When Draco entered the Slytherin common room, he found a few first years in one corner laughing over a game of exploding snap, while in opposite armchairs by the fireplace, Zabini and Nott were staring intently at a chessboard. Pansy was laid out on the rug with her Herbology book opened. She looked tired and when she saw Draco, though she smiled, it seemed forced.
"Draco, nice of you to finally join us," Blaise drawled, his eyes never leaving the game.
"Where've you been?" asked Pansy, her tone a little reproachful.
"Pansy," snapped Draco in a stern manner. "I have more important things to do than answer your incessant questions."
Closing the book in a huff, she stomped off to the girl's dormitory, banging the door closed behind her.
"Little bit harsh Draco, she was waiting up for you," said Blaise with a frown. Draco narrowed his eyes at him. He was beginning to think that Zabini had a little soft spot for her. They'd been spending a lot more time together lately but maybe that was just because he had been spending all his time in the Room of Requirement. Letting out an exasperated sigh, he fell length-wise on the couch. Just then the little first year runts let out a raucous cheer.
Something in him cracked at the innocent sound of their laughter. An irrepressible burst of envy took over him.
"Get out!" shouted Draco, sitting up. "GET — OUT!"
They scurried to their dormitory, glancing at each other and back at the mean boy with frightened expressions. Putting his arm over his face Draco fell back down and closed his eyes.
Finally, some peace and quiet.
Finally, he could rest.
While Theo and Blaise had become accustomed to Draco's temper tantrums over the years, it had never been quite as bad, nor as frequent as this. The only other time they could remember Draco being this harsh with Pansy was Fourth year, after they'd all returned from the Yule Ball. She had waited for almost everyone else to retire to their beds before unleashing her anger at Draco. Blaise and Theo, the only two others who'd still been awake arguing over which Greengrass sister was prettier, had heard a commotion and gone to the door to eavesdrop.
"What was that?" she screamed. "You were staring at her the whole night."
"Well how could I not, she was with Victor Krum, it was revolting. I never thought he'd be a Mudblood lover, I mean how could he have asked her to the Ball? There's such a thing as propriety and what he did was so..." Draco paused, scrambling to find the right word. "Improper!"
"I can't believe it!" exclaimed Pansy. "You're jealous he was with the Mudblood, you're jealous that he asked her and you couldn't!"
Then there was an eerie silence and they couldn't hear what Draco was saying because when he spoke it was low and menacing, but whatever it was, it had scared Pansy into shutting up and to their knowledge she'd never brought it up again.
Blaise gave Theo a pointed look. The tall, wiry Slytherin stood and cast a Muffliato.
Draco started. "What's this?" he asked, sitting up straight.
The two boys looked at each other before asking, "Was it you?"
"Was what me?" he replied, his face expressionless.
"The necklace," hissed Blaise.
Draco smiled at him and retorted in a condescending tone, "Zabini, I had no idea you were thinking of accessorizing, may I suggest gold earrings to make your eyes sparkle?"
The dark boy scoffed. "Screw this," he said walking out.
Theo waited for Blaise to be out of earshot and asked again, "So was it?"
"Don't," he mumbled tiredly. "Just don't."
To Theo, Draco's answer was more or less a confession.
"Your mother wrote me," he said sitting down next to him. Draco's eyes narrowed questioningly. "She wants me to help you practice Occlumency."
Draco stood slowly. "Why the bloody hell would she want that?" he asked, exasperated. "I've already been trained—and why the bloody hell are you keeping correspondence with my mother?"
Theo took a deep breath, bracing himself for what was to come next.
"She's scared he'll look inside and see the witch."
Theo had to give credit where credit was due. Draco was a master at control. He barely blinked.
"What witch?"
"You're going to get yourself killed Draco," whispered Theo, forgetting he had cast a silencing charm.
"I have no idea what you're on about."
"Merlin Draco, I've been your best friend since we were toddlers and—"
"Blaise is my best friend."
"That's a load of dragonshite! Blaise is a first-class prick."
Draco pursed his lips, probably remembering second year when Zabini had tried to trick him into eating Doxy eggs.
"Fine," he conceded.
"You're going to listen to what I have to say."
"I don't have to do a single bloody thing."
"Shut up!" he spat. His best friend was getting on his last nerve. "You've always been spoiled Draco, your father saw to that. You would just throw a little tantrum and Accio, you had it. It's a terrible fucking thing, to have been handed everything except the one thing you're not even allowed to ask for — now I don't need you to admit it to me, but it needs to stop."
"I serve the Dark Lord," he growled menacingly. "I took the Mark, I was chosen. Me! Above all others—"
"You could take the Dark Mark a hundred times over and you would still be obsessed with Hermione Granger."
"Just because you fantasize about the Mudblood, Nott, doesn't mean everyone else does!"
Theo sighed, feeling weary. Draco who was furious started to leave.
"I hope that's the truth," he called out to him before lifting the muffliato. "Because if your employer finds out, he'll kill her in front you."
Hermione had lost track of time. She thought she'd try her luck in the library to find out who the Half-Blood Prince was. She had looked before but there was always a chance she'd missed something. Her efforts, however, were wasted. She couldn't find a single reference to the Half-blood Prince anywhere. By the time she reached the third floor, she was already ten minutes late. She opened the door and was somewhat surprised to see that Malfoy hadn't left. What was more unexpected was the flock of yellow canaries circling above his head.
"Look who's finally decided to grace me with her presence," he sneered. "It's the—"
"Did you conjure those?"
"Do you see anyone else in the room?"
Confessing breathlessly, she said, "That's really impressive magic, Malfoy. Where did you learn it?"
The birds suddenly vanished. Hermione was sad to see them go. He looked at her with some concealed emotion.
There was a long pause before he finally spoke, his voice quiet. "My father," he murmured. "He used to conjure them for me when I was little." Then he continued to stare accusingly at her as though she was solely responsible for his incarceration. She averted her eyes and took a seat on the opposite side of the table. Her heart clenched with sympathy for him, though she knew he deserved none.
After an appropriate length of silence, Hermione asked to see his work. She'd gone through the first essay question with him a few days ago and had asked him to write the draft.
"Right... I didn't have time."
"Didn't have time?"
"I was busy," he growled.
She tutted. "This was only meant to be a two-hour sit-down Malfoy. You're on your own."
"Fine... I don't care."
"You got Outstanding in your O.W.L.S for Transfiguration. Frankly, I'm surprised you're having such a difficult time."
Draco tilted his head to the side. "How do you know that?"
She shrugged as if it was of no consequence as to how she knew, just that she did.
He continued to appraise her when abruptly he said, "Wonder what McGonagall will think when I hand in subpar work after being tutored by you."
Hermione blinked.
"I may have to mention you were half an hour late."
"I was ten minutes late!"
"Were you?" he said furrowing his eyebrows pretending to look confused. "You're right, it might have been an hour."
"Fine," she said between clenched teeth. "We'll write the draft together. We'll do the first essay question today and then meet again next week to finalize the second." Malfoy looked like the cat who got the cream. She didn't like that smug smile on him at all. "Oh, but in return, you're going to teach me that bird charm."
His face fell. She gave him a victory-worthy smile, as he watched her, deliberating his next move.
"Deal," he conceded after some moments.
But he didn't look too happy about the exchange.