till death do us part -regulus black (the blacks, vol. 1)

chapter 18 - draco's p.o.v

Draco was sitting at the Slytherin table during the feast at the beginning of the year. He was sitting with Theo and Blaise, listening to the babbling Dumbledore was saying. Despite seeing him almost every day during the summer, just like his mother, Draco didn't trust the headmaster completely.

'So Potter and Weasel still hate you,' Theo said.

'Yeah,' Draco nodded, 'just because they're more prejudging than Lucius, and that man is something else when it comes to these things.'

'Well, if they want to be imbeciles, don't let them affect you,' Blaise said wisely.

At the Gryffindor table, Harry and Ron were looking nasty at the youngest Black, as if they were planning something.

'Could you two please stop?' asked Hermione. 'I'm starting to get worried about your obsession with Draco,' she added.

'It's not an obsession, Mione,' Ron argued.

'You two are borderline insane,' Ginny told the two best friends. 'He's done everything to prove himself to you two and you still think he's a bloody spy.'

'Once a snake, always a snake,' Harry told the two girls.

Hermione sighed and stood up from the table. 'Yes, well, I'd much rather spend my time with him than with you two idiots!' she exclaimed.

Ginny stood up, too, and followed Hermione to the Slytherin table. 'Could we please sit here?' Ginny asked as soon as they stood opposite Draco, Blaise and Theo.

'Why? What's wrong?' Draco asked.

'Those two bimbos got on our nerves,' Hermione replied, rolling her eyes. 'Sometimes I tend to think they're 2-years-olds jealous that someone stole their candy.'

The three Slytherins and Ginny giggled at Hermione's comment.

'Sure, you can join us if you're not afraid of what your fellow Gryffindors might say,' Blaise said, gesturing to the empty seats in front of them.

Everyone watched closely as Ginny and Hermione were taking a seat at the Slytherin table, some whispering about it, others just watching shocked how the two friends of the boy who lived were choosing the Slytherins instead of their famous friend. The two girls could feel the stares of the others, but they didn't care. They were just happy to sit with people who were not nutjobs.

The next day, the Slytherins and the Gryffindors were in DADA together, waiting to meet the new teacher they would have that year, Dolores Umbridge. Hermione and Draco were sitting together, while Theo and Blaise were sitting behind them and Crabbe and Goyle in front of them. The two, mostly known as "Draco's bodyguards", didn't think anything suspicious of Granger sitting with their supposed "best friend".

'She looks like a toad dressed up in pink?' the group of four commented.

While the Gryffindors were flying a paper bird around, Professor Umbridge made her entrance into the classroom. The woman introduced herself and the new ministry-approved material she would be teaching from. Both Draco and Hermione exchanged a scared look, knowing that the pink-dressed toad-like lady wouldn't teach them much.

'Excuse me, Professor Umbridge,' Draco said.

'Yes, Mr Malfoy,' she acknowledged.

'Actually, it's Mr Black,' Draco disclosed. 'And, how is this tiny book going to be teaching us anything?' he asked.

'Well, Mr Black' she said, spitting out his last name with venom, 'this is the way the Ministry approved you to be taught, in a safer way.'

'So, what you mean is that we'll learn nothing about defensive spells, or anything in a practical way,' Hermione joined in.

'Yes, Ms...'

'Hermione Granger, professor.'

'Well, Ms Granger, there's nothing out there to be afraid of.'

When he heard Umbridge's words, Harry's nerves went to a whole different level and opened up the subject of Voldemort, which got him detention.

'Oh, Merlin, that boy only knows how to get introuble,' Hermione sighed, Draco nodding his head, agreeing with the girl.