Bloodlines || A Draco Malfoy Romance Fanfiction

Bad First Day - 66

Aphry

The next day was back to classes, and I was honestly happy about the return to a school routine.

After our morning class, we headed to Care of Magical Creatures. As we walked down to Hagrid's hut, I teased Draco. "Now, darling Draco. Let's remember to listen to our professor this year and not get mauled by the lesson."

Several of the Slytherins around us laughed. I'd noticed that many of them had been much warmer to me than they had been the previous year. I'd guessed that not currently fighting with Draco had something to do with it, especially seeing as most of last year's quidditch players were showing the most drastic change.

"Very funny, Aphry," Draco said flatly as he looked ahead and walked. I looked at him with a light smile. He turned his head to look at me, and the faintest hint of a smile graced his face as well. 

We were finally able to see the Gryffindors and Hagrid as they surrounded several large crates all filled with tiny nasty looking creatures. "Oh, god," I said, my smile turning into a grimace. "What are those?" My nose scrunched at the rotten fish smell.

We finally joined the rest of the class as Hagrid told the Gryffindors we'd be raising the creatures this year in class. 

"Why would we want to raise them?" Draco said, earning a chuckle from his two cronies. Hagrid didn't respond. "I mean, what do they do? What is the point of them?"

Hagrid gave an oddly off-character non-answer. He usually always seemed knowledgeable about the school's creatures. Nonetheless, we were given the task of testing various things to feed them and find out what they eat.

"Ugh," I groaned. "I hate anything that resembles a bug," I said, taking some of the ant eggs Hagrid had provided us with a grimace.

"What's the matter, Cytheria?" Draco joked grabbing some as well. "Disappointed we aren't studying unicorns?"

"Well, yeah," I said, as he placed his handful in the crate. "You know that I have a particular distaste for bugs and reptiles."

He paused after he remove his hand, taking a look at me. "Reptiles? You mean like... Snakes?" The Slytherins around us chuckled.

I huffed, putting my hand in the crate in front of us and dropping my handful of ant eggs in the crate. "Yes. And I am fully aware of the irony." The Slytherins broke into full-on laughter for a few moments.

But our laughter was broken by Dean getting burned by the Blast-Ended Skrewts, quickly followed by Lavender being stung. I turned from them to look at Draco with wide, concerned eyes.

He reached over, gently taking my second handful of ant eggs. "I think I'll get the rest from here," he said lightly so only I could hear him.

Dipping his hand in to drop the other handful in, he added loudly and sarcastically. "Well, I can certainly see why we're trying to keep them alive. Who wouldn't want pets that can burn, sting, and bite all at once?"

"Draco Malfoy, you stop this instant!" I shouted.

He ignored me, walking at a quick pace with Crabbe and Goyle behind him. Due to his generous growth spurt over the summer, he knew this meant I had to run.

And ladies are not supposed to run, especially in heels.

He had just found an article in The Prophet, work of the fabulous Rita Skeeter, mentioning Ron's dad. I knew every instinct in his stupid, blonde brain was telling him to go terrorize Ron with it. My necklace was also doing a fair bit of tingling.

The three caught Harry, Ron, and Hermione on the way to the great hall for dinner. "Weasley! Hey, Weasley!"

The three turned to Draco. "What?" Ron spat. I groaned, knowing that I had failed. Draco had gotten the reaction he'd wanted out of Ronald Weasley, and he was not going to stop until he was good and ready.

Thank Merlin Dimitri and I went to different schools. How on earth would I manage my relationship with him and keep Draco in line at the same time?

"Your dad's in the paper, Weasley!" He then began reading the article, titled "Further Mistakes at the Ministry of Magic" out loud so everyone could hear about Mr. Weasley getting into a situation with some muggle auror-types over some 'highly aggressive dustbins' and had to alter their memories.

Draco held up the paper so everyone could see the correlating picture of Ron's parents. "And there's a picture, Weasley! A picture of your parents outside their house — if you can call it a house! Your mother could do with losing a bit of weight, couldn't she?"

I grabbed the sleeve of Draco's jumper. "Ok, that's plenty enough, Draco."

Ron was furious. Harry and Hermione had to hold him back. Harry defended Ron by telling Draco to "Get Stuffed."

"Oh yeah, you were staying with them this Summer, weren't you, Potter? So, tell me, is his mother really that porky, or is it just the picture?"

"You know your mother, Malfoy?" Harry responded. "That expression she's got like she's got dung under her nose? Has she always looked like that, or was it just because you were with her?"

Oh no, he just didn't.

I was seeing red, and I stood in front of Draco. "Don't you dare bring Narcissa Malfoy into this!"

Harry must have been shocked hearing me on the other side of the argument for once. "Oh, yeah? Does your mum have the same look?"

Hermione murmured a quick, "Harry!" but it was too late.

I straightened my spine and glared at him. "My mother is dead, Potter." The anger dropped from his face, replaced with surprise and realization. I then spun on my heels, choking back tears as I headed toward the dungeons.

"You've done it now, Potter," I heard Draco faintly, then footsteps as he followed me, ordering Crabbe and Goyle not to follow him.

Draco caught up to me, and we wordlessly made our way to the Slytherin Common Room. Once the stone entrance growled shut and I knew I was safe in the empty common room while everyone was at dinner, I broke down. I doubled over, bawling, and my hands covered my face as uncontrollable sobs left me.

"Aphry," Draco said sympathetically. He wrapped his arms around my shoulders as I cried.

I wrapped my arms around his waist, burying my face into his chest and not caring a bit if I ruined it with running mascara. "I miss her so much!" I cried; the sound muffled by his jumper.

His hand went to the nape of my neck, adding pressure and securing his hug further. "I know, Aphry. I know."

At that moment, my necklace turned warm. A new sensation that was ignored in my grief.