Draya Malfoy

16 - The Savage and the Carcass

"You crossed the fucking line this time."

I turned away, not being able to suffer the disappointment in Blaise's eyes.

"It's a good job Crabbe and Goyle have no morals," he continued sternly, "because without them you'd have no one in your corner."

Fat lot of good they had been though, I thought sulkily. They just stood and watched as Harry attacked me.

"Where are you going?" I asked quietly as Blaise stood up from the sofa and snatched up his bag. "Weren't we going to work on that Charms essay together?"

Blaise's eyes narrowed down at me, his lips twitching in what I could only call disgust. "And listen to you go on about bloody Potter? I think not. You're like a broken record, Dray, and there's only so much of the same fucking song I can take."

Pansy, who had joined us just in time to hear Blaise's words, threw me a sympathetic look as he stormed across the common room and disappeared through the exit.

"Personally, I really liked that song." She said kindly. "Really catchy. I don't know what Blaise has got his knickers in a twist about."

I scrunched up my nose and pretended to look for something in my bag so that she wouldn't see the tears swimming in my eyes.

"Potter was out of order attacking you over some silly words," she continued obliviously, "he needs to grow thicker skin if he wants to survive the wizarding world. Thank goodness for Professor Umbridge. Finally a teacher worthy of Hogwarts."

I was too upset to remind her about Snape. Although, if truth be told, I was in the minority who actually liked him. Although they enjoyed watching him belittle Harry, the others found Snape's intimidating nature too much to handle.

Excusing myself, I made my way back to the dormitory. I briefly thought about writing to Father, but then quickly dismissed the idea. Every time I thought of him I pictured him standing over Cedric Diggory's dead body and it made me feel sick.

Writing to Mother was out of the question, I didn't want to worry her anymore than she already was.

"What's up, Dray?" Daphne asked as she preened herself in the mirror. "Sure, I thought you'd be happy that Potter got himself a lifetime ban from Quidditch?"

Sighing heavily, I dramatically collapsed down onto my bed and pouted. "Blaise is being a big sulk."

"Same as Theo," Daphne muttered, her tone dark as she returned to applying mascara, "he's gone all emo all of a sudden. I think it's safe to say that he's gone off me."

"I don't think it's you, Daph," I said wryly, looking up at the dark velvet green of the canopy above my bed, "they're all acting like the world's gonna end."

"Do you think it's true? What Harry Potter is saying about that night?"

I shrugged. I didn't want to believe it, because believing it would mean facing up to a lot of uncomfortable home truths.

*****

Anyway, it turned out I had other things to worry about.

That wretched oaf had returned from his mysterious beginning of year absence, and not only that but he had reclaimed his laughable post of 'teaching' Care of Magical Creatures.

"We're workin' in here today!" He called, grinning sadistically as he jerked his head back at the dark trees behind him. "Bit more sheltered! Anyway, they prefer the dark."

"What prefers the dark?" I said sharply to Crabbe and Goyle. "What did he say prefers the dark - did you hear?"

They both gormlessly shook their heads and I felt consumed by panic. This great big oaf had what looked like half a dead cow flung over his shoulders and was talking about marching us into the Forbidden Forest.