The Hardships of Being Draco Malfoy

Disclaimer: What I wouldn't give to have them be mine, but alas I have to settle with merely barrowing them for a moment, then JK can have them back, with only a slight bit of wear.

Pairings: Draco/Potter eventually

Warnings: Whiny self absorbed Draco ahead, not to mention OOC-ness to be had by all.

Authors Note: Draco awake, alert and not happy. Ahhh just how I like him. Hugs to readers, kisses and bribes to reviewers! Also this chapter and most possibly the following will contain a twisted version of Druidic magic and or lore, sorry but I changed things slightly, may the local Druidic high priest forgive me. (sorry Ron!)

Part 14

Draco Malfoy was this time absolutely positive that he had everyone in school worried.

Well maybe not everyone. But allot of people. That is if you consider Madam Pomfrey, Professor Snape and the Headmaster allot, and of late that was practically a horde of people.

Draco had seen no one else in the past five days then the before mentioned individuals. Madam Pomfrey had said that she was keeping would be visitors out so as to 'speed his healing', but he knew better. If people were concerned they would have sent candies and cards or other suitable gifts.

So far the only 'gifts' Draco had received had been in the mornings, one was a hairball left on his pillow, so that when he opened his eyes it was the first thing that he saw. Figuring out who had left it was no hard stretch of the imagination, but it had taken him by surprise. In fact he had shrieked rather loudly, as he thought at first there was a mouse sleeping, or worse, dead on his pillow. Also in his scramble to get away from it when he realized what it actually was, he pulled a muscle in his arm, almost got a concussion from falling out of the bed, and gave Madam Pomfrey a rather hearty laugh.

Also was the lingering sent of tealeaves, sandalwood, cloves and vanilla every morning proving (at least in Draco's mind) that he hadn't been completely out of it the other night, and that the other person wasn't just a dream.

Dumbledore came by every day at approximately 2 o'clock, bringing with him Draco's class work and the oddest muggle candies, which Draco always declined.

Snape came by at least once daily, more often then not early in the morning or late at night, to try and figure out what it was that the potion was doing to him. According to his latest findings, the potion was incomplete and somehow just floating around in his system, waiting for the final ingredient.

"And this means... what?" the young Slytherin had asked peevishly, upon hearing Snape's deductions after four days of tests, prodding with wands, and poking with needles. Plus he had to endure enforced bed rest, and green, leafy, uncooked foods from Madam Pomfrey, lord he was so board and longing for freedom he was even starting to miss Potter's company. At least with potter around there was a steady flow of meaningless chatter he could ignore.

"What this means, Draco, is that you need to be very careful of what you eat." Then professor Snape pulled out a very long piece of parchment, crammed full of the teachers spidery handwriting. "I've managed to compile a list of foods you most certainly cannot eat. Fortunately for you, this still allows for the vast majority of school fair to be consumable. I would highly recommend that you commit this list to memory and never eat anything that you have never had before. In the mean time I will work on a way to cleanse the potion from your system."

Snape handed the parchment to the young man who proceeded to squint at it for a moment before snidely asking "What, did you write this, then use a shrinking charm on the letters so you could fit more in?"

Snape scowled, "Very funny Mr. Malfoy. Now if you will excuse me I have a class of ingrates to prepare a lecture for." And with that he swept from the room his robes billowing ominously about him.

Draco looked closer at the list in his hands, noticing it was arranged alphabetically. He hummed softly to himself as he skimmed the vast number of foods no suddenly unavailable to him.

"Hmmmm, alfalfa, beets coconuts, dragon meat, elvish wines, French fries..." He paused looking up and wrinkled his nose. "What the hell is a French fry?"

Sighing dramatically he tossed the parchment on his nightstand. He then wrapped his arms around his legs, rested his head on his knees, and settled in for a nice long think.

His life had gone from perfect to complete outcast in a matter of weeks, what with all of the unfortunate sightings of him walking alone with Dumbledore in the purported direction of the Headmaster's office. He most assuredly was never going to get any Slytherin to ever accept him back into the fold. At least not without a dark mark on his arm, and after seeing the one on his father's arm one night, he knew exactly how horribly it would look on someone with his coloring.

He supposed that he could possibly transfer to a new school, but mum would never go for it. In her mind the important thing was that Hogwarts was within and easy distance.

He could try running away and living as an outcast of the wizarding community, using magic illegally then running from the ministry before he could be caught. Draco snorted in derision at this, he was being way too dramatic.

The door to his room opened softly and Headmaster Dumbledore made a rather early entrance, as it probably wasn't more the shortly after breakfast.

"Well now Mr. Malfoy, it appears that we have some rather serious business to discuss today." He smiled and got a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "But first, can I convince you to try a chocolate covered potato crisp? I must say I am quite taken with them. Of course the dark chocolate is better then the milk chocolate, but I fear that I have eaten all of those already."

Draco gapped at the wizened old fool for a moment before shaking his head. "Ah, just as well," the old man said, tucking the bag into one of the many hidden pockets in his robe. "Now then, Mr. Malfoy, as you may have realized above all else Hogwarts is still an institution of learning, and as of late it has been brought to my attention that some students might benefit greatly from, shall we say a more advanced curriculum."

Draco rolled his eyes. "I'm sure that Granger will jump at the chance to take extra courses." He grumbled slightly wondering why the old fool was bringing this up to him.

"Ah yes, Miss Granger is an exceptional witch, but I fear that she lacks the, hmmm, spark that these classes require." Dumbledore leaned forward slightly his eyes taking on a more serious look. "You see Miss Granger's magic is more about precision, books and rote memorization. The classes that I am suggesting are more unstructured and raw. I have been planning on starting classes like this for a few years now, but was unsure of who I would be offering them to."

"You're offering the classes to me?" Draco queried, sounding incredulous. "But Why?"

"You see Draco, their is a saying 'In the Physical world opposite energies attract. In the spiritual world, like energies attract.' The magic I have in mind are best suited for two people that fit both criteria, Traditionally it is males and females that are attracted in the physical world, and males to other males or females to other females in the spiritual world. However their are rare cases where an opposing force in the spiritual world is just similar enough that it can be considered like in nature."

Draco felt as though he were going to keel over, first Dumbledore was talking about advanced courses, that Draco himself is being offered, then the doddering wonder is droning on about energies?

"It is rarer still to find like spiritual energies that have opposite physical energies, so I was actually looking for a wand in a brush pile..."

Draco felt his head droop to one side. Did this speech have a point? More importantly, did it have an End?

"So once I had finally ruled out the female populace of the school, I had to search carefully for the right males. Their powers would have to be about the same in potential, but with different strengths."

Draco's eyelids lowered to half-mast of their own accord. 'If I fall asleep here, in front of Dumbledore, please don't let me snore!' He thought, his mind in a brief panic, which caused his eyes for flare open for a bout a second. Not that Draco ever snored, no one in the Malfoy line snored, it just wasn't done. Unfortunately there was a first time for everything.

"Of course you things would have to be moved and you would be removed from your regular classes."

"Really?" Draco said, instantly snapping to full alertness.

"Yes I am afraid you would still be required to do the work for the classes though, so you could get credit towards your NEWTS, but these would be private lessons. Just you the teacher and one other student."

Dumbledore paused and looked hard at Draco. "What do you say Mr. Malfoy, would you be willing to participate in these classes?"

"I suppose," Draco said using the years of practice he had at feigning disdain and un-interest. While inside he was practically doing flips.

"Good, in anticipation of your answer, your trunk and personal effects have already been moved to the room that you will be staying in. It is an offshoot of the room that you and Mr. Potter cleaned for your detention two weeks ago. You will move into it tomorrow, after Madam Pomfrey has releases you from the hospital. Mr. Potter has already moved into his room and anxiously awaits beginning classes with you."

Draco bristle silently, once again, something he had thought was about him, turned out to be all about Potter. Draco was probably Dumbledore's last-ditch effort at finding a suitable partner for teaching his Precious Potter new things.

If he didn't know it would be akin to suicide, he would tell the old coot to got to hell and shove the damn 'special lessons'.

It seemed to be the story of Draco's life lately. His hopes for people's attention and concern would rise, only to be brutally crushed under the weight of all that was Harry Potter.

Stupid Hopes.