Disclaimer: Much as I'd like to, I don't own Draco Malfoy, or any part of the magical world that J.K. Rowling has all the copyrights to ... please don't sue me. There are some parts of this story that are quotes from the book - it can't be helped - events are the same as in the book, but Draco's opinion of these events may vary from Harry's.

Author's Notes: I needed to do some re-writing, after reading OotP. I have made some minor changes to this chapter, mostly spelling and grammar.

Jinx is based on reality. Jinx is mine. And just as described here, too.

Chapter 8 - The Beatings Will Continue Until Moral Improves

Gryffindor won by 80 points. I didn't want to land after that game. I didn't want to face Flint after making such a stupid mistake. I wanted, even less, to face Father after making such a stupid mistake. If Potter hadn't made such a spectacle of himself, I'd have been able to concentrate. Now, I think I've turned into a hypocrite - well, maybe not turned into, I already was, but that's not the point - I had called Higgs a bloody distractible idiot, and look what I just did ... damn it!

I slowly floated down to the ground, noting Father's absence from the box he had been watching from. As soon as my feet touched the ground, Flint came up behind me and whacked me in the back of the head. It didn't really hurt, except for my pride, "You idiot!" he yelled in my ear. "How could you miss THAT? It wasn't exactly like you're unable to turn round, you twit!" and he whacked me in the back of the head, again.

"Do not touch my son, Flint!" Father's voice came from my right and I turned to see him looking more than a little angry. "Yell all you want, but don't you dare touch him." he added in a much quieter and more dangerous tone.

Flint looked suitably told-off and mumbled an incoherent apology.

Father then turned to me, "Draco, I wish to speak with you ... alone," he said coldly, beckoning for me to follow him.

He led me into a disused part of the Slytherin changing rooms, locked the door and cast a silencing spell around the whole room. I backed away from him, out of instinct - I could guess that he wasn't pleased, and when he is displeased bad things tend to happen.

"Draco." he said, in the dangerously quiet voice that spells trouble, "I thought you told me that you were a competent Seeker."

"I am." I replied immediately, "I was just ... distracted."

"I noticed. I thought that you were above making such trivial mistakes. You let your guard down to mock a rival. Would it not have been more prudent to - this is a novel suggestion - catch the Snitch and make your rival look like an idiot, instead of making yourself look like one?"

"I - I'm sorry, Father." I said fearfully.

"I should hope so." he snarled, "You know what happens when you make such a foolish mistake." I took another step back, now certain what he would do next. He stepped forward, took out his wand and touched it to my shoulder, "I am very disappointed in you, Draco." he said, in a voice that almost sounded sad - that almost showed an emotion other than anger ... almost. "Crucio."

The curse wasn't strong ... by its standards, anyway (Cruciatus works directly on the mind and is capable of causing a level pain the physical body can't even experience). I've been given worse, in the past. It still felt like my insides were being ripped apart by an angry Chimera. I told you before, I know how to deal with pain ... this is why. I bit my lip and stood through the curse ... as I said, it was VERY mild for Cruciatus - he'd never given me more than a tenth of the full curse, and this was weaker than I was used to. It ended after a few seconds, and I opened my eyes to see Father was glaring at me. I felt I ought to say something, "I didn't mean to -"

"Silence." he interrupted. "I do understand the definition of the word 'mistake'. I know you would never have dared do such a stupid thing deliberately - if you had, I would not be so lenient with you. I am simply trying to teach you not to let your guard down." I couldn't look him in the eye, but I stood my ground, anyway. "If I find that I have wasted my money to get you on this team ... if you fail to prove yourself ... if you make another stupid, careless mistake ... you will feel what the Cruciatus really is. Is that clear?" I nodded, trying not to show the fear I felt. "Good. Now, just remember - this is nothing to what will happen if you fail again. Crucio." and again, the pain ripped through me, worse than the last time, but I was still able to stand through it. After a second, it was gone and all I felt was the echo of the pain. "I will not tolerate failure, Draco. Do not fail again."

I nodded silently, and watched as he left the room. As soon as he was gone, I collapsed on the seat behind me. I was used to this, by now. He always expected perfection - I had to live up to a standard that even he could never reach - when I fail ... well, you know what happened. He would never think of hitting me - never use a physical curse ... if he did that, people might see the bruises. He has a reputation to maintain, and the family name means everything to him ... and who would believe me, if I said he'd used an Unforgivable curse on his own son? All that would get me would be a stronger dose of the curse, for my troubles. Besides, in spite of these punishments, I still feel a desperate need to achieve the goals he sets for me - to make him proud of me ... it doesn't make sense, because I despise so many of his beliefs ... but he IS my father.

Just as I was about to stand, to leave, I heard a snapping noise to my right. I looked up, startled, to see the last thing I expected ... Dobby.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I asked, glaring at the elf.

"Master Lucius is bringing Dobby with him to Hogwarts, sir." Dobby said, cringing, "Dobby is trying to help Master Draco."

"How?" I asked suspiciously.

"Master Draco is wanting Harry Potter away from Hogwarts. Dobby is trying to have Harry Potter sent home, sir."

I frowned, before deliberately imitating the elf's speech-pattern, "And how is Dobby doing that?"

"Dobby is trying to have Harry Potter sent home, from non-fatal injuries, sir," the elf said, still cringing.

I looked up, straight at the elf. He had better not mean what I think he means ... for his sake, "Do you mean to tell me that YOU were the one who fixed the Bludger that went after Potter?" I asked very quietly. Dobby nodded, squeaking. I think he recognised the dangerous tone in my voice. "Do you realise that your little stunt distracted me, made me lose the game and earned me another punishment?" I asked coldly. Dobby squeaked, again. I stood up, glaring at the elf. I couldn't believe anything could be THAT incompetent ... even Longbottom is more useful that this. I kicked the elf off the chair he had been standing on and took out my wand, "You are a house elf ... you are a slave ... that means you do what you are told ... you are NOT meant to take the initiative ... is that understood?" I asked, my voice rising until I was almost shouting. Dobby picked himself up and nodded fearfully. I waved my wand at one of the old school brooms, and it proceeded to beat the elf around the head, occasionally poking him in the stomach, or tripping him. It was fun to watch for about two minutes … then I got bored. I stopped the broom, letting it drop back into the storage locker. "You will not do something like that again, without being ordered to ... understand?"

Dobby squeaked, "Yes, sir. Dobby is very sorry, sir."

"So you damned well should be!" I snapped. "Now go away. Get out of my sight!"

* * *

Flint found me the moment I left the changing rooms. I pretty much tried to ignore him. He was making the most of the fact that my father gave him permission to yell at me. I managed to get away from him in the common room. I could then be found sitting on my bed with the curtains closed. I'd not been punished by that curse for almost two years ... not that I could ever forget what it feels like, but I had thought - hoped - that maybe I was good enough for his standards, now ... that he didn't think I needed it, anymore. Hah - that's just the sort of naiveté that earns punishment - letting my guard down, as he referred to it. I really hadn't expected him to be bold enough to punish me, here. I thought there was an alarm in the school that detected uses of the Unforgivables ... either I was wrong, or it's only on the castle itself. I guess I should pay more attention to rule 93: 'Always keep your eyes and ears open - trouble will strike the moment you let your guard down'.

Speaking of which ... "Draco? I know you're in there." Theo's voice sounded from the general direction of the door.

"What d'you want? Go away." I replied.

As usual, he didn't listen. I heard footsteps, crossing the room towards me, and stopping right next to my bed. "What's the matter?" he asked. At least he had the decency to leave the curtains where I had them.

"None of your business." I snapped.

"Unless you tell me what's wrong, I am going to have to hex your homework, again."

"So it was YOU!" I snapped, pulling back the curtain, "I will kill you!"

Theo sniggered, "Yeah, sure ... admit it, Lockhart loved it."

I glared, "And he nearly gave me another detention for it, too. I had been working on ruining his sanity, without getting in trouble, and you messed it all up."

"Yeah, yeah." he said, smirking. He froze for a fraction of a second, then his smirk turned into a ridiculous grin, "WHAT is THAT?" he asked, pointing over my shoulder.

I turned round, and ... (O.K. - I'm going to have to tell you about this, aren't I? I had hoped to get away without mentioning it in this story) ... saw the object I had been holding when Theo had first entered the room. I froze, staring at it. Damn. "That is not supposed to be there." I muttered.

"You - Draco Malfoy - have a TEDDY BEAR!" Theo asked incredulously.

"Shhh! I don't want everyone to find out!" I hissed.

"I'll bet." Theo said, his eyes wide with shocked amusement, "Where'd it come from?"

I glared at him for a few minutes, and then reached for the small jet-black teddy bear. "I've had it since I was five." I said coldly.

"And you brought it to school with you?" he asked.

"Yes." I muttered, holding the stuffed-bear by both paws and glaring into its beady eyes, "It's supposed to disappear when anyone else enters the room." I said, almost as much to it as to Theo.

"Why? How?"

"Father didn't think I should have something like this ... thought it would be a sign of weakness. Mother bought it for me and charmed it to disappear when anyone I didn't trust was around." I looked up at Theo, "Either the charm is malfunctioning, or I trust you more than I thought."

"I'm flattered." Theo said, his lip twitching in a way that could only mean that he was fighting not to laugh.

I held the cuddly-animal tight against my chest, and deliberately - purely to see his reaction - gave a petulant glare at Theo - the sort a five-year-old-with-a-teddy might. He couldn't stop himself from laughing at that. "I don't see what's so funny." I said, forcing myself to keep a straight face - I could see, damned well, what he thought was so funny.

"Draco Malfoy has a teddy bear." Theo said, fighting the laughter down to mild giggling, "That is priceless. And why, prey tell, were you cuddling Mr Fuzzums, anyway?" he asked, in the most condescending small-children-and-mental-patients voice he could.

"That is none of your business." I snapped defensively. "And its name is Jinx."

Theo choked, "I was kidding ... I didn't realise you'd actually NAMED it!" he said, shaking from the effort not to laugh, "Where'd you come up with a name like that, anyway?"

I glared at him, and he stopped sniggering, "Promise not to laugh at this?"

"No way - I can NOT promise that." he responded, trying not to laugh even as he said it.

I rolled my eyes, "I was five when I got this." I said, nodding at Jinx, "And the day I got it, Mother took me to a Quidditch match. It was the Falcons vs the Cannons. I always supported the Falcons - their motto was what sealed the deal, really." Theo nodded in agreement, as I said this, "But you might not remember ... the '85 Falcons-Cannons match was the only time the Cannons ever beat them." he frowned, obviously not remembering, "Well it was. I decided this -" again, I nodded to the teddy, "- was a jinx on Quidditch games, and that's what I called it - Jinx." On receiving a blank look, I repeated, "I was only five."

"So why'd you bring it to school, when you're playing on the Quidditch team?" Theo asked.

"I was only five when I named it!" I repeated, again, "I know better now. And besides, if it was really a jinx on Quidditch matches, it'd need to actually attend the match."

Theo snorted again, "You amaze me. How can you sit there, hugging a teddy bear, and still look like you own the damned school?"

"It's a gift." I said acidly, "And you seem to be forgetting something."

"What?"

"Slytherin Code of Conduct - rule 57: 'Of all the Slytherins you will ever meet, there is one who you should fear above all others. And that is the Slytherin Who Still Has A Cuddly Animal And Is Not Afraid To Show It'."

Theo stared at me, "You are kidding. Please tell me you're joking."

"No - that really is in the rule-list." I said, smirking.

Theo raised an eyebrow sceptically, then shrugged, "I have a stuffed-toy of a Cerberus at home, but I don't have the nerve to bring it to school with me," he admitted.

I smirked, "Really?" he nodded, and I had to ask, "What's it called?"

He stared at me with the rabbit-in-headlights look that plainly said the animal did have a name, "Umm ... what you have to understand about that ... I was TWO when I got it. I just haven't been able to throw it out, is all ... really."

"Yeah, right. What's it called?" I repeated, with true sadism.

"Paws." he muttered, not looking at me.

I would have laughed if I hadn't put my hand over my mouth, "You're kidding." I mumbled, fighting down the instinct to point at him and laugh in his face, "Is there any name less fitting a Cerberus than that?"

"Umm ... Fluffy?" he suggested hopefully.

I did laugh this time, nodding in the absence of any ability to speak through the laughter.

"You can't laugh at me ... you're the one who brought their stuffed-toy to school with them." Theo snapped.

"Fine, whatever." I muttered, "I just can't imagine the name Fluffy going with a creature like that."

"Neither could I ... that's why I called it Paws." and we both fell into hysterics. I had totally forgotten about the reason why I had been (I hate to say the word but I do have to, don't I?) hugging Jinx, that day. I didn't think about it again, for quite a while.

It is a good thing to have a friend with some brains ... and no sense of when to leave well enough alone ... isn't it?

* * *

End of chapter 8