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why_me_why_not) wrote2005-04-15 01:03 am
why_me_why_not) wrote2005-04-15 01:03 am
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Title: Picking Up the Pieces
Author: why_me_why_not
Rating: PG, for now at least
Summary: Draco & Harry are thrown together after both face situations that have turned their lives upside down. Will they become friends themselves?
Disclaimer: If you recognize it, it's not mine. I don't own the characters. I just borrow them and let them play around in my head (as long as I get to watch). No copyright infringement or disrespect intended. Please don't sue b/c I have less than nothing.
A/N: links to previous chapters under cut
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Draco settled back into Slytherin with the unease of a king who knew his not-so-loyal subjects were plotting against him. It was almost scary the way every one of them was going out of their way to stay on his good side. He wondered if they had all been given the same orders as Crabbe and Goyle: bring Draco back to the Dark Lord over the Christmas holiday. Draco also wondered what the Dark Lord was plotting. He found himself thinking that maybe it would better if someone just poisoned him in the Great Hall and got it over with. Even the known Death-Eaters-in-Training that Draco wasn’t friends with were treating him differently. He still had his place in the hierarchy of the school social caste, but it felt like a farce.
The first night in his dorms he was bombarded with questions. He answered them all in the same polite little phrases until he felt like he had repeated himself a hundred times. Yes, I was in hiding for the last week. No, I’m not going back to Malfoy Manor. No, I don’t know where I’ll spend the holidays. No, I’m not going to tell you where I was, that would be stupid since I may need to go back there. Yes, I’m going to focus on my assignments instead of those Gryffindor freaks (this in response to Goyle asking if he was seriously going to stop tormenting the Gryffindor sixth years). No, Pansy, I will not promise to go home with you for the holidays.
The only one of his dorm mates who was openly defiant towards him was Blaise Zabini. As soon as they reached the dorm, Blaise had started an argument with Draco over which one of them would get the bed furthest from the door, even though all the boys in the dorm knew that bed belonged to Draco. Every time Draco looked in his direction, Blaise glared or snarled or tossed out some nasty remark. Draco had no idea what Blaise was so upset about. After several days of it, when Blaise made a snide comment about Draco spending too much time in front of the mirror, Draco exploded. “What the bloody hell did I do to you, Zabini?” he demanded in a rage.
“Sod off, Malfoy,” Blaise replied, shaking his head as he stormed out of the dorm.
Draco rolled his eyes and stomped down to the Great Hall, where his mood was darkened even more by the sight of Harry playing with his food yet again. Potter really is a prat, Draco thought. He didn’t know why he was worried about it, or why he was watching Harry anyway, but he knew Harry hadn’t eaten much of anything since they had arrived back at Hogwarts. Draco felt awkward about going to Remus about it, but something had to be done. And he doubted Harry would be too put out about offending the house elves.
Draco had not talked to Harry or Karissa all week, other than exchanging waves with the little girl if they passed in the corridors or caught each others' eyes in the Great Hall. Of course, there was that owl he had received the morning classes started.
Dearest Draco,
I’m writing to inform you that I have been sorted into the Most Noble House of GRYFFINDOR! I’m sure you are most proud! Thank you for allowing me to share this news with you!
Yours,
Karissa
P.S. Do you think Harry’s dress robes will fit you?
If looks could kill, Harry would not have survived that meal, as Draco knew he was behind the note. On the other hand, he knew Karissa must have felt left out since she did not have anyone to send an owl to after the sorting, and it had probably upset her, so he was honored she chose to send her owl to him, even if it was a reminder of the bet he and Harry had made.
Thursday brought the first scheduled school-wide study session after dinner. There had not been one on Tuesday night in order to give students time to actually get to all of their classes at least once and get a feel for the assignments they faced. Still, the night looked like it might end up a segregated gossip fest. As the students drifted back into the Great Hall after retrieving their books from their dorms or common rooms, friendly chatter started to fill the air and the students seemed to automatically gravitate towards their normal tables.
Draco settled in to work on his Arithmancy homework, wondering if the Professors honestly expected the students to get anything done other than socializing. Suddenly, a stack of books hit the table beside him and he jumped as a small body flung itself down beside him.
“They all hate me, Draco!” she wailed, laying her head down on the table.
Perfect continuation of a perfect day, Draco thought. Karissa’s tears still unnerved him. He looked around for someone he could grab for help but no one was nearby. “Shhh, delicia, calm down!” he whispered, tentatively reaching a hand out to rub her back. “Nobody hates you!”
“Oh, but they do, Draco!” she insisted, looking up at him with red eyes and tear-streaked cheeks. “They all say nasty things because I already know some of the stuff we’re doing in class. Even if I don’t answer the professor, the other girls look at me all mean because they know I know the answers. Not just stuff you and Harry taught me, but other stuff because I read all my texts already. And Brittany Bell says I think I’m better than the other first years just because I know Harry Potter! I didn’t tell them I knew Harry, he just talks to me sometimes when we’re all in the Common Room and they get mad because he’s The Famous Harry Potter and he doesn’t talk to them! And Professor Snape thinks I’m insufferable!”
Draco tried not to laugh at the last bit. “What did you do to Professor Snape?”
“I answered all his questions during our first class and he asked me if I was going to be an insufferable-know-it-all for the entire term and I said ‘probably’ and he said ‘Oh Merlin, not another one’ and started mumbling something about Gryffindors!”
Draco was saved from having to come up with an answer when an angry reprimand came from behind the two of them.
“Draco Malfoy! What did you do to her?”
Draco didn’t have to look to know who it was; he recognized the voice. “I didn’t do anything, Granger,” he said calmly. “It’s those damnable Gryffindor first years! You’re a Prefect in her House, why don’t you keep them from picking on her? And it seems Professor Snape has compared her to you, more’s the pity.” Draco had a sudden flash of insight. “Sit down here and talk to her, Granger. You’ve always seemed to know more than you should; maybe you can get her to understand it’s not always easy being at the top of the class.”
Hermione sighed, not looking at Draco, and sat down beside Karissa. “Karissa?” she asked softly. “Do you want to talk to me about it?”
Karissa mumbled something apparently negative in response and buried her face in her folded arms.
“Come on, Karissa,” Draco coaxed. “You can trust her; she’s friends with Potter and she’s an insufferable know-it-all too!”
Hermione shot Draco a scathing look over top of Karissa’s head. “Do you want me to talk to your dorm mates for you, Karissa?”
Karissa shook her head. “No. They’re mad enough that Harry talks to me. Another one of the older students taking up for me will make it worse.”
“Give them a chance. They don’t know how to treat you because of the rumors of what happened to your parents. And they’re probably jealous that you came in with no magical background and are picking up things faster than they are.”
“Potter didn’t tell you about Karissa?” Draco asked sharply.
Hermione shook her head. “What do you mean? What didn’t he tell me?”
Draco sighed. “Nothing. Nevermind. Just try to keep the other kids from picking on Karissa, okay?”
“Malfoy—“
“Granger!” Draco rolled his eyes. “I’m trying to earn house points by helping Karissa with her assignments. Go find someone else to bother.”
Hermione huffed and rolled her eyes back at Draco as she stood up. With a final pat on the back and the offer to talk if the younger girl ever needed to, she headed for the other side of the room.
Draco closed his Arithmancy book and turned back to Karissa. “So, what are we studying tonight?”
“I have a Potions essay due tomorrow. Will you read over it and make sure it’s right?”
“Ah, that’s right,” Draco teased. “Wouldn’t want to let your know-it-all status suffer, would we?” He accepted the piece of parchment with a grin. He was secretly proud that Karissa was ahead of her class. As he read over her essay, he asked casually, “Have you had any dreams I need to know about?”
“Not really,” she said, but the way her eyes slid away from his belied her words.
Draco looked at her over the top of the parchment.
“Oh, okay,” she sighed. “It’s just that one dream. I’ve had it twice. It doesn’t scare me any more, but I’m getting tired of dreaming it.”
“You’re sure that’s the only dream?”
“Yeah. Well, it’s the only one I remember anyway.” After a moment, she added, “I think Harry’s having trouble, though.”
“Mm-hmm.” Draco commented, only half-listening because he didn’t really care what was going on with Potter.
“The other morning when my nightmare woke me up, it was too late to really go back to sleep so I went to the common room to study and Harry was asleep on the couch there. I asked him why and he just said he couldn’t sleep, but this morning he was there again and he looked like he had just woken up from a nightmare. So what do you think of my essay?”
Draco spent the rest of the time going over her Potions essay and then her Transfiguration essay, with interspersed comments from her regarding her impressions of her first week at Hogwarts. After Karissa had left the Great Hall, walking alongside Granger, who was still attempting to engage the younger girl in conversation, Draco gathered his belongings and escorted the younger Slytherins back to their common room. He did not accompany them inside, however, not wanting to face his own classmates. Instead, he decided to go for a walk, knowing that as long as he didn’t stray from the dungeons, the only person he was likely to meet was Professor Snape.
He hadn’t thought about the fact that Karissa would face resentment from her classmates if she started Hogwarts with a working knowledge of the first-year spells. Hopefully after the other students started to learn some of the spells it would be easier for Karissa to make friends. The fact that she was having the recurring dream bothered him, but at least she hadn’t had any new ones.
Draco wondered why Harry was sleeping in the common room. He didn’t doubt that Harry was having nightmares, but at least he was sleeping. Draco knew that at least two of the nights at Grimmauld Place Harry had not slept at all. But why hadn’t his friends done something about it? Surely the Weasel had noticed that Harry wasn’t spending the nights in his own bed? And for all the times Granger and the Weaslette hovered over Harry, why didn’t either of them seem to be too bothered by the fact he wasn’t eating?
Draco sighed and turned back in the direction of the dormitories. He knew wandering around thinking about Potter wasn’t exactly a good excuse for being out so long past curfew. He had barely stepped inside the entrance of the common room when he noticed there were still several students up...gathered around Professor Snape.
“Mr. Malfoy, I trust you have learned by now that students are not allowed to wander the corridors of the castle at night?” his Head-of-House asked with a sneer.
“Yes, sir,” Draco mumbled.
“Detention. Tomorrow night, seven o’clock, in the Potions classroom,” Snape continued briskly.
“But sir—“ Draco started to protest.
“Detention, Mr. Malfoy. And if you argue, we’ll make it for Monday night as well. Understood?”
Draco nodded, cheeks flushed with embarrassment and resentment. Professor Snape had always favored him, had never issued him detention for something as innocuous as being out past curfew.
“Good. Now off to your dormitories, all of you.”
Draco pushed past his classmates, ignoring the smirk Blaise was giving him, and headed to the sixth-year dorm.
The next night, he cautiously approached the door to the potions classroom, still fuming over his punishment. As he entered, he noticed a worktable set up for him. At least his punishment would allow him to create a potion instead of scrubbing cauldrons or doing something equally beneath him.
“Good evening, Mr. Malfoy,” Professor Snape greeted without looking up from the desk where he was grading essays. “Shut the door behind you, if you don’t mind.”
Draco turned around and shut the door, vaguely remembering that once the door was shut the room was automatically warded with a powerful silencing spell. “What sort of potion am I to make, Professor?” Draco asked solemnly.
Professor Snape leaned back and smirked at his godson. “Draco, how long do you think my spy status would last if your classmates went running back to their parents and told them that I am still favoring you? A few of them are surprised I have not already handed you over to the Dark Lord on my own.” He gestured to the potion-making equipment. “Madame Pomfrey has requested that I supply her with a larger-than-usual supply of potions this year in preparation for the war. I will need some assistance and there are few students I would trust with this. Tonight you will be making blood-replenishing potion. I trust you know how?”
“Of course I know how!” Draco returned. “You could have warned me, you know. I’ve plotted your death sixteen different ways today to get back at you for detention.”
Professor Snape merely raised his eyebrow. “Only sixteen ways, Draco?” he asked mildly.
Draco didn’t answer. Instead he turned his back on Professor Snape and began setting out the ingredients he would need for his potion. He worked in silence for several minutes.
“Miss Thompson’s essay seems to have a touch of you in it, Draco. Did you help her with this?”
“Not much. But I think after the time she spent with us she’s copying my format for essay-writing. It’s better than Potter’s, anyway. But the work itself was hers; she’s very smart.”
“Yes, I know,” answered Professor Snape dryly.
“You made her cry,” Draco accused. “You called her an insufferable-know-it-all.”
“That’s because she is,” Professor Snape replied unapologetically. “Very much like Miss Granger. I can’t be kind to a Gryffindor, you know that. You are right that she is intelligent; perhaps you can convince her that was a compliment.”
“I doubt that. She’s scared of you.”
”All of my students are scared of me.”
Draco almost mentioned that Karissa thought Professor Snape was a Death Eater since she had dreamed it that way and no one had corrected her, but decided that was something best left unsaid. “She’s having a rough time. Try not to be so hard on her?”
Professor Snape stared at Draco’s back, wondering when his godson had started caring about someone else’s feelings. What was next, he’d be worried about Potter?
***** ***** ***** ***** *****
Draco spent the weekend in his dorm room studying. Part of the time was spent helping Crabbe and Goyle with their most recent Charms assignment, although it was an exercise in futility. The two of them barely passed any of their subjects, and would have already failed if it had not been for Draco helping them along. Pansy and Millicent were holding court in the common room with some of the other Slytherin girls, discussing how to use social situations to recruit new supporters of You-Know-Who. Draco didn’t know where Theodore Nott and Blaise had gotten too, but he was not overly worried about it. It was almost a relief to get away from the palpable tension that invaded the air whenever he and Blaise occupied the same room.
Monday brought another detention with Professor Snape after Draco “accidentally” knocked over his cauldron in Potions class.
Tuesday morning brought a half-empty Gryffindor table at breakfast and an uneasy feeling settled in Draco’s gut for the entire morning. The late-arriving Gryffindor contingent of his morning classes included Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnegan, Lavender Brown, and one of the Patil twins, he could never remember which was which, and he wasn’t about to bother asking one of them. He arrived at lunch late and passed Karissa as she was on her way out. She gave him a slight wave and kept going. He would have gone after her except he knew he would see her during study session that evening.
The Gryffindor table was full once again for dinner. Draco’s gaze was drawn to Harry and his friends. They were all sitting very close together, and were speaking in hushed tones. Granger and the Weaselette kept offering various things to Harry, obviously trying to tempt him into eating something, but no one else was eating either, judging by their own full plates. Midway through the meal, Harry pushed away from the table and stormed out of the Great Hall, gesturing for his friends to stay away even after he stumbled a bit getting up. Draco tracked his exit with his eyes, fighting the urge to follow him.
As the Great Hall started to clear out and the dishes disappeared, Draco picked up his bag from below the bench and claimed a corner table for himself. Shortly after, Karissa came up and joined him. Without a word, she began pulling out her books and notes. After several minutes of silence, Draco figured she wasn’t going to talk voluntarily. “What’s wrong, delicia?”
“I think Harry’s mad at me,” she said softly, not looking at Draco as she handed him her most recent Charms essay to review.
“What happened?” He pretended to read the beginning of her essay but was actually studying her over the top of the parchment.
“This morning I went downstairs and he was on the couch again, but he was obviously having a nightmare. It was like he was screaming but I couldn’t hear anything. So I ran and got Hermione because I didn’t know what else to do. She came downstairs and said something that let us hear what he was saying. Or screaming or whatever. Apparently it was a spell. But half of Gryffindor was awake by the time Hermione and Ron got him awake and they sent us all back to our dorms before they went up to the boys’ dorm—Hermione too—but we could still hear part of what they were yelling. They didn’t come down for breakfast—I don’t know if they went to class or not, but Hermione made me go to class. She said I did the right thing by coming to get her, but Harry wouldn’t talk to me when I tried to talk to him before dinner. Do you think he’s mad?”
Draco shook his head. “Not at you, anyway. Did you have another dream last night?”
“Yeah, but it was really strange. I don’t think I was actually there. It was like I was watching it all from a window, or from the sky. There were students running from the forest to the front gates and there were all these…these things flying around after them. They wore dark hooded cloaks—I couldn’t really see what they were. And everything felt so cold—that’s what woke me up is that I was shivering despite being under the covers. What do you think it means?”
“I’m not sure. Probably just a random nightmare. Stress from your first week of school and all.” Draco spotted a familiar-looking house-elf a few steps away and got an idea. “Dobby!”
The house-elf squeaked and turned around quickly. “Yes sir, Master Draco, sir.” He bowed low as he approached the table.
Draco rolled his eyes. “Stop that,” he ordered. “I’m not your master; you were freed from the Malfoy household and besides, I’m no longer a Malfoy. Would you fetch Miss Thompson here a mug of hot cocoa?”
Dobby looked at Karissa and grinned. “Right away!” he agreed, disappearing with a ‘POP’ only to reappear mere moments later with a steaming mug of cocoa which he pressed into her hands.
“There,” Draco said after Dobby was gone. “That should help you relax a bit. Why don’t you practice your levitation charm while I’m reading this essay?” A short time later, Draco headed to the dungeons, a certain Gryffindor worrying his mind although it wasn’t the droopy-eyed little girl he had just sent off towards the tower.
The next morning was Draco’s day for Defense Against the Dark Arts class. After class was dismissed, Draco lingered until the other students were gone. “Professor Lupin?” he asked, walking towards the desk at the front of the room. “Can I speak with you for a moment?”
“Certainly, Mister Malfoy,” Professor Lupin replied, looking up from his papers. “Is it about today’s lesson?” At the slight shake of Draco’s head, Professor Lupin shut the door with a slight flick of his wand. “What is it, then, Draco?” He watched as Draco cast a worried glance towards the door. “It’s warded, don’t worry.”
Draco nodded. “It’s Potter, sir,” he started. “I think you may need to talk to him or something.”
“Is this about the incident from yesterday morning?”
“Partly. But Karissa said he’s been sleeping in the common room. And I noticed he hasn’t been eating, either.”
Professor Lupin raised his eyebrow but did not question why Draco was keeping track of Harry’s dining habits. “I’ll speak with him but I cannot guarantee it will do any good. What do you suggest I do, Mr. Malfoy? As I recall, you were the one who got him to eat by antagonizing him.”
“When we were dueling at Grimmauld Place, it gave us both an outlet for our stress,” Draco stated wisely. He had been working this out in his mind for a long while. “And he was eating because we worked up an appetite. I think you should let us duel outside of class.”
“Do you expect I’m just going to pull him aside and tell him and whoever else is listening that I’ve arranged for him to duel with you? I don’t think that will go over too well.”
“Give him detention. That’s what Professor Snape does to me.”
Professor Lupin chuckled. “That would mean I’d have to find something to give you both detention for.”
“I can start an argument with him in the corridor; all you have to do is make sure that you are there before another professor. I can probably catch up with him right now, actually, since he’s on his way from Potions to the Great Hall for lunch.”
“Not today. You two have your first DA meeting tonight, correct?”
”I’m not part of Potter’s little club.”
“You are helping Harry teach the DA, remember?”
”Well, I don’t know anything about it.”
“Hmm. Well, I’ll see why you were not told. The meeting is at 7 tonight; meet in the corridor on the seventh floor by the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy. As for the other, if you really want me to set it up, it may not be a bad idea. How does Friday night sound?”
“I have detention with Professor Snape. We’re making Pepperup Potion.”
“Fine. Detention, Saturday at two, here in my classroom, for conduct unbecoming a Prefect. Honestly, staying after class just to insult my condition,” he said with a smile.
“Oh yes,” Draco drawled. “It’s honestly dreadful to have a werewolf for a teacher.”
Chapter 16
Author: why_me_why_not
Rating: PG, for now at least
Summary: Draco & Harry are thrown together after both face situations that have turned their lives upside down. Will they become friends themselves?
Disclaimer: If you recognize it, it's not mine. I don't own the characters. I just borrow them and let them play around in my head (as long as I get to watch). No copyright infringement or disrespect intended. Please don't sue b/c I have less than nothing.
A/N: links to previous chapters under cut
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Draco settled back into Slytherin with the unease of a king who knew his not-so-loyal subjects were plotting against him. It was almost scary the way every one of them was going out of their way to stay on his good side. He wondered if they had all been given the same orders as Crabbe and Goyle: bring Draco back to the Dark Lord over the Christmas holiday. Draco also wondered what the Dark Lord was plotting. He found himself thinking that maybe it would better if someone just poisoned him in the Great Hall and got it over with. Even the known Death-Eaters-in-Training that Draco wasn’t friends with were treating him differently. He still had his place in the hierarchy of the school social caste, but it felt like a farce.
The first night in his dorms he was bombarded with questions. He answered them all in the same polite little phrases until he felt like he had repeated himself a hundred times. Yes, I was in hiding for the last week. No, I’m not going back to Malfoy Manor. No, I don’t know where I’ll spend the holidays. No, I’m not going to tell you where I was, that would be stupid since I may need to go back there. Yes, I’m going to focus on my assignments instead of those Gryffindor freaks (this in response to Goyle asking if he was seriously going to stop tormenting the Gryffindor sixth years). No, Pansy, I will not promise to go home with you for the holidays.
The only one of his dorm mates who was openly defiant towards him was Blaise Zabini. As soon as they reached the dorm, Blaise had started an argument with Draco over which one of them would get the bed furthest from the door, even though all the boys in the dorm knew that bed belonged to Draco. Every time Draco looked in his direction, Blaise glared or snarled or tossed out some nasty remark. Draco had no idea what Blaise was so upset about. After several days of it, when Blaise made a snide comment about Draco spending too much time in front of the mirror, Draco exploded. “What the bloody hell did I do to you, Zabini?” he demanded in a rage.
“Sod off, Malfoy,” Blaise replied, shaking his head as he stormed out of the dorm.
Draco rolled his eyes and stomped down to the Great Hall, where his mood was darkened even more by the sight of Harry playing with his food yet again. Potter really is a prat, Draco thought. He didn’t know why he was worried about it, or why he was watching Harry anyway, but he knew Harry hadn’t eaten much of anything since they had arrived back at Hogwarts. Draco felt awkward about going to Remus about it, but something had to be done. And he doubted Harry would be too put out about offending the house elves.
Draco had not talked to Harry or Karissa all week, other than exchanging waves with the little girl if they passed in the corridors or caught each others' eyes in the Great Hall. Of course, there was that owl he had received the morning classes started.
I’m writing to inform you that I have been sorted into the Most Noble House of GRYFFINDOR! I’m sure you are most proud! Thank you for allowing me to share this news with you!
Yours,
Karissa
P.S. Do you think Harry’s dress robes will fit you?
If looks could kill, Harry would not have survived that meal, as Draco knew he was behind the note. On the other hand, he knew Karissa must have felt left out since she did not have anyone to send an owl to after the sorting, and it had probably upset her, so he was honored she chose to send her owl to him, even if it was a reminder of the bet he and Harry had made.
Thursday brought the first scheduled school-wide study session after dinner. There had not been one on Tuesday night in order to give students time to actually get to all of their classes at least once and get a feel for the assignments they faced. Still, the night looked like it might end up a segregated gossip fest. As the students drifted back into the Great Hall after retrieving their books from their dorms or common rooms, friendly chatter started to fill the air and the students seemed to automatically gravitate towards their normal tables.
Draco settled in to work on his Arithmancy homework, wondering if the Professors honestly expected the students to get anything done other than socializing. Suddenly, a stack of books hit the table beside him and he jumped as a small body flung itself down beside him.
“They all hate me, Draco!” she wailed, laying her head down on the table.
Perfect continuation of a perfect day, Draco thought. Karissa’s tears still unnerved him. He looked around for someone he could grab for help but no one was nearby. “Shhh, delicia, calm down!” he whispered, tentatively reaching a hand out to rub her back. “Nobody hates you!”
“Oh, but they do, Draco!” she insisted, looking up at him with red eyes and tear-streaked cheeks. “They all say nasty things because I already know some of the stuff we’re doing in class. Even if I don’t answer the professor, the other girls look at me all mean because they know I know the answers. Not just stuff you and Harry taught me, but other stuff because I read all my texts already. And Brittany Bell says I think I’m better than the other first years just because I know Harry Potter! I didn’t tell them I knew Harry, he just talks to me sometimes when we’re all in the Common Room and they get mad because he’s The Famous Harry Potter and he doesn’t talk to them! And Professor Snape thinks I’m insufferable!”
Draco tried not to laugh at the last bit. “What did you do to Professor Snape?”
“I answered all his questions during our first class and he asked me if I was going to be an insufferable-know-it-all for the entire term and I said ‘probably’ and he said ‘Oh Merlin, not another one’ and started mumbling something about Gryffindors!”
Draco was saved from having to come up with an answer when an angry reprimand came from behind the two of them.
“Draco Malfoy! What did you do to her?”
Draco didn’t have to look to know who it was; he recognized the voice. “I didn’t do anything, Granger,” he said calmly. “It’s those damnable Gryffindor first years! You’re a Prefect in her House, why don’t you keep them from picking on her? And it seems Professor Snape has compared her to you, more’s the pity.” Draco had a sudden flash of insight. “Sit down here and talk to her, Granger. You’ve always seemed to know more than you should; maybe you can get her to understand it’s not always easy being at the top of the class.”
Hermione sighed, not looking at Draco, and sat down beside Karissa. “Karissa?” she asked softly. “Do you want to talk to me about it?”
Karissa mumbled something apparently negative in response and buried her face in her folded arms.
“Come on, Karissa,” Draco coaxed. “You can trust her; she’s friends with Potter and she’s an insufferable know-it-all too!”
Hermione shot Draco a scathing look over top of Karissa’s head. “Do you want me to talk to your dorm mates for you, Karissa?”
Karissa shook her head. “No. They’re mad enough that Harry talks to me. Another one of the older students taking up for me will make it worse.”
“Give them a chance. They don’t know how to treat you because of the rumors of what happened to your parents. And they’re probably jealous that you came in with no magical background and are picking up things faster than they are.”
“Potter didn’t tell you about Karissa?” Draco asked sharply.
Hermione shook her head. “What do you mean? What didn’t he tell me?”
Draco sighed. “Nothing. Nevermind. Just try to keep the other kids from picking on Karissa, okay?”
“Malfoy—“
“Granger!” Draco rolled his eyes. “I’m trying to earn house points by helping Karissa with her assignments. Go find someone else to bother.”
Hermione huffed and rolled her eyes back at Draco as she stood up. With a final pat on the back and the offer to talk if the younger girl ever needed to, she headed for the other side of the room.
Draco closed his Arithmancy book and turned back to Karissa. “So, what are we studying tonight?”
“I have a Potions essay due tomorrow. Will you read over it and make sure it’s right?”
“Ah, that’s right,” Draco teased. “Wouldn’t want to let your know-it-all status suffer, would we?” He accepted the piece of parchment with a grin. He was secretly proud that Karissa was ahead of her class. As he read over her essay, he asked casually, “Have you had any dreams I need to know about?”
“Not really,” she said, but the way her eyes slid away from his belied her words.
Draco looked at her over the top of the parchment.
“Oh, okay,” she sighed. “It’s just that one dream. I’ve had it twice. It doesn’t scare me any more, but I’m getting tired of dreaming it.”
“You’re sure that’s the only dream?”
“Yeah. Well, it’s the only one I remember anyway.” After a moment, she added, “I think Harry’s having trouble, though.”
“Mm-hmm.” Draco commented, only half-listening because he didn’t really care what was going on with Potter.
“The other morning when my nightmare woke me up, it was too late to really go back to sleep so I went to the common room to study and Harry was asleep on the couch there. I asked him why and he just said he couldn’t sleep, but this morning he was there again and he looked like he had just woken up from a nightmare. So what do you think of my essay?”
Draco spent the rest of the time going over her Potions essay and then her Transfiguration essay, with interspersed comments from her regarding her impressions of her first week at Hogwarts. After Karissa had left the Great Hall, walking alongside Granger, who was still attempting to engage the younger girl in conversation, Draco gathered his belongings and escorted the younger Slytherins back to their common room. He did not accompany them inside, however, not wanting to face his own classmates. Instead, he decided to go for a walk, knowing that as long as he didn’t stray from the dungeons, the only person he was likely to meet was Professor Snape.
He hadn’t thought about the fact that Karissa would face resentment from her classmates if she started Hogwarts with a working knowledge of the first-year spells. Hopefully after the other students started to learn some of the spells it would be easier for Karissa to make friends. The fact that she was having the recurring dream bothered him, but at least she hadn’t had any new ones.
Draco wondered why Harry was sleeping in the common room. He didn’t doubt that Harry was having nightmares, but at least he was sleeping. Draco knew that at least two of the nights at Grimmauld Place Harry had not slept at all. But why hadn’t his friends done something about it? Surely the Weasel had noticed that Harry wasn’t spending the nights in his own bed? And for all the times Granger and the Weaslette hovered over Harry, why didn’t either of them seem to be too bothered by the fact he wasn’t eating?
Draco sighed and turned back in the direction of the dormitories. He knew wandering around thinking about Potter wasn’t exactly a good excuse for being out so long past curfew. He had barely stepped inside the entrance of the common room when he noticed there were still several students up...gathered around Professor Snape.
“Mr. Malfoy, I trust you have learned by now that students are not allowed to wander the corridors of the castle at night?” his Head-of-House asked with a sneer.
“Yes, sir,” Draco mumbled.
“Detention. Tomorrow night, seven o’clock, in the Potions classroom,” Snape continued briskly.
“But sir—“ Draco started to protest.
“Detention, Mr. Malfoy. And if you argue, we’ll make it for Monday night as well. Understood?”
Draco nodded, cheeks flushed with embarrassment and resentment. Professor Snape had always favored him, had never issued him detention for something as innocuous as being out past curfew.
“Good. Now off to your dormitories, all of you.”
Draco pushed past his classmates, ignoring the smirk Blaise was giving him, and headed to the sixth-year dorm.
The next night, he cautiously approached the door to the potions classroom, still fuming over his punishment. As he entered, he noticed a worktable set up for him. At least his punishment would allow him to create a potion instead of scrubbing cauldrons or doing something equally beneath him.
“Good evening, Mr. Malfoy,” Professor Snape greeted without looking up from the desk where he was grading essays. “Shut the door behind you, if you don’t mind.”
Draco turned around and shut the door, vaguely remembering that once the door was shut the room was automatically warded with a powerful silencing spell. “What sort of potion am I to make, Professor?” Draco asked solemnly.
Professor Snape leaned back and smirked at his godson. “Draco, how long do you think my spy status would last if your classmates went running back to their parents and told them that I am still favoring you? A few of them are surprised I have not already handed you over to the Dark Lord on my own.” He gestured to the potion-making equipment. “Madame Pomfrey has requested that I supply her with a larger-than-usual supply of potions this year in preparation for the war. I will need some assistance and there are few students I would trust with this. Tonight you will be making blood-replenishing potion. I trust you know how?”
“Of course I know how!” Draco returned. “You could have warned me, you know. I’ve plotted your death sixteen different ways today to get back at you for detention.”
Professor Snape merely raised his eyebrow. “Only sixteen ways, Draco?” he asked mildly.
Draco didn’t answer. Instead he turned his back on Professor Snape and began setting out the ingredients he would need for his potion. He worked in silence for several minutes.
“Miss Thompson’s essay seems to have a touch of you in it, Draco. Did you help her with this?”
“Not much. But I think after the time she spent with us she’s copying my format for essay-writing. It’s better than Potter’s, anyway. But the work itself was hers; she’s very smart.”
“Yes, I know,” answered Professor Snape dryly.
“You made her cry,” Draco accused. “You called her an insufferable-know-it-all.”
“That’s because she is,” Professor Snape replied unapologetically. “Very much like Miss Granger. I can’t be kind to a Gryffindor, you know that. You are right that she is intelligent; perhaps you can convince her that was a compliment.”
“I doubt that. She’s scared of you.”
”All of my students are scared of me.”
Draco almost mentioned that Karissa thought Professor Snape was a Death Eater since she had dreamed it that way and no one had corrected her, but decided that was something best left unsaid. “She’s having a rough time. Try not to be so hard on her?”
Professor Snape stared at Draco’s back, wondering when his godson had started caring about someone else’s feelings. What was next, he’d be worried about Potter?
***** ***** ***** ***** *****
Draco spent the weekend in his dorm room studying. Part of the time was spent helping Crabbe and Goyle with their most recent Charms assignment, although it was an exercise in futility. The two of them barely passed any of their subjects, and would have already failed if it had not been for Draco helping them along. Pansy and Millicent were holding court in the common room with some of the other Slytherin girls, discussing how to use social situations to recruit new supporters of You-Know-Who. Draco didn’t know where Theodore Nott and Blaise had gotten too, but he was not overly worried about it. It was almost a relief to get away from the palpable tension that invaded the air whenever he and Blaise occupied the same room.
Monday brought another detention with Professor Snape after Draco “accidentally” knocked over his cauldron in Potions class.
Tuesday morning brought a half-empty Gryffindor table at breakfast and an uneasy feeling settled in Draco’s gut for the entire morning. The late-arriving Gryffindor contingent of his morning classes included Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnegan, Lavender Brown, and one of the Patil twins, he could never remember which was which, and he wasn’t about to bother asking one of them. He arrived at lunch late and passed Karissa as she was on her way out. She gave him a slight wave and kept going. He would have gone after her except he knew he would see her during study session that evening.
The Gryffindor table was full once again for dinner. Draco’s gaze was drawn to Harry and his friends. They were all sitting very close together, and were speaking in hushed tones. Granger and the Weaselette kept offering various things to Harry, obviously trying to tempt him into eating something, but no one else was eating either, judging by their own full plates. Midway through the meal, Harry pushed away from the table and stormed out of the Great Hall, gesturing for his friends to stay away even after he stumbled a bit getting up. Draco tracked his exit with his eyes, fighting the urge to follow him.
As the Great Hall started to clear out and the dishes disappeared, Draco picked up his bag from below the bench and claimed a corner table for himself. Shortly after, Karissa came up and joined him. Without a word, she began pulling out her books and notes. After several minutes of silence, Draco figured she wasn’t going to talk voluntarily. “What’s wrong, delicia?”
“I think Harry’s mad at me,” she said softly, not looking at Draco as she handed him her most recent Charms essay to review.
“What happened?” He pretended to read the beginning of her essay but was actually studying her over the top of the parchment.
“This morning I went downstairs and he was on the couch again, but he was obviously having a nightmare. It was like he was screaming but I couldn’t hear anything. So I ran and got Hermione because I didn’t know what else to do. She came downstairs and said something that let us hear what he was saying. Or screaming or whatever. Apparently it was a spell. But half of Gryffindor was awake by the time Hermione and Ron got him awake and they sent us all back to our dorms before they went up to the boys’ dorm—Hermione too—but we could still hear part of what they were yelling. They didn’t come down for breakfast—I don’t know if they went to class or not, but Hermione made me go to class. She said I did the right thing by coming to get her, but Harry wouldn’t talk to me when I tried to talk to him before dinner. Do you think he’s mad?”
Draco shook his head. “Not at you, anyway. Did you have another dream last night?”
“Yeah, but it was really strange. I don’t think I was actually there. It was like I was watching it all from a window, or from the sky. There were students running from the forest to the front gates and there were all these…these things flying around after them. They wore dark hooded cloaks—I couldn’t really see what they were. And everything felt so cold—that’s what woke me up is that I was shivering despite being under the covers. What do you think it means?”
“I’m not sure. Probably just a random nightmare. Stress from your first week of school and all.” Draco spotted a familiar-looking house-elf a few steps away and got an idea. “Dobby!”
The house-elf squeaked and turned around quickly. “Yes sir, Master Draco, sir.” He bowed low as he approached the table.
Draco rolled his eyes. “Stop that,” he ordered. “I’m not your master; you were freed from the Malfoy household and besides, I’m no longer a Malfoy. Would you fetch Miss Thompson here a mug of hot cocoa?”
Dobby looked at Karissa and grinned. “Right away!” he agreed, disappearing with a ‘POP’ only to reappear mere moments later with a steaming mug of cocoa which he pressed into her hands.
“There,” Draco said after Dobby was gone. “That should help you relax a bit. Why don’t you practice your levitation charm while I’m reading this essay?” A short time later, Draco headed to the dungeons, a certain Gryffindor worrying his mind although it wasn’t the droopy-eyed little girl he had just sent off towards the tower.
The next morning was Draco’s day for Defense Against the Dark Arts class. After class was dismissed, Draco lingered until the other students were gone. “Professor Lupin?” he asked, walking towards the desk at the front of the room. “Can I speak with you for a moment?”
“Certainly, Mister Malfoy,” Professor Lupin replied, looking up from his papers. “Is it about today’s lesson?” At the slight shake of Draco’s head, Professor Lupin shut the door with a slight flick of his wand. “What is it, then, Draco?” He watched as Draco cast a worried glance towards the door. “It’s warded, don’t worry.”
Draco nodded. “It’s Potter, sir,” he started. “I think you may need to talk to him or something.”
“Is this about the incident from yesterday morning?”
“Partly. But Karissa said he’s been sleeping in the common room. And I noticed he hasn’t been eating, either.”
Professor Lupin raised his eyebrow but did not question why Draco was keeping track of Harry’s dining habits. “I’ll speak with him but I cannot guarantee it will do any good. What do you suggest I do, Mr. Malfoy? As I recall, you were the one who got him to eat by antagonizing him.”
“When we were dueling at Grimmauld Place, it gave us both an outlet for our stress,” Draco stated wisely. He had been working this out in his mind for a long while. “And he was eating because we worked up an appetite. I think you should let us duel outside of class.”
“Do you expect I’m just going to pull him aside and tell him and whoever else is listening that I’ve arranged for him to duel with you? I don’t think that will go over too well.”
“Give him detention. That’s what Professor Snape does to me.”
Professor Lupin chuckled. “That would mean I’d have to find something to give you both detention for.”
“I can start an argument with him in the corridor; all you have to do is make sure that you are there before another professor. I can probably catch up with him right now, actually, since he’s on his way from Potions to the Great Hall for lunch.”
“Not today. You two have your first DA meeting tonight, correct?”
”I’m not part of Potter’s little club.”
“You are helping Harry teach the DA, remember?”
”Well, I don’t know anything about it.”
“Hmm. Well, I’ll see why you were not told. The meeting is at 7 tonight; meet in the corridor on the seventh floor by the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy. As for the other, if you really want me to set it up, it may not be a bad idea. How does Friday night sound?”
“I have detention with Professor Snape. We’re making Pepperup Potion.”
“Fine. Detention, Saturday at two, here in my classroom, for conduct unbecoming a Prefect. Honestly, staying after class just to insult my condition,” he said with a smile.
“Oh yes,” Draco drawled. “It’s honestly dreadful to have a werewolf for a teacher.”
Chapter 16
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I look forward to Draco's altercation with Harry. Also, why Blaise is openly defying Draco.
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*rub hands in anticipation*
A word of caution: I like your OC Karissa so far, but do tread carefully with her. So far she pushes the plot along, so that's great :-)
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I do realize that you have a life outside of your writing - so I'll continue to wait patiently for your next chapter.
checking almost daily
*g* me too. I also check Laocoon's Children, Underwater Light, The Shadow of His Wings, Draco Veritas, and sic transit gloria mundi daily.
BTW, anyone happens to know Cinnamon's LJ? Cinnamon of "Beautiful World" fame.
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I can't wait till the next update!
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The pacing is absolutely perfect and I am really looking forward to more Harry and Draco interaction. I hope you don't mind if I friend you so that I can keep up to date.
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