I led the first-years to the dungeons as they chattered excitedly about the Triwizard Tournament, the fame and fortune it would bring its victor. Well, I for one was more upset that Quidditch had been cancelled the rest of the year, though it would seem I was the only one. Uncle Albus had made me a prefect, a special exception given that I was only a fourth-year and prefects were typically chosen in their fifth. Whilst I had no desire to be one, it proved difficult to argue against him. He had been rather insistent that I had earned it as the top student for a third consecutive year. I suppose it was to keep an eye out for Malfoy and Harry or the Weasley twins. Or perhaps he had hoped some responsibilities would keep me occupied instead of stirring up too much trouble.
Fat chance of that ever happening, I thought with a self-satisfied smirk.
As we entered the common room and the others dissipated to their dormitories, I spied a distinctive tuft of blonde hair in the crowd. He was surrounded by his usual posse, but I marched up to them nonetheless. A look of distaste fell over Parkinson's face as I approached, and she made no effort to hide it.
"Could I have a word, Malfoy?"
"Can you believe the nerve of her?" he said mockingly to Goyle. "Asking for my precious time like she's entitled to?"
A feeling that disturbingly resembled hurt filled me. What was the matter with me?
Did you honestly expect things to be different after your little chat in the woods? He Stunned you for Merlin's sake, he was probably in leagues with his father who happens to be a Death Eater!
Not different per say, I simply thought-
What? That he is your friend now? This is Malfoy we're talking about!He probably approached you in the woods as a ruse to lower down your guard around him.
"It'll only take a minute" I pressed, mentally quashing my thoughts.
"Desperate, are we? Well, whatever you wish to say to me you may say it for all my friends to hear too"
"How shamelessly daft could she get? Clearly Draco isn't fooled by her vixen bewitchments" Parkinson added smugly.
"Well, I would not hold it against her - there aren't many who are immune to a Malfoy's charm after all" he smirked in response.
While their derogatory words would typically not bother me, it was humiliating to admit that a small part of me had been foolish enough to believe that there was more to Malfoy than his pride and egotism. I kept his shady behaviour secret, giving him the benefit of doubt rather than making presumptions based on his family's less than savoury history.
"Keep believing that and perhaps one day when pigs fly it may come true, Malfoy. And as for you, Parkinson, I was not speaking to you so stay out of it" I spat.
"Think just cause you're Dumbledore's special prefect now you can speak to me that way?" she snorted. I could almost literally hear my control snapping.
"Consider this a fair warning and shut it, Parkinson or I might just make you. Permanently" I ground out darkly, my fingers itching for my wand. She fell silent but continued to glare at me from beneath her lashes. I ignored her and turned my attention to Malfoy.
"You know, I always thought it was worth giving people a chance, but I see now how such notions are wasted on people like you. I suppose I should thank you for showing me how foolish it was to think that you would be any different. Congratulations, you really are a Malfoy through and through after all" and with that I turned on my heel and left before the temptation to jinx them became far too difficult to ignore.
…
She walked briskly along the darkened corridors, the illuminated tip of her wand guiding her footpath as she finished her patrol. She had long deserted her fifth-year partner after persuading him that they could cover more ground apart and finish their rounds sooner. She had been reluctant at first to perform her prefect duties but there were some perks she simply could not resist, the after-curfew privileges in particular, not to mention the gorgeous Prefects' Bathroom. It was almost midnight as she made her way through the Astronomy corridor towards the steep spiral staircase. She yawned and stretched deeply to soothe her stiff muscles.
A pale hand appeared from the shadows, grabbing her suddenly into the small reading room located within the tower. Moonlight flooded in from the high windows revealing the one person she certainly did not care to see right now.
"Malfoy?" she exclaimed in surprise before her eyes narrowed perceptibly. "Are there monsters terrorising your bed that I always find you out of it in the middle of the night?" she chastised.
"You reckon I enjoy abandoning the comfort of my bed, waiting here in this freezing tower for an hour?"
She frowned. "Why were you waiting here in the first place?"
"How was I to know you'd actually do your job like a good little prefect?"
Her eyebrows furrowed in genuine confusion. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"Would you rather if I had waited outside the prefects' dormitory then?"
"Well-"
"Yea, didn't think you would"
Momentarily distracted by his sudden presence and nonsensical reasoning, it struck her then that she was still furious at him. It hurt to even look at him, the wounds of her foolishness ripping itself open and fresh once more. "I'm here now so what do you want?" she snapped and his already worn patience, what little he had to begin with, dwindled.
"How the bloody hell should I know? As I recall you were the one who wanted to speak to me"
"Oh, now you wish to hear it? Well, I have nothing to say to you"
"You say it like I had a choice after that hissy fit you threw"
"Hissy fit!?"
"There you go - this is exactly what I mean!" he threw up his arms in frustration.
"Oh, pray tell" she crossed her arms defiantly.
"You are defensive over the slightest things. Even a joke becomes a personal attack and then you wall yourself up against everyone and retaliate twice as hostilely without a second thought!"
"And you're saying I should simply let you trample over me like a ruddy welcome mat in front of your friends and allow myself to be the butt of your jokes!?"
"Is that why you blew up in my face, you were embarrassed in front of my friends!?"
"No!" she shouted. I was embarrassed by my own idiocy, thinking that you were different, and you proved me wrong, she wanted to scream knowing how childish and absurd it would sound.
"You know, just forget it! This is pointless, I don't know why I even bothered in the first place!" he all but shouted in her face.
"Fine by me!" she retorted. They turned away then, immersed in their own thoughts yet neither made any move to leave the room, both as stubborn as the other.
She mused to herself whilst admiring the high ceilings and celestial models orbiting in mid-air. It occurred to her that as farfetched as it may seem, perhaps this was his way of apologising for what had happened earlier - it was rather cold in here and the bloke did say he waited a whole hour. The thought of that cooled her boiling temper, if only marginally. He always seemed different when they were alone almost as if he were two distinct persons - it was so darn frustrating and confusing, and a part of her questioned who he really was.
"What does it matter to you if I am defensive and hostile anyhow?" she ventured in a more neutral tone, turning to glance at his back over her shoulder.
"Nothing particularly" he confessed. "Rather the manner in which you blew up earlier over virtually nothing didn't make any sense, I figured I'd demand an explanation"
"What kind of an idiot waits an hour in the dark for someone who might or might not have showed up simply to demand an explanation over virtually nothing?"
He whirled around and shot her a censorious glare. "Do you want to tell me or not?"
Regardless of what his intentions were, this was her chance to get some answers. "How did you know the Death Eaters were after Muggles at the World Cup? And why did you Stun me? Before you even think of denying it, don't bother"
He shrugged non-committedly. "It isn't a secret that Death Eaters are Muggle-haters and besides, you would've gotten both of us into trouble if you had given away our location at the time. It was in my best interests to Stun you"
"How did you know they were Death Eaters in the first place?" she asked suspiciously.
"Doesn't take a genius to put two and two together, there aren't many who would go about attacking people publicly now are there?"
"I suppose" she voiced aloud, not entirely convinced but dropping the subject nonetheless. She smacked him over the back of his head suddenly, sparing none of her strength.
"Ow! What the bloody hell do you think you're-"
"That was for ridiculing me this morning"
Then she promptly brought her leg up to knee him in the gut. "And that was for Stunning and leaving me lying in some godforsaken forest unconscious and defenceless" she said as he coughed and wheezed in pain.
"I was there till those Weasleys showed so I'd say you weren't completely defenceless" he shot back, clutching his throbbing stomach bitterly.
"Well you're not what I would consider defence"
She had to stifle a laugh at the outraged sputtering noises he made, crossing his arms angrily. She found it rather difficult to remain mad at him when he had the most amusing reactions sometimes.
"Come on, we best be heading back" she suggested, paying no heed to his irritated expression. He made a disgruntled sound but followed her nonetheless without further objection, walking together towards the dungeons. The prefects of each House had their own separate dormitories although this was usually within the vicinity and accessible through the common rooms; its password carefully reserved and safeguarded.
"So, I take it that you're not mad anymore?" he asked tentatively after a while.
She couldn't resist baiting him. "That depends. Did you really wait for a whole hour up there?"
"What do you think?" he grumbled. "Imagine me, Draco Malfoy waiting for your sorry excuse of a -"
She laughed good-naturedly as he continued his rant. "I'm glad you did though" she said, offering him a warm smile to answer his earlier question. He regarded her awkwardly and she got the feeling that he hadn't a clue how to return a sincere smile, almost as if he hadn't received all that many before. "How did you know I'd be in the Astronomy Tower?"
"I noticed a clear sky and figured you might be stargazing and moping about your parents again" he mocked lightly.
"Oh" was all she said.
They walked in silence until they came to her dormitory. She shoved him a good distance away before muttering the password quickly under her breath. He peered curiously over her shoulder into the dimly lit dorm as she scowled and let herself in. She had only just shut the door when a thought crossed her mind and she swung it open again hurriedly. He was standing in the exact spot as she had left him a moment ago, staring at her door with an unusual expression which vanished before she could decipher it. Her eyes must have been playing tricks on her for she thought she glimpsed the smallest of smiles on his face.
"You head right back to your bed, no detours, got it?"
He rolled his eyes. "I am not a child, I think I can manage". His expression shifted suddenly and a smirk graced his features as he leaned his forearm against her doorframe. "Unless of course you would like for me to join you in yours, I'd be -" he added in a more suggestive tone.
"Goodnight, Malfoy" she quickly cut him off and shut the door with a bang for good measure. Her cheeks had grown slightly warm and she hoped it was too dark for him to had noticed. She washed and changed into her pyjamas before signing off her rounds in the log book, intentionally leaving out the bit on Malfoy and burrowed under her sheets. Her eyelids grew heavy within minutes and sleep overcame her, her last thoughts on a certain enigmatic Slytherin.
…
I was making my way to the library when I noticed a crowd gathering in the courtyard. A glimpse of white-blonde hair had me groaning and cursing my responsibilities as a Slytherin prefect before weaving my way through to find Malfoy once again at odds with Harry.
Why is it when something happens it always involves these two?
I overheard Malfoy's rude comments about Mrs Weasley and Harry retaliated with an insult to Mrs Malfoy. As he was turning away, I caught sight of the fury on Malfoy's face and I knew he wouldn't let it slide. Call it first-hand experience if you will but if there was one thing I knew about him was that he was fiercely protective of his family, his mother particularly.
"Malfoy, don't!" I called out but before I could react, he threw a curse at Harry's retreating back. The next thing I knew in Malfoy's place was a white ferret. I watched in horror as Professor Moody bounced him off the floor with his wand like a ball.
"Professor!" I cried, brandishing my wand to undo the spell. The boy lay sprawled on the ground with his face flushed.
"You alright?" I asked, offering him my hand which he slapped away, scrambling up on his feet. He lurched unsteadily and would've fallen over face first if I hadn't caught him by the elbow in time.
"Hogwarts does not punish students by hexing them. We are given detention or reported to the Head of House… Professor" I finished lamely and as respectfully as I could whilst struggling to keep a hold on a squirming Malfoy who looked like he wanted nothing more than to escape Professor Moody's intimidating presence.
"Shall we get Madam Pomfrey to have a look at you?" I asked him in a quieter tone. He nodded his head quickly, eyeing the former Auror in fear. He resembled a terrified animal, the fact that he was one only a moment before notwithstanding.
"What is your name, girl?" the Professor barked.
"Ariana Montaine, sir"
He eyed me a moment longer but didn't say another word and I silently thanked my lucky stars that he had not threatened to report me or anything of the sort. Instead, he simply attempted to pluck a trembling Malfoy from me, presumably to Madam Pomfrey.
"It's quite alright, Professor, as the Slytherin prefect, I'll take him" I quickly interjected when Malfoy squeezed my forearm in a tight, bordering painful grip. A part of me questioned why I was defending Malfoy again and if the identical expressions on Harry and Ron's faces were any indication, they were wondering the same. Perhaps it was empathy at the look of genuine terror in his eyes, even if he deserved every bit of it. The Professor scrutinized me closely with his swivelling eye and with a single nod, limped off, just as Professor McGonagall happened by. She was quickly filled in on what had happened and left with haste, instructing me to escort Malfoy to the hospital wing while she hurried after Professor Moody.
…
Montaine, eh?, he thought elatedly to himself as he hobbled along the corridor. He had received instructions to search for the girl while he was here to deal with the Potter boy and in return the man had offered his assistance in restoring the master's body. He certainly had not expected to locate the Grindelwald heir so quickly nor had he anticipated her to be quite the talented young witch, having undone his Transfiguration in mere moments. Best be keeping an eye on her until the rest of my plans are complete, I'd be a fool to hand her over before the master returns.
…
"Oh, stop your whining, it isn't that bad" I rolled my eyes at a moaning Malfoy, lounging on an empty bed while Madam Pomfrey examined him on the adjacent one.
"Not that bad? He turned me into a ferret! Me! A bloody ferret! Wait till my father hears about this!"
"Well, you deserved it. Casting a spell on someone while their backs are turned? That's cowardly even for you"
"Shut up, nobody asked for your opinion"
"I think I liked you better as a ferret. Should have left you as one, you ungrateful prat"
"Then I'd be sure to follow and torment you every day of your sorry life"
"Aren't you already?"
"Hush, both of you" Madam Pomfrey scolded. "This is a hospital wing, there are other students resting and it would do you well to be more considerate to them"
"Yea, cause considerate is Malfoy's middle name"
"Like you're any better" he sneered.
"Enough" she shushed us sternly. I mumbled an apology before sticking my tongue out at him behind the matron's back. His eyes narrowed to slits as he glowered at me. To think that I had even felt a wee bit concerned, guess my marbles were more scattered than I thought.
"Seeing as how your mouth appears to be working perfectly fine, I see no need to continue wasting my precious time here" I arose as he glared at me. "Good day, Madam Pomfrey" I bid her politely, but she spoke before I could take another step. "It appears that everything is as it should be. Mr Malfoy does not appear to be suffering any effects of the Transfiguration, I see no need for him to remain here but as a precaution, however Ms Montaine, I ask that you monitor any changes to his condition, at least for the day and see him back securely to your dormitories for now"
"You want me to babysit him? He's not a child, I think he can manage his own way back just fine" I argued.
"Ms Montaine" she chastised.
"But you said he's-" She scowled at me and I knew better than to press my case. I groaned. "Fine" I turned to the sulking blonde and tugged him off the bed. "Come on, I haven't got all day"
"Get your hands off me, I don't need your help" he protested, trying to shake me off as I escorted him firmly by the arm.
"Oh, but you're so badly hurt" I cooed. "I couldn't possibly allow my fellow Slytherin to suffer in pain all by himself now, can I? I'll see to it that you have all the 'help' you need" I fussed, sarcasm rolling off my tongue easily. If I had to go through the painful process of listening to his incessant whining the entire day, there was no way I was going to be the only one suffering.
He opened his mouth to object but seemed to think better of it. A sardonic smile formed on his lips and it made me instantly wary. "You're right, how kind of you" he feigned congenially. Then without warning, he threw an arm around my shoulder and leaned his weight onto me. He had a good five inches on me and the additional load made me stumble awkwardly. He flashed me a wicked smirk away from Madam's watchful eye.
"What do you take me for, your personal armrest? If you think I'm escorting you about like this, think again" I glared, attempting futilely to throw his arm off. The prick had the gall to lean even closer, throwing his weight as I became increasingly aware of our close physical contact. I could smell his cologne, a familiar musky scent that I always caught a whiff of when he passed by and I obstinately ignored the ludicrous urge to inhale more of it.
"But I'm feeling lightheaded all of a sudden and you heard Madam Pomfrey, you need to monitor any changes to my condition and see me securely to the dorms" he applied pressure to the arm around my shoulders and my knees almost buckled.
"Oh, for crying out loud" I snapped. "You're such an immature pain in the-"
Poppy Pomfrey shook her head as she watched the two Slytherins bicker their way out of the hospital wing.