Thoughts: ...'

Inner voices:

Salazar's thoughts are always going to be '...' so, if you see only those, with no indication as to who is thinking, it's automatically his. All other thoughts have indication. Except for this one chapter, all unmarked thoughts are Draco's.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, hence the fact that Harry isn't in Slytherin and isn't completely screwed up in the fifth book. I mean, what could make his personality do a 180? I mean sure Sirius died, and Cedric before that but still, did she have to make Harry sound like he's having his period, or something?

Oh, and before any one of you start thinking that there is going to be slash in here, there isn't, aren't you all lucky? I might add a bit of pre-slash in the later chapters (next 50 chapters), but it'll be friendship. After all, wouldn't want to harm the people with overly sensitive morals, now would we?

Sorry, I had the haven't-updated-in-a-long-while-'cause-I-was-either-working-on-my other-fic-or-cramming-useless-shit-into-my-mind-for-finals syndrome. The disease just seems to randomly manifest itself in me. And, if anyone knows how to write an at least half-way decent slash lemon, can you please help me? I know how it's done, I just can't write the foreplay. Thank you for listening/reading to this.

Chapter Four, Year One: A Little Insight as to the Troubles that Occur On the "Other Side" and We Find that the Grass Isn't Always Greener There.

"Crap, crap, CRAP!!!" Draco Malfoy muttered as he rounded the corner of the fifth floor. He quickly spied a tapestry that was a well-known (to the Slytherins ONLY) make-out spot, and hid behind it. He soon found out why that was.

It turned out that the tapestry hid an alcove behind it, with enough room for three to squeeze into, two to fit snugly in, and one to slightly stretch out one's legs, which was lucky, since Draco was a Malfoy, and Malfoys move as befitting of their station. This meant that he was used hurrying (or rather dispatching oneself with elegance), not sprinting, and he was therefore developing a rather nasty cramp in his calf.

'Blast Filch. Blast Potter. Blast my stupid cronies. If it hadn't been for them, I wouldn't BE neck deep in this crapfest[1] of a situation!' Draco sighed, what a way to spend an evening. Not only did Potty and his pauper friend now think him to be a coward, he, Draco Malfoy was forced to skulk about the corridors, trying to avoid prefects and Filch like some second-rate thief! Draco decided he didn't like the idea of being compared to a second-rate thief, and decided to take action...as soon as he had the opportunity to regain his wand from Filch, AND find out how to impose a harsh and painful vengeance upon those who wronged him without getting caught and expelled.

Draco sighed again, and shifted slightly. It was so difficult living up to the expectations of a father like his. He shifted again and was just settling down to rest his eyes for a bit, when he heard a cat hiss. Draco's eyes shot open.

'Nice one Einstein, why exactly did you hide in a place where you were so easily cornered?'

'Who are you, and who the hell is Einstein?'

'I'm the personification of your inner psyche. And I have no idea who Einstein is.'

'Oh, is that all?'

'Yes, and I believe that you should think of something quickly. Filch is heading this way like a man on a mission.'

'Fine, but I want you to tell me who Einstein is, as soon as I get out of this unpleasant situation.'

'Alright.'

No sooner had Draco ended the conversation with himself, when Filch had drawn back the tapestry with a smug look on his face.

"Gotcha now, Malfoy. Waiting for a midnight lover, are we?"

Draco winced, 'Eug, it sounds like he's going to rape me or something.'

'Don't be ridiculous, if he were to do that, he would be sent to Azkaban.'

'Shut up you.'

The voice mercifully fell silent. Draco hesitantly looked up to see Filch looming over him. It was only when Draco heard Filch say, "Well, got anything to say?" that he realized that he had been silent for a few minutes.

'Well, time to do something Draco, otherwise not only will you receive a detention, lose around two hundred points, and generally lose face, but you'll also never find out who Einstein is.'

"Only one thing."

"Oh, what is that?"

"I know some valuable information," at this point Draco waited. It wouldn't do for him to give anymore details if Filch wasn't interested. Besides, Filch was a bitter old man, and very cunning. If Draco gave anything away before Filch gave any inclining of being interested, he would simply give Draco a detention, and use the information[1].

"And what information would this be?" Filch mused aloud.

"I understand that you carry many a grudge against the Marauders," Draco said tentatively. It was known that Filch sometimes went into a maddening rage when the name of the old prankster group was mentioned.

"This is your information? If it is you are wasting my time. Follow me, and I'll contact your Head to arrange your detention."

"No, that wasn't the information."

"Then what is it?"

"I'll tell you once you've done something for me."

"And what would that be?" At this point both Draco and Filch had calculating looks on their faces. One had nothing to lose, the other had a few things to lose, such as his life. If he lost Slytherin's lead, his House would kill him.

"I want you to swear...on you cat that you will neither go to any authority figure, nor tell anyone about me wandering around at night," Draco hoped fervently that it worked. He considered himself too young to die.

"...Very well then, what is the information?" Draco could've fainted with relief, but didn't as that was not dignified, but also because if he didn't deliver the goods, Filch would go back on his promise.

"Potter, Weasley, and probably Granger are wandering around the trophy room," Draco replied, hoping that Filch wouldn't ask him anymore questions. Of course, it seemed that luck never helped him when he truly needed it.

"Really, is that so? I wonder why they would be going there of all places at this time of night?" Filch asked in sarcastic wonderment. "Perhaps because you challenged them to a duel?"

'Aw crap, aw shit, aw mother-fucking hell!' Draco groaned in annoyance and stress.

"You do know that dueling is against school rules, don't you?" Filch asked with a smug smirk. "Wondering how I knew that?" He asked, seeing the look of shock on the young Malfoy heir's features. "There seems to be no loyalty in the snake pit now-a-days."

If Draco hadn't been stressed, extremely pissed at Crabbe and Goyle, and afraid of the amount of points and years of detention he could receive if he wiped the smug look off of Filch's face and onto the stone corridor[2], he would do just that. But as it was, he was stressed, afraid of the consequences of his past actions and the consequences that punching Filch would entail, and he was extremely pissed at Crabbe and Goyle, so Draco didn't do anything. All he did was the he felt cold fury pass through him. He stored it. He would take it out on his cronies later.

"But I thank you for the information, and I won't tell anyone about you wandering around at night. However, I will have to notify your Head of House about your serious breach in school policy, mainly you challenging Potter to a duel," Filch seemed positively giddy at the fact that he would be able to extract vengeance upon the Marauders and their Slytherin counterparts through their children.

'If you still want to know who Einstein was, I'll be glad to tell you.' Draco swore softly under his breath.

'Just sod off you annoying personal manifestation of my inner insanity!'

A/N: Gah! If Draco seemed a little OOC by the end, that was because the backs of my eyes are hurting because it's 11:59 PM, and I figure that I owe you people another chapter. Think of this as my way of saying that I'm sorry for neglecting you for my other fic. I'm also rather sorry that it'll have to continue as long as it takes for me to finish Magnetic Sarcasm. Then I'll start working on this in earnest. After MS is done, I'll be splitting my energies between this and a YYH/HP crossover fic that I THINK is original (it might not be of course) and because of the (I think) originality, I want to get it out as quickly as possible. I'll continue to split my energies between the two until this fic is done, or the other is done (which seems to me like it'll be completed before this one). The AF/HP crossover will be shoved into my closet until my imagination stops coming up with new ideas for stories. It will still, however be posted so I can, hopefully receive some more reviews that contain constructive criticism (I only have one review that actually has that). If it's about Artemis being OOC, yeah, he is. I just can't seem to get him in character. More likely than just picking up where I left off is that I'll just delete it. I'm ranting. Well, that's how my schedule is going to be working in fan fiction terms, at least.

[1]: I can't really explain how the situation works. I tried before, but just ended up writing an essay on the subject.

[2]: A variation of the remark Genkai made to Suzuka in the Dark Tournament about wiping the makeup off his face. I won't go into it. The people who know what I'm talking about will know, and the people that don't won't care. I'm ranting again, aren't I?

R&R