A/N: Thankyou to Yanagi-sen, Me, Dilan and Ivory Tower for reviewing. I wasn't sure whether I'd write something tonight, but you motivated me.
I went back and fixed a few typos in previous chapters, but there's probably more.
Disclaimer: Don't own a thing. Nada.
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Sacrifices
Part Six - Suspicions
Snape strode into Draco's quarters. Crabbe and Goyle were sitting on their beds eating chocolate cake. Snape ignored them while he opened Draco's drawers and removed clothing and other items Malfoy would need that night and tomorrow. He packed it into a plastic bag then turned to leave the room. He paused for a moment and turned back to face the two imbeciles (who were finished their cake and had graduated to cream-filled spiders) he looked at them with ill-disguised distate before clearing his throat. They looked up at him.
"I'm taking these things down to Malfoy. If you want to visit him, I'd suggest you came with me now. I doubt Madam Pomfrey will let you in at a later time"
They looked at him, turned to each other, shrugged their shoulders, and looked at the cream-spiders in their hands. Snape groaned.
"You can take those with you"
Their faces lit up with pleasure and they stuffed some chocolate and candy into their pockets before standing up and following Snape to the hospital wing. Snape considered asking the two if they had noticed anything suspicious about Draco's mixing of his potion that morning, but decided against it. They probably wouldn't have noticed the rabbit ears if the class hadn't brought their attention to it by laughing. He shook his head in exasperation as he led them to the door and walked through.
Draco was lying on the bed, though he wasn't asleep. He decided that the least he could do is wait for Professor Snape to bring down his nightclothes. 'Oh wow, Draco' he thought 'You can keep your eyes open. How impressive'. Even so he made sure that he remained alert and conscious, despite the effects of the potion Madam Pomfrey had prescribed. When the door opened he sat up and saw Snape's tall, daunting figure fill the door frame. He eyed Draco with an impassive expression, not giving anything away. Then he walked through the threshold and Draco realised that he wasn't alone. Crabbe and Goyle entered the room, their mouths full as usual and Draco grimaced when Crabbe said hello, his mouth offering a full view of half-chewed food and a stream of spittle flying from his mouth. Draco was thankful he wasn't any closer. Despite himself, though, he was glad they came. Of course he would never admit it, even to himself, but he was jealous of the tight friendships some of the other students (Potter, Granger, Weasley) had with each other.
"Master Malfoy, I have your things" Snape said, offering the bag out to Draco. He took it without looking inside and sat it on the table beside his bed. He murmered an embaressed 'thanks' and looked down at his hands. He was more than a little ashamed, and he couldn't stand to stare into Snape's dark eyes right now.
Snape paused, wondering how to continue, feeling slightly awkward at the boy's obvious discomfort. He considered just walking away and leaving it at that, but he stopped himself and decided to ask the question that had been plaguing him all afternoon.
"Malfoy," he said in an expressionless voice, "How, exactly, did you manage to put at least five times the directed amount of Rabititus in your potion?"
Snape watched Malfoy carefully as the boy squirmed under his gaze.
"I wasn't feeling well, sir, I was tired, and I guess I got a little mixed up." Draco spluttered, still not daring to look Snape in the face. He hoped that Snape would accept it and not question him further.
Snape opened his mouth, as if to enquire further, but then shut it again. He didn't believe Malfoy's excuse for a second, but he sensed that he would be getting nowhere if he continued his line of questioning. He pursed his lips in frustration, eyeing the boy in front of him.
"Well, you'll get plenty of rest tonight, I'm sure, he said, eyeing the potion which was still bubbling next to his bed. "Hopefully you'll be better by tomorrow and you can redo your Revilio Potion then" he added.
Draco looked up immediately, dismayed. Redo it, ho thought. Of course. Why didn't he think of that? Snape may not let Longbottom redo his potion, but that didn't mean he wouldn't want Malfoy to. He saw Snape watching him intently and quickly removed all expression from his face. Unfortunately for him, Snape had noticed the brief panic, and he frowned in confusion.
"Is there something you're not telling me, Malfoy?" He asked. Draco quickly shook his head. "Then you won't mind redoing the potion?" Draco shook his head again. "Good" said Snape. He watched Malfoy a moment longer, before abruptly turning and walking out the door. He turned back and looked at Crabbe and Goyle. "I think you should come back to the dorms, too. I doubt Madam Pomfrey would be enthralled if she caught you two here".
Crabbe and Goyle shrugged and nodded, heaving themselves up from the chairs they had pulled over (and Snape was rather suprised they had the brain power to think of that). Goyle mumbled a goodbye in between mouthfuls of jelly slugs, and Goyle clapped Draco on the arm, a little harder than Draco was expecting. He winced before he could stop himself and Goyle looked embaressed.
"Sorry" He mumbled "I forgot about your arm"
Draco kept his face devoid of expression and Crabbe shrugged and moved away. Both Crabbe and Goyle moved past Snape, through the door and down the corridor, munching all the while. Snape watched Malfoy with a furrowed brow.
"Night, Malfoy" he said, then closed the door behind him without waiting for an answer. As he strode down the corridor he felt even more confused than ever. Why did Malfoy seem so reluctant to finish the potion? Was it because he thought he might get it wrong again? Or... or did he get it wrong in the first place because he didn't want to finish it? Did he get it wrong on purpose? If so, why? To stop it from revealing something, obviously. But what? Draco Malfoy was certainly a little vain. All the Malfoys were. But surely he wouldn't sabotage his own experiment so people wouldn't see a mole or pimple. Snape shook his head. No, not even Pansy Parkinson had attempted that. But what, then? His mind drifted to what Crabbe had said before he left. 'Sorry, forgot about your arm' - so Draco had a sore arm. Snape frowned. He hadn't noticed any signs or bruises, scratches or cuts on him in the potions lesson today. It couldn't be a broken bone, because he wouldn't have been able to use it. Unless... Snape stopped abruptly. Unless he was hiding it with a concealing potion. That would explain why he messed up his experiment, and why he was panicked when he found out he had to redo it. Snape looked around, indecisive. Perhaps he should go back and ask him about it right now. He almost moved to turn back, but then remembered the tired look on the boy's face. He'd probably be asleep already. He decided, instead, to come see him in the morning. He would bring the ingredients to him, make up some excuse as to why he needed it done right away, then make sure he did the potion correctly. He wouldn't have any choice but to swallow it, and then he'd find out once and for all if his suspicions were correct. He nodded, satisfied, then continued on his way to the Slytherin dorms.
Meanwhile, Draco was hurriedly going through Madam Pomfrey's medicine cabinet. He looked from potion to potion and sighed with relief as he found 'Bruise-be-gone' he turned the bottle over and read the back 'Bruise-be-gone: heals superficial bruises as well as minor scrapes, cuts and abrasions. Take one teaspoon of bruise-be-gone and watch as bruises vanish within minutes'. Perfect. Draco removed a spoon from a stack bundled together on a lower shelf, measured out a teaspoon, and swallowed the liquid. Unlike the other, this tasted bitter and unpleasant. Draco screwed up his face, before replacing the bottle and throwing the spoon in the bin across the room. He then changed into his pajamas, climbed into bed, and slept soundly and contentedly.
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There we go. Good ol' Draco's secret is safe for the time being. Despite evidence to the contrary, when Lucius comes into the story I won't make him a complete vicious monster who has no redeemable qualities whatsoever. I really dislike it when people make a character 'bad' and just leave it at that. For me, a villain is scarier when he/she has a human side. And it won't all focus around the whole 'poor little abused draco' thing. There will be a plot, and subplots, but I have to set the grounding for the story before I can get into that.
Next chapter? I really don't know. Snape will have to test his theory about Draco, but with Draco taking the bruise-be-gone, what will happen? I've got an inkling, but I don't know for sure.