As I'm sure you've noticed...I'm baaaaack! I was out for a few weeks because my grandpa passed away. It was very sad, and I just didn't feel like writing for awhile. But I'm back, and hopefully I can get this beast of a story up and running!
"I still can't believe you did it!" Draco winced as Blaise shouted (for the millionth time) his surprise that Draco had made the Slytherin team. "I mean, I know you love to fly and all that nonsense, but still…I can't believe it!" Daphne glared at Blaise.
"I can't believe YOU! Any idiot could tell Draco would make it…I mean, he's a top rate flier, and he's been practicing every day all summer long!" Daphne slapped Blaise on the back of his head. "Numbskull. Draco, I don't know why you hang out with this mumper. He's just ridiculous!" Blaise grinned.
"Ridiculously HANDSOME, you mean." Daphne sniffed at Blaise's cocky statement and linked arms with Draco. Really. Why do you hang out with him? I can't stand him sometimes. He's so smart, but he acts like a moron all the time. Moreover, he's always flirting with anyone wearing a skirt. What a waste!
Daphne's thoughts weren't new to Draco, so he simply grinned at her. As the trio was walking back to the Slytherin common room, Draco started. He couldn't be sure, but he thought he felt that same feeling, like he was being followed. Daph? Do you feel like someone's following us? Daphne frowned and glanced around, pretending to stretch. No? Do you feel watched, Dray? Draco didn't know what that peculiar sensation was…as if someone was watching him, but he'd never seen someone observing him. Draco shook off the thought as they neared the common room. With a start, he realized he needed to send a letter to his father to let him know the results of the trials. Making his excuse to Daphne and Blaise, Draco made his way toward the owlery. As he walked, Draco again felt that strange sensation, but he ignored it as best he could. Ahead, Draco saw Peeves terrorizing a small Hufflepuff girl.
"Oy! Bugger off, you weenie little annoyance!" Draco strode toward Peeves, who merely stuck his tongue out at Draco. "Peeves, I mean it! Quit being such a nuisance!" Draco had never liked Peeves. His mother had been picked on by Peeves during her years at Hogwarts, and she'd told Draco to stay away from the floating nuisance. Draco couldn't let anyone be terrorized by Peeves because he didn't want anyone to turn out like his mother, who refused to set foot at Hogwarts because of her fear of Peeves. Draco had made it clear to Peeves that it was his personal vendetta to keep Peeves from bothering the younger students.
"Wittle firstie girl misses her mummy! Wittle firstie girl looks like a piggy" Peeves continued to taunt the girl, flinging her school supplies into the air. Draco pulled out his wand. Peeves turned to him "Oooh…little Malfoy has a great big wand! Is it true what they say…Big wand, little—OOF!" Peeves' taunts were cut off as Draco's spell sent a flock of pillows to pummel the poltergeist. "Get out of here, Peeves, or I'll call for the Baron…You know, my house ghost?" Peeves zoomed off, shrieking as the pillows followed him. Draco turned to the Hufflepuff.
"Are you alright? What's your name?" As he spoke, Draco bent to begin picking up the girl's belongings. The girl gave a frightened squeak "You're a Slytherin!" she didn't seem able to look Draco in the eye. Draco snorted, "I am…and you're a Hufflepuff, but I don't think that makes any difference about our names…My name's Draco." The girl looked hesitant. "My name's umm…Susanna?" Draco smirked gently "Are you sure?" This earned him a tiny smile from the girl, who straightened. "My name's Susanna. Susanna Miller." Draco knew from the name that the girl was at most a half-blood. "Have you ever met a poltergeist before?" he handed her the quills he'd collected from the floor, and then knelt to unknot her shoes, which Peeves had laced together. Susanna frowned "My parents are both, umm, muggles. It's weird calling them that…but they are. So I've never been anywhere like this, or seen anything like THAT." Susanna smiled gratefully when Draco finished re-tying her shoes. "So, do you?" Draco asked, pulling the girl to her feet.
"Do I?" Susanna frowned in confusion. "Do I what?"
"Miss your mum." Draco turned Susanna around, unknotted, and replaited her hair (a skill he'd apparently learnt from Daphne…his fingers knew what to do, though he'd never done it before). When Susanna's shoulders began shaking, Draco turned the girl around, and gave her a hug. "It's just," sobbed Susanna "I've never ever ever been away from my parents, for even a day! I miss them so much, and I don't even know how to post a letter! I've written dozens, and I can't find a postbox to mail them!" Draco patted Susanna's back uncertainly. Though he knew how to plait hair, dealing with tears was something not even his twin bond could prepare him for. "Well, I was on my way to send my father a letter…do you want to go and get your letters and meet me in the Entrance Hall? I can show you how to post mail, though I've never heard of a 'postbox' before…you'll have to explain that one to me." Susanna promised to meet him in a few minutes, then rushed off to collect her letters. Draco continued toward the Entrance Hall, blissfully unaware of the green eyes that had taken in the whole exchange with surprise, amusement, and hope.
**LINE BREAK**
"There…I've included a letter to your parents explaining where they can purchase an owl so that they can send letters back and forth with you. Any more 'wizardy questions' as you call them?" Draco smiled at Susanna, who, once she got past her tears, was wickedly funny and outspoken. Susanna shook her head. "You know, you really aren't so bad. I've heard some people say that Slytherins are mean and unkind, and it's definitely not true! Next time I hear someone bad-talking you or Slytherins, I'll set them straight! Hey, do you want to eat lunch with some of my friends some time?" Draco paused for a minute to collect his thoughts.
"Susanna, I like you. You're funny and easy to get along with. But there are some parts of the wizarding world that aren't kind to, err, witches and wizards with muggle parents. And, well, my family belongs to that part." Seeing Susanna's eyes widen, Draco hastened to explain, "I mean, I don't have a problem with you! You're funny, and I like you, as I said! It's just, that, well, it isn't safe for either of us to be friends with one another, at least in public. You'd be in trouble simply for being you, and I'd be in trouble for associating with you. So you see why I can't eat with you. But…I wouldn't mind talking to you again, and introducing you to some of my friends. Perhaps I'll see you around?" Draco felt terrible that he had to be the one to open Susanna's eyes to the unsavory part of the Wizarding world, but it had to happen, he told himself.
Susanna peered at Draco from under her bangs. "Why does it make a difference about my parents? I don't understand…" Draco shrank inside. He'd never given it any thought before, but how would he feel if he was discriminated against because of his parents? "I wish I hadn't said anything," said Draco softly "because I hate to see you so upset. Honestly, I'd love to continue to talk to you, but please understand my selfishness. I really don't want to get into trouble with my family, and it wouldn't be safe for me to associate with you, because that would mean I'd be associated with my parent's enemies, and that's not a position I want to find myself in. Does that make sense?" Susanna nodded reluctantly, and Draco had a rush of clarity. "Perhaps you should go talk to Hermione Granger…the second year Gryffindor? Ask her what you need to know as a muggleborn. She'll know all the things you didn't learn how to do as a little witch, and she'd probably be happy to show you, know-it-all that she is." Susanna stared at her feet, then looked up and threw her arms around Draco.
"I know that it's dangerous for you, so I'd never show it in public, but I think you're pretty great Draco. If it's ever safe for me to do so, I'd love to get to know you better." Susanna hung on Draco a little longer. "Mmm…Draco? What kind of shampoo do you use? You smell like something I can't quite identify…" Susanna blushed when she realized what she was saying, "I'm sorry, that was rude. I have a keen nose, and I can usually identify scents, but I've never smelled this combination before and I…" She trailed off, mortified. Draco grinned at her. "Don't worry, I do the same thing." They both started at a noise from just outside the door. Draco looked at Susanna imploringly. "I don't mean it, how I'm about to act. I promise" at Susanna's nod, Draco dropped a vial of ink on the floor, and began berating Susanna, winking so she'd know to play along. As Hermione Granger herself made her way into the room, all she saw was the evil git Draco berating an innocent first year. Draco spotted an opportunity, and said to Susanna "Listen, I still can't believe how clumsy you are. You really should learn a cleaning spell, but you probably don't know one, seeing as your parents aren't magical. Granger, I'll leave this one with you. You're such a know-it-all you can probably teach that girl how to do a simple cleaning spell." Draco swept out, head held high. Once through the doorway, he gave a wave and a big grin at Susanna, who winked. Draco turned around, and promptly ran into Harry Potter, who had seen the whole interaction.
"What do you want, Potter?" Draco began walking toward the door. He stopped in his tracks at Harry's next words.
"I just can't figure you out, Malfoy." Draco turned and sneered.
"We can't all wear our hearts on our sleeve, Potter." Harry looked hard at Draco.
"That's not what I mean. I've seen you act like a decent human being, then turn around and act a complete arse. I don't pretend to understand why, but I think the decent part of you is the part you're trying to hide." Harry looked at Draco searchingly, but when Draco couldn't formulate a reply, Harry turned and walked into the owlery.
Draco stared at the doorway for a few seconds. On autopilot, he made his way back to the castle and into the common room. Daphne saw Draco's absent stare, and left him to his thoughts. When it was bedtime, Draco made his way up to bed. He pulled out the journal his great auntie Black had sent (by way of a horrid house elf named Kreacher). He'd never once used the book, but he had thought long and hard about everything that had happened that day, and he needed somewhere to put those thoughts.
As Draco wrote about his encounter with Susanna, he noted that she was no different from Daphne, really. He thought about how he'd feel if Daphne were muggleborn, and how he'd feel if Deatheaters tortured Daphne. Draco didn't know what it meant, exactly, but he knew that he'd never be able to accept everything his parents stood for anymore. True, the muggleborn were changing the Wizarding traditions and culture, but Susanna couldn't help that, and therefore, it was unfair to punish her, or allow her to be punished.
Draco also wrote about his conversation with Harry. Draco didn't know what to make of the conversation. Did Harry think that Draco was a decent person, even after the horrible luck Draco had while conversing with Harry? Draco was confused. What sort of person would come away from the sort of interactions Draco and Harry shared and think that Draco could be a decent person?
From those two main topics, Draco's mind wandered, and he wrote about everything that came into his head. He wrote and wrote until well after bedtime. For the first time in a long time, Draco slept soundly.
**LINE BREAK**
"Draco!" a strange voice called his name. Draco tried to ignore it. "Draco! Wake up, mate! It's time for practice!" Draco cracked an eye to see Adrian standing over his bed "I donwanna" Draco grumbled, rolling over. Daphne came bouncing into the room "Oh, step aside and see the master at work." She pulled out her wand and a pair of sunglasses. Draco noticed this and shot out of bed. "I'm UP! I'm up I swear!" He ran into the bathroom followed by Daphne's giggles.
Later that morning at breakfast, Draco and Adrian discussed Quidditch, while Blaise followed half heartedly, and Daphne made no attempt to disguise her boredom, and her blatant attempts at changing the subject.
"So what you're saying, Draco is that if the chasers all train together all the time, it's been shown that their individual marketability on the professional market goes down?" Adrian was buttering his toast. Draco took a bite of eggs and replied, "Well, yeah. If all your moves were based off your teammates, than any team that hired you would need to train not only you, but they'd also need to re-train all your teammates. You need to show that you're an independent thinker with independent moves who can work well with a group. That's what my coach said, anyways."
"So…umm…Quidditch is cool." Daphne cut in "I like Quidditch too. What do you think of the new chocolates at Honeydukes? Have you tried them yet?" Draco grinned. He loved Honeydukes chocolate "Yeah, it's great. Hey, Adrian, did you hear that the Harpies have a chocolate fountain in their locker rooms? Some say it's part of the seeker's contract, that she HAS to have chocolate before every game. Smart negotiation, no?" Daphne made a noise of disgust. "You boys better get going. Practice is going to start soon." Draco and Adrian stood without pausing their conversation and made their way toward the doors.
In the locker room, Draco suited up in the Slytherin practice robes, and pulled out his Nimbus. The brooms had arrived soon after Draco's letter reached his father, and the whole team had been itching to try them out. As they gathered to walk out onto the pitch, Draco realized that there was already a team on the pitch. The Gryffindors. Draco saw Harry flying around the pitch with such grace that Draco worried about the upcoming match. Harry was definitely a natural, and while Draco was good, he'd worked and worked to get where he was in the game. The Gryffindor team quickly realized they weren't the only ones on the pitch, and they flew down to stand side by side. The girl chasers were quite intimidating, in Draco's opinion, standing shoulder to shoulder leering at them.
The Gryffindor captain landed ungracefully and came over to bellow and Flint "This is our practice time! We got up specially! You can clear off now!"
Flint smirked at the other captain. "Plenty of room for all of us, Wood." Oliver Wood looked thunderous. "But I booked the field! I booked it!"
Flint pulled a paper out of his pocked "Ah," he said, "But I've got a specially signed note here from Professor Snape. 'I, Professor S. Snape, give the Slytherin team permission to practice today on the Quidditch field owing to the need to train their new Seeker.'" Wood was distracted.
"You've got a new Seeker? Where?" Draco stepped out from the team and grinned with pride. One of the Weasleys glared at him.
"Aren't you Lucius Malfoy's son?" asked Twin One.
"Funny you should mention Draco's father," said Flint "Let me show you the generous gift he's made to the Slytherin team." The team held out their broomsticks. Draco frowned slightly. The way Flint phrased it made it sound, Draco's father had purchased the brooms so that the Slytherins would let him on the team. From the look Adrian shot him, Draco knew he wasn't the only one picking up on the subtle insult Flint was insinuating. Draco didn't listen to the next words Flint spoke as he seethed with inner rage. How dare Flint try to make it seem as though Draco had bought his way onto the team. He got on fair and square…even set a Hogwarts Seeker Trial record, and had a certificate to prove it! Of course Flint would do something like that, though. Flint didn't want him on the team to begin with, so he'd delight in the chance to degrade the pride Draco felt in his position. Draco tried to console himself. At least these were only Gryffindors. They might not catch onto the insinuations. Draco noticed that Granger and the Weasel had made their way over.
"What's HE doing here?" The Weasel was asking
"I'm the new Slytherin Seeker, Weasley," said Draco proudly (oh, all right, he was being smug, but Draco felt he was entitled to some smugness every once in awhile) "Everyone's just been admiring the brooms my father's bought our team." Draco delighted in the Weasel's idiotic expression as he gazed at the brooms. "Good, aren't they? But perhaps the Gryffindor team will be able to raise some gold and get new brooms too. You could raffle off those Cleansweep Fives; I expect a museum would bid for them." Draco was pleased. It wasn't every day he got to insult a pack of Weasels to their faces. His pleasure quickly died, however, when Granger butted in.
"At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to BUY their way in," said Granger sharply. "They got in on pure talent."
Draco raged. Not only did Granger catch on to Flint's insinuations, but she expanded upon them and announced them to everyone on the field. Draco was so furious, he said the most hurtful thing he could think of, in an attempt to get back at Granger.
"No one asked your opinion, you filthy little Mudblood," he spat.
The field broke out into pandemonium, but it was nothing compared to the storm in his own mind.
DRACO MALFOY YOU'VE REALLY DONE IT NOW. I DON'T THINK THERE'S MUCH GOING BACK FROM THIS ONE. I NEVER EVER THOUGHT I'D SAY THIS TO YOU. I'M INCREDIBLY INCREDIBLY DISAPPOINTED IN YOU, AND I'M ASHAMED TO BE YOUR TWIN RIGHT NOW. DON'T COME TALK TO ME. I DON'T EVEN WANT TO LOOK AT YOU. I'm so angry with you, Draco. I thought I knew you, but apparently, there is a dark and evil side to you, and it's bigger than I thought.
Oh, Crap.
Oh Crap is right! Poor Draco...
Oh, and don't forget to review! ~C