Magic and Mystery Coil by Allegory_for_Hatred

The Villain

A long, black tail smacked against the floor. The tile resounded with a boom at the force.

"You aren't doing it right," Draco said, "at all."

Ron shot him a glare. "Then give better instructions!"

For the dozenth time in the last hour, Ron held out his hand to Egg. Instead of gently resting her snout on his palm, as Draco had demonstrated, the Norwegian Ridgeback merely eyed Ron. Her tail whapped against the floor again. When she puffed out a breath, a plume of smoke came with it.

"You're annoying her."

"You're annoying me."

Slam!

Ron and Draco both jumped, quibbling coming to a dead stop immediately.

At the desk, Hermione slammed her book shut and turned to face them with a severe look. "Can't you two just get along, already? I'm trying to read here."

Draco scowled. "You're reading my book, Gryffindor. At least be grateful!"

"I'm trying to read your book." She sniffed. "It's only just impossible with all your bickering in the background."

A Study of Draconic Creatures sat on the desk, protected by Hermione's hovering hands. The text was positively ancient—pages yellowing and spine broken. To be written by the famed wizard Merlin, it would have to be. But, despite having been dated hundreds of years earlier, the book was well cared for. Ron could rant day and night about how evil the Malfoy family was, but it was undeniable they took good care of their books.

Hermione had read through about a quarter of it already, slowed down by Merlin's dense, outdated vocabulary and the sound of quarreling children. She wished, privately, that she had the same kind of command Dazai seemed to wield effortlessly. He'd clap his hands and silence a crowd; say one word and receive a thousand eager answers. Hermione didn't have that kind of charisma.

What she had was her books, and the books had her.

Right now, she had Draco's book.

"It says in chapter four that dragons are very receptive to the emotions of those around them," she recited. "Perhaps Egg doesn't respect you because of all your yelling. Anger isn't something worth respecting."

"What about condescension, then?" Ron asked, snappish. "The two of you seem to have that in bounds."

Hermione sighed. "Ron, just try calming down a bit." When Draco snorted, she turned to him. "And Draco, quit provoking Ron. We'll never finish this up if you're always bullying him."
Draco sneered, a biting remark poised on his tongue.

But then, to Hermione's surprise, Draco's didn't bark back. Instead, his shoulders fell and he looked away, silent.

She blinked. That was... an odd reaction for the usually high-and-mighty Malfoy.

Beside him, Ron held out his hand again. He waited, palm up.

Waited, and waited...

"That Merlin bloke didn't know what he was talking about. This isn't working at all."

Hermione rested her hand on A Study of Draconic Creatures, offended on the book's behalf.

Then, once again to Hermione's shock, Draco jumped to the book's defense before she could, "The Great Merlin knew all there was to know about dragons. My father wouldn't have given me a worthless book. Maybe you're just too stupid to read it yourself."

"What kind of insult is that coming from a Malfoy? Don't you just buy all of your
grades?"

"I get my grades by being smart—which is more than anyone can say for you!"