Am not JK. Don't own Harry, Draco, or anyone else but Kali, Servius, and Drusilla. Am merely borrowing for my own amusement.
Part Thirty-Two: When Sides Collide
Beams of light were streaming in through the seventh year Ravenclaw boys' dormitory window on the fifteenth of January, as Draco rolled over in bed, and pulled the blankets over his head. A stifled cross between a groan and a scream was released into the insulation of his pillow, an act that only resulted in giving Draco a mouth-full of cotton and stuffing. Flipping to his back, Draco sat up in bed with the covers pooling at his waist, exposing the bare, scarred skin of his chest. He cast a brief glance down, sighed at the sight that he was presented with, and climbed out of bed to head toward the showers.
Once showered and dressed, Draco finished smoothing his hair into place, thanked Merlin that he no longer had to deal with Gabby in the morning (though he was beginning to miss the looking glass), and headed back into the dorm. Both Terry's and David's beds were empty, and Draco consulted his new class schedule to see that upon rejoining classes, his first lesson was double Herbology with Slytherin. After collecting the books he would need for lessons before lunch, Draco headed out of Ravenclaw tower, and in the direction of the Great Hall.
"Have you seen David this morning?" asked Draco, walking over to where Terry was seated with Padma, Mandy, and Lisa. "I didn't see him in the dorm this morning before I left. I thought he'd be in here with you."
"I haven't seen him since I left for breakfast," said Terry. "Did you check over at the Slytherin table? Maybe he's with Blaise."
"I already looked. Neither one is there."
Terry sniggered. "If they're both missing, I wouldn't say it's something to get worried about. They probably met up this morning and are in some remote corner of the castle shagging."
"I bet the Slytherins aren't too happy about it, either," said Lisa, grimacing.
"Why would you say that?" said Draco, glancing over to his old table. The half-glares, half-smirks he received in reply from Crabbe, Goyle, Parkinson, and the other seventh years were enough to answer his question. "He's just a Ravenclaw. From the way they're glaring, you'd have thought Blaise was dating a Gryffindor."
"You're dating a Gryffindor," pointed out Mandy.
"But I'm not a Slytherin anymore."
"Maybe that has something to do with it."
Shrugging, Draco said, "Maybe. I'm going to go sit with Harry this morning. You don't mind, do you?"
"Not at all. We'll see you in Herbology."
"Okay," said Draco, reaching across the table and grabbing a piece of toast before making his way across the hall to the Gryffindor table. The trio was already there plus Kali and Servius, who had been avoiding the Hufflepuff table ever since the Sorting Hat put him there. Draco couldn't really blame him. If he had been made a Hufflepuff, he'd avoid sitting with them at meals, too.
"Hey, Draco," said Kali, as Draco sat down next to Harry and gave them a small wave. "You've met my cousin, Servius, already, right?"
His eyes narrowed as Draco took in Servius, shit eating grin directed at him. Draco nodded. "Yeah," he grunted. "We met at the Halloween Ball."
"Albino ferret boy," hissed Servius.
"Shut up, you Hufflepuff. No one asked you."
"I still want to see those pictures," mused Harry.
"You hush," commanded Draco.
"I'll show them to you sometime," Servius promised. Harry's whole face seemed to light up as he grinned and nodded.
"No, you won't."
"Yes, I will. You can't stop me."
"You know, that's not very Hufflepuff of you."
"I'm not a Hufflepuff," snapped Servius, sounding a little more than bitter. "I can't imagine what made the Sorting Hat put me there. I'm nothing like those people."
"Says the Hufflepuff," drawled Kali. She was getting more and more like Snape every day. "You know, I quite enjoy this turn of events. Now Daddy can mock you without relent and leave me and my Gryffindor self alone."
"Or tell you that you should have been with your dreadfully annoying cousin in Hufflepuff," said Draco. Kali scowled.
"That too. You know, Servius, Uncle Martin is very Hufflepuff-like. I bet you get it from him."
"I'm nothing like the Nancy boys from that house."
"I don't know, Serv. You are an extremely hard worker. You always did go on and on about earning the things you have rather than getting them other ways. You don't like to cheat. You like to deserve what you have. And you really are quite sweet when no one is looking. Or when it's convenient for you." Servius grumbled unintelligibly, causing Kali to laugh.
"I don't think there's anything wrong with being in Hufflepuff," interrupted Hermione, finally putting aside An Advanced Guide to Transfiguration. "My old crush was a Hufflepuff, but I'm not interested in him anymore. I think they have some endearing qualities."
Servius cocked an eyebrow and said, "Really?"
"Oh brother," groaned Kali.
"I second that," added Ron.
"Oh," said Harry, laughing, "like you two aren't pathetic."
"And you think you and Draco are sap-free?"
"We aren't as bad as you are with Kali."
"No. You're worse."
Kali nodded. "This is true."
"We aren't pathetic," said Draco in defense.
"Albino boy, you're fighting over who is more pathetic. Get a clue. That in itself is dreadfully pathetic."
"Stop calling me 'albino boy', you Hufflepuff."
"Get a tan, and I'll stop calling you 'albino boy.'"
"I can't get a tan. My skin is very sensitive to the sun. I burn."
"My god, you are gay."
"Hey!" snapped Draco, bitterly. "I am not!"
"Er - yeah you are," pointed out Harry.
"Well, yes, technically I am homosexual, but he's making it sound like I'm a flaming pouf. Do I look like a flaming pouf to you?" There was an awkward silence as Harry looked over Draco, taking in his perfect hair, robes, and manicured hands. "On second thought, don't answer that."
"And your skin burns," mocked Servius, in his best Draco impression, which (truth be told) was really quite awful. "Perhaps I should refer you to my line of skin care products. They're by Gilderoy Lockhart -"
A collective groan from Draco, Harry, and Ron cut Servius off, and Hermione turned a rather intense shade of pink as she buried her head in her Transfiguration text book again.
"Don't mention his name," said Harry, covering his ears.
"What's wrong with Gilderoy Lockhart?" asked Kali. "Besides the obvious, that is."
"No!" cried Ron. "Don't say his name!" Hermione rolled her eyes.
"I still don't get it."
"You-Know-Who taught Defense Against the Dark Arts to us our second year," explained Harry.
"Voldemort?"
"Don't say his name, either," said Ron.
"No." Draco looked around before whispering, "Lockhart."
"No! Stop it!" shrieked Harry, swatting Draco on the wrist. "Don't say his name!"
"I take it he wasn't your favorite teacher," said Kali.
Hermione shrugged. "I liked him."
"That's only because you fancied him," accused Ron. Hermione reached across the table to playfully bat him across the head.
"Really?" said Servius, studying Hermione. "You fancy smarmy blokes like that?"
"Well, not just like that."
Laughing, Ron said, "No, she likes Hufflepuffs, too."
"Especially American ones," added Harry.
"Shut up!" screeched Hermione. "We have class and if we don't go soon, we're going to be late." Hermione started to collect all of her books. Ron and Kali followed her out of the Great Hall, laughing and teasing her about her fancy for Servius.
"I've got to catch up with them," said Harry, frowning. "Good luck rejoining classes today."
"Thanks," said Draco, grinning. They exchanged a brief kiss, barely a brushing of lips, before Harry collected his books and rushed out of the hall in pursuit of his friends. Looking over at the Ravenclaw and Slytherin tables, Draco could see that most of his Herbology class seemed to have already headed for the greenhouses. Only Mandy remained at the table, chewing on some random piece of fruit and chatting excitedly with a sixth year that he remembered to be her cousin.
"Bye, Albino boy!" called Servius, leaving to rejoin the Hufflepuffs. Draco glared at him before walking over to where Mandy was seated.
~*~
Professor Sprout was five minutes late for Herbology when David came into the greenhouses, and sat between Draco and Terry, breathing hard, as if he had just run to class.
"Where's Blaise?" asked Draco, looking questionably at him. "And where were you during breakfast?"
David held up a finger, signaling Draco to wait, and he took long breaths, as he tried to regain a normal breathing pattern. From across the classroom, Draco caught David exchanging openly hostile glares with some of the Slytherins, an act that concerned him. Normally, David insisted on being nice to everyone, even the Slytherins he wasn't too terribly fond of. It was what made him befriend Draco when the latter first joined Ravenclaw. It wasn't like him to be openly hostile with anyone.
"I was with Blaise," David finally answered, his voice more hushed than Draco expected it to. "There's going to be a good ten minutes until Professor Sprout shows up. I just saw her up in the hospital wing."
"What were you doing up in the hospital wing?" asked Terry, his voice also hushed.
"I was with Blaise," repeated David, looking very much like he wanted to spill the whole story, and yet unsure of where to even start. "He's in the infirmary."
"What happened?" asked Draco, a little more than alarmed.
"I'm not really sure. I was going to breakfast when the headmaster stopped me and told me that I might want to come with him to the hospital wing. Blaise was there, and when I asked what happened, he told me that all Blaise said before passing out last night was that he wished people could be tolerant. From what I can gather, someone beat the shit out of him because he's gay. Madam Pomfrey said he showed up after curfew looking like someone dropped him down the staircase, picked him up, and did it again. My words, not hers."
"Did he say who did it?" asked Draco.
"Nope. They asked, but he won't tell. Now he's passed out and he isn't saying much while he's unconscious."
"I suppose not. How about you? Are you okay?"
"I'm a bit shaken up," said David, forming a weak grin. "What can I say? It's hard to keep it all together when your boyfriend takes a beating."
"Is he going to be okay?" asked Terry.
"Madam Pomfrey thinks so, but who can really be sure?" David sighed. "I have one hell of a headache. Dumbledore said I didn't have to come to class, but it's not going to do me any good brooding over it in the dorm. I'd much sooner have something else to keep me occupied. Besides, falling behind in my class work isn't something I need to worry about right now."
David fell silent as the greenhouse door opened and Professor Sprout entered. She cast a sympathetic look to David before beginning class, instructing them that they were going to start this term by potting fluxweed, and pairing them off into groups of four. Draco had hoped to be with David, but she had put him with Terry instead, and Draco ended up with Mandy, Goyle, and Pansy Parkinson. Someone was out to get him.
"I guess you heard about Blaise by now," said Pansy, offhand, as she piled dirt around her seeds.
"Why would you say that?" snapped Draco, his eyes narrowing.
"Well you're friends with his boyfriend, aren't you? I figured he'd tell you."
"And how do you know?"
"We are in Blaise's house," said Goyle, pointedly. "When something like that happens to a member of your house, you're typically informed. You must have forgotten what it's like to be a Slytherin. I can't say that I'm surprised."
"They seem to think it was one of us," Pansy went on. "Professor Snape came by last night and asked us if we knew who did it. Of course, no one told him a thing. He has that Gryffindor daughter, you know. You can't trust someone who's fraternizing with one of them."
"Just because Professor Snape's daughter is a Gryffindor, it doesn't mean that he's going to betray Slytherin," said Mandy, staring at both Goyle and Pansy as if they were stupid. To Mandy, they probably are, Draco thought, smirking.
"You can say that, but actions speak louder than words," said Goyle, "and let's not forget where he spent Christmas holiday. How can you trust a man who spent Christmas with the Weasley family?"
"What's wrong with the Weasleys?" asked Mandy.
"How can you even ask that? They're a disgrace to the name of wizard, associating with muggles."
Draco, who knew Mandy was half-blood, glared pointedly at Goyle. "There's nothing wrong with the Weasleys, and there's nothing wrong with muggles, either. Granted, they aren't our kind, but they aren't disgusting vermin, either."
"Since when did you come to that conclusion, Draco?" asked Pansy. "I suppose it must have been when you betrayed Slytherin."
"I didn't betray Slytherin. I got resorted because I was having a problem. It had nothing to do with Slytherin."
"I suppose he's somewhat right," said Goyle. "Muggles and Mudbloods are disgusting vermin, but there is worse. I mean, at least they aren't all sick queer faggots, like Zabini. I mean, he's a pureblood. He should know better."
"That's true," agreed Pansy. "That shit stabber got what he deserved."
Nodding in agreement, Goyle said, "Queers are fucking sick. They don't deserve to live. The world should just be wiped of them. It's a disease, you know? A filthy disease, at that. I do hope it dies out."
"You do know I'm gay," interrupted Draco, cutting sharply into their conversation. Goyle and Pansy stared at him, blankly.
"Well of course we do, Draco," said Pansy. "It doesn't change the fact that the world should be erased of faggots. You, of all people, should know that. You've tried to kill yourself twice, haven't you? Good of you to help the cause, really. Wouldn't it have been wonderful if you would have just died the first time, though, and prevented all of this trouble? You really should have."
"Wait," said Draco, ignoring the fact that Mandy was gaping beside him. "Are you saying that I should have died the first time I tried to kill myself?"
Goyle nodded. "I believe that was what she was saying. I can't say I disagree. Can you? You did try a second time, Draco. Wouldn't it have just been much simpler if you would have just gone the first time? I mean, then your father would still be here, wouldn't he? He was coming to see you when the dementors sucked out his soul."
Draco bit the inside of his lip, wincing at the slightly metallic taste of blood that swept over the tip of his tongue. His mind was hazy, and Draco was trying to force his eyes free of the tears clouding them. He couldn't believe what they were saying, and yet, he couldn't honestly say that he was surprised. Were they actually telling him that he should be dead? If they were, they were so wrong that it was amusing. Wasn't it? He knew Harry would say they were wrong.
"It was you, wasn't it?" said Draco, his voice so weak that it even surprised himself.
"What?" asked Goyle, looking up from his potting.
"It was you. You were the ones who beat Blaise. Was it just the two of you? Who else was in on it?"
"I don't know what you're talking about, Draco," said Pansy. "A lady never beats queers. She leaves things like that to men. It's their job to do the dirty work, anyway."
"Okay, so you didn't do it. But you did, didn't you?" he said, looking pointedly at Goyle. "You and Crabbe, was it? Even got a few of the sixth year boys in on it, too, I bet."
Instead of replying, Goyle only smirked. "Now, Draco, what would make you say something like that? Why would I ever hurt Blaise? He's one of us, just like you were one of us."
"Because he's gay," reaffirmed Draco, growing more and more revolted by the second. As each piece clicked in his head, the scenario played out, and he could feel himself growing sicker with every click. "Because all queers deserve to die, Blaise is a Slytherin, and he shares your dorm. That makes him just a little scarier than others, doesn't it? A gay man in Slytherin, your house, and sharing your dorm. I don't even want to know what you would have done to him if this had been a year ago."
"That's where you were all those times, right?" said Pansy, sneering. "You were off shagging Blaise."
"I was in love with him," confirmed Draco. He didn't miss the revolted looks that Pansy and Goyle gave him. "You know Blaise is never going to tell Dumbledore who did this."
Goyle nodded. "We know. Blaise is stupid like that. He doesn't know what's good for him. Then again, you aren't going to tell Dumbledore, either. Neither one of you is going to tell Dumbledore."
"And why not?" snapped Mandy, looking furious.
"Because you have no proof," started Pansy, "and we didn't confess to anything. Draco guessed, and we didn't deny it, but we didn't confirm it, either. Suspicions are not going to be enough for Dumbledore. I'm sure the barmy old man has some suspicions of his own, but he can't do anything about it."
Mandy glared at that. "That is just low and dirty. How can you be like that?"
"We're in Slytherin," answered Goyle, plainly, before looking at Draco. "I'm sure you remember what it's like? Then again, you did turn your back on Slytherin for Ravenclaw. At least you aren't a Hufflepuff or a Gryffindor. I'm sure you also remember what happens to people who turn their backs on their house, break their sense of loyalty."
Draco didn't reply, but glared at his former friend. He was starting to form a headache rival to David's.
"Speaking of which," Goyle went on, "don't think we haven't noticed who you've been hanging around these days, Draco. I do hope Potter's worth it."
"Worth what?" asked Mandy, nervously glancing at Draco's unusually pale face. "Worth what?" she repeated, a little louder this time.
"Nothing, Mandy," said Draco. They spent the rest of class potting in an awkward silence, and when they were finished, Draco collected his things, striding in angry steps away from Pansy and Goyle. Mandy was right behind him, as they met up with the other seventh year Ravenclaws just outside.
"What was that about?" asked Mandy, once outside, as they headed back into the castle for Charms.
"I'll explain it to you later," said Draco. "What do we have today?"
"Charms and History of Magic after lunch," said Padma, without looking at the schedule.
"Anyone who wants to visit Blaise, we're doing so after Binns, okay?" They nodded and continued to make their way to class, following a steamed Draco.
At lunch, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Kali agreed to go with to see Blaise after Potions was over. The afternoon passed as swiftly as Draco could hope it would, and once classes were finally over, the growing contingent headed off to the hospital wing to visit Blaise Zabini.
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Next time, only one chapter. Chapter 33 will be titled "Warnings" and feature the visit to Blaise in the infirmary.
