The Dark Side of the Moon

Chapter 3

Enough

Usually, Hufflepuffs were described as easily forgotten under the limelight of Gryffindors heroes, the brilliant minds of Ravenclaw and the conning works of Slytherins. Characterized, by their sweet, shy nature most other students in Hogwarts were not threatened in the slightest by a Hufflepuff. After all, hard work was easily outmatched by a brilliant mind, loyalty outshined by heroism and their generally sweet disposition quickly taken advantage of by those of a sly and cunning nature.

Lilith Moon had never cared much for the usual description of her house. She was of the opinion that allowing the rest of the world to think she was a pushover could do no harm; it only led to them underestimating her, which eventually gave her the upper hand. Quite like the badger that boldly stood on Hufflepuff's blazon. At first glance, the furry, cuddly animal appeared to be rather harmless, even cute, but when riled, ferocious might be an understatement. Badgers have been known to fight much larger predators, such as wolves, coyotes, and bears, when threatened and come out victorious.

Draco Malfoy was simply a wolf who threatened her way of life and Lilith Moon was about to kick his ass, or at least make him cry.

She stood in front of the bathroom mirror glaring at her forlorn and weeping reflection; shorten bits of burnt curls dangling limply around her ears. It was silly really, to be so upset about losing one's hair, but telling herself that didn't seem to make her feel any better about it. "Okay," she breathed, wiping away her tears and putting on a brave face, the hollowness of her dark eyes betraying her sadness. However, she had grown used the empty look in her eyes; they had been empty for a long time now.

Flipping quickly through one of Megan Jones' copies of Witch Weekly, she searched for a suitable hair style, in the pages of what she considered one of the most degrading magazines a witch could own, however useful. Finally landing on an article labeled, 'Embrace Your Inner Punk Rocker' she found something that might work. "Well, it's the right length anyway," she informed the mirror, showing it the image.

"Whatever pleases you, dearie," replied the mirror, disgustedly.

"It's a good thing you can't scowl," Moon said dryly. Picking up her wand, she held the tip of it to her skull, silently praying the charm would work. As she began to read the charm, in a nearly silent chant, her hair glowed a vivid purple, the strands shortening and rearranging themselves in a new fashion. When the purple hue faded into nothing, Moon glanced at her reflection and cringed.

"It worked," chuckled the mirror.

Moon's eyes flickered between her reflection and the image in the magazine before groaning, "Yeah, it did." Running her fingers through the now brighten, spiky hair she tilted her head to the side. "I look like Weasley and Granger's lovechild."

Her once long, wavy dark red hair was now poker straight, and mostly short with longer shaggy tendrils that hung about her face. The unnatural shade of crimson red with bleach blonde undertones wasn't definitely not going to help her blend-in as she had spent most of her school career doing. No, it was definitely a standout sort of style.

Moon exhaled slowly, tracing a jagged scar along the column of her throat before letting her fingers travel to the fang marks behind her ear, trailing their round, spiraling path to her shoulder. "Nothing to hide behind now," she murmured quietly.

With another long sigh, she opened the medicine cabinet for the second time that day. Carefully avoiding the transfigured pills, she popped one into her mouth. She raised a small glass of water up in a mock toast before swallowing the pill.

Draco Malfoy was beyond pissed, beyond angry, beyond enraged. He was absolutely furious. The wretched little girl had gotten the better of him twice. And what of his revenge? Nothing. He had completely destroyed the only moderately attractive thing about the girl and she sat completely unaffected in the desk across from him, staring dazedly as the Ancient Runes professor rambled on about something he honestly could not care less to understand. She had even gone and made the mess he made of her even worse. She looked like one of Weasley and Granger's future children.

A small hand wandered its way up Malfoy's thigh and Pansy Parkinson cooed, "Draco, baby, what's the matter?" He hated the way she emasculated his name like that.

Grabbing her hand in a bone-crushing grip, he hissed, "Don't fucking touch me!" He threw her bruised hand away from him, snorting at her whimper before turning his gaze to the professor as his name was called.

"Ah, and Ms. Moon," said Professor Babbling with a grin. Malfoy clenched his jaw. 'Mr. Malfoy and Ms. Moon what?' he thought irately. The professor did not answer his unspoken question; instead, she called out another set of names. "Ms. Parkinson and Ms. Patil."

'Good gods,' moaned Malfoy mentally, 'partners with the bitch.' He continued to mentally whine over the matter until the scraping of chairs could be heard, notifying him of what he thought was a dismissal.

He stood abruptly, only to have his skull collide with a sharp solid object. A painful cry sounded above him as he rubbed his head and glanced up. Lilith Moon was standing above him clutching her chin in her hand as blood tickled between her fingers. "Fuck," he growled, "you've given me a headache."

An undignified squawk escaped her lips, before Malfoy was roughly shoved to the side by a muscular arm. "Easy, Moon," said Wayne Hopkins, a seventh year Hufflepuff, as blood spilled down the front of her shirt. Hopkins conjured a handkerchief and gently tugged Moon's hand from her chin sopping up the blood in the little piece of fabric. His ice blue eyes searched hers and he frowned. "You alright, Moon?" She gave an affirmative nod, but he still had his doubts. You see, Wayne Hopkins was going to be a Healer and her glazed eyes shouted at him that something was wrong.

"She'll have to see Madam Pomfrey," he announced still holding the handkerchief to her chin.

Professor Babbling nodded her agreement. "Mr. Malfoy, why don't you escort Ms. Moon to the infirmary? You can get something for you head while you're there."

Malfoy scowled. "She'll be fine. It'll stop bleeding in a moment."

"Now, Mr. Malfoy," snapped Babbling and Malfoy groaned, grabbing his bag and tossing it angrily over his shoulder. He strode huffily from the room not waiting for Moon to follow, slamming the door as he exited.

"Stupid, clumsy bitch," Malfoy muttered to himself storming down the hallway as Moon tottered along behind him. He swiftly arrived at the Hospital Wing, slamming the door closed to gain the attention of the nurse.

"Mr. Malfoy, how can I hel—" Madam Pomfrey cut off as Moon stumbled in after him.

Malfoy grabbed her arm, shoving her toward Madam Pomfrey. "This needs medical attention," he said shortly.

"Mr. Malfoy!" exclaimed Madam Pomfrey, shooting him a glare. "Have a seat; I'll deal with you in a moment." She gently took Moon by the arm guiding her to a bed.

As Madam Pomfrey tended to the gash under Moon's chin, she gauged her reactions and demeanor silently. With a heavily exhalation of air, she sighed. "How many did you take?"

Moon blinked up at her. "Enough."

"Lilith, I swear to God, if you don—"

"Just three," admitted Moon, obviously avoiding an argument. "And two last night."

Madam Pomfrey quickly whipped around on her heel, vanishing from the room with a swish of her robes. To say Malfoy's interest was piqued would be an understatement. He watch with barely concealed intrigue as Madam Pomfrey returned with a bottle of vile green potion. "If you do this again, Lilith, I will turn you in. You may not give a shit, but I do." Malfoy's eyes widened as the foul word left Pomfrey's lips. He had done many things to irk the nurse and he had never managed to rile her so.

A shudder ran down Moon's spine as she drank the potion but she did not give any sort of acknowledgement to Madam Pomfrey's words.

"Get out," Madam Pomfrey said coldly when it was obvious Moon was going to remain silent. She quickly vacated the nurse's domain. "Both of you," Pomfrey snapped when Malfoy failed to follow Moon out the door. He left as quickly as the other student had; the nurse was obviously in a fit of temper.

Malfoy's long strides allowed him to overtake Moon easily. Stepping in front of her and halting he caused her to crash into his chest. He grabbed her arm and shoved her against the wall, pinning her to it with his body. "What was that about, Moon?" he asked arrogantly. "What are you doing to irk dear Poppy Pomfrey so?" Smirking, he dipped his head, whispering in her ear. "And what, pray tell, do you have on her to make her keep your secrets?"

His breath was hot on her neck and Moon's heart raced in her chest as the close proximity caused the familiar pang of panic to rise up in her. The intense anxiety radiated from her, washing over Malfoy like a cool breeze. He relished in it — the intense pounding of her heart, her strained attempts to breathe, her nervous quaking. "Oh," he breathed, placing a hot kiss on her jaw. "You don't like this?"

Pressing her body closer to the wall with his own, he watched her gulp, closing her eyes and thinning her lips into nothing but a line. He placed a hand on her hip, searching for her skin with his fingers. His fingers tingled with excitement when she gasped as he made contact. "Do you like this, little Moon?" he queried before tracing a tiny nick of a scar with his tongue, her trembling arousing him more than he ever imagined it could.

Each time he touched her, even the most gently of caresses, felt like white, hot knives slicing her skin, and she unwillingly released a whimper. "No," she whispered faintly. Malfoy quashed the pang of guilt at her sincere answer.

"No?" he asked, nuzzling against her neck. He pressed his lips to her carotid artery, he could almost hear the intense fast paced pounding of her heart as he whispered, "And this? Do you like this?" She gave a weak shake of her head, and he felt his blood rush to his groin.

Sucking gently on the pulse point, feeling as if he was eating her heartbeat, he groaned and pressed his erection against her. She screamed weakly and the sound of it was lost in the empty corridor. Her breathing grew shallower and she gripped his robes in her fist. "Please, Draco," she begged. "Stop."

He thought he'd burst right there. The way she begged his name. That's how it was supposed to be said. People were supposed to beg him, to worship him, to need him. "Say it again," he demanded, sliding his hand up to her waist.

"Please," she cried as she clawed at him, desperately trying to escape.

Growling, he fisted his hand in her hair forcing her to arc her neck, moving his other hand to her back making her arch her spine off the wall, pressing her against him. Her body bent to resemble the graceful slope of a bow; he tasted the long scar that trailed up the column of her throat, placing a sultry kiss on her newly mended chin. "No," he said, whispering in her ear now, "My name. Say my name," he ordered.

Burning tears slipped down into Moon's hair, her heart rate quickening again as she whispered, "You'll let me go?" Malfoy gave a quick decisive nod, pressing his lips to the pulse point again. He bit down, almost gently, as she opened her lips and this time her pleading call was mixed with a cry of pain. Malfoy thought he'd die of bliss.

"Good girl," praised her mockingly, placing one last tender kiss on the welted flesh of her neck before abruptly pulling away, leaving her slumped against the wall. He watched with a sort of amused smirk as she slid to the floor, wrapping her arms around her knees, completely giving in to the terror in her mind.

He strode away without a care, intent on finding Pansy Parkinson to take care of what he had started.

Endnotes:

1) This chapter is about three hundred words longer than it's predecessors, let's pretend that it's to make up for the crappy beginning. (That's right, I realize the whole first section of this chapter was shit.)

2) Do you think Draco is in character? I sort of second guessed myself. He fits the cruel, conceded bastard part of the bill in this chapter, but he did take an awful lot of initiative. Hmm… Thoughts? Please?

3) How many of you would be angry if I made Lupin the Defense professor? I realize that would be bringing him back to life and all, but I'd have to create an OC if I don't. Or pull something crazy out of my hat, which might be frightening.

4) Wayne Hopkins is a character from the books, just in case you were wondering. "Harry Potter and Me," again for the name, age and house. I should say thank you to the masters of obsession over at the Harry Potter Lexicon, because they make all this information so easy to access. You guys rock my socks.

5) Thanks so much to all who've reviewed so far. You are awesome.