Bloodlines || A Draco Malfoy Romance Fanfiction

Apologies and Unforgivables - 68

After lunch, I had a free period while Draco had divination. Thankfully Daphne and I both took Arithmancy on Mondays, so it was just her and me from our group in the great hall.

As we put our heads down and got started on our homework, we felt a presence across the table. We looked up to see Harry, looking awful guilty as he timidly stood and held his book bag.

"What do you want, Potter?" Daphne asked, which was off-character of her. She by no means was friends with Harry, but she wasn't as vile to him as the rest of Draco and Pansy's crowd. This was purely because of the events of the night prior.

Harry looked at me. "I was hoping I could talk to you. May I?" He gestured to the empty seat in front of us.

Daphne looked at me, letting me make the decision. This is why we me and her were best friends. She would kill to defend or protect me. I sat straight and proper, looking at him, "Go ahead. Let's hear what you have to say."

He sat down, putting his bag down beside him. He then started. "I'm really sorry about what I said. I had no clue about your mum. I know I'd feel awful if someone said something like that about my mum."

Well, that was a start. "None of you should have been talking about each other's mothers, to begin with. I know Draco started it, and that was wrong, but I also tried to discourage him."

Harry looked at the table sheepishly. "I know."

I crossed my arms. "And when my mother died, Draco's mother became the closest thing I had to one, so you doubly offended me there. I didn't get asked to be pulled into that argument. Neither did Mrs. Weasley, Mrs. Malfoy, and especially not my mother."

"I realize that. That's why I wanted to apologize."

I let him sweat for a moment, before uncrossing my arms. "Thank you for the apology, Harry. I appreciate it."

Draco

How Aphry started talking to Potter again was beyond me, but it was certainly my reality. I thought I would get her all to myself, but I guess I thought wrong. At least Dmitri wasn't here, putting his filthy mitts on her waist as he'd do.

Thursday was Defense Against the Dark Arts, again with the Gryffindorks. 

"Alastor Moody," our instructor of the year said as he turned around to write his name on the chalkboard. "Ex-Auror, Ministry malcontent, and you new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

I stared at the front of the class as he introduced himself. He certainly was unhinged. Of course, I wasn't surprised. Dumbledore was the one to hire him.

"When it comes to the dark arts, I believe in a practical approach," Moody said, magic eye whirring in other directions than his real one. Finally. Maybe we'll get some training similar to Durmstrang, who actually practices the Dark Arts instead of just defense. "But first, which of you can tell me how many unforgivable cursed there are?"

"Three, sir," Granger said, not even a hand raise, of course.

"And they are so named?" he asked, writing aggressively on the chalkboard.

"Because they are unforgivable. The use of any one of them will--"

"Will earn you a one-way ticket to Azkaban, correct." He turned back around to us. "Now the ministry says you're too young to see what these curses do. I say different. You need to know what you're up against! You need to be prepared."

I felt shifting in the seat next to me and looked over at Aphry. She seemed quite uncomfortable about the subject. She gave me a smile that I knew was halfhearted.

Moody got onto Finnegan after trying to put his gum under his desk, chucking his piece of chalk at the student. Then he returned to talking to the rest of the class. "So which curse shall we see first? Weasley?"

"Yes?" the weasel squawked, clearly fearful of the man. 

"Stand," Moody instructed. Weasley slowly stood. "Give us a curse."

"Well... my dad did tell me about one," Weasley responded. "The Imperius curse."

"Oh, yeah, your father would know all about that. Gave the ministry quite a bit of grief a few years ago." He turned to the rest of the class. "Perhaps this will show you why."

He walked over to one of his many jars filled with creatures and pulled the lid off one. Reaching in, he pulled out a spider.

Aphry gave a low groan. "No, not a spider," she whispered. I turned to her with a smirk, slightly amused by her reaction.

Moody used an engorgement charm on the spider, then "Imperio!"

He made the spider jump onto the desk in front of him, causing Dean Thomas to recoil. Then onto Crabbe's head, who began grabbing for the spider. I began laughing at his torment.

The spider jumped to Padma Patil in front of us, crawling up the arm. Aphry grabbed hold of my wrist in fright, sending a spark of energy through me.

Ron was the next victim, landing on his head. "If she bites," Moody said, "She's lethal." I laughed hard as I watch his contorted face of fright. Aphry murmured sympathetically, "Oh, Ron's afraid of spiders, too."

Moody's eyes connected with mine. "What are you laughing at?"

Shit. Everything felt like slow motion as the spider went straight to my face. Aphry gave a shrieking scream as I subconsciously turned to her, trying to figure out a way to get the spider off. She aimed to swat at the bug, although feebly.

"What should I have her do next?" Moody asked. "Jump out the window?" The spider flung off my face, landing on a contraption next to the window. "Drown herself?" the spider hovered over a bucket, presumably full of water. Then I turned to watch as he brought the spider back to himself.

"Scores of witches and wizards have claimed that they only did you-know-who's bidding under the Influence of the Imperius Curse. But here's the rub: How do we sort out the liars?" His magic eye landed on me for half a moment, and I thought of my own father.

Aphry scoffed. "What sort of scum would lie about such of thing?"

Oh, God. She doesn't know. I thought, making me wonder exactly how much her father has told her about my father's past. That's going to be an awkward conversation later. I hope her father has to have it before I do.