malfoy

Draco Malfoy
And the Bloodstone
_ _ _ _ _By Ti'ana

Chapter One

Next morning, classes resumed. Lisha failed to show up for Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms, and then lunch. The next time she was seen was in Potions, and she looked more dead than alive.

Professor Snape seemed utterly bothered by this. It took Lisha nearly three minutes to make it to her desk from the top of the stairs. People pushed past her, nearly knocking the sickly girl over. Her dark hair washed out her sheet-white complexion. Her eyes sunk deep into her head, and they were rimmed by dark circles.

By the end of class, she was shivering uncontrollably. Draco was the only one who noticed at first, but didn't mention it to anyone.

Professor Snape went to their table and craned his neck over Draco's cauldron to see how well his potion (which Snape had not given the name of) was doing, but was distracted by the trembling girl. His mouth formed a tight "O."

He bent down and whispered, "I want you to go to Madam Pomfrey right now, Miss Luralby. I want to see you... tonight." His voice lowered even more, so only Lisha could hear. Naturally, Draco strained to hear. "Midnight should be adequate." Lisha nodded and bowed her head.

Now, this was interesting...

***

"All you gotta do is sneak into the Gryffindor house, find Potter's room and get the cloak!" Draco rubbed his hands together quickly.

"What if I get caught?" Crabbe was hanging upside-down from a post on his bed. It was remarkable how such a flimsy piece of wood supported his weight.

Draco closed his eyes. "If you do what I say, you won't get caught. Just watch out when you find Potter and Weasley's room. Go during dinner, I suppose."

"But... what if I get caught?!"

"Just say that you were invited or something. Come on, you've made up just as many stories as Fred and George combined to get out of trouble. And once you get the Invisibility cloak, you'll be safe. ¿Comprende, amigo?"

"Sí," Crabbe mumbled, and jumped down from the bed. "How am I supposed to get into the Gryffindor house? The Fat Lady's gonna ask who I am and the password."

"Ah, that's an easy one!" Malfoy dug into his pocket and emerged with a torn sheet of paper. Some words were scribbled on it.

Crabbe snatched the scrap of parchment. "It's a list of the week's passwords. Where'd you get this?"

"Always knew Longbottom'd be useful for something. Dimwit can't remember the passwords so he writes em down. Look at this." Draco pointed to the first word. "'Chocolate Frogs,' 'lemon drops'... I swear to you, Gryffindor is almost as despicable as Hufflepuff when it comes to intellect."

"Be back as soon as I can. Cover for me if someone comes in and asks for me."

"Who's gonna ask for you, Crabbe? The Bloody Baron?"

Without another word, Crabbe was off.

The Invisibility Cloak was one of the rarest items in the wizarding world. Draco had always wanted one, and he could have easily obtained it with all his father's money. But his father refused when he learned of Draco's intentions. Even he couldn't remember what he was going to do, but Lucius Malfoy forgets nothing (except the part about being a Death Eater), and continued to refuse to get him one.

Goyle stepped into the room no more than five minutes after Crabbe left. He had a very grim expression on his face, and he said nothing as he sat down on his bed.

"What's up with the face, Goyle?" Draco circled the bed. Then, sarcastically, "Your girlfriend break up with you?" He laughed like mad at his own immature crack.

"Remember those teekuus we were supposed to care for in Hagrid's class?"

Uh-oh. Draco gulped. "Um... yeah. Damn it, I keep forgetting to care for that thing after classes are over. Stupid furry creatures. Why do you ask?"

"Yeah? Well, Lisha's been taking care of yours and Crabbe's teekuu because you're too dumb to care about that thing when you don't have to."

"So?"

"Well, Hagrid asked me to put the teekuus in their cages, and I accidentally put your animal away with ours." Goyle turned a slightly green shade.

"And?"

"Well... let's just say ours was a girl and yours... wasn't."

Draco paused, then quickly said, "You mean they d..."

"Yep... that's what I mean."

"Great, more of those balls of nappy fur. Why the down face?"

Goyle didn't seem to want to answer. "You don't pay attention in class, do you?"

Draco laughed. "Neither do you. Not in Care for Magical Creatures, anyway."

"True, but you don't need to pay attention in class to know what happens when you put a male and female in the same tank, and the deed is done... You can see for yourself."

Draco stopped laughing immediately. "What happened?"

"She ate him, Malfoy!"

"I knew it! Lisha's a monster!"

Goyle grabbed Draco by the collar and threw him on the bed. "The female teekuu! She tore him to pieces. My God, I didn't know breeders had to monitor two teekuus in the same tank. She massacred.... butchered the poor thing. I was there when it happened... but our teekuu has gotten so big, I won't even touch it anymore."

"So it's dead. That means I'm going to fail the class!"

"Oh, calm down. If anyone's going to fail, it's going to be me and Lisha. I'll... I'll take the full blame. I don't want Lisha to fail, too."

"Why do you care about that girl so much, Gregory Goyle? What could you possibly like about her?"

"Why don't you like her, Malfoy?" When Draco refused to answer, Goyle left the room.

Draco was left dumbfounded. What was it about Lisha he hated so much? Was there a reason for him to see her as nothing more than another Muggle-lover or no-good witch who didn't know what was good for her?

Perhaps he didn't dislike her. That thought made him upset; if he didn't dislike her, he would have to like her. That's just the way he was. Ignoring her didn't work at all.

"Fine," Malfoy concluded. "I don't have to like her to be pleasant. Acknowledging her existence without liking it can't hurt, can it?"

"Who are you talking to?" A voice with no body spoke from somewhere near the door. Draco was on the verge of screaming when he recognized who it was.

"Crabbe?" He groped around with his hand in the air, trying to find his invisible friend.

"My nose!" The cloak fell from Crabbe's shoulders, revealing the oversized brute holding his face, scrunched up and red. "Take the cloak, man. You know, cats can still sense you in this thing? I barely got away from Mrs. Norris. Who names their cat Mrs. Norris?"

"Filch. What time is it?"

"About eleven, I suppose. What are you gonna do with this thing, anyway? Steal something from the house-elves? I hear Dobby's working in the kitchen."

"That good-for-nothing lowlife excuse of a house-elf deserves to be a slave here."

Crabbe started to tell him that wasn't the case, but decided against it. "Just take the cloak and be done with whatever you gotta do."

Malfoy finally snatched the cloak. The liquidy-silver fabric practically sifted through his fingers. It was almost weightless, very silky and exquisite. But Malfoy was not a thief. He would return it to Potter as soon as he finished with it. Hopefully, it wouldn't have to be face-to-face.

He threw the cloak over his head, and adjusted it best he could. Closing his eyes, he breathed in deeply. The musty smell of the dorm room filled his nostrils, causing him to cough several times before he was able to look into the mirror hanging on the wall adjacent to his bed. He gasped when he saw there was no reflection. Even though he expected to see nothing, the shock of actually viewing it was immense. Just to make sure he was still tangible, Draco pinched his arm, where he figured it would be. The sting told him he was still alive.

"Now, time to get down to business." Snape's office was in the Slytherin Tower, down the hall from the common room. If he was quiet, Draco would be able to enter the office along with Lisha if he found her along the way. It would be quite a feat to get around her when she went to close the door.

Tiptoeing out of the boy's wing, Draco found himself twenty yards from the hall leading to Professor Snape's office. He had his own bedroom, but tonight, Draco suspected Snape would be in the office, awaiting Lisha's arrival.

"Damn it!" Draco's voice echoed through the hall when he saw he was late. Through the glass window of Snape's office, he could see Lisha sitting solemnly across from Severus. All Draco could see was the back of her. Snape was pacing back and forth quickly.

Through the thick, wooden door, Draco heard very little. Once, though, he caught Snape yelling, "This is dangerous, Lisha! Do you know what the consequences are if someone finds out about this?" Then, Lisha began to sob. Malfoy could see her shoulders moving up and down as she wept. Her head fell into her lap, and Snape quickly moved to her side.

Draco gritted his teeth. This is inappropriate, he thought. If Lisha had a relationship with Snape, that in itself was an awfully taboo subject. However, Draco was more concerned with how well she would be doing in Potions by the end of the year. Snape obviously favored her over him now, something Draco could not tolerate.

Quietly, he hurried back to his room. He didn't notice until the next morning the Invisibility Cloak still hadn't been returned to Harry as he had expected.

***

"All right, team." Marcus Flint rubbed his hands together quickly. "I hear Hufflepuff is twenty-eight points down.

"Dracs, we've worked out our technique. Fly high! You must get to the Snitch before Diggory does, understood?"

"Flint, that's the point of the game... Seek the Snitch and gain 150 points. Unless Hufflepuff got really good over the past four years, which probably isn't so, they shouldn't be a problem."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Flint turned to Goyle. "You're a big guy. Don't let the Chasers by you, understood? Knock them off their brooms if you must. Discretely, please." Flint sighed. "Okay?"

Madam Hooch rushed over to the group, huddled in the corner of their Quidditch prep room.

"Change of plans, folks! I scheduled Hufflepuff to play against Ravenclaw." The team groaned, but anticipated her next words. "I know, I know. The Ravenclaw captain postponed because their Seeker had an accident yesterday." (One couldn't help noticing the two Beaters, Derrick and Bole, shifting uncomfortably.) "Because of the circumstances, I've persuaded Dumbledore to remove all points taken away from Slytherin. Your point value remains at zero, which is an improvement from negative fifty."

"So, what are we gonna do?"

"Calm down, Mister Flint. Mister Potter has agreed to let the Gryffindor team play today. He says the team is well prepare-"

A cheer rose from the Slytherin Quidditch team, cutting Madam Hooch off. Flint's voice, of course, was the loudest. Lisha had no reaction. She didn't look as pale as usual. In fact, her cheeks were more pink than the practically white complexion she usually wore. Malfoy hadn't taken his glare off her. He was determined to expose her relationship with Professor Snape as soon as possible. He just needed to wait for the right moment.

"All right, team!" Flint was walking lightly on his feet. "Let's get out there and kick some Gryffindor a-"

"Mister Flint!"

Draco clutched his Nimbus. This was it. Another chance to try and prove himself to Hogwarts that he was, indeed, the best Seeker. Because of his small build, he was able to maneuver quickly around the other larger players. He was even more bantam than Harry Potter.

"Here comes the Slytherin team!" Lee Jordan, the Quidditch announcer along with Professor Minerva McGonagall, followed those five words with a low "boo." A chorus of hisses and rude whistles followed.

"We have Marcus Flint, captain of the Slytherins, as Chaser number one, followed by Warrington and Luralby. Beaters Derrick and Bole, then last and certainly not least because all of the Slytherin team are losers..."

"Mister Jordan!" Professor McGonagall rapped the boy on the head.

"Hey, sorry Professor. Anyway, Goyle as Keeper. Good luck man!"

A great ovation followed once the Slytherin team was out on the field and up in the air. The Gryffindor team had made their entrance.

"Here they are, folks, the people you've been waiting for! First in line is everyone's favorite, Seeker Harry Potter! He's the new Quidditch captain, and as we'll see by the end of this match, the best we've had! Behind him we see Ron Weasley, the new Keeper, and his brothers Fred and George. Hey guys!" The two waved to Jordan. "Best pranksters and Beaters Hogwarts ever knew! Then we have Alicia Spinnet, Katie Bell and Angelina Johnson, the prettiest Chasers ever to set foot in this school!

"And they're off! This match refereed by everyone's favorite Quidditch coach, Madam Hooch! Let's see... Yes, there they go! The Quaffle, Bludgers and... is that the Snitch? Yes, I believe it is... oh, it's gone! This match is officially started!"

Just as Flint had ordered him to, Malfoy rose high above the game. His Nimbus remained stationary as he searched the field for the Golden Snitch, and kept his eye on Harry Potter to see if he had spotted it.

"...Bell has taken control of the Quaffle and... yes! Gryffindor has scored! What is this?" Lee opened his palm. "It's raining, folks, but let this not dampen our spirits! We have a game to win! Er... watch!"

Malfoy groaned. He was unsure of the score at present, but knew Slytherin wasn't too far behind Gryffindor. The game had just started, after all.

A Bludger zipped past him. Surprised that it had traveled so high after him, his eyes darted from side to side. He spotted one of the Weasley twins (he couldn't tell which one) laughing hysterically. The Bludger that had almost knocked Malfoy off his broom had zipped back towards the twin, who darted out of the way.

Draco caught sight of Potter. He was after something, all right. The Snitch.

Draco's main objective at this point, because he could not see the glittering golden winged disk, was to distract Potter.

"Yee-ah!" Laughing, Draco plunged down, down towards Potter. The Nimbus 2002 was much faster than the Firebolt, he noticed. It was unbelievable. He was going to beat Harry Potter!

"Watch it, Malfoy!" Harry reared back, and shot high in the air, then back down on Draco's other side.

"Damn!" Harry was still after the Snitch. And Draco couldn't even see it! Not through the rain, anyway, which was growing heavier by the second.

"And there goes Luralby, with three scores in a row! I must say," Lee Jordan announced, "I've never seen such an impressive act by a slimy Slytherin!"

"For those of you worried about the game," Professor McGonagall said, "the score is now sixty to eighty, Gryffindor's lead."

He's tricking you, a clear, familiar voice spoke in his head. Surprised he could "hear" this, Draco stopped in midair. Harry, though, was still going after the imaginary Snitch. Look behind you!

He did. Hovering only inches away from his head hung the Golden Snitch. It was moving fast, though, away from him. Whatever had told him to believe that Harry Potter was playing him for a fool, Draco silently thanked. Even though Potter had spotted the real Snitch, he was much too far away to get to it before Malfoy.

"Goyle blocked that one well! Score remains sixty to ninety," Lee continued.

Gaining extreme speed, Malfoy extended his arm towards the glittering Snitch, its wings flapping madly. The rain made it even more difficult for Malfoy to see, but he had a good idea of where it could be.

Draco lost track of what happened next. Another Bludger zigzagged past him. He heard the voice of Marcus Flint, and then the pained grunt of Lisha as her fellow Chaser rammed into her. Flint gained control of his broom; Lisha did not. Though she had stopped, the broom kept going, and she fell. On her way down to the rain-soaked ground below, Malfoy, still after the Snitch, somehow winded up beneath her as his fingers closed around the wings of the precious and most valued Quidditch ball. As she fell on him, he lost his grip, and the Snitch continued on its way. It seemed to have become confused, as it flew straight into his Quidditch robe sleeve!

But the Nimbus was gone. It too had continued moving when he was hit by the falling Lisha as her broom had done to her. Thankfully, Malfoy later noted, Professor Dumbledore was present at the match. He recalled this only when wondering later why he had not hit the ground as hard as he should have.

Therefore, he was very much unscathed as he landed in the mud, and full of energy.

The first thing done was to dig in the arm of his Quidditch robe, and he emerged with the Golden Snitch. Uninterested in the Slytherin victory as Madam Hooch proclaimed they had beaten Gryffindor, two-hundred ten to sixty.

"I'll have your head for this, Lisha Luralby!" Malfoy lunged at the girl, drenched by the rain and streaked with mud.

The crowd gasped as he gripped her by the shoulders and pinned her to the ground. The Gryffindor team laughed when Lisha reversed the attack, and flipped the not-much-larger Malfoy off her stomach. She wasted not time in mimicking his attack. It was quite a sight. The Slytherin team cheered as the two wrestled in the mud for several minutes.

Lisha was a lot stronger than Malfoy had expected. When he went to grab her arm, she surprised him with a hard uppercut to the chin. Not wary to the fact that he was fighting in front of the entire Hogwarts staff, much more shocking to his ego with a girl, Malfoy wasted no time in striking Lisha hard in the face. He aimed for the area above her ear, but instead punched her in the right eye.

The Slytherins were no longer cheering. Ron and Harry, who had been laughing hysterically at the fact a Malfoy would even conceive fighting with a girl stood daunted. Even the teachers who had rushed over to break the two up stopped. Pansy, with her bulldog face, showed less adoration of Malfoy three times more than she had ever appeared to fancy him. He had hit a girl.

The strike didn't seem to bother Lisha much. She had stopped attacking Malfoy, but she was breathing heavily. Her deep, sad brown eyes were filled with a hatred that Draco had only seen in his father when he spoke of the demise of Voldemort because of the Potter boy (quickly adding that the Avada Kedavra spell worked every time, and it was surprising that one such as Potter had survived; not because he was once a Death Eater). Those eyes seemed to pierce his very soul. It gave him the oddest sense of fear he had ever felt.

Professor McGonagall was the first to break the silence. In a solemn voice, she said, "I warned both of you. If you stepped out of line once more, you would suffer the repercussions. It will be detention for two months for such despicable behavior. I have not seen a more heinous act for many, many years."

Professor Snape stepped forward. "Forgive me, Minerva, but I have a better solution." His eyes landed softly on Lisha, a little more harshly on Malfoy, then back to Professor McGonagall. "Two months sitting in a room will teach these troublemakers nothing. I propose they work with Rubeus Hagrid with his new problem. I am sure it will frighten the two back in line."

This suggestion seemed to delight Professor McGonagall. "It would, wouldn't it. Yes, that is a sufficient punishment.

"The two of you will work for one day with Hagrid." She frowned when she saw Malfoy's look of fear leave his face. "Believe me, this experience will make you think twice before ever breaking school disciplinary command again. You will serve your detention the last week of January, Saturday night to Sunday morning if you are needed for that long."

"All right, everyone," Professor Dumbledore said. "Back to your houses. School resumes tomorrow, children!"

Malfoy realized he was still watching Lisha glaring at him. She had some nerve, that girl. Draco's pupils narrowed in his pale gray-blue eyes. His pale skin flushed a faint shade of pink. He realized something just before Lisha broke eye contact.

She was rather pretty. Despite her plain features, Draco found something about them as appealing. And he had to admit, she had courage. Goyle must have seen this before, long before Draco had considered befriending her, and then completely changed his mind about that idea. his eyes widened when he realized he had been smiling.

Draco could deny it no longer. He, too, began to fall for the girl.

Aaah! Well, you knew it was going to happen eventually T.T and
what better way to say "I love you" than a punch in the face? Next
chapter's almost finished! Keep reviewing ^.~ I love hearing from
my readers. Ideas are good, too!

_ _ _ _ _Ti'ana MYST (Leah C.)