Me Against the World
Disclaimer: I know that you are going to find this incredibly hard to believe, but Draco Malfoy and posse to do not belong to me. Big shocker, I know.
Author's Note: There are several new characters introduced in this story because the Harry Potter books are Gryffindor-centric and don't tell much of the Slytherin characters that aren't Harry's age. Joel Pritchard, Clarissa Hawthorne, Nora Willows, Madrigal Evans, and Bradin Cabot are not real HP characters. Graham Pritchard is however. (He's sorted in Slytherin in the Goblet of Fire) This story takes place in Draco's sixth year.
This story is also a work in progress, but I will try to post each chapter as soon as possible.
Thanks in advance for taking the time to read this story. Please, please review.
Chapter One
And they used to say
That one day you'll forget it
And you won't hear them
And they used to say that time
Goes by but nothing changes
I won't miss my flight again
I'm not where I belong
So give me just one more chance
And one by one, I'll prove you wrong…
One by One by Simple Plan
"Sixth year is going to be so great." Pansy Parkinson said as she plopped herself down on one of the long wooden benches of the Slytherin table.
Millicent Bulstrode, a pudgy sixth year, nodded in agreement as she herself sat down next to someone that could hardly be called her friend, since all Pansy actually did was insult her. They had the same relationship that Draco felt he and the blockhead brothers had. Not that he was comparing himself to Pansy Parkinson, of all people, mind you.
"Well, look whose back," Pansy snickered. Draco looked up to see who she was referring to. A skinny, pale girl with dark freckles and long dark hair was walking towards them.
"Back? I've never seen her before," Draco said, staring at her. He couldn't remember her at all. Nothing seemed familiar. Not the long dark hair, not the entirely black outfit, not the bright shiny silver locket hanging from her neck. She was new to him.
"Welcome," Pansy said, when the girl was in earshot. "Come, sit, long time no see."
The girl gave a tiny smile, tucked a wandering strand of hair behind her ear, and sat down across from Draco, next to a seventh year Slytherin by the name of Clarissa. Clarissa, a tall girl with shiny blonde hair glanced at the new girl and gave a nod before turning back to her conversation with Joel and Graham Pritchard, seventh and third years respectively.
"So, Zabini, how were the States?" Pansy snickered. Draco felt an unexplained pang of guilt. This girl, although clearly a Slytherin by the patch on her cloak, hardly seemed like the rest of them. It was something in her eyes; her dark green eyes…
"Nice," She said, not providing any more information than this. Draco noticed the corner of Pansy's mouth twitch.
"So, what's your name?" Draco asked her. Zabini, who had been staring at her fingernails, looked up at Draco, her eyes making him feel uneasy.
"Blaise Zabini, I'm the same year as you." She said coldly.
"Oh, sorry, for some reason, I didn't remember you," He said, now unable to remember when a person had made him this uncomfortable.
"I wouldn't have expected you to," She said, returning her gaze to her fingernails.
Dumbledore then stepped up to the head table and began his usual droning speech which was then preceded by the Sorting. Nora Willows, Madrigal Evans, and Bradin Cabot were the only new Slytherins that year, but the number of Hufflepuffs was overwhelming. All three of the first years seemed highly intelligent, which was something Draco could not say about four of his fellow sixth years. The fifth, however, he had a feeling was much different.
"So where did you go to school while you were there?" Millicent asked Blaise, who was silently watching Bradin and Madrigal as the animatedly described the boat ride over.
It took Blaise a second to realize that Millicent was talking to her. "Um, I was home schooled." She answered, quietly, before focusing her gaze on Nora Willows, who was now fighting with Madrigal for Bradin's attention.
"The Ministry allowed that?" Pansy asked, highly suspicious of Blaise.
"My parents were there on business. They had special permission," was all the information she provided, once again infuriating Pansy, who like most other Slytherins, thrived on learning the gossip, secrets, and details of everyone's lives.
"Really?" Pansy inquired, pushing her pumpkin pudding around on her plate until it blended with some ugly green concoction. Disgusted, he slid away from her, probably a little too much because now he was practically sitting in Joel Pritchard's lap. Joel shot him an odd look, before returning to his pile of mashed potatoes and Clarissa.
"Really. Anything else you want to know while you're interrogating me?" She snapped, causing an awkward silence. "Um, I think I am going to unpack," Blaise said suddenly, before jumping to her feet and whisking off towards the door.
Pansy looked at Millicent and nodded. "We should help her. Come on, Crabbe, Goyle." Millicent said, motioning for their boyfriends to follow them. Draco remained seated at the table, although he scooted a little farther from Joel.
"Draco?" Pansy asked in a high shrill voice. Clearly, she was just dating Goyle until she thought Draco would come to his senses about her, which is something he would never do. He'd go to the next Yule Ball with Joel before taking Pansy again.
"I'm still hungry, but you go on up." Draco told her, which was an obvious lie. He hadn't eaten anything in the past ten minutes at least. Neither had Blaise, from the looks of it. She had swirled her food around with her spoon, much like Pansy had, but instead of a gross mess like hers, Blaise's mashed potatoes were in the shape of a heart. He watched her trace it; completely absentmindedly as she talked to Madrigal and Nora. She seemed to find them more interesting than her fellow sixth years.
After Pansy and her entourage went to find the mouse like newcomer, Draco was left sitting with Graham, Joel, Clarissa, and Bradin, the few Slytherins still in the hall. He noticed most of the other students had gone too; the entire Gryffindor table had cleared out as well as the Ravenclaw, and only a lone Hufflepuff who had fallen asleep at dinner, remained at that table.
"How was your holiday, Draco?" Clarissa asked, flipping her hair. Joel let out a sigh, causing Graham to smirk.
"Good," he answered, but he had more important things on his mind, such as Blaise Zabini.
"What do you guys know about Blaise? I swear I've never seen her before."
Joel shook his head. "She left right after that thing with her brother," he said to Clarissa, who nodded in agreement. Bradin, not knowing anything about Blaise and her reappearance, excused himself from the table.
"I don't remember her," Graham said, Draco unsure if Graham was just siding with him or if he honestly didn't remember her.
"You wouldn't, would you? She left after her third year." Clarissa said. "Lost her the same year we lost Oliver Wood. What a bad year."
Joel quickly shot up, "What?"
"Don't get your robes in a knot," Clarissa snapped. "I know he's Gryffindor, but he was still adorable."
"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that." Joel replied, looking as if he could find Oliver Wood, he would be a dead man.
"What happened with her brother?" Graham asked his mouth full of a biscuit.
"Gross," Clarissa said, flipping her hair again. "Not really sure, she wouldn't talk about it. Something happened over winter break. He never came back, but she did. Rumors are he got involved with You-Know-Who and died."
Draco was quite stunned about this. Clarissa rarely brought up the topic of Voldemort, she was utterly terrified of him. This trio, they had become his friends over the past year or so, much more so than Parkinson, Goyle, and the others had ever been, and he knew that Clarissa, Joel, and Graham were never on the Dark Lord's side. Perhaps that was why he hung out with them. He originally thought it was because they had six hundred times more brain cells than his fellow sixth years combined, but he now thought it was their similar thoughts. None of them wanted to become Death Eaters like their parents. Not one of them. Of course this topic was never discussed outside of their little four some. What if someone found out that four Slytherins had full intentions of turning their backs on the Dark Lord? Draco knew that would be killed on the spot; no one turned against the Dark Lord.
"So, do you think that was what Blaise was doing in America?" Graham asked, his mouth now biscuit free.
"I don't know. I've never really talked to her. I don't think anyone really has. She took a couple classes with us, she was smart, taking advanced classes," Joel said. "I talked to her brother a couple of times, Blaine or Blair or something really close to her name. He seemed like an okay guy. Never gave off the air that he was doing dirty work for the Dark Lord but I guess you can never trust anyone."
Clarissa nodded in agreement. The sleeping Hufflepuff gave a loud snore.
"So…" Joel said, trying to ignore the uncomfortable silence that ensued for a few seconds. "Draco, I was thinking, we need to change the quidditch line up this year. We cannot afford to have those two blockheads are beaters again this year."
"What were you thinking then?" Draco asked, honestly quite relieved that Joel was getting rid of them. The less time he spent with them, the better.
"Well, I'll still be chaser, as will Clarissa and Graham, and you'll be seeker of course." Joel said, the three others nodding in agreement. "I've heard some pretty good things about Kate Judd, for keeper. And I think we'll move Jesse from keeper to beater, because let's face it, he sucked at blocking the goal. And we'll still need one more beater, but I'm sure someone will turn up if we hold a tryout."
It was nearly an hour later that Draco wandered up to the Slytherin common room, with Graham in tow. Joel and Clarissa went to wake up the sleeping Hufflepuff, and then disappeared. Graham, who was so sleepy, he had almost pulled a Hufflepuff, and fell asleep while Joel was discussing some new quidditch move that the German seeker had pulled off at one of the summer games. Clarissa, seemed to be drifting off too, but she did a better job of staying awake than Graham.
When they reached the common room, the fire was barely alive, with only one person in front of it; Blaise. She was curled up under a dark green blanket, reading something that captivated her attention; she didn't notice Graham nor Draco until a half asleep Graham muttered, "Good night Draco, nice to meet you Blaise," as he stumbled up the stairs.
Blaise looked up from her book, obviously shocked that a boy she had never seen knew her name. Draco didn't understand way though, she honestly could not have believed that people weren't talking about her return.
"Hello," Blaise said icily, as Draco sat in the arm chair adjacent to the sofa that Blaise was on.
"Listen," Draco said, right as Blaise returned to her novel. She put the book down again, but looked perturbed. "I'm sorry about earlier. I just don't have a very good memory."
"Well, it's not like you took the time to get to know me then," she replied.
Draco studied her for a minute. Why hadn't he gotten to know her then? Why did he hang out with the others instead of her? She was far prettier, she even rivaled that of Clarissa in a completely opposite way. Clarissa was blonde with loose curls that fell to her shoulders; Blaise's dark brown hair was longer and dead straight. Clarissa's skin was rosy and flawless; Blaise's was pale like his, but with a sprinkle of dark freckles across her nose and cheeks. The eyes were the most different though, Clarissa's bright blue eyes held warmth and happiness; Blaise's brilliant green eyes held sadness and secrets. Draco could always sense secrets. It was in the eyes. And from the looks of it, Blaise had quite a few.
"What?" Blaise asked, snapping Draco out of his trance, causing him to realize that he had been staring at her.
He could feel his cheeks flush. What was this? He never was embarrassed. Especially not around girls. They all seemed to worship him. But not her. "You're really pretty." He said, instantly regretting the words when he heard them come out of his mouth. He waited for her reaction.
Blaise just stared back at him for what seemed like the longest seconds ever. She gave him a tiny smile and a look that suggested to Draco she had never heard those words directed at her before. "Thanks," she whispered, as if she said it any louder, it would make his compliment untrue.
"What are you reading?" He asked, trying to glance at the cover of her book. It was blank.
This time it was Blaise who looked flushed. "It's nothing," she said, tucking the book into a pocket of her cloak. "Wow, it seems late. What time is it?"
"A little past midnight, I think," Draco replied.
"I didn't realize that I had been down here so long. I was trying to avoid those two trolls." She admitted.
"Crabbe and Goyle?" Draco asked, unable to see why she was bothering to hide from them. They were so stupid they probably hadn't even noticed she arrived.
"No, Pansy and Millicent. Merlin, I hated them then, and I hate them even more now. I don't see how you put up with them." Blaise said, not caring that Draco knew her true feelings towards the people she thought were his friends.
"Simple, I don't." Draco said, and Blaise's mouth twitched, almost like she wanted to smile. "I hate them. They just sort of hang around. Joel, Clarissa, and Graham are more my friends."
"Joel and Clarissa?" Blaise said. "I remember them. I didn't see Joel though."
"He was sitting next to me at dinner."
"Wow, he got a lot taller since I last saw him and he finally cut his hair. I didn't know his eyes were brown," Blaise reminisced.
"Yeah, Graham's his little brother."
"Ah, the sleepy kid. That explains why he knew my name. I didn't think I'd seen him before."
"He came during our fourth year. After you left." Draco said.
"Oh," she said, her tiny smile slowly disappearing. She stood up and folded the blanket she had been wrapped up in. "I think I'm going to go to bed, but it was nice meeting you, Draco Malfoy," she said, before heading up the staircase.
He couldn't be sure, but out of the corner of his eye, he thought her saw Blaise hug the untitled book to her chest and smile to herself.
He wandered up to the boy's staircase, to the seventh year dorms. There were only two seventh year Slytherins; Clarissa and Joel. There always seemed to be a much smaller number of Slytherins than any other house. It could be lonely, but Draco kind of preferred it this way. Less people to annoy him. Since Joel was the only seventh year boy, there were extra beds in his dorm. Draco crashed on the bed next to the sleeping Joel, glad he did not have to share a dorm with the snoring Crabbe and Goyle, and drifted off to sleep, quite happy with the way this year was turning out.
I know this was kind of a slow chapter and rather short too, but I was really eager to post; but don't worry the next chapter will be much more witty and longer. Also, after reading this, my friend suggested I add a disclaimer. In this story, Draco is not being a soft goody-goody and is not on the same side as Harry Potter. He still hates Gryffindors very much, it's just that he does not like the idea that when he grows up he will have to live to serve the Dark Lord. As we all know, Draco does not take kindly to orders, and does not want to be a servant to someone else when he could very much be living his own life. Freedom is his real motivation for being against the Dark Lord, not good versus evil like Potter.
Thanks again and please, please, please review!
Love ya!
Preppy in Pink