Far Away (Draco Malfoy)

~ 8 ~

     The dungeons were unusually quiet that morning as I walked alongside Lila, our footsteps echoing off the cold stone walls. The chill in the air seemed sharper down here, seeping through my robes and making me clutch my bag tighter.

     "Alright, newbie," Lila said, breaking the silence as she unwrapped another chocolate frog. "This is where we part ways. I've got Defense Against the Dark Arts. You've got... what? Free period?"

     I nodded, glancing at my schedule. "Yeah. Not sure what I'm supposed to do, though."

     Lila shrugged, popping a piece of chocolate into her mouth. "Do whatever you want. Explore, nap, raid the kitchens if you're feeling adventurous. Just don't get caught, yeah?"

     "Thanks for the sage advice," I said dryly, rolling my eyes.

     Lila grinned, clearly pleased with herself. "Anytime. But seriously, don't do anything dumb. Snape's probably lurking in the shadows somewhere, waiting to pounce again. You're already stuck on his radar."

     I couldn't tell if she was joking or not, but it didn't make me feel any better. "Great. Thanks for the vote of confidence."

     Lila clapped me on the back as we reached a fork in the corridor. "You'll be fine. Just stay out of trouble. Or don't— whatever makes life interesting."

     And with that, she sauntered off toward her classroom, leaving me alone with my thoughts and an hour of unplanned freedom.

     With my bag slung over my shoulder and no class for the next hour, I wandered the castle corridors aimlessly, letting my feet guide me. Hogwarts was a maze, and I figured I might as well use the time to get a better sense of where things were— or at least to figure out how not to get lost between classes.

     The sound of muffled voices caught my attention as I passed a hallway near the courtyard. I paused, frowning. The tone wasn't friendly— sharp, condescending, and unmistakably familiar.

     Draco Malfoy.

     "Look at you," his voice sneered, dripping with disdain. "Pathetic. I bet you barely even know how to hold a wand, don't you? Typical Mudblood."

     My stomach twisted. Peeking around the corner, I spotted Draco standing over a younger boy— a Hufflepuff, judging by the yellow trim on his robes. The boy's face was flushed, his hands clenched tightly around his wand as he stared at the ground, clearly trying not to cry.

     "Maybe you should stick to cleaning floors," Draco continued, his smirk widening as his cronies laughed behind him. "That's all your kind is good for."

     Something in me snapped. I'm tired of this asshole walking all over everyone. Before I could think it through, I stepped out from behind the corner, my voice ringing out.

     "Malfoy! What the hell are you doing?"

     The laughter stopped instantly, and all eyes turned to me. Draco's smirk faltered for a split second before he turned to face me fully, his expression quickly hardening.

     "None of your business, newbie," he drawled, his tone icy. "Why don't you run along and mind your own?"

     "Yeah, no," I shot back, marching over to stand between him and the boy. "Leave him alone."

     Draco's eyes narrowed, and he tilted his head, studying me with that infuriating smirk. "How noble of you. Didn't realize you were the savior of all Mudbloods."

     "Don't call him that," I snapped, my voice firm. "It's disgusting."

     Draco's cronies exchanged surprised glances, clearly not used to anyone standing up to him. I turned to the Hufflepuff, my tone softening. "You okay?"