Draco Malfoy and the Obnoxious Stone

Chapter 9

He wished he hadn't drank the last vial of the Sleeping Draught as he tossed and turned in bed, thinking about Potter and Granger getting reprimanded by Professor McGonagall. It wasn't his intention to let it happen - in fact Draco wondered just how strangely warped the events from his past had become. The outcomes barely changed even when he inserted himself into the picture.

Dragons and serpents filled his dreams that night, dancing in the air and under water in complicated loops and twists. It reminded him of rare glimpses of a familiar selkie's performances in the lake. Snakes, perhaps that was a clue his mind subconsciously came upon somewhere between his obsession with researching time turners and teleporting abilities of magical creatures. Draco woke up late in the afternoon, with a crazy plan.

He spent the day finishing all homework, and playing chess against Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy, intent on avoiding leaving the common room. The House Elves were kind enough to leave snacks around most nights, and his mother sent more than enough sweets to stave off hunger for a single day, so he had everything he needed to survive. When night eventually fell and everyone headed to bed, he put on Potter's Invisibility Cloak and snuck out.

The Restricted Section was laughably easy to access, with no traps or wards to mind even at night. It was a wonder most students didn't sneak in there at some point, he thought. Not everyone had as great of an interest in dark or powerful magic as Draco. He looked around - there were countless familiar titles, some of which he knew from the Manor library.

A barely noticeable noise in the distance startled him from simply standing around and enjoying himself. Now he had to rush. He quickly gathered the small pile of books he had listed on an unsigned permission slip, and as an afterthought quickly grabbed a dusty, ancient-looking book with serpent imagery embedded into its leather.

He began non-verbally shrinking the books to fit them all in his bag, but his hand was shaking from nerves. It was taking much longer than he would have liked. The library was eerily quiet. Suddenly, someone dragged him back by the collar.

"It's much too late to be catching up on homework, Mr. Malfoy." Severus Snape whispered, somehow sounding more scary than if he shouted. "What makes you think you are above my authority. How dare you go behind my back to do something I've expressly fobbidden!"

He was dead, he thought. He was absolutely not making it back to his friends. Severus looked ready to have Draco expelled.

If you just signed the permission slip I wouldn't have to resort to this, he thought, but didn't dare say that to an already fuming Snape.

"I thought I made myself clear, but this should get through this thick skull of yours. Fifty points from Slytherin, and detention."

"Fifty?!" Draco was glad it wasn't expulsion, but he didn't think the Head of Slytherin would want to hurt their chances of winning the House Cup this much.

"Would you prefer a hundred?" Severus picked up the crumpled book list and checked his pile, equally frustrated and impressed to see some of the books shrunken to less than a quarter of their original size.

"No... sir." Draco supposed he should have been patient until Severus gave in and signed the permission slip, instead. How was he going to keep researching if the books he wanted were out of his reach? He didn't know what other teacher would allow him access before their O.W.L year.

They walked in tense silence all the way down to the dungeons, where Draco was reprimanded once more. He tried not to be visibly upset when Severus finished by calling him a disappointment and walked off with a swish of his robes.

Once he was alone in the common room, he checked for Potter's cloak. It was right where he stashed it when he reached the library. At least he didn't create another reason for the Gryffindors to blame him.