He had seriously considered skipping the session the other night. What would he tell his friends? But his mom's words kept playing over in his mind. "I know you'll make me proud." His stomach gave a guilty lurch and he found himself walking towards the Library.
It was completely empty, except for the librarian, Madam Pince, who kept eyeing him suspiciously from behind her desk.
He gave a great sigh and sat down at the furthermost table, with one arm draped over his chair, the other twirling his wand, and his legs stretched out underneath the the long table.
He found himself getting angry and was just about to leave when he heard footsteps approaching him. Emily had her bag around her shoulders and was carrying a large, silver plate in her hands.
"It's about time," he said grumpily. "Where've you been?"
She gave him an angry look, placed the place down and tapped it with her wand. Instantly the plate was filled with sandwhiches and two goblets full of juice. "Getting food," she said irritably. "I figured you wouldn't want to study on an empty stomach."
He suddenly remembered he hadn't eaten yet, and reached over for a sandwhich. Right after he lifted it up, another sandwhich had magically appeared where it had been.
Emily proceeded to open her Herbology book and began skimming through the pages. "I think it's best to continue off of yesterday's lesson. Do you remember what it was about?"
Draco blinked, chewing absentmindedly on a large piece of bacon in his mouth.
Emily let out a sigh and flipped the book around so Draco could read from it. "It was about gillyweed. Now according to Professor Sprout, gillyweed is very useful, do you know why?"
He gave her another blank look. She stared up at the ceiling, muttering something under her breath, shook her head, then continued on.
"Eating gillyweed raw provides the eater with lungs, enabling them to breathe underwater. However, gillyweed is also used as an essential ingredient in — "
She was suddenly interrupted by a loud slurping noise, and peered over the book to see Draco chugging down his pumpkin juice.
"Ahem," she said, glaring at him.
Slowly and carefully, Draco set the goblet and his sandwhich down. He cleared his throat nervously and sat up straight, his fingers interlocked. "Sorry," he whispered.
"No continue," she said, leaning back into her chair and folding her arms. "I personally don't care whether you fail or not."
"Look, I said I'm sorry, okay?" said Draco, feeling a bit irritated.
She was tapping the book loudly with her fingers now, still staring intently at him. "You need to take this seriously."
"I will — I am," he said, feeling beads of sweat trickling down his head. She stared at him for a while, as if to see if he would crack. "Look, I don't want to fail, okay? I'm taking it seriously. Now — now, what about gillyweed?"
Emily, looking quite satisfied, picked up the book again and began reading from it.
It seemed like he had been there forever. Listening to Emily go on and on about some plant was not really how Draco would've chosen to spend a Wednesday night. He tried his best to keep an interested look on his face, but he was really close to falling asleep.
" — No way Malfoy'd be in here."
Draco immediately whipped his head around. At the Library door stood Crabbe, Goyle, and — to Draco's disgust — Pansy. Immediate embarrassment swept over him. What would they say if they saw him being tutored? Panicked, he shot up from his seat and ran in between two book shevles, hoping they didn't see him.
He listened intently from behind a shelf.
"Look around," he heard Pansy order.
"But, Malfoy?" said Crabbe. "In the Library?"
"Trust me," snapped Pansy. "Look around, I know he's in here somewhere."
"Locked down," Draco muttered to himself, cursing.
"What are you doing?" said Emily. She had her hands on her hips and was standing out in plain view a few feet away from Draco.
"Shh!" he said, grabbed her arm, and dragged her between the shelves. He listened around for them again.
"Oh look — Food!" came Goyle's voice.
Draco cursed again, grabbed Emily's hand, and dragged her away before Crabbe and Goyle reached the sandwhiches.
"Why do they have to be so thick?" he muttered angrily.
"Why are we hiding?" Emily whispered irritably.
"Shh!" he said again, still listening.
"What are you two doing?" said Pansy. Draco could see Pansy tapping her foot angrily while Crabbe and Goyle stuffed their faces with the bacon sandwiches. "You're supposed to be looking for Dracy!"
"'Dracy'?" Crabbe and Goyle laughed loudly, spitting bacon shreds at Pansy.
Draco cursed again.
"Eew!" shrieked Pansy, picking the bacon off her robes. "Where'd you find that food?"
"Wash righ' herre," said Goyle, mouth full of food.
"Really?" said Pansy, looking devious. "I knew it! He's here somewhere! Stop eating and look around!"
cursed even more, and was wondering angrily why Madam Pince hadn't yelled at them yet. Surely Pansy's shrieks would've reached her. He grabbed Emily's arm again and began to drag her over to the Restricted Section.
"What are you doing?" Emily asked, seeing the sign. "This is the Restricted Section!"
"They wouldn't look in here," he said, more to himself than Emily.
"Why are you being such a prat?" said Emily, still whispering. "Just tell them what you're doing here."
"No," Draco said firmly. He knew he was being stubborn but he didn't care. Anything would be better than having his friends laugh at him for being tutored. He sat down at the far end of the section, against some books with rather revolting pictures on the front. He waited. He could still hear Goyle's enormous feet thundering around, Pansy's heels scrape the foot, and Crabbe muttering to himself.
Emily huffed, and crossed her arms again. "There's no shame in being tutored," she told him, refusing to sit down. "I bet your friends aren't even passing themselves."
Draco would've retorted, but she was probably right anyway. "That's not the point," he said instead.
"And what is the point?" asked Emily, finally taking a seat a few feet beside him. "The shame of being tutored by a Hufflepuff?" He sensed a bit of hurt in her voice and winced guiltily. "I know what you lot say about us Hufflepuffs. 'Softies', 'sissies'." She grated the floor with the bottom of her shoe. "Well you're wrong," she continued.
Draco remained silent. He couldn't really think of anything to say to make her feel better. He felt a pang of guilt for actually being one of the people to call them that. And here he was, needing the help of one when he treated them so badly.
Why was he like that? he wondered. His father had been doing it for years. Treating people like scum, just because of their statuses. All those years he thought that that was how you're supposed to act. He suddenly realized what his mother had meant. She didn't want him turning out like his father. And, right then, he decided he didn't want to turn out like him either.
"I think they're gone," said Emily. She stood up and began to wipe the dust off of her robes.
The Library was completely silent. Draco carefully looked around the corners before going back to their table.
"I think we'll leave it here for today," said Emily, and began packing up her things. And without another word, she rushed past him and left. Draco shivered, feeling the room had suddenly gotten a lot colder.
It was completely empty, except for the librarian, Madam Pince, who kept eyeing him suspiciously from behind her desk.
He gave a great sigh and sat down at the furthermost table, with one arm draped over his chair, the other twirling his wand, and his legs stretched out underneath the the long table.
He found himself getting angry and was just about to leave when he heard footsteps approaching him. Emily had her bag around her shoulders and was carrying a large, silver plate in her hands.
"It's about time," he said grumpily. "Where've you been?"
She gave him an angry look, placed the place down and tapped it with her wand. Instantly the plate was filled with sandwhiches and two goblets full of juice. "Getting food," she said irritably. "I figured you wouldn't want to study on an empty stomach."
He suddenly remembered he hadn't eaten yet, and reached over for a sandwhich. Right after he lifted it up, another sandwhich had magically appeared where it had been.
Emily proceeded to open her Herbology book and began skimming through the pages. "I think it's best to continue off of yesterday's lesson. Do you remember what it was about?"
Draco blinked, chewing absentmindedly on a large piece of bacon in his mouth.
Emily let out a sigh and flipped the book around so Draco could read from it. "It was about gillyweed. Now according to Professor Sprout, gillyweed is very useful, do you know why?"
He gave her another blank look. She stared up at the ceiling, muttering something under her breath, shook her head, then continued on.
"Eating gillyweed raw provides the eater with lungs, enabling them to breathe underwater. However, gillyweed is also used as an essential ingredient in — "
She was suddenly interrupted by a loud slurping noise, and peered over the book to see Draco chugging down his pumpkin juice.
"Ahem," she said, glaring at him.
Slowly and carefully, Draco set the goblet and his sandwhich down. He cleared his throat nervously and sat up straight, his fingers interlocked. "Sorry," he whispered.
"No continue," she said, leaning back into her chair and folding her arms. "I personally don't care whether you fail or not."
"Look, I said I'm sorry, okay?" said Draco, feeling a bit irritated.
She was tapping the book loudly with her fingers now, still staring intently at him. "You need to take this seriously."
"I will — I am," he said, feeling beads of sweat trickling down his head. She stared at him for a while, as if to see if he would crack. "Look, I don't want to fail, okay? I'm taking it seriously. Now — now, what about gillyweed?"
Emily, looking quite satisfied, picked up the book again and began reading from it.
It seemed like he had been there forever. Listening to Emily go on and on about some plant was not really how Draco would've chosen to spend a Wednesday night. He tried his best to keep an interested look on his face, but he was really close to falling asleep.
" — No way Malfoy'd be in here."
Draco immediately whipped his head around. At the Library door stood Crabbe, Goyle, and — to Draco's disgust — Pansy. Immediate embarrassment swept over him. What would they say if they saw him being tutored? Panicked, he shot up from his seat and ran in between two book shevles, hoping they didn't see him.
He listened intently from behind a shelf.
"Look around," he heard Pansy order.
"But, Malfoy?" said Crabbe. "In the Library?"
"Trust me," snapped Pansy. "Look around, I know he's in here somewhere."
"Locked down," Draco muttered to himself, cursing.
"What are you doing?" said Emily. She had her hands on her hips and was standing out in plain view a few feet away from Draco.
"Shh!" he said, grabbed her arm, and dragged her between the shelves. He listened around for them again.
"Oh look — Food!" came Goyle's voice.
Draco cursed again, grabbed Emily's hand, and dragged her away before Crabbe and Goyle reached the sandwhiches.
"Why do they have to be so thick?" he muttered angrily.
"Why are we hiding?" Emily whispered irritably.
"Shh!" he said again, still listening.
"What are you two doing?" said Pansy. Draco could see Pansy tapping her foot angrily while Crabbe and Goyle stuffed their faces with the bacon sandwiches. "You're supposed to be looking for Dracy!"
"'Dracy'?" Crabbe and Goyle laughed loudly, spitting bacon shreds at Pansy.
Draco cursed again.
"Eew!" shrieked Pansy, picking the bacon off her robes. "Where'd you find that food?"
"Wash righ' herre," said Goyle, mouth full of food.
"Really?" said Pansy, looking devious. "I knew it! He's here somewhere! Stop eating and look around!"
cursed even more, and was wondering angrily why Madam Pince hadn't yelled at them yet. Surely Pansy's shrieks would've reached her. He grabbed Emily's arm again and began to drag her over to the Restricted Section.
"What are you doing?" Emily asked, seeing the sign. "This is the Restricted Section!"
"They wouldn't look in here," he said, more to himself than Emily.
"Why are you being such a prat?" said Emily, still whispering. "Just tell them what you're doing here."
"No," Draco said firmly. He knew he was being stubborn but he didn't care. Anything would be better than having his friends laugh at him for being tutored. He sat down at the far end of the section, against some books with rather revolting pictures on the front. He waited. He could still hear Goyle's enormous feet thundering around, Pansy's heels scrape the foot, and Crabbe muttering to himself.
Emily huffed, and crossed her arms again. "There's no shame in being tutored," she told him, refusing to sit down. "I bet your friends aren't even passing themselves."
Draco would've retorted, but she was probably right anyway. "That's not the point," he said instead.
"And what is the point?" asked Emily, finally taking a seat a few feet beside him. "The shame of being tutored by a Hufflepuff?" He sensed a bit of hurt in her voice and winced guiltily. "I know what you lot say about us Hufflepuffs. 'Softies', 'sissies'." She grated the floor with the bottom of her shoe. "Well you're wrong," she continued.
Draco remained silent. He couldn't really think of anything to say to make her feel better. He felt a pang of guilt for actually being one of the people to call them that. And here he was, needing the help of one when he treated them so badly.
Why was he like that? he wondered. His father had been doing it for years. Treating people like scum, just because of their statuses. All those years he thought that that was how you're supposed to act. He suddenly realized what his mother had meant. She didn't want him turning out like his father. And, right then, he decided he didn't want to turn out like him either.
"I think they're gone," said Emily. She stood up and began to wipe the dust off of her robes.
The Library was completely silent. Draco carefully looked around the corners before going back to their table.
"I think we'll leave it here for today," said Emily, and began packing up her things. And without another word, she rushed past him and left. Draco shivered, feeling the room had suddenly gotten a lot colder.