The Half-Blood Malfoy
"Draco, Come now, it's time to get up for school!" Narcissa Malfoy sang pleasantly.
"But mother, I don't want to get up yet. Please just another few minutes?" Draco begged sleepily.
"But darling, you said that thirty minutes ago, please get up! You'll miss your train, it leaves in four hours, and you know how long it takes for you to do your hair. Oh Draco, you've not even packed your suitcases yet. Come on, please get up, for me?" She said in a pitiful tone.
"Fine, did that stupid little elf come back yet?" he said.
"Yes he has, and he's made you some of that special cocoa you like!"
"Has he been punished yet?" Draco said evilly.
"No, I'm saving that pleasure for your father when he gets home, but I think he gave himself a concussion this morning, that should do until then. Now get up before your cousin eats all the pancakes."
"My cousin, which one?" He asked tiredly.
"It's a surprise, but if you come downstairs you'll find out!" Narcissa said cheerfully, then left him alone.
When his mother was gone, Draco finally got out of bed and changed into some day clothes. Then he walked down the stairs, too exhausted to comb his hair first and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes; though when he looked up, he did not like what he saw.
There, in the kitchen, right before him, sitting in his favorite chair, eating his favorite breakfast, and drinking his mother's coffee from his favorite mug, was an attractive young witch with bottle-green eyes, long mahogany hair and fair beige skin; his least favorite cousin of all, Demetria Malfoy.
"What in the name of the Dark Lord is she doing here!" he shouted hatefully.
"Oh, didn't we tell you, she's going to start at Hogwarts this year! Isn't that wonderful, Draco?" His always perky mother exclaimed excitedly.
He looked at the scene through narrowed eyes, "Get her out of this house right now, or I'll make her get out!" he shouted angrily.
"Draco, please? She's not all that bad, just give her a chance!" Narcissa said kindly.
"Forget it! I will not share my house with a stupid little blood traitor like her!"
"What did you just call me?" Demetria snapped, "Why don't you come a bit closer and say it to my face, you little coward!"
"Never call me coward!" Draco spat with a murderous look in his eyes.
"Draco, I'm sure she didn't mean it. She won't be staying for very long. Can't you just try to be kind to her while she's here?"
"Be kind to her? I'd rather eat flobberworms!" he said in response.
"You know, Draco. That can be arranged..." Demetria threatened him with a glare comparable to how an angry teacher might look at a problem student.
"Please, children! We're burning daylight, won't you stop teasing each other and eat breakfast?" Narcissa purred. The two combatants looked over at her, she sounded like she was going to cry, so they almost surrendered.
"Fine, but I'm not going to sit with her, she might mistake me for a sausage!" Draco sneered.
"Well, I don't want to sit with you, either. You smell like vomit."
"Well I think you're a retarded mudblood tramp!" Draco said.
"What did you just say to me, little boy?" Demetria stood before him.
"Shut up, you heard me, you halfbreed!"
"How dare you!" she said, drawing her wand from her pocket.
"Draco, Demetria, please stop arguing!" Narcissa whined, but neither one heard her.
He drew his wand, "You must have a lot of nerve, Demetria! You come into my house, call me coward, and think you can start giving me orders? I should kill you where you stand!"
"You're not mean enough, Draco! You little coward..."
"I told you, never call me coward!" and he lifted his wand, as if he were going to attack, but his mother got between the two of them, "Stop it right now, the both of you, or I will make you stop, understand?"
"What? The halfbreed's the one who started it!" Draco announced, "Make her stop talking to me like that, and I might spare her!"
"Demetria, leave Draco alone, please?"
"Fine, but if he says one more cross word to me..."
"You will do nothing." Narcissa said, calmly but firmly, "Now come and sit down."
"Yes, Aunt Narcissa." Demetria said exhaustedly, and did as she had been asked, Draco followed.
"Someday, I am going to kill you." Draco murmured as he took a seat at the table.
"Not if I kill you first!" she responded, but Draco just rolled his eyes and looked away.
After breakfast, Draco quickly returned to his room to finish getting ready and packing while Demetria waited on the sofa with his mother. A few minutes later Draco came down the stairs, followed by Dobby the house elf who was carrying his luggage like a mule.
"Can we leave now?" she said impatiently.
"Yes, as soon as our driver pulls the limo around. Hopefully this rain will slack up by then, I'd hate my handsome Draco to be all wet when he sees his cute little friends again!" Narcissa said, pinching the boy's cheeks. Demetria couldn't help but laugh, and she laughed even louder when he looked at her like she was a dog that just messed on his lawn.
"Where is your stuff, Demetria?" Narcissa asked.
"Already in the back of the car, your driver helped me load it up this morning when I got here. If only Draco had thought to plan so far ahead..." she couldn't help commenting. Draco gave her a nasty look, then went out on the porch, the car had arrived and the entire trunk was so full that it wouldn't close properly.
"Where am I supposed to put my luggage, you mudblood freak?" Draco asked.
"You could carry it in your lap like the dog that you are, unless you're afraid it might bite you."
"How many times have I told you I'm not a coward!" Draco shouted, luckily his wand was already packed or he might have killed her for that.
"But you admit to the dog part, right?" she said silkily.
"Dammit Demetria!" and he reached over and tried to choke her, "Ouch! What the hell?" he said, looking at his hands which felt like they'd been burnt when he touched her, "Are you like a demon or something?"
"No, but you probably are," she responded, "and I can do a lot worse than that if you continue to provoke me."
"Children, settle down now, you won't want to act that way in school, will you?" Narcissa said gently.
"Just you wait, Demetria! I'll get you back for this..." Draco whispered when his mom wasn't looking.
"I'd like to see you try, oh Tiny One!" she hissed wickedly.
Draco didn't respond, he just gave her a dirty look then started watching the storm outside. There wasn't another word the entire trip, they just sat back and ignored each other for the next hour and a half. The Malfoys were among the first to arrive at King's Cross, and the conductor allowed them to board the train early due to the rain and hail at Platform Nine and Three Quarters.
It was almost dark when the train arrived at it's terminal, they were greeted only by sheet lightning in the distance and a few lanterns scattered about. Snape had been waiting there for the train almost all day; he was to find the girl and escort her to the castle, but he didn't even know what she looked like! Of course, the fool Dumbledore told him "he'd recognize her when he saw her," but so far he didn't recognize anyone except the students from last year and the children of a few former associates of his. How was he supposed to recognize someone he'd never seen before? It was official, Dumbledore had lost it alright; in fact it's probably been gone for years, he just hid it well.
Snape walked among the crowd for a while, looking for anything that might suggest the presence of the girl 'he would recognize when he saw her,' but wasn't having any luck. He figured there must be something odd or abnormal about her if a total stranger would recognize her, but everything looked completely normal, until a prolonged lightning strike showed him something very odd indeed; it was Draco Malfoy, standing next to the train and arguing with a tall red-haired girl. Snape didn't recognize her but he did notice she looked far too mature to be a first year.
"How dare you speak to me like that, you halfblooded little winch!" Draco shouted, reaching for his wand, but she was too quick for him, and hers was pointed at the boy's neck before he had time to take another breath.
Draco looked down at her wand, then met her eyes again, "Well, I see you are skilled far beyond what I had expected." he said calmly, they were now surrounded by a large crowd of Slytherins who had gathered to see what would happen next.
"Oh, you have yet to see my true talent, Draco." Demetria whispered, "You know, they teach an awful lot of useful things at Durmstrang, would you like if I were to demonstrate a few of them on you for all of your little friends? I'm sure they would find them, fascinating..."
Draco gulped and felt the tip of her wand pressed against his throat. He was nearly gasping for air, but somehow managed to choke a few words out, "Demetria, please? I'm sorry for doubting you!"
"Well it's too late now, isn't it? No Crabbe or Goyle around to protect you? I don't know if you've noticed Draco, but you're not as popular as you think you are. Look around rich boy, what do you see?" Draco just stared at his cousin, there was something ravenous about her now and he knew it was time to just shut up and surrender.
"No comment? Too horrible to face, is it? Look at them, they're loving this, they like to watch you squirm almost as much as I do; they hate you, and so do I. Do you know what I do to people I hate who can't keep their mouths shut?" Demetria said threateningly.
"Look, I'm sorry, I'll do whatever you want, just please don't hurt me?" Draco pleaded.
The Slytherins looked as if they'd all been frozen where they stood, none had ever seen Draco beg like that before and they were astounded by this exotic beauty, so willing to threaten one who looked as if he were of her own flesh and blood, they had to get to know this girl...
Demetria grinned at him triumphantly, "Whatever I want, Draco? Oh, there's just one thing I want from the likes of you, do you know what that is?"
"Anything, anything. Whatever, just tell me what it is, and please get that thing away from me?"
Demetria finally lowered her wand, but did not put it away, "Fine, but from this point on, I want you to treat me as I wish to be treated, the way a cousin should be treated, as an equal. Not as some kind of mud-blooded scum that just happened to show up on your doorstep, do you understand me?" she said coolly.
"Yes, I understand!" he responded. Draco knew that would probably make him into a laughing stock, but he thought his life was a bit more valuable than his popularity at the moment.
"See, isn't that better?" she purred, "Now get the hell out of my face before I change my mind!" Demetria spat, and Draco and his friends ran in the other direction, leaving her alone by the train.
Demetria stood smugly against a tree bordering the tracks as she watched them run in the other direction, then she blew off the end of her wand like a gun, pocketed it, and started following the rest of the students toward the castle. Snape had been waiting in the shadows and grabbed her arm just as she passed in front of him.
"Hey, what the hell's your problem!" she said, almost drawing her wand, but stopped dead when she looked up at him; he was the most beautiful man she'd ever seen...
"Demetria Malfoy, I presume?" he said irately.
"Yeah, that's right cutie, and who might you be?" she said silkily.
"I am Professor Severus Snape, and you are coming with me!" Snape growled, "And never call me 'cutie' again if you do not wish to suffer a most unpleasant death!" he said as he grabbed her wrist and pulled her alongside him like a horse.
"Hey, you don't have to be so rough, I'd gladly follow you anywhere..." she said in what she thought was a rather sultry tone.
Snape looked down at her for a moment, then rolled his eyes, "Fine, but keep up with me and don't even think of wandering off! The headmaster wants to see you immediately and don't touch me!" he shouted.
Demetria gave him an arrogant look, then folded her arms and watched her feet the rest of the way to the castle.
Snape led her down a steep hillside and up the stairs to what looked like a very dingy entryway, where they were met by Albus Dumbledore. Demetria thought he was the strangest looking person she'd ever seen, in his violet robes all covered with stars and a long white beard that trailed past his waist. He perhaps looked like Saint Nick, provided he'd been on a starvation diet for about a year.
"Is this the little delinquent you sent me after, Headmaster?" Snape said in an annoyed tone, shoving Demetria toward him.
"Let's see: she's tall, she has the long red hair and the crystal green eyes alright, was she picking on another student when you found her?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact that is how I found her; she was threatening him and she had her wand at his throat, I believe it was Draco Malfoy." he gave her a disapproving glare, but there was a different emotion portrayed in his voice; was he actually proud of her for bullying Draco?
"Hmm," even Dumbledore seemed a bit surprised by that, apparently Draco had been considered quite formidable by those at Hogwarts, "Well, we had better get her to the Great Hall, wouldn't want her to miss the Sorting." and Dumbledore led her inside, Snape followed.
"So, why did you bring me here?" Demetria asked a while later, "Why couldn't I just enter with everyone else?"
"That we shall discuss after the Sorting, I do not want it to effect the Hat's decision." Dumbledore answered simply. Snape rolled his eyes and mumbled something under his breath, extracting a shy giggle from Demetria, but Dumbledore ignored them and walked on.
When they got to the Great Hall, Professor McGonagall had already started the sorting. Demetria was standing with the remaining first years and could feel herself dying of boredom by the time her name was called.
"...And last but not least, I am proud to introduce a brilliant fifth-year who has chosen to leave her own Durmstrang academy and join us here at Hogwarts; Now I ask that you please give a warm welcome to the beautiful and talented Miss Demetria Malfoy."
Most of the school, especially the Slytherins, applauded her and Snape was watching very closely as Demetria took her position in the chair. She was the center of all attention as McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat upon her head;
"H mm, interesting, very interesting." the Hat observed, "There is an extraordinary interest in the dark arts, and she has had very few friends, I see. She is highly intelligent and remarkably ambitious, and I see that she's incredibly talented in many of the magical arts, already. She's brave, very brave I think, in fact, I see no known fears anywhere in her, and she is willing to work very hard to get what she wants..."
"Let me see, she's a hard one to place, but I think I am going to go with... Slytherin!!!"
"Slytherin it is!" Professor McGonagall exclaimed to the shouts of roaring cheers from the Slytherin table, they must have thought it a great honor to be able to call yet another member of the venerable Malfoy clan one of their own.
Then, after another mind-numbing speech by Dumbledore, they all took their seats. Demetria intentionally chose a seat far away from Draco and within eyeshot of Snape; for some reason she just wanted to look at him forever. She had been entranced by his deep, dark eyes and shining locks of jet-black hair for several minutes before he noticed her staring; then she decided it would be best to eat her dinner and get the hell out of there as soon as possible.