Draco didn't wake up until nearly lunch time the next day. In fact, the only reason he woke up even then was because a familiar voice shattered his warm fuzzy sleepworld. "Professor Dumbledore, where is he? Why did you give him detention? It was just a stupid prank."
"Why Mr. Snape, since when did you ever appreciate anyone playing a 'stupid prank' on you?You usually retaliate against those who transgress against you in a most efficient manner, if I am not mistaken," Dumbledore pointed out. By this time, Draco's eyes opened, and Severus' very grave face came into view.
"I'm hungry, dammit," Draco growled irritably.
Both Severus and Dumbledore gave a bit of a start, as if they just realized that Draco was in the same room as they were. "And now I see that you're starving him too!" Severus added.
"A grave charge, Mr. Snape. Perhaps you should take him down to the Great Hall, as it is almost time for lunch. Draco, you may go now. I hope that you had a pleasant night's rest."
Draco yawned behind his hand and nodded. Once he and Severus departed Dumbledore's office, Severus turned on him immediately. "So, what happened with Potter and Black? What got him so worked up?"
"They're fine, damn their eyes. Well, at least Black's eyes anyway; Potter's eyes already are damned," Draco commented. They were the very first students in the Great Hall. They took a pair of seats near the edge of Slytherin's long table. And even though the bell hadn't rung yet, food appeared on the plates before Draco and Severus. "We didn't actually finish our conversation last night, Severus. So, what's it going to be?"
"Well, like I had told you before, she is interested. So, I 've got nothing to say about it," Severus told him.
Draco simply nodded. Now, onto other business. "Severus, last night, when I was supposedly helping Potter and Black, they told me something. Well, at least Lupin did. He told me that there was a werewolf loose in the school the night I had detention with him. Apparently, I had an encounter with it."
"Were you bitten?" Severus asked with his eyes wide in fear.
"No, according to Dumbledore. Oh, yeah, he told me not to say anything to anyone. But I know that there is more to it than that. Dumbledore even confessed that Foxworth gave me that potion purposely to forget the incident. And you know something?" Draco asked Severus. "I think I might have forgotten some of my past knowledge after all. There's something about Lupin. It makes no sense..." Draco held his head up with his hands with his elbows resting on the table. "I must be losing it..."
"I told you, I'm working on it. I know those three are up to a lot more than they appear to be. On the surface, they joke around and put on a show, but I know better. I say the best way to get something out of them would be to corner Pettigrew and force it out of him. He tags along behind them often enough to know their secrets..." Severus recommended.
Draco frowned and began to eat. Suddenly, someone's voice clearing over their heads made him look up. It was Filch, frowning even more than Draco had been. "That was one hell of a mess you left last week, Mr. Malfoy. Did you have to knock the bookcase over too? Was it really necessary?" he complained.
"I don't even remember what happened that night too well. I knocked over a bookcase, you say? It's true then; I must have been throwing books at it to keep it away."
"Throwing books to keep a werewolf away?" Filch scoffed softly as he leaned down toward Draco and Severus in case he could be overheard. "Surely you could have doen better than that!"
Draco became irritated. "Oh, really? I'd like to see you do any better!" Draco spat. Filch made a face. It became apparent to him that Draco was aware of the fact that he was a Squib, and not everyone knew that. He began to mutter about the lack of respect from students in general, and then slouched off. Mrs. Norris, his cat, followed him out of the Great Hall.
Draco turned to Severus and reamrked, "Y'know, he's had that cat an awfully long time. I wonder what's up with that..."
"Never mind the cat! You threw books at a werewolf?" Severus stammered in a hushed voice.
"Why, what are you supposed to do to defend yourself against a werewolf?" Draco asked. Their voices were both very soft, and as the Great Hall filled with teachers and students, they kept the conversation even more furtive.
"Didn't you have any Defense Against the Dark Arts classes?" Severus asked.
"It's kind of funny you should ask that," Draco commented.
"Why is that?"
"If I had any Defense Against the Dark Arts, I certainly didn't learn all that much."
"But I thought Lestrange told me that you did well in all of your subjects at school," Severus protested.
"I did do well! I'm ready for all of my O.W.L.s. I think...Severus, what if I'm not ready for Defense Against the Drak Arts? I haven't even taken a class yet? How far behind could I be?"
"I dunno. Didn't you have any teachers?"
"Well, yeah, but...That's one of the things I can't seem to remember. Who were my Defense Against the Dark Arts Teachers?" he asked himself aloud. Why couldn't he remember them?
"You'd better tell Professor Foxworth about this. You're going to need major help if you want to pass that O.W.L." Severus looked up at the teachers table. "If he's ever here, that is..."
"I don't trust Foxworth," Draco hissed. "He's not on my side with this, I'm sure!"
"I trust him," Severus answered simply.
"Yeah, well maybe that's because he hasn't tricked you into drinking Forgetfulness Potion yet," Draco snapped. He glanced up at the teacher's table, and noticed several absences, including Colton.
"I can't believe that you really threw books at the werewolf...Maybe you did better against it than you remember, Draco. After all, not only did you survive it, but you didn't even get bitten!" Severus pointed out.
"Or maybe Foxworth had something to do with it," Draco sighed. "But, if that were true, then why did he give me that potion?"
"It's like going in circles," Severus complained. "I hate mysteries going unsolved, you know. I'm sure Lupin left out something. I say we work on Peter, like I'd said before. I've got a few nifty curses that'll leave him crying for his mum and wetting his pants. I know they work; I've used them on him before..."
"You mean you're going to torture him?" Draco gasped.
"Not exactly. It's far more mainstream than real torture. What do you care, anyway? He's a Gryffindor! Yes, a piss-poor excuse for one, but still the enemy..."
"Hmph! Y'know, Sev, I haven't been myself since coming here. I've been so good I can't stand myself!" Draco complained miserably. "Did you know that the Sorting Hat took the shortest amount of time in recent memory when Sorting me into Slytherin House. So how do you think I feel when I'm finding myself acting like some Gryffindor fool? No wonder I'm nauseous!" he added and pushed his plate away in disgust.
"Nonsense! You played Quidditch like a true Slytherin yesterday, except when you defended Pinkerton from the vile, evil Sirius Black," Severus snorted. "Something I wouldn't have done, of course, but still..."
Just as Draco had opened his mouth to respond, Lestrange and Evan sat beside them, on each side of them. "So! How's the Quidditch hero here? I hear you had detention with the big man himself. What did he do to you?" Lestrange demanded. Avery caught up with them, and sat down just in time to hear Draco's answer.
"Oh, you know how it was," Severus cut in. "It's just like my uncle always says: It just goes to show that you don't have to spread your legs or stick out your ass in order to get fucked..."
"Does your uncle have any more, er, words of wisdom?" Draco asked.
"Not for right now. They come and go as the situation warrants."
Draco shook his head, and brooded in silence as the others chatted about the game yesterday. An owl swooped over him and delivered a copy of The Daily Prophet to Draco. He sighed and paid the owl two knuts, then opened the newspaper. He looked for the classified section. When he found it, he pulled it out of the rest of the bulky Sunday edition and set it aside. Then, he returned to picking at his food until the Great Hall began to clear out.
Later, Draco sat in the Slytherin Common room reading the classifieds very intently. He saw an advertisement for a "slightly used" invisibility cloak. Now, normally, Draco would absolutely never consider buying anything used, even an antique, but these were extraordinary circumstances. He had some money, but not enough to send away for a new invisibility cloak, certainly. It galled him, but he remembered that he was very fortunate to have even found an advertisement selling one at all, especially one within his budget. So, he wrote a short letter to the seller, set up a small pouch with enough gold to cover the purchase, and then cast a spell over the pouch to make sure that the seller wouldn't cheat him. It was a Compulsion Charm, which Severus had taught him, back when Severus was Professor Snape. It was not an acceptable charm to teach at school, but useful all the same.
"Where are you off to?" Severus asked absently over his Arithmancy book.
"The owlrey. I'll be back," Draco answered. He spent the entire time he walked down to the school owlrey thinking of all the spying he would be able to do with this invisibility cloak once he got it.
He looked around for a school owl that was available once he got there. Hogwart's had managed to send everything else he owned back in time with him, but not Portia, his eagle owl. Draco sighed; he hoped that she would fend for herself. He wouldn't count on Crabbe or Goyle to remember to feed her. In fact, with his extended absence, he didn't expect Crabbe or Goyle to be doing much functioning at all... He tied the letter and pouch to a great barn owl, who then took off with a great swoosh of his wings.
Just as he was about to leave, he heard several pairs of feet up ahead. Draco turned and saw the four Gryffindor fifth years come in. "Malfoy," Lupin acknowledged. Draco nodded in answer, and then promptly removed himself from their presence.
Draco was about halfway down the dark hallway before he had the sudden urge to turn around and, just for shits and giggles, find out what they were doing sending an owl that day. He crept as silently as possible back to the main chamber door and held his breath.
"Hold still while I tie this note on you..." Pettigrew muttered as he struggled to attach his letter to a small peregrine. "Mum's got to send me more money before we go to Hogsmeade next Saturday. I'm cleaned out!"
"How many jawbreakers you plan on buying this time?" Potter joked.
"Actually, I've got to tell you that I've grown out of jawbreakers, Jim," Pettigrew reported. "I've acquired a taste for Fizzing Whizzbees. By the way, have you ever tried one of those blood-flavored pops? I say, most unusual taste..."
Draco was about to turn around and leave in disgust, when he heard Lupin speak up. "At least it won't be the night of the full moon this time..." Draco stopped dead in his tracks and strained to hear every breath out of their mouths.
"Yes, no need to worry this time out..." Potter said with a sort of forced cheeriness. Have these four gits known about this roving werewolf all along? He wished with all his heart that he had already gotten his invisibility cloak!
"No," Lupin sighed sadly, "We don't have to worry about Hogsmeade, we have to worry about Colton instead."
"He wouldn't dare do what you're thinking he did! He's a teacher! He wouldn't try to kill a student!" Potter argued.
"I notice that we spend a great deal of time worrying about someone who isn't even our friend," Pettigrew protested. Draco edged as close as he dared to, and Pettigrew continued complaining softly, "We have to remember what he is! A stinking Slytherin snake who wouldn't think twice about handing us to Colton if it would save his own skin!"
"I have to agree with Pete; you two are letting what we know about him cloud your judgement. Jim, he can never be one of us, even if he is an Animagus," Black commented.