The Demons Within (Draco Malfoy)

7.-Draco.

I hate that girl. I groan harshly as I hear the common room door slam.

"Such a little crybaby, huh?" Crabbe laughs as I sit back in the couch. I smirk, knowing I get under her skin. Nothing makes me happier, even messing with Potter and his band of idiots. 

"Why do you hate her so much?" Blaze asks from behind me. I didn't even know he was standing there. 

"Stay out of it, Zabini." I spit, staring into the fire. 

"He has a point, she hasn't done anything to you." A girl says from the dorm stairs. I don't turn to look, frankly I don't care. "She helped you, even if she didn't want to." The girl continues. Finally, against my better judgment I turn around to see Emma Wright, one of Eloise's roommates. 

"And what's your point, Wright?" I spit, staring into her eyes. 

"My point is that you need to apologize. Be friends with her, or at least don't smear her name every chance you get." She raises her voice as she makes her way down the stairs. 

I let rage take over the rest of my emotions as I stand up and make my way over to her. I get in her face as I spit, "You don't know anything about me." I back away before more students see my little outburst. 

Dinner should be starting soon, so I storm out of the common room before anyone has any time to stop me. 

I stalk the halls for a while before I make my way to dinner. After my third lap around the first floor, I decide to bite the bullet and walk through the great doors. 

I find my friends and sit with them, they're laughing about Snape's recent verbal attack on Potter, and I quickly join in. I feel Wright's eyes on me like I've killed her cat. Eloise isn't here yet, and I wouldn't be surprised if she's skipped dinner all together. 

"Wright is staring you down, you know." Goyle nudges my side. 

"She's got problems, that one." I smirk, thinking about the new ammo I have on her friend. 

~

I'm almost ready to go back to the common room, I've had enough of Wright's wild eyes staring me down for one day. 

The doors open, and Snape and his daughter enter the hall. Eloise has clearly been crying, her eyes are obviously puffy no matter how hard she tries to hide them. 

"Uh oh, here she comes." Crabbe whispers, nudging me. I smirk a little, watching her sit down out of the corner of my eyesight. 

She digs right inn, putting little amounts of food on her plate before her friend asks her what's wrong. 

I can't hear what she says, but whatever it is she snaps it. She turns back to her food, defeat in her face. 

I got her good. I smirk to myself as I turn back to my friends. 

"So, did you get anyone to help you with exams?" Zabini asks from across the table.

"No, I figure I'm going to wing it. If I sit in top five, my family will still be pleased." I lie, knowing if I'm anything but the best my family will kill me. 

"Your dad will kill you!" Crabbe pipes up, louder than my liking. 

"No he won't." I lie again. I speak more aggressively than I mean to, undoubtedly a habit I picked up from my house, but everyone else takes the hint and drops the conversation. 

~

Some of the other students start to leave the hall, and I see Eloise get up aggressively. I stand up too, hoping to catch her and try asking her for her help again. 

I'm a few paces behind her, and I'm about to call out her name now, to try and get under her skin more, or even get her to agree to help me study. Before I can call out to her, I'm shoved into a dark corridor. 

"Malfoy." Professor Snape barks at me, pushing me further into the wall with his wand. 

"I'm sor-" I start to speak. Wait until my father hears about this. 

"I want to make this very clear, so listen close. My daughter has done nothing to you." Snape spits his words, clearly she ran to him after our chat before dinner, "You need to stop whatever little mind games you're playing with her or the consequences will be severe." He retracts his wand before finishing his thought, "I have tried to help you, Malfoy. Your family has asked me to keep an eye on you, and I have, because of what we were. What we are. I will not hesitate to write Lucius and tell him that I will no longer help you. You will be on your own." He speaks low, letting his voice growl a little at the mention of our connected families, before turning away and walking out of the dim hallway. 

I stalk back to the common room, fired up on Snape's little speech to me. 

Who does he think he is? 

I hold my wand up to the common room entrance, muttering the password under my breath. I find the room almost empty, which is uncommon for this time at night. Eloise is sitting on the couch in front of the fire, curled up in a blanket and reading a book. I sigh as I make my way over to her, knowing this isn't going to go well. 

"Can I sit for a second?" I mumble, motioning for the little spot on the couch that isn't covered in blanket. 

"What?" She asks, closing her book back up. 

"Can I sit? I wanna talk to you."

"Sure." She whispers, readjusting herself and moving the blanket for me. 

"Look, Eloise I wan-" She cuts me off rapidly. 

"If you're asking about the exams, I'll help you." She doesn't look at me, she stares into the fire instead. 

"I wasn't going to ask about the exams. I want to apologize for how I've treated you." I whisper, looking into the fire as well. 

"Why?" She asks. 

"I don't know why I've been so bad to you. Maybe it's the fact that you and Potter get the same whispers here, or that you don't have to try very hard to be top of the class, I don't know." I speak before I can think. It's all true, and it's the first time I've ever been completely honest with a person. "Plus it's really fun getting under your skin." I add, scoffing as I finish my thought. 

"You get as much attention as we do, you know. Harry is famous outside of the school, I'm just famous in here for my father." She lets her voice trail off, leaving me out of the equation, "You're famous in here for being a bully, and privileged." She laughs a little, turning to face me. "Do you like all of the negativity surrounding your name?" She asks, looking back at the fire. 

"I was raised to be this. My father wouldn't have anything but this. I guess it makes me look strong, untouchable." I sigh, facing her now, "This way I don't get mixed up with the wrong people, because they won't seek me out." I finish, leaning back into the couch. 

"So this is to protect yourself?" She asks. 

"Yeah I guess. Just pretend that stuff doesn't bother me, it works pretty well." I smile, and she smiles back. 

"Maybe I should try it then." She looks down, fidgeting with the blanket.

"Don't do that, Snape. It feels horrible after a while." I smile and start to stand up. 

"Thank you, Malfoy, for apologizing and talking with me." She smiles before opening her book again. 

"Goodnight, Snape."

"Goodnight, Malfoy." 

I walk up the stairs to the boys dorms. The rest of my roommates are getting ready for bed, so I join them. We talk briefly about exams in the next few weeks, and how excited we all are to be out of this castle before falling asleep.