Academic Affairs | Draco Malfoy Love Story

Lesson 2: Dark Wizards Aren't Exclusive to Slytherin

"Speaking of Slytherin," One of her cubs spoke up, "Professor, why is your tie like that?"

What? Like what?

Hermione glanced down to see her burgundy tie was no longer that beautiful shade of red. It was green with silver stripes. His lip twitching earlier hadn't been from her snide remark. It'd been because he saw she was still wearing the wrong tie colors.

The fucking prat had transfigured her tie when she was running late earlier. She was fuming as she transfigured the colors back.

For once, Hermione was wrong. Very wrong. He was still the same prat, just more clever about taunting her in public. It's unfortunate that cursing your coworkers was illegal. Later at the staff meeting, she'd get her revenge.

Clearing her throat, Hermione tried to keep the irritation out of her voice as she addressed the class. "Open your textbooks to page three. We're going to discuss lycanthropy and then there will be a two page paper due next week."

Groans filtered in through the Dark Arts Classroom.

Still music to her ears.

Just wait until the meeting, Hermione thought derisively, You'll pay for that, Malfoy.

Lesson 2: Dark Wizards Aren't Exclusive to Slytherin

"Enough." Draco could hear her voice, sharp as he walked up the stairs to the classroom. He hesitated on going inside, wondering what she was peeved about now. "Every Professor here at Hogwarts is exceptional both in their academic ability and their character. Choices were made and they're not for any of you to sit back and judge. The war wasn't black and white. If you weren't there-which most if not all of you were not-then you don't have the grounds to cast any sort of judgement."

A whimpered voice squeaked out, "Sorry, Professor."

"So about Fenrir Greyback..." Another student inquired, "Why was he so terrible?"

Granger's conversation with the student drifted into the back of his mind. Did she mean what she said? He was sure that she held resentment over him for the war and his part in it. Sure that she...held resentment for the side he took and the faded mark on his arm that he barely could stand to look out.

"Did he hate Mudbloods too?"

The room went silent and Draco hesitated again before going in. What was he going to do? Come in wands blasting when he had called her that exact word, hundreds of time as children?

"What? Why is everyone looking at me like that?"

If it was a bloody Slytherin, he was going to make balloon creatures out of them.

"Why the hell would you say something like that?"

"Idiot-"

"Five points from Gryffindor." Granger's voice cut off the wizard, which he assumed was the Gryffindor. "There's no need for name calling."

"She literally said Mudblood not even five seconds ago and I get punished?"

His legs were moving before he could tell them to stop and stay still. He walked into the classroom, glancing around with a noticeably cross expression. "Who said that?"