She glared, "If you don't want my help -"
"No, it's not that ... it's just that it's only a five roll project due by Christmas, not a two year one hundred roll thesis." I said weakly.
"Well ..." she said, frowning and looking like she was thinking about something, "You could work mainly from this book." she said taking one particularly thick book out of the middle of the pile, "These three leaflets are good for brief summaries." she took out three flimsy booklets from the top of the pile and set them on top of the thick book, "And this book is Muggle reference on complimentary medicine for -" she paused, "You don't need that ... I guess those four are plenty, really." she said blushing and piling the other half-dozen huge books into her bag again. I pity the owl that delivered that lot to her.
I smirked, "I think this'll be enough." I felt the inexplicable urge to say 'thank you', but I pushed it aside as quickly as I could. I'm a Malfoy - I don't do 'please's, 'thank you's, or 'sorry's if I can avoid it at all.
"Glad I could help." she said coldly, making it obvious she'd expected me to thank her.
And despite my worst intentions, after a few seconds I still said, "Thank you."
She smiled, "So you can be civil when you want to be."
"I don't often want to be." I replied coolly.
"So I noticed." she said standing up ... a box fell out of her bag, and when she picked it up it made a rattling noise, "I don't suppose there's any point in asking you about this." she muttered almost to herself.
"About what?" I asked, curiously.
"You'd not be interested." she said quite coldly, "After all, you're part of the problem, aren't you?"
"I have no clue what you're on about."
"House elves."
"What? What about them?" I asked, confused now.
"They're enslaved and oppressed." she said as if she was on some holy crusade to free them.
"And most of them like it." I replied.
She glared.
"Ok, Dobby didn't like my father, but even he liked taking orders from me. Especially when I ordered him to spy on my father for me." I said smirking.
She blinked, "You're just horrible."
"How, exactly, this time?" I asked.
"You're as bad as everyone else." she sighed.
"What's in the box that's got to do with elves anyway?" I asked, still a bit curious, if a little pissed off as well.
She opened the box to reveal many badges saying SPEW on them.
"You want people to vomit for house elves? Actually sounds fairly appropriate." I said smirking.
She glared, "I won't bother asking you to take one." she said coldly, "And for your information, it's S.P.E.W. - the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare."
"Lovely acronym." I muttered. She continued to glare. I shrugged, "You're wasting your time with that, really, Granger. But if you want to try, I won't try to stop you."
She blinked, "Seriously?"
"Seriously. Now, I have to get this Transfiguration essay finished before Potions class - I have other things to do this evening."
She glanced over my shoulder, "You're five chapters ahead of us." she said frowning.
"Yes, I am. I think I told you why, in third year." I said, not looking up at her.
"Oh." then after a brief pause, "Oh! You're - but - oh." and she shrugged, "I'll see you later, then?"
"Yeah, don't expect me to be polite, though. Remember what I told you in second year about the word Mudblood." I smirked, "Because I don't want you to hate me ... not really."
She raised an eyebrow, "I remember ... and I don't hate you, I just think you're a rotten evil git."
"I can live with that." I said, smirking.
She sighed, "You still confuse me."
"You need to learn to see the shades of grey." I said, not looking up from my homework.
"Yeah, whatever." and she left the Library.
* * *
I was already waiting outside the classroom, when Potter arrived for Potions class that afternoon. He saw the badges we were wearing, and did a double-take before scowling at me specifically. Like he thought the original design on the badges was my fault - ha. Well, if he's blaming me, best to get credit for what I really did, "Like them, Potter?" I asked sarcastically, "And this isn't all they do - look!" I pressed my badge to show the 'Potter Stinks' slogan. Potter glared some more.
Pansy was in hysterics with laughter, as she also pressed her badge. The rest of the Slytherins followed suit. I think we hurt Potter's feelings - don't know how, he already knew we hated him - because his hands were shaking, and he was flushed with anger.
"Oh, VERY funny. Really WITTY." Hermione snapped sarcastically. I was pleased to note Weasley wasn't bothering to stand up for his hero, meaning he's still not forgiven Potter yet - good.
"Want one, Granger?" I asked, smirking, and offering her a badge, which she wrinkled her nose at as if it was diseased, "I've got loads. But don't touch my hand, now. I've just washed it, you see, don't want a Mudblood sliming it up." actually, seriously, she had ink stains all over her hands, and I had just washed mine ... but wording it like that is practically guaranteed to upset the Gryffindors' delicate morals.
Hermione raised one eyebrow at me and practically sneered (I thought it was only Slytherins who could do that?) - she looked like she had a cutting reply to that on the tip of her tongue, but I never got to hear it because Potter went for his wand, and I really had to turn to face him, slowly reaching for my own wand.
"Harry!" Hermione said, warningly.
I shot her a sideways glance that if she'd looked at me she'd probably have read 'if he wants to make an idiot out of himself, why don't you let him?' in. I then sneered at Potter, "Go on, then, Potter." I said, pointing my wand at him, in the unaccepted unofficial and generally more efficient Slytherin Duelling Stance. "Moody's not here to look after you now - do it, if you've got the guts -"
I looked him in the eyes, and I saw the predatory-damned-near-homicidal flash that said he was about to attack, and I cast my curse at the same time as he shouted, "Furnunculus!"
I yelled, "Densaugeo!" honestly, I'd planned to hit him with a jelly-legs hex, but the homicidal glint in his eyes caught me off-guard and I said the first curse that came to mind ... my mind had been on my Muggle Studies project before I started tormenting him.
The two curses were both perfectly aimed ... too perfectly ... they hit each other, and deflected into the crowd of Gryffindors and Slytherins that were watching us. The unfortunate victim of the Furnunculus curse was Goyle - it might make him look better, but I'd take his side for official purposes only. Meanwhile, the Densaugeo hex hit Hermione in the face, and her teeth started growing longer ... as if they'd not already been oversized anyway.
I watched as Weasley rushed to see what I'd done to Hermione ... I noticed out of the corner of my eye that the other Slytherins were also too morbidly fascinated by Hermione's plight to give a damn about Goyle. Hermione made a terrified whimpering noise, when she realised just what had happened to her teeth ... and as if that noise was a cue of some sort, Snape appeared on the scene, "And what is all this noise about?" he said, in that tone of voice that should be too quiet to hear but somehow manages to resonate in your head creepily - the tone that usually means he's in a bad mood.
Every single one of the Slytherins in the hall, save myself and Goyle, tried to talk at once ... until Snape gave them a terrifying glare, and pointed at me, "Explain."
"Potter attacked me, sir -"
"We attacked each other at the same time!" Potter interrupted.
I ignored the interruption, "- and he hit Goyle - look -"
Snape turned to look at Goyle, and almost as soon as he saw him, he said, "Hospital wing, Goyle."
"Malfoy got Hermione!" Weasley tried to say, "Look!"
But Snape wasn't in a good mood, as I noticed the second he arrived, and torturing Gryffindors is a good way for him to deal with a bad mood. When Weasley forced Hermione to let Snape look at her teeth, Snape somehow kept a straight face when he said, "I see no difference."
That seemed to be the last straw for Hermione, and she whimpered again before running as fast as she could all the way along the corridor and out of sight. In any other circumstances, I'd have thought what Snape said was funny - and I made a point of smirking as if I did think so - but really, she was in tears, and ... now I get why she hit me in third year. I made the same mistake as Snape just did, when that gamekeeper those three like so much was near tears.
I managed to catch several words of what Potter and Weasley yelled at Snape - it went something like this:
"Are you -"
"- the most heartless -"
"-cking blind? You greasy rotten git -"
"- Blast-Ended Skrewt, how the fu-"
"- Death Eater wannabie -"
"- say that? You bloody evil maniac!"
Almost makes a full sentence between them, really.
Snape didn't seem fazed by this - in fact, he seemed very pleased to be handed the opportunity to take away house points from Gryffindor. "Let's see. Fifty points from Gryffindor and a detention each for Potter and Weasley. Now get inside, or it'll be a week's worth of detentions."
I followed the rest of the class into the classroom, and took my usual seat between Crabbe and Theo. When Snape had walked past us, I turned to face Potter, and pressed the badge again so it flashed 'Potter Stinks' briefly across the room, in so much as to say to Potter, 'I win, you lose'.
* * *
End of chapter 14