by Perr - Harry (or Jas), you simply drive me nuts sometimes. :) Part One of two back-to-back Draco bits. I thank you all for following us through 31 chapters, it must be harder reading them than writing them. :P

Draco's POV

My aching head.

I have nothing to look forward to. What is there, really, to look forward to, that doesn't already make my life as miserable as it is?

I'm supposed to pay for all the material that I've turned to dust and ashes, but fortunately, Professor Snape's got his ways and means to let me slip from the bills.

It took magic gloves and a marble tray to remove the mess I had made the other time. A dark patch now resides where the accident once was. At the moment, the mixture I'm currently making, that included billywig stings and ashwinder eggs, emits a harsh, sharp smell of leaves and spice.

Add two tablespoons of water and...

A cup full of fine-grain sand poured into the shapely potion bottle, shaking after that, completes my experiment. Now to see if it works right.

If bastard Potter won't be mine, he won't be anyone else's. The thin neck seems to fit perfectly in my fingers as I look through the thick glass base at the pale green grains.

Something tells me that as much words my mind processes and as much plans I scheme against that boy, my heart won't let my body hurt him.

Malfoy: Bad Faith. So much inner-conflict.

Stupid names.

It's starting to get cold. My vest feels scratchy from the outside of my shirt, and my tie twists in such a way that it leaves a long, awkward bump on the grey vest. I didn't dress myself properly this morning.

It's early, it's dreadfully early.

I mutter a spell and wave my wand to neaten my appearance. The bottle is kept safely within my cloak. I must now think of how I should greet him.

Hold on, I'm Draco, suave and smooth and completely not needing any practice. Gods, he makes me so uneasy. That tells you something.

A long time later, I wander a bit, around the Gryffindor area, greeting some hurried Professors and a very elated-looking Professor Flitwick. Nobody's going to be preparing for classes, and I wonder why nobody minds my aimless walking. McGonagall would though, if she sees me, I correct myself with an irritated sigh. It washes away the silence of the halls.

...What is that tapping?

Tap-tap.

I turn around and there is nothing but a long hallway. When I resume my steps, it starts again.

Tap-tap-tap-tap---

"Locomotor Mortis!"

There's a harsh gasp, and then somebody falls from a space behind a pillar with a loud thump.

It's Blaise.

I take huge strides towards him. "Spying on me, are you?"

"You know I would never---"

"Yeah, sure. And Dumbledore descended from a school of ancient fish," I squat and take him by the tie. "What are you doing following me around?"

He keeps quiet for a bit. "...You're up to something, aren't you? Always wandering around at night, making eyes at everyone, talking to strange things in the Commonroom..."

"What business have you with me, then?" I say. "You should be minding your own goddamned business!"

Blaise bites his lip. "I'll tell the Professor of the things that you've been doing."

"Oh yeah? What things have I been doing?" He glares because he doesn't know. I hope.

"If I tell you, I'll tell the entire school. You'll get kicked out."

I give him a hard smack to the side of his head. "Think up of a better excuse. Besides, who's everyone going to believe, Malfoy the prefect, or Zabini the stalker?"

"You have no prefect badge!"

"It's only a matter of time before I get it back." I stand. "Find yourself something else to do. If I ever find you again... You're dead." And I certainly mean it.

"You can't threaten me," he says. Will he ever shut up?!

"I just did! You're worse than Goyle! I'm good at it anyway." I spin on my heel and decide to resume my wandering.

"But we're Slytherin. You can't leave me here like this with my knees locked together!" Something softens in my heart. He's right. And annoying.

"Finite Incantatem."

He scrambles to his feet and runs away. "Deletrius," I mutter. My wand is going to be checked later, I bet.

But before that, later brings me to a corridor where I spot Potter. People are heading for breakfast, and so is he.

"Hey, Potter!"

His head snaps to me. He looks surprised. You'd better be. I hate you so much for making me feel this way. The anger rising makes me reach into my cloak. I throw it out at him and---

It bounces off his forehead with a loud, thip.

"Ow! What the fuck?! I thought we had a truce!" he cries out, holding his head. The bottle spins on the ground.

What the SOD.

I pick it up and knock it on the floor, harder and harder each time. Soon, I'm beating the paint off the pillars with it. "What?"

"It's enchanted," he says grumpily, taking it from my hand. "What the hell were you thinking?! Are you trying to fucking kill me?"

I stare at him for a brief moment and watch the skin on his forehead redden. The hate starts to melt away when I begin to think, Maybe I should kiss it better...

Thip!

A hard ache throbs at the back of my head, inches from my ear. The hate boils again. "What the fuck was THAT for?!" I shoot the deadliest stare. "OW!"

"For giving me a bruise tomorrow morning, that's what!"

I become a bit fed up. "Hold out your hand." I'm going to do this manually, then. He stupidly obeys. I uncork the bottle and let the sand run onto his palm.

A stupid grin he tries to hold back appears. He looks very good. "What on earth, do you think you're doing?" Written on his face is 'You are so weird'.

"It doesn't hurt?"

"No."

"Not even a little?"

"Of course not!" You're making yourself look like a fool, Draco, I tell myself. I pour it onto my own hand. Nothing. Nothing.

This is horribly frustrating and embarrassing.

"Malfoy, I'm getting hungry. I'll be off. And I forgive you about the bruise."

I did not fucking apologise!

"For the first time the entire year, I'm the one to watch him walk away. Gods, he makes me uneasy.

On the other hand, I flee from the scene and check up on the problems in my experiments. Maybe it screwed up because I was thinking about him too much. But how can I not think about him? He's always there. He can't even show me how he feels about me. I am very annoyed. But he still remains on my shaglist, hmm.

It's best that I should kill the girl first then.

I hate being so fantastic sometimes.