It had been a few weeks since Christmas, and nothing had changed. Harry still avoided him, His teammates still bullied him, and Draco's studies were still taking their toll on him. He walked into the men's room just above the dungeons knowing not many people came there due to Moaning Myrtle. Flint had smacked him pretty good, his jaw was still sore his lip split. It wasn't as often since Quidditch had been put on hold, but being the smallest and youngest on the team made him the target during stressful times.
Draco washed his face, taking the blood off. He sighed, knowing he was going to be late to Transfigurations class. Usually Myrtle would fly in and bother at Draco when he went to this bathroom, but today she seemed to not notice his presence.
He left the bathroom but only to bump into a sobbing Weasley. She looked up at him, her face red and puffy. He glared down at her, wondering what her problem was. "Made…Me…. Do it…" She sobbed out as she pushed past Draco.
He raised an eyebrow at her, but continued towards the classrooms. After getting a stern reprimand from Professor McGonagall, Draco took his seat and listened to the end of her lecture on Animagi.
It wasn't until later that night he was told that Myrtle had flooded the bathrooms again, apparently someone had attacked her. Draco was curious about it, he came back up to the bathrooms, he knocked on the adjoining wall between the girls and boys bathroom. "Myrtle?"
She flew through the wall, glaring at him. "Come to pick on Myrtly? Want to get points throwing things at my face?"
Draco put up his arms, "Nothing like that… What happened?"
She sulked, sitting on the edge of the sink, her ghost legs dangling over the side. "I got a book thrown at me. I didn't see who it was… but I heard them laughing I'm sure of it!"
Draco shook his head, "When did this happen?"
She shrugged, "Just before third period, I'm sure it wasn't near lunch time yet."
Draco thought for a moment, could it have been the young Weasley girl? He smiled up at Myrtle, "Don't let it get you down, I'm sure there wont be any more trouble."
She smiled at Draco seeming to call down at his words. They began their friendship during second year, and later when Draco would begin to feel hopeless she would be the only person he could turn to.
As February came and the snow began to melt, Quidditch became Draco's obsession. Still when he fumbled or missed the snitch, got in the way of another player, Flint was there… cursing him.
He came to breakfast the next morning, his muscles all in knots and exhausted from the last bought with Flint. He looked up as he entered the great hall to one of the most horrid sights he'd ever seen. The walls were all covered with large, lurid pink flowers. Worse still, heart-shaped confetti was falling from the pale blue ceiling.
Draco went over to the Slytherin table, blowing off bits of confetti from his shoulder. "What in the HELL is going on." Crabbe and Goyle, looked up at Draco shrugging their meaty shoulders.
Lockhart, wearing lurid pink robes to match the decorations, was waving for silence. The teachers on either side of him were looking stony-faced. Draco looked up to his uncle who seemed like he just wanted to die. The other teachers all seemed in a about the same state of disgust and shock at the Great Hall's appearance.
"Happy Valentine's Day!" Lockhart shouted. "And may I thank the forty-six people who have so far sent me cards! Yes, I have taken the liberty of arranging this little surprise for you all — and it doesn't end here!"
Lockhart clapped his hands and through the doors to the entrance hall marched a dozen surly-looking dwarfs. Not just any dwarfs, however. Lockhart had them all wearing golden wings and carrying harps.
"My friendly, card-carrying cupids!" beamed Lockhart. "They will be roving around the school today delivering your valentines! And the fun doesn't stop here! I'm sure my colleagues will want to enter into the spirit of the occasion! Why not ask Professor Snape to show you how to whip up a Love Potion! And while you're at it, Professor Flitwick knows more about Entrancing Enchantments than any wizard I've ever met, the sly old dog!"
Professor Flitwick buried his face in his hands. Snape was looking as though the first person to ask him for a Love Potion would be force-fed poison.
All day long, the dwarfs kept barging into their classes to deliver valentines, to the annoyance of the teachers, and late that afternoon as the Gryffindors were walking upstairs for Charms. Draco followed Harry as much as he could that day, he wasn't sure why it was so important to see if Harry got a valentine, but feeling in his stomach didn't get better. Draco cursed as he saw one of the dwarfs had caught up with Harry.
"Oy, you! 'Arry Potter!" shouted a particularly grim-looking dwarf, elbowing people out of the way to get to Harry.
Draco sneered as Harry began to blushed. He pushed past some first years, getting closer to the Golden boy, watching as Harry tried to escape. The dwarf, however, cut his way through the crowd by kicking people's shins, and reached him before he'd gone two paces.
"I've got a musical message to deliver to 'Arry Potter in person," he said, twanging his harp in a threatening sort of way.
"Not here," Harry hissed, trying to escape.
"Stay still!" grunted the dwarf, grabbing hold of Harry's bag and pulling him back.
"Let me go!" Harry snarled, tugging.
Draco smiled, there was something about how Harry was getting angry that made Draco think he looked somehow…cute. Almost like being angry didn't quite fit with the small boy's persona. Just to add something to the boy's embarrassment Draco took out his wand and with a wave tore a hole into his book bag.
With a loud ripping noise, his bag split in two. His books, wand, parchment, and quill spilled onto the floor and his ink bottle smashed over everything.
Harry scrambled around, trying to pick it all up before the dwarf started singing, causing something of a holdup in the corridor.
Draco thought this to be the best time for his appearance, "What's going on here?"
Harry started stuffing everything feverishly into his ripped bag, desperate to get away.
"What's all this commotion?" said another familiar voice as Percy Weasley arrived.
Losing his head, Harry tried to make a run for it, but the dwarf seized him around the knees and brought him crashing to the floor.
"Right," he said, sitting on Harry's ankles. "Here is your singing valentine:
His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad,
His hair is as dark as a blackboard,
I wish he was mine,
he's really divine,
The hero who conquered the Dark Lord
Draco wasn't laughing, he looked over to the red headed Ginny Weasley, who looked like a love sick puppy. He was sure she must have been the one to send the Dwarf. He walked closer to Harry, he looked down as his feet hit one of the books that came out of Harry's backpack.
It looked familiar where had he seen it before…
"Off you go, off you go, the bell rang five minutes ago, off to class, now," he said, shooing some of the younger students away. "And you, Malfoy —"
Draco had picked up the book, he saw that it was a diary, but before he could open it he heard Harry yell at him.
"Give that back," said Harry quietly.
"Wonder what Potter's written in this?" Draco asked, excited to know what Harry had written about all year. A hush fell over the onlookers. Ginny was staring from the diary to Harry, looking terrified.
Draco glared daggers at her, he hated her face, her hair everything about her.
"Hand it over, Malfoy," said Percy sternly.
"When I've had a look," said Draco, waving the diary tauntingly at Harry.
Percy said, "As a school prefect —" but Harry had lost his temper. He pulled out his wand and shouted, "Expelliarmus!" and just as Snape had disarmed Lockhart, so Draco found the diary shooting out of his hand into the air. Ron, grinning broadly, caught it.
"Harry!" said Percy loudly. "No magic in the corridors. I'll have to report this, you know!"
But Harry didn't care, he was one-up on Malfoy, and that was worth five points from Gryffindor any day.
Draco wanted to crush something. He had been so close, and Ginny's giggling at him wasn't helping. That's it! That's where he'd seen it before. It wasn't Harry's diary… it was hers… She didn't just send Harry Dwarves, but a journal of her feelings?
Draco was looking furious, and as Ginny passed him to enter her classroom, he yelled spitefully after her, "I don't think Potter liked your valentine much!"
Ginny covered her face with her hands and ran into class. Snarling, Ron pulled out his wand, too, but Harry pulled him away.
Draco was angry, but there wasn't much he could do. As he stared down at one of the small bins in the empty classroom he felt something snap. With a fit of anger he smashed the container, kicking and punching as hard as he could, then throwing it across the room.
Like a shadow Severus was there, he put a hand on Draco's shoulder and allowed the boy to hug him. Severus stroked the blonde hair, looking down at Draco with concern. After a few minutes Draco composed himself and looked up to his uncle.
Severus let go of Draco, walking towards the door. "Your father wanted me to tell you Draco, your mother has been quite lonely. You should write her more. Don't let others get you down, if you…want to…talk…" Snape seemed slightly uncomfortable, but looked back at Draco. "I'll always be your Uncle Severus."
Draco nodded, "Thanks."