CHAPTER 2: Anything for you.
Minerva McGonagall, new Headmistress of Hogwarts, was giving her welcoming speech at the Great Hall. Although she lacked the charisma Albus Dumbledore had always had, she presented a very reliable support for the school, and a source of confidence for all those students who still thought Hogwarts would never be the same.
Draco looked around him with disinterested boredom. Several pairs of eyes encountered his, but he refused to make contact with any of those; not out of shame or fear, but of indifference. Only one of those pairs of eyes was worth a tiny effort. When his silvery irises found the emerald ones, he stopped for a second to look into them, and, quite surprisingly, found out Harry Potter did not feel anything that could even resemble triumph over him. Which was actually very Potter-like. And revolting. He clapped mechanically when McGonagall sat down and everyone started eating. His plate remained empty, since he was not hungry, and at the sight of the well-known pumpkin juice, he wished he had a bottle of red wine or even scotch with him. The taste was not as pleasant as it seemed, but he liked the burning sensation that ran down his throat.
-You alright, mate? –a voice interrupted his trail of thought.
He snapped, as if he had been half-asleep. After nodding slightly at Blaise, he served himself a glass of that disappointing pumpkin juice. He could still feel Zabini's dark eyes upon him, watching his every move. The second he looked up at him, the boy looked away.
-Is that all you're going to have? Come on, Draco, you need to eat something!
Pansy's annoying timbre shot through his ears as lightning. The girl started filling his empty plate with all kinds of food which looked extremely disgusting (or so he thought). Truth was, he had not been eating much since his parents had been taken away, nevermind how hard Kerrin tried to feed him. He got a whiff of Pansy's expensive perfume and thought, disgusted, about how his mother could not wear perfume anymore. He would have to pay them a visit soon, unfortunately. Pansy kept blabbering as if she had a verbal disorder.
-Pansy, shut up –he commented with his most trivial tone.
Pansy gave him puppy eyes and he had to repress a growl. Ever since the end of the war, her main objective in life had been treating him like a disabled idiot. Only because she got to keep both her parents and had no other occupation to fill her time with. The girl twirled a blond lock of hair between her fingers as she looked at him.
-I'm worried about you, Draky.
Zabini snorted, and Draco gave her the most vicious look he had ever dedicated a female. Her pupils dilated and she shrunk a little bit. Draco leaned forward to whisper in her ear, in a manner that, seen from a distance, could have been mistaken for seductive.
-Call me that one more time and I'll rip your tongue out.
As he withdrew, he saw tears forming in her baby blue eyes and he observed her cry with curiosity. Alienated as he was, it was a comforting sight. Pansy's lips trembled, and Draco brought one thumb to her face; she mistook the gesture for tenderness and almost smiled. He wiped her tears and then brought his finger to his lips, savouring the salty dismay he had caused Pansy. Draco felt absolutely nothing when more tears rolled down her perfect face. Then, she got up in silence and left the Great Hall.
-That was unnecessary… -Blaise complained.
-It was totally necessary. She needs to learn.
-Learn what?
-That she cannot have me.
-Can I have a go, then? –a flashy smile was shot at him.
Daphne Greengrass observed him with very obvious intentions. Not that she was unpleasant to look at (not at all), but the way she was just hitting on someone her best friend was so desperately in love with reminded Draco of why he had such disregard for the female individual. Her curly, golden hair fell around her face like a halo, and her green eyes glistened with a malevolent seduction he did not find arousing at all.
-I'm sure Pansy would appreciate that, Daphne –Blaise said, with a hint of disgust in his voice.
-Oh, you know her –she rolled her eyes-. I could never be as obsessive and protective.
-I am sure of that –Draco gave her a cold glare.
-Unless you wanted me to… -she purred.
-Daphne, stop parading yourself! It's diminishing.
Three pairs of eyes (green, black and silver) focused on the girl sitting next to Daphne. Astoria looked nothing like her sister, and was completely proud about that. Her raven hair was cut short at the back and longer at the front, and covered her dark eyes partially. She was petite, and bony, and completely graceless.
-Dimi what? –Daphne gave her the stink eye.
Astoria snorted and shook her head, while reading a book. Her fringe swept her cheeks, and Draco noticed for the first time ever that she had two silver rings which pierced her lower lip. Actually, he believed it was the first time he ever noticed the girl. He was, of course, aware Daphne had a younger sister, but never paid much attention.
-It means you're acting like a whore, sis –she stressed the last word, with a smirk.
Daphne hated being called sis by Astoria. It was bad enough having her as a sibling; she did not need to have everyone around them reminding themselves about their relation. That was, probably, the reason why Astoria insisted in sitting by her sister at every chance she got.
-As opposed to acting like a lesbo? –Daphne bit back.
-So basically you would define heterosexual femininity as throwing yourself at a Malfoy's crotch?
Daphne's eyes narrowed until only a tiny green slit was left, which actually made Astoria very happy. She hated that bitch. Always reminding her of how homely and plain she was. Daphne got to insult her appearance; she got to insult Daphne's intelligence. It had always been like that.
-Astoria, shut up and go pierce something else, will you? Your heart, if possible.
Daphne accompanied her words with a gesture of the hand, as if she was trying to keep a fly away from her. Astoria closed her book loudly and got up, with a totally sickened expression in her face. Her whole outfit was black and loose-fitting, and the military boots she wore made her look even thinner. She stuck her tongue out at her sister and Draco saw another adornment on it.
-You should try to get one, sis. At least you would have to shut up for a couple days.
-And let you do the social acquaintances? How adequate.
-Fuck off –she gave her the finger, and half the table stared at her, horror-struck.
-You see what I have to put up with? –Daphne complained, once her sister was out of sight- It's like we're not really sisters.
-Maybe you're not –Draco commented with a casual tone-. Judging by the education your mother gave you, she must have been as much of a whore as you are.
Green eyes widened and bulged out, as if she wanted to jump on him and strangle Draco. Her expression was met by Draco's perfect smile and she decided the best thing to do was to simply get up and leave, just like Pansy and Astoria had done before her. Without a word, she left, and Blaise shook his head at Draco.
-If I were you I would stop that. The year has just begun.
-So?
-So what are you going to do in a couple weeks when you get horny? –Blaise laughed.
-Come on, Blaise. You know if I snapped my fingers right now they would all come panting.
For once, in a very long time, his voice had no hints of arrogance in it. Just a simple and obvious sincerity.
-How are you doing? –Zabini asked him.
-Do you seriously expect me to unburden myself to you, Blaise?
-Not really. But you know, I thought asking would be the polite thing to do.
-Well, I appreciate it, mate –Draco nodded politely.
Blaise sighed, and took a circular look around the room. Nothing interesting. The same exact faces from other years. Only a lot of people were missing, this time. All tables were only half-occupied, even the Slytherin one. Sure, it was probably due to those specific students not wanting to come back to Hogwarts, instead of having been murdered by the Dark forces. But still, it made him feel a little bit worthier every time he had to face a Gryffindor, a Ravenclaw or a Hufflepuff. That was his main preoccupation nowadays: feeling undeserving for everything he had. His parents, even though sympathizers of the Dark Cause, could not be proved to have served the Dark Lord directly, and therefore, avoided prison. This was the main reason why he felt like crap in front of his best friend. Not only had Draco to face the current situation all by himself; he also knew that everyone was aware of his troubles. And knowing that Draco was having the hardest of times was a really devastating truth for Blaise.
Daphne heard someone sniffling when she walked into the bathroom. Of course, Pansy had gone there as well.
-Pansy? –she called her name out loud.
Before Pansy's shaky response was heard, Daphne wiped her own crocodile tears and cleared her throat.
-I came to see how you were.
Her lie seemed to animate Pansy a little bit, and she opened the door of her cubicle. Sitting on the WC, her dress wrinkled and her hair messy, she looked like Mrs. Potato. Daphne handed her a Kleenex, in a revoltingly fake sympathetic gesture.
-You know how he is, don't take it personally.
-Why does he have to treat me like that? –Pansy cried, within sobs.
-Oh, Pansy… -she kneeled in front of her friend and hugged her sweetly- Maybe it's time you forgot about him.
-You know I cannot do that…
-Yes, you can! And I'm going to help you, alright?
Pansy threw her arms around Daphne and cried on her shoulder for a while, as a big, wide smirk appeared on her friend's face.
-Oh, Daphne… You're such a good friend.
-Anything for you, Pansy…