The Silver Envelope

A lesson from Draco

Draco debated going after her, but out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Johanna raising her wand. He whipped around and stunned her, faster than she could think to block him. She flopped to the ground with a comical thwop!
Weasley cried out an unintelligible curse and thrust his wand forward. Flicking his wand lazily,
Draco deflected the curse and strode forward to finish the duel. Weasley sent another hex forward but Draco had been ready. He slashed his wand through the air to block the spell, then flicked it again to disarm him.
Wesley's grip on his wand failed, and it went flying to the side, sliding through a gap in the
balustrade and falling into the snow below.
Draco didn't give him time to process where his wand had gone before he bore down on him, seizing the neck of his shirt in a tight grip and slamming him against the stone railing of the balcony.
"I'm only going to say this once, Weasley, so I hope it makes it past your thick skull," Draco growled into his ear, pressing his wand into his neck. "You've made a grave miscalculation. Not of me, although I won't hesitate to send you into nonbeing if you ever so much as point one fat toe in her direction again--no, I mean that you've underestimated Hermione.
"You don't know anything about her!" Weasley rasped.
Draco jammed the point of his wand into Weasley's neck, eliciting a pathetic moan from him. An array of nasty spells flitted through Draco's mind, but he held off. He had a point to make.
"No. You don't," Draco hissed. "Do you think Hermione is stupid? Do you think she's easily influenced? Do you imagine that we're friends now because I simply crooked my finger in her direction, knowing she'd come running? I know you're a moron, Weasley, but it's like you've never even met her!" Draco spat. "When she decided to leave you, she did so because she's smart, because she saw straight through your whiny, idiotic charade, and because she realized that a pathetic little git like you couldn't possibly help her reach the greatness she's destined to achieve." Weasley looked as if he was about to explode. He kicked out, struggling against Draco's hold, but Draco only laughed and pressed his wand harder into Weasley's neck, subduing him again
"And you think you can? You think you're the man she needs?" Weasley growled at Draco.
"You still haven't got it yet?" Draco shouted into Weasley's face, causing him to wince. "I don't matter in the slightest, Weasley! Whether I'm around or not, she's better off without you! Got it?"
Without waiting for an answer, Draco stepped back, pushing Weasley to the ground as he did.
Weasley coughed and gasped, rubbing the spot where Draco's wand had jabbed into his throat.
"I hope you remember that little lesson,"
* Draco said with a smirk. "Because she's done with you
Lucky for me, you made sure of that tonight. Honestly, I should thank you. I don't even have to turn her against you! After what you said tonight, you've done it for me." Weasley's eyes went wide, realizing all too late what he had done.
"You...you tricked her!" he wheezed.
"No, you pumpkin-headed dolt," Draco sneered. "I tricked you."
With deep satisfaction, Draco watched as reality crashed over Weasley. He spluttered, searching
for a retort, but Draco knew none would come.
"I suggest you go find your wand and revive your date," Draco said blithely, turning on his heel and striding away. "Gryffindor chivalry, and all."
Draco couldn't hold back his smile as he summoned his jacket from the ground and disappeared into the ballroom, heading for the exit.