AN: Dude...I take off two months, and then I write two chapters in a week. I am impressed with myself.
Draco emerged from the door to the boys' dormitories, still shaky and on-edge. A small group of Slytherin students were clustered tightly in front of the entrance to the Common Room, glancing over each other's heads with curiosity and blocking Draco's view of what was on the other side. Still, he was pretty sure he could make a fair guess.
Sure enough, he soon caught the voice of one of his housemates – a tall sixth year at the front of the group.
"What d'you want, Potter?" Amusement and annoyance were both clear in his voice. It was certainly uncommon for a Gryffindor to show up in the dungeons, demanding admittance to Slytherin territory.
"Where's Malfoy?" Harry's angry voice came from just outside the large room.
Draco, wanting nothing more than to get everything over with, crossed the Common Room and shoved his way forward to the entrance. "This has nothing to do with you," he snapped at students as he passed them. "Get lost!"
His words made little to no difference, and the Slytherins only crammed in tighter as Draco approached the three Gryffindors, who were standing imposingly in the dark dungeon corridor.
Granger's hair stood out even further from her head than usual, and she, Potter and Weasley all showed signs of running a long distance. They had only just caught up to Malfoy.
"What took you so long, Granger?" he asked sharply, as nothing better to say came to mind immediately. He was having great difficulty even fixing a sneer onto his face.
Ron stepped forward, looking murderous. "What did you do to my brother, Malfoy?"
Draco could feel the panic ebbing its way back into his mind, but he shrugged it off quickly. "Which one?" he asked, deftly slipping into insult mode. "I doubt your own parents can keep track of the mess of second-hand redheads they've launched into the world."
Before Ron could snarl and insult back at Malfoy, Hermione took charge of the conversation. "George Fabian Weasley, Malfoy," she elaborated unnecessarily. "We know that you're somehow in on what's been happening with him."
"I haven't the faintest what you're on about. You're sure it's not just something to do with that Bludger he caught so fantastically a while back?" Draco said, leaning against the wall with as much of a maliciously nonchalant expression as he could manage. "Who the hell gave you lot the bloody right to chase me down and interrogate me?" he demanded, staring condescendingly at the three seething Gryffindors.
"Ask him about the monster! Ask him about his precious pet!" a voice shot out from behind the trio. Bulstrode stood in the hallway, seeming extremely pleased that she wasn't the only one giving Draco trouble.
Malfoy smirked easily. Millicent was in for a bit of an unpleasant shock. "What are you talking about?" he yelled back at her, past Potter's accusing glare. "I don't have any pets!" No one would find anything on him.
Hermione had turned to Millicent, looking intrigued and excited. "What does it look like?" she asked eagerly, apparently forgetting the fact that she despised Bulstrode, and never before would have even attempted to ask a civilized question.
Millicent seemed slightly surprised at the question, but answered readily. "Well, it was black…with, with some red. And it had fangs and a –"
"A little tail?" Hermione cut in. Draco's stomach sank, as she turned, ecstatic, to her anxious friends. "Harry, Ron that's it! That's the creature that was in the book!"
"But I'm telling you," Draco started, "I don't own anything like –"
His words were lost as Harry attempted to shove past him and into the Green and Silver Common Room. But the same dark-haired sixth year that had opened the entrance for Harry reached out an arm and stopped him. Though it was obvious that the surrounding Slytherins were extremely curious, there was no way in hell that they were going to let Harry Potter of all people come traipsing into their private quarters.
Draco, who wasn't about to lose this opportunity to put George Weasley's friends off track once and for all, moved forward and parted the throng of protective Slytherins.
"No, no. Let them look," Draco insisted calmly. "Though I assure you Potter, you won't find anything in my dormitory."
The boy holding Harry shrugged briefly and released him with a disdainful sneer. Harry glanced back at his friends, before the three of them continued on into enemy territory.
Draco turned with a small smile and walked behind them back toward the dorms, now followed by half a dozen whispering Slytherins who had been observing the conversation avidly from the sidelines.
At a demanding glare from Ron, Draco indicated which door led to his room. As painful as it was seeing Potter and his friends marching into his domain, it was a small price to pay for getting them all off his case. As soon as they had made a thorough mess of his things looking for a creature that no longer existed, he could finally tell them to piss off, and probably even tell Professor Snape what they had done, landing them in detention.
After the trio and Malfoy, Millicent Bulstrode was the next into the room – looking joyous with triumph. She immediately walked to Malfoy's bed and pulled his trunk out from underneath, heaving it up and speedily undoing the latches.
The three present Gryffindors crowded forward, as well as anyone else that could fit in the small space between the beds. Draco merely stood, leaning casually against a wall as he enjoyed watching the others' excited expressions.
Millicent hastily removed the small trunk from the larger one and clicked it open. Her eager eyes scanned its contents, before narrowing with suspicion and anger.
"Where is it…" she mumbled under her breath, removing a few small items from the trunk, while Granger looked to Weasley with a nervous expression. Draco just smirked.
"Malfoy," Bulstrode hissed, wheeling around to face him. "Where did you hide it?" She was beginning to look hysterical, her eyes growing wide. "WHERE DID YOU HIDE YOUR STUPID CREATURE?"
Draco pulled the smile off of his face and replaced it with an open expression. Eyebrows lifted, he drawled, "I just keep telling you, Bulstrode. There never was any creature."
At this blatant lie, Millicent narrowed her eyes, clenched her teeth, and launched herself at Draco. He went down under her considerable bulk, his short, high pitched scream barely audible over her bellow of rage.
The kids in the crowded dorm room immediately set up a significant amount of noise, shouting out jeers and encouragement as Bulstrode actually raised a heavy fist and pummeled it into Malfoy's stomach.
Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged dejected glances – not really understanding what was happening, and being equally unsure what to do at the moment. Maybe this sort of thing was common with the Slytherins?
The commotion died down immediately as Argus Filch – who had been dutifully patrolling the dungeon corridors, and couldn't help but hear the din coming through the still-open Common Room entrance – elbowed his way into the room. Students parted as he stepped further in, then paused to look from one apprehensive face to the next.
"What's all this noise about?" he demanded suspiciously, his eyes landing immediately on Harry.
The sound of Filch's voice caused Millicent Bulstrode to freeze, her hands still wrapped firmly around a purpling Draco's throat. Under the Caretaker's quivering gaze, she slowly released her grip, and Draco took in a shuddering gasp.
Millicent got to her feet and glared around the room, her lower lip starting to tremble and her eyes filling with tears. "He…he d-did something to my cat, sir," she addressed Filch.
Argus Filch nodded several times, a harsh smile pulling at his lips. "I knew it would be Potter at the bottom of a problem," he confirmed to himself. "He's a cat killer!"
Harry opened his mouth to defend himself, but Bulstrode scoffed through her tears, "Not him! Malfoy!" She turned and glared at Draco, who was on his feet, but still wincing and rubbing his neck. "He's got a creature - some kind of spider. And he's not supposed to have it!" she added, to enforce her case against him.
"You," Filch snarled at a rather small Slytherin standing near the door. "You'll go and fetch Professor Snape about this." The boy started to leave, but Filch called him back. "McGonagall too. We'll see what business Gryffindors like these three have in here."
The next several minutes were long and awkward ones – Malfoy attempting to stay out of Bulstrode's reach in the crowded room, Bulstrode sniffling frequently, and Harry, Ron and Hermione feeling out of place amongst all the green.
Finally the two Heads of House arrived. Both looked rather put out, and McGonagall instantly fixed her three students with expert looks of extreme disappointment before turning to Argus.
"What is so terribly urgent that I have been called to… this part of the castle?" she inquired, speaking the last words with extreme distaste.
At a quick nod from Filch – who seemed rather excited now that there was real authority in the room, and a prospect of real punishments – Millicent recounted her story in full detail to the two professors.
Snape grimaced at the girl momentarily. "Why didn't you come to me about any of this sooner?" he inquired plainly.
"I did!" Millicent exclaimed, seeming on the verge of an emotional breakdown. "You didn't listen to me!"
The number of Slytherin students in the room had doubled, and everyone was watching intently. All eyes turned to Draco, when he spoke for the first time in several minutes.
"This is all entirely pointless!" he declared harshly. "Bulstrodes's cat is always running off on its own," several Slytherin students nodded in agreement, "this time is no different."
"That's not the only reason we're all here, Malfoy," Hermione spoke up from where she, Harry and Ron had been standing silently. "We want to know why you attacked me," (McGonagall raised her eyebrows and turned to stare at Draco), "took my book on Magical creatures – while I was looking at the exact species of highly poisonous Dunkraek Beetle that Bulstrode just described," (Severus did the same as Minerva, adding to the many sets of eyes upon Malfoy), " and then ran," Hermione finished with a small huff.
Draco could feel his self-confidence seeping away under the angry, accusatory and inquisitive stares that weighed down on him. He put on a shocked expression and turned to Hermione.
"I didn't take any book on animals," he announced firmly. Crossing the short distance to his bed, Draco retrieved the second book that he had stolen from the library and held it up for all to see. Hermione's mouth dropped open slightly, and she glared at the Potions textbook as though it had somehow betrayed her.
"I'm working on a make up essay for Professor Sprout," Malfoy improvised quickly. "On the dangers of –" his mind worked frantically to remember the topic of his last Herbology class. " – of…potting carnivorous plants." He finished less than convincingly. The air was heavy with disbelieving stares, until a skinny girl standing near Professor Snape piped up.
"I'm doing the same essay –"
Draco felt that he very easily could have kissed her at that moment.
"- But that's not the right book."
Draco had to resist the strong urge to hex the girl on the spot.
"It isn't?" Draco flipped the book around, and glanced at the cover, shrugging. "My mistake." He dropped it at Hermione's feet. "I've never seen your other book," he said. "Maybe if you weren't so bent on destroying my life, you would find it in the Library where you left it."
There was the odd murmur through the room as the Gryffindors exchanged helpless looks, and Professor Snape took up the conversation again. "Draco, why is it that you felt compelled to physically assault Miss Granger, aside from the obvious."
Minerva set her glare upon Snape.
Draco turned to his Head of House; thankful to be talking to someone that he knew was likely to be on his side. "The paper was late," he confessed falsely, with a faked expression of slight embarrassment. "Granger certainly didn't need it for make up or extra points – and as if I would stoop so low as to ask a Gryffindor for anything," he finished with a classic sneer. While Snape seemed to think this a perfectly adequate answer, McGonagall was hardly pleased.
"There is no excuse for your actions, Mr. Malfoy," she said. "Fifteen points from Slytherin, and I want you in my office tomorrow evening to work out detentions."
Draco grimaced, but kept quiet. He just wanted desperately for everyone to get out of his room and give him a second to breathe.
"If you didn't take that book, then what the hell is wrong with George?" Ron had spoken for the first time since they entered the dorm.
McGonagall looked alarmed. "Whatever do you mean, Mr. Weasley? Your brothers were in my office just minutes before I was called down here. I received a letter from you mother, informing me of…" Minerva's voice died off, and she grew much more solemn when she continued speaking to Ron. "The letter told of a death in your family, Mr. Weasley."
Hermione gasped, and Ron paled. "Your Uncle Mortimer," Minerva explained, though Ron donned a perplexed expression. "But both of your brothers seemed perfectly normal. As normal as can be expected after such tragedy. Though…" her voice grew slightly quieter, "I can't begin to fathom what George meant by lavender colored tea pots, and… putting the socks to bed."
A few students sniggered, and Ron turned helplessly to Harry. "I don't even have an Uncle Mortimer." His face showed signs of panic. "Do I?"
Draco and Severus both rolled their eyes. The Potions Professor addressed all of his Slytherin students. "Unless you are specifically involved in this ridiculous mess, leave the room…now." The finality in his voice left no room for argument, and disappointed Slytherins quickly shuffled out of the room, while Professor McGonagall listened to Hermione's retelling of George's strange actions of late.
"I only did what was perfectly reasonable," Minerva said, though she looked truly concerned. "Fred was quite distraught, and I didn't notice any abnormal behavior at the time."
Draco interrupted with a sigh of impatience. "I demand to know what the Weasley lot's never-ending oddities have to do with me?" he announced, earning himself another stern grimace from McGonagall.
"Nothing," Severus confirmed. "It is time for all of you to go to bed and stop creating problems from small and ordinary things."
"But what about the creature?" Bulstrode asked desperately.
"It doesn't exist, Sir," Draco maintained, when Snape looked to him.
Frowning, Snape spoke to Millicent. "Mr. Filch and I will stay and make a thorough search of this dormitory, to see whether or not Mr. Malfoy is indeed hiding any creature. That is the most I can do. For now, everyone must return to their own Common Rooms," he looked pointedly that the trio of Gryffindors, "and refrain from causing trouble for the remainder of the evening."
"Thank you, Professor Snape," Minerva said. "I can take care of my own students now. Back to Gryffindor Tower, you three. Mr. Weasley, I should like a short word with you."
McGonagall swept out of the room, closely followed by Hermione, Ron and Harry. Draco caught their parting glares as they exited, leaving him greatly relieved. Millicent cast a last despairing glance around the room, before stalking out as well.
Draco looked at Snape, who was staring at him with an entirely unreadable expression, and suddenly felt extremely awkward. Not knowing what else to do, Draco soon left the room the same as the others, leaving Professor Snape and Filch to search it. They wouldn't find anything, of course, but Malfoy still felt uneasy. The last place that he wanted to be was around other people, and he quickly strode across the Common Room and out into the hallway before any questions could be asked by still-curious housemates. Shutting the entrance behind him, Draco left the dungeons.