dark side • draco malfoy

9 | Malfoy

The castle was eerily quiet as I walked through the empty corridors on my way to meet Malfoy for our tutor session. Several times, I had almost turned around and ran straight back to the Gryffindor common room. But I needed to get a good mark in Potions, and so I kept going.

After what felt like forever, I finally made it to the empty classroom on the third floor. I stood in front of it for a few moments, taking deep breaths and trying to remind myself why the hell I was doing this again, when a voice broke through my thoughts.

"Are you going to keep standing there like an idiot all night or actually go inside?" Malfoy sneered from behind me, and I jumped in surprise.

"I... yeah. I'm going. I was just thinking." I muttered to the blonde boy, before opening the wooden door and entering the dark room.

With a simple wave of his hand, Malfoy lit up every candle and lamp in the room and my eyes widened in surprise at the action. It was rare for a sixth year to be able to do wandless, nonverbal magic as easily and effortlessly as Malfoy had just done.

"Since when can you do wandless magic?" I frowned at him.

"Mind your own business. Now are we going to do this or not?" He replied, rolling his eyes.

"Yes. I didn't come all the way here just to enjoy your company." I snapped, turning around to face the Slytherin, "Let's start with Transfiguration."

"I'm good at Transfiguration, I don't know why the old lady is making me do this." He grumbled to himself.

"Just shut up and listen, Malfoy. Now, I've brought a bowl and a quill. I'm going to fill the bowl with water, and then you're going to transfigure the quill into a goldfish. Got it?" I explained, just wanting to get this over with.

I had chosen a seemingly easy task to begin with, so I could figure out just how bad Malfoy was at Transfiguration and how to help him best.

He gave a stiff nod, and I turned to the bowl on the table in front of me.

"Aguamenti." I mumbled, and the bowl immediately filled with water. I looked up expectedly at Malfoy as he pointed his wand at the quill.

"Piscifors." He sighed, and the the quill instantly transformed into a small goldfish.

How had he known the incantation? I hadn't even told him yet. Perhaps he was better at Transfiguration than McGonagall thought.

He put the fish in the bowl, then turned around to face me.

"I'm telling you, Chapman. I'm good at Transfiguration. Let's get going with Potions so I can go back to my common room and get away from your filth." He muttered, crossing his arms.

"My filth? What the hell is that supposed to mean? If you mean my blood-status, then I don't care. The only filthy person here is you, Malfoy. You're like the scum of the earth." I seethed, glaring at him. Merlin, that boy made me mad.

"Whatever. Start making the Draught of Living Death." He ignored my last comment, placing all the supplies I would need on the table.

"But we made that in our first Potions class." I replied with a small groan.

"Yes, but if I recall correctly, your potion failed and would've harmed you if I hadn't fixed it." Malfoy snapped at me, and I shut my mouth, shooting him a dirty look. This was going to be a long night.

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"What are you doing, Chapman? The book specifically says to crush the beetles, not cut them." Malfoy questioned, his voice carrying his usual arrogant tone.

"No, it says to - oh. It says crush them." I sighed in defeat, staring at the violet-coloured potion in front of me.

"It seems to me like your biggest problem in Potions is not paying attention to what you're doing. Maybe you should get some reading glasses or something." He snickered, and I shot him a death glare.

"I do not need glasses, I can read perfectly fine." I shot back, refusing to break eye contact.

"Oh right I forgot, you always have your head in a book. If you're hoping to become as much of a know-it-all as Granger, it's not working." He smirked, not looking away either.

I tightened my grip on my wand, focusing on breathing. In and out.
I was so close to hexing Malfoy, but I knew that it would only make things worse.

"You know what? I'm leaving. I'm not going to put up with your bullshit, Malfoy." I spat, gathering my things as quickly as possible.

"Fine, but you know I'm right." I could see the arrogant gleam in his eyes even in the dim, candle-lit room.

"You wish." I muttered, before stomping out of the classroom and slamming the wooden door behind me. I was so angry at that moment that I didn't care who I woke up.

Who did that prick think he was?
I didn't know what in the world McGonagall was thinking when she assigned us as tutor partners, but I did know that this wasn't going to end well.