A/n: Wow. Seven reviews for one chapter. I feel almost honored, despite the fact that it didn't appear on the site like I wish it had. Thoughts were supposed to be italicized, but apparently fanfiction.net had other ideas. Anyway, thank you to all those who reviewed.
Although it was something he hated doing, Draco spent the remainder of the summer being a "good son"-that is, keeping his tongue in check around his father. The only thing he hated more than his father was actually doing what his father ordered to him.
But despite his burning hatred, he did as he was told and as a result he remained outside of his father's wrath for the remainder of the summer, and was actually relieved to be standing amidst his lesser equals on the noisy platform of nine-and-three-quarters. He glanced around lazily as he waited for his two lackeys Crabbe and Goyle to appear silently at his side like good cronies and follow him around, when his eyes caught sight of a figure that moved briskly toward the train. Curious, he came in closer to see who it was and amazed when he fell upon the sight of none other than Harry Potter putting his owl's cage into its proper train car and whispering comforting words to the agitated animal.
He concentrated on the way he moved and admired a bit until he saw something much more entertaining: Ron Weasley pushing his way through the crowd of students and clumsily stumbling like the oaf Draco always felt him to be, and saw this as an opportunity to humiliate the red head. So, he casually made his way through the throng of children without Ron catching sight of him and swiftly put his foot in Ron's path, ending with the desired result of Ron tripping up and falling flat on his face, along with the added bonus of his trolley crashing into the open animal car and knocking over the cages of several animals, which broke open and had frightened animals flying, running, and hopping about, causing a temporary chaos as their owners scrambled to capture them. Draco laughed so hard at the spectacle that he nearly fell over and clutched at his sides as they had begun to hurt from laughing so much.
"Ron, are you okay?" Draco heard Harry ask as he rushed to help his friend up. Ron took Harry's right arm and pulled himself up, glaring daggers at Draco.
"I'll be fine as soon as I tear that slimy git to pieces!" Ron shouted as he made his way towards Draco, who stood with his legs open and hands clasped behind his back, a smug smile crossing his face. Harry hurried after Ron and grabbed him by the shoulders to pull him back.
"Ron, it isn't worth it." Harry hissed.
"Sure it is!" Ron bellowed. "Someone needs to put him in his place!"
Draco laughed. "And you think that should be you, Weasel? You, the lowest of the pureblood class, try to put me in my place? That thought is almost as funny as your folly just now."
"Know what's going to be really funny? How smashed in your face is going to look when I'm through with you!"
"Malfoy, get lost or maybe I'll let him go." Harry warned.
It was at that point when Draco felt Crabbe and Goyle at his side and any unease he had about Weasley had blown away on the wind that danced around them. "Go on Potter, let him go. Let him get the stuffing knocked out of him."
Harry glared at Draco with the same contempt that Draco had at his father and he locked down his composure for he had a sudden urge to shutter. It wasn't Harry he was afraid of, but rather the hatred that stirred within him, that danced in his rich eyes, that which Harry would act on. Draco knew from personal experience that hatred was a powerful and adrenaline, and it scared him to see it directed at him. In a way it almost hurt him; he knew he was always disliked, but to see someone have such strong feelings of hatred towards him made him wonder what kind of person he was becoming...
It made him wonder if he was becoming like his father.
No, I'll never be him. Ever. Draco told himself as he averted his gaze from Harry's.
"Crabbe, Goyle, let's get on the train and leave Potty and Weasel alone." Draco announced as he crossed his arms over his chest and led the two into the train. They picked the compartment towards the end of the train and sat down, Crabbe and Goyle looking at him with their usual confusion.
"What is it?" Draco asked impatiently through gritted teeth. He hated it when they stared at him stupidly until he responded to it.
"Why we sittin' all the way back 'ere?" Goyle asked.
"Because I felt like it. If either of you have a problem with it, don't hesitate to leave." Draco snapped back. Another thing he couldn't stand: his orders being questioned by what he felt were the two stupidest people in Britain.
The two who sat across from him looked at one another and shrugged. Draco leaned his head against the window with his arms still folded in front of his chest, looking out of it at all the people that bustled about to get their luggage aboard and make their way to find a place to sit. It was there he saw Harry again, laughing along with Hermione and Ron as they walked towards the entrance to the sitting cars and caught himself keeping his attention on the raven haired boy, finding himself appreciating the way his face and eyes lit up when he laughed, they way the wind he tousled his unruly locks...
The sudden whistle and lurch of the train snapped him back to reality and he looked out the window to see that Harry and the others were long out of his sight now and realizing that he had been reveling in a sudden memory of the Boy Who Lived. Why this sudden fascination with him, Draco couldn't fathom. All he knew is that he had a sinking feeling that it this fascination was going to keep him distracted, for before he knew it they were pulling into the Hogsmade Station and the other students began departing the train and onto the platform to start their fifth year of school.
"And what an interesting year it promises to be..." Draco mumbled to himself.
Although it was something he hated doing, Draco spent the remainder of the summer being a "good son"-that is, keeping his tongue in check around his father. The only thing he hated more than his father was actually doing what his father ordered to him.
But despite his burning hatred, he did as he was told and as a result he remained outside of his father's wrath for the remainder of the summer, and was actually relieved to be standing amidst his lesser equals on the noisy platform of nine-and-three-quarters. He glanced around lazily as he waited for his two lackeys Crabbe and Goyle to appear silently at his side like good cronies and follow him around, when his eyes caught sight of a figure that moved briskly toward the train. Curious, he came in closer to see who it was and amazed when he fell upon the sight of none other than Harry Potter putting his owl's cage into its proper train car and whispering comforting words to the agitated animal.
He concentrated on the way he moved and admired a bit until he saw something much more entertaining: Ron Weasley pushing his way through the crowd of students and clumsily stumbling like the oaf Draco always felt him to be, and saw this as an opportunity to humiliate the red head. So, he casually made his way through the throng of children without Ron catching sight of him and swiftly put his foot in Ron's path, ending with the desired result of Ron tripping up and falling flat on his face, along with the added bonus of his trolley crashing into the open animal car and knocking over the cages of several animals, which broke open and had frightened animals flying, running, and hopping about, causing a temporary chaos as their owners scrambled to capture them. Draco laughed so hard at the spectacle that he nearly fell over and clutched at his sides as they had begun to hurt from laughing so much.
"Ron, are you okay?" Draco heard Harry ask as he rushed to help his friend up. Ron took Harry's right arm and pulled himself up, glaring daggers at Draco.
"I'll be fine as soon as I tear that slimy git to pieces!" Ron shouted as he made his way towards Draco, who stood with his legs open and hands clasped behind his back, a smug smile crossing his face. Harry hurried after Ron and grabbed him by the shoulders to pull him back.
"Ron, it isn't worth it." Harry hissed.
"Sure it is!" Ron bellowed. "Someone needs to put him in his place!"
Draco laughed. "And you think that should be you, Weasel? You, the lowest of the pureblood class, try to put me in my place? That thought is almost as funny as your folly just now."
"Know what's going to be really funny? How smashed in your face is going to look when I'm through with you!"
"Malfoy, get lost or maybe I'll let him go." Harry warned.
It was at that point when Draco felt Crabbe and Goyle at his side and any unease he had about Weasley had blown away on the wind that danced around them. "Go on Potter, let him go. Let him get the stuffing knocked out of him."
Harry glared at Draco with the same contempt that Draco had at his father and he locked down his composure for he had a sudden urge to shutter. It wasn't Harry he was afraid of, but rather the hatred that stirred within him, that danced in his rich eyes, that which Harry would act on. Draco knew from personal experience that hatred was a powerful and adrenaline, and it scared him to see it directed at him. In a way it almost hurt him; he knew he was always disliked, but to see someone have such strong feelings of hatred towards him made him wonder what kind of person he was becoming...
It made him wonder if he was becoming like his father.
No, I'll never be him. Ever. Draco told himself as he averted his gaze from Harry's.
"Crabbe, Goyle, let's get on the train and leave Potty and Weasel alone." Draco announced as he crossed his arms over his chest and led the two into the train. They picked the compartment towards the end of the train and sat down, Crabbe and Goyle looking at him with their usual confusion.
"What is it?" Draco asked impatiently through gritted teeth. He hated it when they stared at him stupidly until he responded to it.
"Why we sittin' all the way back 'ere?" Goyle asked.
"Because I felt like it. If either of you have a problem with it, don't hesitate to leave." Draco snapped back. Another thing he couldn't stand: his orders being questioned by what he felt were the two stupidest people in Britain.
The two who sat across from him looked at one another and shrugged. Draco leaned his head against the window with his arms still folded in front of his chest, looking out of it at all the people that bustled about to get their luggage aboard and make their way to find a place to sit. It was there he saw Harry again, laughing along with Hermione and Ron as they walked towards the entrance to the sitting cars and caught himself keeping his attention on the raven haired boy, finding himself appreciating the way his face and eyes lit up when he laughed, they way the wind he tousled his unruly locks...
The sudden whistle and lurch of the train snapped him back to reality and he looked out the window to see that Harry and the others were long out of his sight now and realizing that he had been reveling in a sudden memory of the Boy Who Lived. Why this sudden fascination with him, Draco couldn't fathom. All he knew is that he had a sinking feeling that it this fascination was going to keep him distracted, for before he knew it they were pulling into the Hogsmade Station and the other students began departing the train and onto the platform to start their fifth year of school.
"And what an interesting year it promises to be..." Draco mumbled to himself.