*I own Erik, Layla and the Heron Pixies unless they actually do exist.
Draco stared down the stairs where the sounds of his first class were coming from. The butterflies in his stomach suddenly turned into flesh- eating monsters the instant that the first child stepped into the room. He had been introduced to the staff and pupils of Hogwarts at dinner the previous evening. But this was much different. This involved teaching vulnerable young children how to survive in the wizarding world. They were only first years yet a combination of Slytherin and Gryffindors meant that it would be as tough as any seventh year class. Suddenly he realised how hard he had made life for his own teachers by picking on others in his year.
After looking around the classroom again it quickly dawned on Draco that he had to start the lesson. As he glanced at the eager-looking Gryffindors and bored yet excited looking Slytherins, he took a deep breath and began;
"We will begin this term's work by looking at Heron Pixies. They are a relatively new discovery because they live beneath the soil. However they are extremely dangerous as they hold the deadly Cog poison in their fingertips so at the slightest touch they can knock you dead. There is a picture in your textbooks but I think it will be better if we just examine this one," And with that Draco pulled a glass cage from underneath the desk to reveal the ugliest little creature he had ever seen (that was including his father) It's leathery brown skin was wrinkled with grey speckles all over it. It was sitting quietly in its cage, staring at the children.
"If you sit and whisper, you'll irritate it and it will try to attack. It's a very nosy little thing." He announced clearly. The face of the pixie scrunched up into a frown as it clearly didn't like being insulted either.
"Bet that's a load of rubbish!" came a loud whisper from a pug-faced Slytherin boy. Slowly the pixie stood up in its cage, threw its head back and let loose the loudest screech that any of them had ever heard.
"Elton! Apologise to it right now!! Draco bellowed over the continuing wail. The boy creased his face into something that resembled a frown but he quickly apologised and sat back down. Angrily muttering to his friend, Elton realised that he would set the animal off again and opened his textbook, still with a glower on his face. The rest of the class went without a hitch until the end of the period when the class tested the knowledge of their new teacher by asking question after question. A small Gryffindor's hand crept slowly into the air;
"Professor, can you tell us about werewolves?" She asked meekly.
"No!" Werewolves are not a part of the course until 3rd year. You will not need to know about them yet!" He spoke sharply hoping to discourage anyone else from asking.
"Class is dismissed. Bring both your textbooks tomorrow," He shuddered as the children filed out of the room. Some of the old Draco's pride had remained intact and he instantly hated anything to do with werewolves. Especially after the incident with Remus Lupin. It was something that he had managed to block out for many years but the return to Hogwarts had brought it all back. It was ingrained in the woodwork and steeped in the air. Draco wasn't afraid of Lupin or what Lupin was. It was the way that in a matter of seconds his life turned upside down. Even now he detested everything that had happened in his 5th year, everything right down to his first girlfriend, Paula Sullivan - Lupin's niece.
He still saw Paula occasionally; they even spoke to each other sometimes. Paula had happily moved on with her life but Draco still had a peculiar fascination with her. It was most incomprehensible, especially as it had only been a dare.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Ok Malfoy, your turn. I dare you to ask out any Hufflepuff and date her for at least a month." Crabbe's face squished itself into a smirk while Malfoy felt his face pale almost to the point of translucency.
"If you don't, you have to date Millicent for a week and if you don't choose tomorrow, we choose for you!" They all cackled and grinned.
"Ok fine, I'll choose tomorrow! Now Crabbe, I believe it's your turn." Malfoy answered coldly. He had never felt so trapped. But he had never turned down a dare and wasn't about to start now.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
That was how the sickeningly sweet month had begun. It all commenced the next morning when he was walking to the Great Hall with Goyle, glancing at the Hufflepuff table he saw a pretty girl standing up and walking towards the door. He knew her name was Paula and that she was a fourth year but she was quite cute.
He had left Goyle and swaggered over to Paula full of the confidence that made him a clone of his father. He clearly remembered the way in which he had asked her out. It had been completely embarrassing and he had nearly went to find Millicent instead.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Hey, I'm Draco Malfoy; would you like to go out with me?" He beamed arrogantly, knowing that there was no way that any girl would ever say no.
"No thanks, you're a Slytherin! I'm not that desperate." Paula tried to turn and walk away.
"Paula, you're not going to discriminate against me, are you? That's very unfair. I think you should give me a chance." He couldn't believe he was begging a Hufflepuff for a date. It was sick and life was not supposed to go this way.
"Yeah, whatever. I'll see you tonight." She gave him a little half-smile before ducking away. Then it hit Malfoy - she had wanted to go out with him, she had just been toying with him. Well, Paula Sullivan would get a real shock when she met Draco for their first date tonight.
Draco stared down the stairs where the sounds of his first class were coming from. The butterflies in his stomach suddenly turned into flesh- eating monsters the instant that the first child stepped into the room. He had been introduced to the staff and pupils of Hogwarts at dinner the previous evening. But this was much different. This involved teaching vulnerable young children how to survive in the wizarding world. They were only first years yet a combination of Slytherin and Gryffindors meant that it would be as tough as any seventh year class. Suddenly he realised how hard he had made life for his own teachers by picking on others in his year.
After looking around the classroom again it quickly dawned on Draco that he had to start the lesson. As he glanced at the eager-looking Gryffindors and bored yet excited looking Slytherins, he took a deep breath and began;
"We will begin this term's work by looking at Heron Pixies. They are a relatively new discovery because they live beneath the soil. However they are extremely dangerous as they hold the deadly Cog poison in their fingertips so at the slightest touch they can knock you dead. There is a picture in your textbooks but I think it will be better if we just examine this one," And with that Draco pulled a glass cage from underneath the desk to reveal the ugliest little creature he had ever seen (that was including his father) It's leathery brown skin was wrinkled with grey speckles all over it. It was sitting quietly in its cage, staring at the children.
"If you sit and whisper, you'll irritate it and it will try to attack. It's a very nosy little thing." He announced clearly. The face of the pixie scrunched up into a frown as it clearly didn't like being insulted either.
"Bet that's a load of rubbish!" came a loud whisper from a pug-faced Slytherin boy. Slowly the pixie stood up in its cage, threw its head back and let loose the loudest screech that any of them had ever heard.
"Elton! Apologise to it right now!! Draco bellowed over the continuing wail. The boy creased his face into something that resembled a frown but he quickly apologised and sat back down. Angrily muttering to his friend, Elton realised that he would set the animal off again and opened his textbook, still with a glower on his face. The rest of the class went without a hitch until the end of the period when the class tested the knowledge of their new teacher by asking question after question. A small Gryffindor's hand crept slowly into the air;
"Professor, can you tell us about werewolves?" She asked meekly.
"No!" Werewolves are not a part of the course until 3rd year. You will not need to know about them yet!" He spoke sharply hoping to discourage anyone else from asking.
"Class is dismissed. Bring both your textbooks tomorrow," He shuddered as the children filed out of the room. Some of the old Draco's pride had remained intact and he instantly hated anything to do with werewolves. Especially after the incident with Remus Lupin. It was something that he had managed to block out for many years but the return to Hogwarts had brought it all back. It was ingrained in the woodwork and steeped in the air. Draco wasn't afraid of Lupin or what Lupin was. It was the way that in a matter of seconds his life turned upside down. Even now he detested everything that had happened in his 5th year, everything right down to his first girlfriend, Paula Sullivan - Lupin's niece.
He still saw Paula occasionally; they even spoke to each other sometimes. Paula had happily moved on with her life but Draco still had a peculiar fascination with her. It was most incomprehensible, especially as it had only been a dare.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Ok Malfoy, your turn. I dare you to ask out any Hufflepuff and date her for at least a month." Crabbe's face squished itself into a smirk while Malfoy felt his face pale almost to the point of translucency.
"If you don't, you have to date Millicent for a week and if you don't choose tomorrow, we choose for you!" They all cackled and grinned.
"Ok fine, I'll choose tomorrow! Now Crabbe, I believe it's your turn." Malfoy answered coldly. He had never felt so trapped. But he had never turned down a dare and wasn't about to start now.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
That was how the sickeningly sweet month had begun. It all commenced the next morning when he was walking to the Great Hall with Goyle, glancing at the Hufflepuff table he saw a pretty girl standing up and walking towards the door. He knew her name was Paula and that she was a fourth year but she was quite cute.
He had left Goyle and swaggered over to Paula full of the confidence that made him a clone of his father. He clearly remembered the way in which he had asked her out. It had been completely embarrassing and he had nearly went to find Millicent instead.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Hey, I'm Draco Malfoy; would you like to go out with me?" He beamed arrogantly, knowing that there was no way that any girl would ever say no.
"No thanks, you're a Slytherin! I'm not that desperate." Paula tried to turn and walk away.
"Paula, you're not going to discriminate against me, are you? That's very unfair. I think you should give me a chance." He couldn't believe he was begging a Hufflepuff for a date. It was sick and life was not supposed to go this way.
"Yeah, whatever. I'll see you tonight." She gave him a little half-smile before ducking away. Then it hit Malfoy - she had wanted to go out with him, she had just been toying with him. Well, Paula Sullivan would get a real shock when she met Draco for their first date tonight.