Atlas Malfoy and how history repeats itself

Part 23

I wake up early the next morning, but I haven't really got a point. Luckily I got granted permission to wear my own clothes, so I don't bother getting dressed fancy. A tracksuit will do. I eat breakfast, but I am then alone. Lupin's lesson was going to be one I went to, but if anyone asks, I'll say I got confused...
"Is there a reason you are lingering outside?" Severus's voice is sharp, "You should be in Defence against the Dark Arts. As a matter of fact, I am teaching there now. Come on."
He drags me to the lesson, sitting me at an empty desk. I glare up at him as he demands something about a book page. I do turn to it, as Hermione's voice sounds next to me. She makes me jump, and I start the homework set then. No point waiting. Draco is glaring and I honestly, can't wait for my fill in of quidditch.

The next day is wet and rainy. Ron shoves a sandwich into his mouth, dragging me to the infirmary and says, "So rainy you could hardly see anything. Someone's broom managed to catch on fire, which makes no sense. I don't understand how fire can burn in rain, but oh well. Anyway, Harry speeds off somewhere and plummets to the ground not long after. Falls down, absolutely smashing himself up nearly. Dumbledore saves him, and now we're here trying to wait for him to wake up."
I gasp at the sight of Harry. He looks so cold and clammy. I sit next to him on the chair and say, "You fell off your broom. Harry, are you okay?"
"Wait what?" Harry groans. Ron hold out the thing he had been holding and I feel my jaw drop at the sight of the broom. Snapped in three, and nasty looking. Harry almost leaps out of the bed, racing to Lupin's office.

Hermione pulls me to the dorm and hisses, "Lupin."
"Yes," I say, "What about him?"
"I think he is a werewolf."
I scoff and say, "Please, Hermione, I'd love to believe you, but he is a teacher. In a school. I doubt Dumbledore would hire him."
"Just you watch."

Not too long after, it's Christmas. I feel bad leaving Harry, but Hermione has a huge list of shopping she needs to get done. She drags me round, muttering under her breath the entire time. Something about how she'd rather be in London shopping. I finally convince her to let us sit on a bench, and I pant desperately. She combs over her list frantically, and I hear Draco's voice.
"Shopping for your new home?"
I spin round and say, "Blimey, Draco, have you always had an annoying voice? Or is that a new thi-"
I can't finish my sentence by the time a snowball whacks him in the side of the face. He gasps as a series of little odd things happen. Hermione and I are collapsed over laughing and I walk back with them. I don't know how long we are walking for, because I'm looking over Hermione's list. I watch as Harry slips into his cloak and races off, but it's too late for us to stop him. How can a muggle know this many people? She wants to shop for mum, dad, auntie, uncle Jay and a whole bunch of other people.

I sit down on a bench again and we just have to wait. It's just a waiting game with Harry. As much as I feel bad for him, I wouldn't like him to make us wait in the snow often. Footsteps appear in the snow and we follow them, trying to look as normal as we can. We follow him to where he is noisily sobbing.

I crouch down to him, and pull the cloak off. He sobs and I say, "Harry..."
"He was their friend, Atlas," he raises his voice with every word, "He betrayed them. HE WAS THEIR FRIEND."
He keeps talking, and Hermione walks us back to the castle.

It isn't long before spring rolls round. I grimace at Draco's voice.
"Professor Snape asked me to find you." He laughs. I turn round to him and snap, "Tell Severus that until he learns not to drag me to lessons, I'm not going to be speaking to him."
"Are you seriously still upset about that?" Draco's voice lowers. I glare at him, saying, "Yes. But also, I don't like him. He is one of them, and I'm not speaking to him."
"You should really learn to appreciate our pure blood status. I mean, how many other people have actually managed to be granted permission to do their exams early-"
"I didn't get that because of my pure blood status, Draco, I got it from my knowledge. I had to do a smaller test to see if I was fit to do it." I snap. Draco scoffs, "And why did they even take this into consideration? Because of dad's job."
"And plenty of muggle borns and half bloods are in the ministry. See, it's butting your nose into things like this that is the reason your arm got hurt."
I see him shrink back at that. He says, "My arm got hurt because of that great oaf. Snape wants you. Just go speak to him."
"Fine!" I yell, storming to his office. People jump out my way and I slam into the room with him.

Severus says, "Red hair will not go down well with your father. Learn to keep your emotions quieter. Anyway, I wanted to know how you were getting on with the revision."
"You aren't my head of house. How does it concern you?" I yell, sitting onto the chair I find myself on too often. Severus, for the first time, looks genuinely frustrated. He yells back, "BECAUSE I MADE AN UNBREAKABLE VOW TO YOUR MOTHER THAT I WOULDN'T GET YOU KILLED."
My jaw drops and he lowers his voice, "If you die while in your time as a student, I will die too. I made a promise, and I must stick to it. Just stop being so stupid and reckless and maybe you will stop making such big mistakes. Get out. I don't know why I called you here."