Disclaimer: Harry Potter, characters, names and related indicia are trademarks of Warner Bros. They are used here for entertainment purposes only.

Warnings: Slash. Het. Angst. Language.

Spoilers: Previously written story: Like Glass. Written Pre-OotP.

The Shattering
Chapter 5 - In Order of Priorities

All that could be heard in the classroom was the snick and scratch of quills on paper. Another week had gone by and Draco was once again in Potions with Gryffindors, although today Professor Snape was much less harsh. His attitude had been adopted school-wide, and it'd been days since Draco had been openly stared at.

Funny how even gossip as big as Harry Potter being queer for Draco Malfoy eventually dies down.

The topic of conversation among the school was now Miss Ginny Weasley's attitude. She was quiet and reserved, her eyes cold and distant. He'd seen Pansy sneer at her more than once, and there'd been no reaction from the little red-head. Every morning in flew Blaise's owl with a thick letter, and every morning out Ginny's breakfast plate went with an un-opened love letter upon it.

Draco didn't understand her one bit.

There was a knock on the wooden door, and a pause in Professor Snape's steps, and then Professor Dumbeldore's head popped in. "Ah, Professor Snape. Might I borrow you and young Mr. Malfoy for a moment?"

Draco sighed and exchanged glances with Harry across the room before getting to his feet and following his head of house out into the hall. Snape, who hated to be interrupted during class, tapped his foot impatiently once the class door had been closed and his students had been shut out of hearing range.

"To what do we owe this visit, Headmaster?" Snape finally prompted.

"Well. It seems we have a visitor to see Mr. Malfoy this afternoon."

Snape's foot paused in it's tapping, bringing a moment of startled silence, and then he shifted and loomed into the headmaster's space. It would have been amusing to watch him scowl at Professor Dumbledore and attempt to intimidate him in any other situation, but as of one spoken sentence ago, Draco was no longer seeing the humor in this situation.

"Mr. Malfoy is in the middle of class, Headmaster. I'm going to have to demand that he remain there."

"Come now, Professor, I'm sure you can spare him from this afternoon's class."

"I really don't think that I can."

"I disagree."

"Excuse me, Professors," Draco interrupted, "not that this isn't entertaining, but I'm quite sure I can handle a quick chat with my father. I'm not a child."

They both turned to look at him, Dumbledore's eyes grave, Snape's eyebrows risen as if to say, 'you're not?'

"I'm afraid you've misunderstood, Draco," Dumbledore intoned, "your father is not here to see you."

Draco frowned, "Mother?"

"A Mr. Clidesdale, I believe."

There was a moment of confusion, before Draco's eyes cleared and all expression slid from his face. "The barrister? They've sent their lawyer to chat with me?"

Both adults exchanged looks, shifting uneasily.

Draco bit back a bitter epithet and then clenched his fists and steadied himself. "I'll see him."

* * *

"Draco!" the man was short and fat, his voice warm and jovial, and Draco immediately hated him.

"I'd say I was pleased to meet you, but I'm not. Why don't you tell me what my parents obviously felt they couldn't."

Reddening slightly and shifting in his chair, a pitying look came into his eyes. "Yes. Um. Well..."

"Get on with it."

The man sighed. "I have some rather unsettling news, young Mr. Malfoy. It seems your parents... feel th-that it would be... prudent to re-distribute your inheritance."

Draco didn't even flinch, just raised an eyebrow at the lawyer.

"Not permanently, of course. Just... until you can... satisfactorily prove to them that your priorities are in order... and... um... sever ties with certain... deviant members of society."

Eventually, Mr. Clidesdale stuttered to a stop and clicked his briefcase open, shuffling through several scrolls before finding the one he seemed to want. He stared at it for a moment, before straightening his shoulders and turning back to Draco. "I have here a copy of your father's newest Will and Testament. I've also delivered a letter stating that your tuition will no longer be paid by the Malfoy estate. You're going to be moved to one of the smaller properties owned by Mr. Malfoy senior, where you will be privately tutored until such time as you are deemed responsible enough to be re-introduced into Wizarding society-"

"No."

"Unfortunately, you have no choice in the matter, Draco. They will not pay your tuition, this is your only option."

"I've received scholarship. I'll be staying here at Hogwarts."

There was a moment of silence, during which Clidesdale's eyes flicked back down to his scroll and then back to Draco. "I don't think you're aware of the consequences, Mr. Malfoy. You inheritence will be forever lost to you if you remain at Hogwarts."

"Is that all?"

"Mr. Malfoy?"

"Look, I can handle losing the money. Does Father have anything else to hold over my head?"

Clidesdale bit his lip and then handed the scroll over, packing up his briefcase and standing. "I have no further orders at the moment, though I assume I'll be in touch."

"Wonderful. Send them my love."

Mr. Clidesdale paused and frowned at Draco, as if he didn't quite understand the words, then nodded shortly.

* * *

Draco was ensconed in his own little annexed table at the library, studying for his Transfigurations test at the end of the week when a figure came up behind him.

"Go away, Weasel."

"Well, there goes my hope that one day my love would be requited."

"What would Granger say if she knew you were hitting on me, moron?"

"That was sarcasm, Malfoy. Don't know who gave you the idea you were God's gift."

"Probably Harry," Draco smiled down at his paper.

"Harry's opinion doesn't count. He has horrible taste."

"That's true, I suppose. After all, he's friends with you."

"You know, as much as I'm enjoying this conversation, I did come here for a reason."

"I'm going to go out on a limb and guess it wasn't for the books. We all know you can't afford to read."

Ron's jaw clenched, and Draco inwardly crowed. After the stress of the past few weeks it was enjoyable to blow off steam by insulting the Weasel.

Ron chose to ignore the baiting. "It's about Ginny and that bastard friend of yours."

"Ah. How is young Weasley?"

"As if you haven't noticed. Everyone has. She's gotten so bad I'm actually coming to you for help."

"And what do you expect me to do?"

"Talk to her. Talk to Zabini, the rat."

Draco sighed and dropped his Quill, finally turning in his seat to meet Ron's eyes. "It's none of my business if that girl wants to ruin what she's got with Blaise."

"And what has she got with Blaise? She won't ever see him again."

Draco shook his head, "of course she will. The idiot's in love with her-"

"If he's so in love with her, then why did he leave?"

"Because he loves his parents as well, and they asked him to."

"So he'd leave her because his parents wanted him to."

"No. He'd leave Hogwarts because his parents wanted him to. There's a difference."

Ron frowned and then sighed, "enlighten me, Malfoy."

Draco smirked, "because they don't want him to break up with her. They want to make sure he really loves her and that she really loves him. He's worth an awful lot of money, you know. They're testing her. Not that you heard that from me."

Ron stared at him for a moment. "Blaise-"

"Probably doesn't know."

"His parents? How do you know anyway? If Blaise didn't tell you..."

Draco hedged, looking back down at his scroll, "It just seems the sort of thing the Zabini's would do."

"Liar. You've got an inside source of information."

"Do you want my help or not? I'd suggest you don't tell Ginny that this is a test. The less she knows about what she's getting into, the better."

"What do you mean?"

"Marrying up. She's in for an awful time of it. She'd better be sure she loves him."

"Marrying! Hold up, there. She's not marrying anyone-"

"Do calm down. I'm speaking... metaphorically."

"She's not even metaphorically marrying anyone-"

Draco sighed, "Suffice it to say," he fixed Ron with a hard look, "if she truly loves him, she'll open up one of those damn letters and then write him back and try to make it work. Tell her that."

"She isn't listening to me."

"Probably because nothing worthwhile ever comes out of your mouth. Trust me, tell her that and she'll make her own decisions. Let her."

Ron sighed, nodded, and shot Draco a disgusted look, "you rich blokes are pains in the asses."

Draco's face went blank and Ron paused, lifting an eyebrow when Draco started laughing.

"What's so funny?"

"I just realised... I've been disenherited. I'm poor now. Worse off than you are!"

For a moment, Ron simply stared at the laughing blonde, finally shaking his head and walking away.

End Chapter