𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆

Single Chapter

Something was wrong with Draco Malfoy. He made little to no conversation with his housemates anymore. He was eating less, looking paler than usual, and avoiding eye contact with everyone, including his favorite Professor, Severus Snape. Even his torturing of the Gryffindors had taken a severe nosedive in creativity and general maliciousness, and he only seemed to be doing it to keep his reputation up with the other houses. He didn't even seem to be enjoying it anymore. Of course, no one would have noticed such insignificant things but his housemates, who didn't seem to care, and the boy who had watched him carefully every day for the past four years.

Harry Potter was currently staring at Malfoy from across the Great Hall, curiously keeping track of how many times his housemates 'accidentally' bumped into him as they scrambled to get at the best food. Malfoy wasn't even trying to fight them, letting them get what they wanted and picking at the leftovers. Though his head was held as high as ever, his eyes seldom left the tabletop. The smirk was there, but only on the surface. There was no power behind it at all. The grey eyes that had so often shot daggers at Harry seemed utterly unarmed, looking dull and tired. The look of the Slytherin Prince was there, but only on the outside. It was a mask to hide whatever emotion Draco Malfoy was struggling so hard to keep hidden.

"You're staring at that stupid git again," Ron informed him acidly.

Harry nodded. "Yes, I am." he verified, not caring that Ron was no doubt getting ready to smack him in the back of the head with his potions book. Lucky for the redhead Hermione intervened, taking the book out of his hands no more than three inches from Harry's temple. Ignoring the 'Really, Ron!', Harry continued to stare. His eyebrows twitched in anger when a rather large tremor went through Malfoy's slender frame and he squirmed uncomfortably in his seat. It took Harry a moment to find the reason for this as Malfoy was facing him and the table was in the way, but he did note that Crabbe's thick arm was moving in such a way that made it obvious he was doing something in Malfoy's lap with his hand.

Draco tried to move away, but Goyle's arm snaked around his shoulders and held him firmly in place. Draco was shaking violently, biting his lip. He looked mortified, but at the same time there was something else there that was preventing him from fighting. Several of the other Slytherins had taken to watching Malfoy writhe, and Crabbe's arm made a jerking motion as if he had suddenly gripped something very hard. Malfoy bit his lip so hard that it started to bleed, and he closed his eyes tightly, bowing his head ever so slightly. When he opened his eyes again Harry recognized the look and identified the emotion that had eluded him before.

Draco Malfoy was terrified.

The moment Harry stood up, enraged that nobody had noticed, all heads faced him. He stared and they simultaneously then turned to Malfoy. Whatever they had been doing to him had stopped and they had continued eating. The only indication of it was the small spot of red that Malfoy swiped at absently with his thumb before he resumed his meal.

The mask was back up and flawlessly guarded. Nobody saw that he was still trembling, if only slightly. Nobody but Harry. Harry was being stared at from students and staff alike as if he had gone mad, but he didn't care. Still infuriated, he strode from the hall resolutely toward his dorm, totally ignoring Ron and Hermione's calls for him to wait for them.

Hours later, past curfew for all good little students to be in their beds, Harry wandered down to the Slytherin Dorms with Invisibility Cloak keeping him hidden from unwanted hall monitors. He smiled wryly as he approached the entrance to the dorm. Tilting his head up, Harry hissed the command 'open' in parseltongue. The door slid up instantly. Never let it be said that being a Gryffindor that speaks parseltongue isn't fun sometimes. It hadn't taken long for Harry to figure out that every door, window, and secret passageway in the Slytherin dorms and even the Slytherin Prefect's bathroom opened, closed and locked to parseltongue.