The Poisoned Waters

Malfoy

Now with more space, I looked around the familiar shop, and made a break for the stairs. The stairs wound up and around the side of the shop, leading to a second floor that held more advanced books. Climbing up the stairs, I looked down to see Lockhart talking, probably giving some sort of speech.

"Granger?" I was only a few steps away from the top when I saw a familiar face.

"Malfoy." I sigh, looking straight into his gray, ashy eyes. The said boy had a smirk on his face as he leant over the rails to look down below.

"To say I was surprised to see you here would be a lie, Granger." Malfoy said as he threw my way.

"Could say the opposite of you. You don't strike me as the reading type." I retort, rolling my eyes as I also lean over the rails. Malfoy just scoffed at this.

"You don't know me well, Granger, I could like poppy seeds and lilacs for all you know."

I glanced at him.

"Do you?"

He turned to look at me, eyebrows shot off his face.

"No- of course not!" He said, shaking his head at me when I put my arms up in surrender.

"You're the one who said it, not me!" I retaliate, backing away to the bookshelves behind us. I trail my fingers over the spines, reading their titles as I go along. As Lockhart droned on in the background, Malfoy turned to face me.

"I do like books, Granger, though not the ones my parents would particularly favor."

I raised my eyebrows at him, edging him to go on, but he just looked down at his shiny black shoes, which looked to be polished by some rich know-it-all.

I pulled myself away from the shelf and turned towards the stairs.

"Come on then. I need to get back to my sister." I offered a wave before I started down the stairs. After a few moments, Malfoy also started to make his way down. When I got to the bottom of the steps, I spotted Harry dropping a huge pile of books into Ginny's new cauldron. A grin spread across my face as I made my way over, unaware of Malfoy following.

"Bet that was fun, ay Harry?" I grinned as I poked him in the side, to which he backed away quickly before I could do it again.

"Yeah, Potter, can't even enter a book store before making the front page. I guess that's what happens when you are, indeed, The Boy Who Lived!" Malfoy said from behind me, and I turned to glare at him, but stopped when I saw panic and haste in his eyes. I quickly looked around and saw another blond man. His hair was long, and his eyes were exactly like Draco's, gray and ashy. He carried a snake-headed cane as he watched.

"Load of rubbish! Harry didn't want any of that!" Ginny defended Harry with a glare. Clearly I was the only one who saw Malfoy's fear.

"Oh Potter- is this your little girlfriend?" Malfoy smirked, trying to look laidback and uncaring as he put his hands in his pocket. I kept my expression blank, keeping neutral. I wouldn't say me and Malfoy were really friends, but we would rather spend time with each other then in a crowd with people we hate; aquatintinces, maybe? just then, Mione and Ron made their way over. Ron grinned at Malfoy, hoping to make a dig.

"Surprised to see Harry here, eh?" Ron said, repositioning the pile of books he had in his arms to see Malfoy.

"Not really. Just surprised to see you here, Weaslbee." Malfoy shrugged, though I could see a bit of amusement in his eyes. At least it wasn't fear anymore, I guess. Ron started to go as red as Ginny, dropping his books into the said girls cauldron as he took a step closer to Malfoy. Just then, Mr. Weasley, Fred and George all barged through the crowd.

"There you are!" Arthur let out a sigh of relief as he came to a slow stop next to us. "The crowd is huge here- I reckon we go outside." Mr. Weasley smiled at us.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Arthur Weasley." A cold voice came from behind me, and when I looked back at Malfoy, he had the man with the cane holding onto his shoulders, a sneer on his lips.

"Ah— Lucius." Mr. Weasley replied with a just as cold tone; nothing like his usual voice. The man- Lucius- started to talk, but I just kept staring at Malfoy. It looked like he was visually flinching away from where the hand was placed on his shoulder. Once Malfoy caught my eye, he just looked away. I just shook my head. Suddenly, Mr. Weasley launched himself at Lucius. I lurched forward to pull Malfoy out of the way, saving him just before two grown men could trample him. Before anyone could see my clutch on the said boy's arm, he snatched it away, trying to act foul.

But I could see the relief written in his eyes.

Looking towards where Lucius and Arthur were fist fighting against a bookshelf, which sent books flying, much to mine and Hermiones (Perhaps Malfoy's too?) displeasure.

"Get him, Dad!" I heard Fred, George or Ron shout. They all sounded much the same, and I hadn't seen who yelled it, focusing on the fight. Each was now equally bruised, and Lucius- who I've figured must be Malfoy's father- looked like he was about to explode with rage. Though, I did recognize Mrs. Weasleys shout of "No Arthur- No!"

Soon, an assistant was also yelling at them, also asking them to stop. But, of course, that didn't do anything. Suddenly, a huge shadow appeared, and a larger voice sounded.

"Break it up, gents, break it up-," Rubeus Hagrid was making his way through the books, and once he came to the two men, he pulled them apart with ease. Lucius Malfoy shook off Hagrid's hand, thrusting Ginny's transfiguration book back at her, which he somehow was able to keep a steady hold of. His eyes filled with rage as he yanked Malfoy Jr out of the shop.

The said boy had a look of regret as I offered a hidden wave of goodbye.

I knew Draco wouldn't actually hurt anyone seriously, if he could help it.

He was under his fathers watchful eye, though he wouldn't back down from a challenge.

"Rotten ter the core, the lot of 'em-," I frowned as I heard Hagrids muttering as he brushed off Arthurs robes, which had a few scratches on them now. After Mrs. Weasley magicked the books back into their places, we exited the shop, the said women grumbling about what Lockhart would've thought, meanwhile Fred argued how the Lockhart fella was asking the camera guy if he'd gotten the fight recorded.

Sometime while we were in the shop, Mum and Dad had entered, and apparently they had seen the whole thing. And thankfully, they had gotten my books while I had gone off to talk with Malfoy.

"Well, we best be off. Good day!" Pa said, and the Weasleys all nodded and waved, including Harry. I wasn't paying much attention, though, wondering what happened to Malfoy. His father looked pretty mad- and Malfoy was clearly scared of him. What if the man took his rage out on his son? I internally shuddered at the thought. It was too barbaric to even think.

Hermione elbowed me, and I looked up to glare at her before offering a half-hearted wave towards the Weasleys, my eyes trained onto my shoes. We departed from Diagon Alley, heading towards a nearby Muggle cafe, a few blocks away.

And for some reason, I had a bad feeling about this year.

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A/N: another chapter done! Tell me what you think? :]