Stillness

Chapter 4

"Are you fucking done?" Malfoys voice caught her ears as they entered the Great Hall on Friday.

She had never actually heard him sound like that, he had always been mean to her but the tone of his voice just now set her completely on edge, making the hair on her arms stand up and the back of her neck tingle. Hermione looked over and saw him glaring darkly up at a boy in Ravenclaw robes, standing before him. She had no idea what had come over the boy but she was sure he really belonged in Gryffindor because if Malfoy had been looking at her like that she would have run. Malfoy's eyes looked like the sky right before a tornado touched ground and you could almost feel his magic crackling around him. As she watched, the boy leaned across the table so his face was inches away from him.

"What kind of pathetic Death Eater are you?" The boy growled out and Malfoy flew to his feet.

Before she could even blink, Zabini and Nott had Malfoy by a shoulder each as Malfoy glared murder at the kid. At some point he had drawn his wand, which he gripped with white knuckles. Nott glanced at it, clearly trying to figure out a way to get it from him.

"He's not worth it, Draco." Zabini said, trying to push Malfoy back into his seat.

"That's not what your mother was saying." The boy smirked.

Zabini and Nott were thrown to the side and Malfoy had his wand jabbed into the boy's throat. The kid finally looked scared and seemed to realize he had gone too far as Malfoy's wand indented his neck. Malfoys free hand balled into a fist at his side as a muscle on his jaw ticked.

"Say something about my mother again, and I'll show you exactly what kind of Death Eater I am." He growled out, jabbing his wand in a little harder.

Hermione didn't realize she had pulled her wand until Harry nudged her. Her grip on it tightened as she took a couple deep breaths. Her heart was racing at the scene before her and she had no idea what to do without setting Malfoy off more. She glanced at Harry and he shook his head at her.

"Mr Malfoy." McGonagall's clear voice rang out and Malfoy immediately let his wand drop. "What is going on here?"

"Nothing." He snapped, before turning and storming from the hall, Zabini and Nott following behind.

McGonagall hesitated for a moment, clearly debating going after him before turning to the Ravenclaw boy. He shrank slightly under her sharp gaze. Hermione was worried the boy would try to twist the situation so that it appeared Malfoy had attacked without cause but McGonagall didn't even give him a chance to speak.

"We don't tolerate prejudice of any form in these halls, Mr Nickerson. You would do well to remember that the next time you decide to provoke someone." She said coolly before brushing past him.

Things settled quickly as they all took their seats and filled their plates. Ginny seemed to be lost in thought and was being too quiet. Hermione eyed her, whenever Ginny was quiet it meant she was up to something. Ron was grumbling about how Malfoy was unstable and finally it made Ginny break her silence.

"Will you stop!" She snapped. "How, exactly, would you have reacted if someone had said that about our mother?"

"We don't know what Nickerson was saying before we walked in. Honestly I think Malfoy showed more control then another person would have." Hermione added.

Ron pouted for the rest of breakfast and as they all gathered their stuff to head to their first class, Hermione replayed the morning. She was trying to figure out why she had felt the need to draw her wand. She knew she pulled it after Malfoy had pulled his, but she hadn't been scared of Malfoy. She had been focused on Nickerson, she had drawn her wand to stop Malfoy from doing something stupid, but not to protect Nickerson, she actually would have liked to hex him herself for being so careless, but to keep Malfoy from being sent to Azkaban over something as stupid as being bullied.