Harry felt confused, lost, and completely violated. He hadn't wanted that to happen. He had been planning to apologize to Draco for all he had done to make the Slytherin feel as miserable as he looked, and all the other boy wanted to do was feel him up. Was that the only reason Draco liked him? And why was he returning the bloody feeling! Nothing good was coming of this situation; Harry had no idea why he was feeling increasingly closer to Draco.
Letting out a tired sigh, Harry was planning to slide the rest of the way down the wall, before he felt a rough hand grab him by the back of his robes. He gave a startled gasp as he felt the person pulling him down the hall. When the shock finally subsided, he looked to see who the attacker was, and was greeted with the horrid image of… Professor Snape.
"P-professor?" Harry asked hesitantly. He wasn't sure of what he had done to get himself into trouble, or if the man had snapped at seeing Harry wandering the halls when he was expected to be frolicking about in the common room with his friends.
"Mr. Potter. It was very convenient for me to find you here, when you seem to be the very source of the problem I'm about to scrutinize." Snape's head turned to the side to glare darkly at him as they continued through the hall, his black eyes piercing right through his own nervous, emerald gaze. "It has come to my attention that Mr. Malfoy has disrupted his common room, and shook up one of his Iown/I housemates."
"But, sir, what does that have to do with --"
"Don't interrupt, Potter! I also was informed of the reason why Mr. Malfoy started the fight."
"What was --"
Snape didn't allow him to finish his question. They were weaving in and out of the corridors down toward the dungeons. Harry was stumbling awkwardly behind Snape, the corner of his robe collar still held in Snape's greasy hand.
"The reason was you, Mr. Potter. Now, I wonder how big of a surprise that is to you? Do you, perhaps, know of why he would bring you up? Maybe you were fighting again?"
"No, Professor! We weren't figh--"
"I'm sure you weren't," the Professor snapped, "House points will be taken away and another week's detention might serve as a lesson. I'm getting very impatient with your adolescent bickering with Mr. Malfoy."
"That's not fair! I didn't even know about this, Professor! I didn't have to do with any of the fights. I was standing back in the hallway, how could I!" Harry protested angrily.
"There are ways, Mr. Potter. Would you like more house points taken away for questioning my judgments?"
"No." Harry replied through gritted teeth. He was near ready to tear away from the git's grip so that he was able to bolt back down the opposite end of the hall. Why did Draco have to make a scene in front of his untrustworthy housemates? Obviously, considering the way they had been acting in Potions class, it would bring the Professor to suspect him to be a part of it. Harry was seething.
Finally, they had descended their way to the entrance of the Slytherin common room. Snape let go of Harry's robes, and then turned around to face him, his eyes narrowed dangerously and his face set in an awful scowl. "You will wait out here until I return. Then you and Mr. Malfoy will be joining me on our way to the Headmaster's office." Then, with a quick whip of robes, Snape muttered the password beneath his breath and swept into the common room. Harry only got a quick glimpse of a room that seemed absolutely deserted.
Yes, he knew he should run and escape the consequences of what was to come, but he couldn't find himself to. It was like trying to force out the feelings he was having towards Draco; almost impossible. Besides, avoiding a visit to the Headmaster would only bring more serious consequences. Harry let out a short, heated breath, and leaned against he wall outside of the Sltytherin entrance. That's when he saw Draco. He was peeking around the corner a bit further down the hall; his expression was surprised, and Harry could also see the large bit of anxiety on the Slytherin's face.
Harry was very tempted to start screaming at him. What was Draco doing hiding outside his common room?
Slowly, Draco came out from behind the wall. He stood there quite still, staring at Harry, wondering what to think. Finally, "What are you doing here?" He asked, loud enough for Harry to here.
"I'm here because of you." Harry replied dully; emotionlessly.
It made Draco appear even more confused.
"Why?" He asked.
"Because I heard you got in a fight with one of your housemates."
"How did yo --"
But before Draco could finish; his face showing what almost looked like despair and worry, Harry chose to ignore it all, and instead acted on the anger he felt towards the other boy. "PROFESSOR SNAPE!" He shouted loudly.
"Wha- " Draco glanced around rapidly, probably expecting the professor to suddenly dart from around a corner, and then he took a few steps back. "What? You mean Snape told you?"
Harry stared at Draco darkly. He was in no mood to talk with Draco when he had caused him to get in this situation. He had only been trying to make things better earlier, and in one way or another, something or someone always made it worse.
The door to the Slytherin common room swung open, and Snape surveyed the corridor severely. He didn't look all too happy with being summoned so deafeningly by a student he was supposed to be punishing. Another student seemed to have joined Snape, though he was held in the professor's arms in a bloodied heap instead of walking along consciously.
Draco's mouth dropped open wordlessly, and Harry had the urge to remain looking unfeeling. Snape, to keep it short, looked satisfied with having not to deal with searching for young Mr. Malfoy, as well as looking ten times more furious.
"Mr. Malfoy. How nice of you to have joined us," Snape drawled.
He stepped out of the common room, with Nott lying loosely in his arms, whimpering quietly. Draco looked ready to murder the smaller boy.
"I'm glad that I've picked the right time." Draco suddenly snapped. His gray eyes were narrowed at Harry; his stare showing that he couldn't believe Harry could do something like this to him. To rat him out to the Professor.
"That'll be enough!" The Professor roared. "Follow me! BOTH OF YOU!"
With a jump, the two students followed as Snape swept his way irately through the corridors, most likely on his way to the Hospital Wing. Now that he had an extra student to take care of, Harry and Draco were sure they'd have to endure the fouler side of his mood. If he even had a side that was less than foul.
Draco, Harry noticed, was following beside him with his chin raised and his attention drawn forcibly away from him. He looked a lot like he did when Harry had found him scrunched up in the shelves of the library. Though why should he care now? He was in trouble, and all for no reason. It was all Draco's fault.
It continued like this until twenty minutes later, when Snape had dropped off Theodore into the care of Madam Pomfrey and then started making his way towards Dumbledore's office. When they reached the two gargoyles at the entrance, and when the password, 'cotton lollies', had been muttered, they ascended the spiraling staircase and waited as Snape knocked violently on the door. A muffled 'Come in' was heard before Snape pushed them both inside.
"I apologize for the sudden disturbance, Headmaster, but young Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy have been caught fighting for the third time this semester. I highly doubt that no punishment should be specified." Snape had stridden up to the Headmaster's desk. Dumbledore was peering at the two students from behind his glittering spectacles. Harry and Draco stood there, tense and unmoving.
"I have warned them many times, that if their behavior doesn't improve, that there will be house points taken and serious consequences to endure, but they haven't paid any heed." Snape looked ready to curse a hole through the wall if something wasn't to be done soon, and there was still silence, besides his furious voice, echoing around the circular room.
Dumbledore sighed and brought his two ancient looking hands together in what looked like a form of prayer. Snape waited as patiently as possible, and Harry and Draco had positioned their stares onto the floor. "Thank you, Severus. This will be dealt with." Dumbledore's pale blue eyes rested back on the offending students. "You may leave. I will take the care of scheduling their sentences." A small, tilted smile graced his lips.
With his eyes almost bulging out of his head, and with a vein pulsing in his forehead, Snape stared down at them bleakly, before baring his teeth against unfriendly words and exiting the room in a flurry of black, billowing robes. Now it was only they and the Headmaster, and their expulsion in his hands. Or suspension, or anything else that would do no good on their part.
And after a few deep breaths were taken, Dumbledore spoke. "Harry, I know that none of what has happened here is your fault. No punishment will be given. Our dear Professor can overreact once in a while." Draco looked disheartened, but didn't speak quite yet. "Mr. Malfoy, it was very foolish of you to react the way you did. It is my duty to keep all the students safe, disregarding what they might have been doing to inflict you into hurting them. You're lucky that young Mr. Nott didn't get seriously injured."
A brief nod was given. "I'm going to be giving you three weeks detention with the head of your house, and practicing Quidditch will be suspended during that time." Dumbledore looked fairly disappointed in the young Malfoy as he gave information of his penalties. Harry almost felt bad for the Slytherin, for he could see the genuine distressed look in his eyes. "Is that understood? And if this behavior occurs one more time, I'm going to have to inform your mother of it." Draco looked up at the Headmaster, eyes almost pleading, but holding a defiant gleam of fury. Harry saw him swallow heavily.
"Yes, I understand." Draco answered dismally.
"Very well. You both may leave." A small wave of his hand was given, and Dumbledore stood from his desk as the door to his office opened magically.
From there, they both walked out of the common room in dampened spirits. Even though Harry was quite pleased that he hadn't gotten blamed for something he didn't do, worrying about Draco's miserable demeanor was a different story…
I wonder what happened in the fight with Nott that made Draco look even worse than he did when I wasn't in the best of moods with him… Harry thought unhappily.