Lions Vs Snakes

Chapter Two

Draco rose before the rays of the sun hit the murky waters of the lake. He checked the time on his watch. 5 o'clock. He looked around the dormitory and saw the other boys were still asleep. A flood of relief ran over Draco as he got out of his bed and took his dress robes from the wardrobe.

In the last couple years Draco's body had become adorned with new scars to match his hideous  Darkmark. Most of the scars came from lashings the Dark Lord had bestowed upon him to punish Draco's father.  In a way he was grateful the scars weren't from his own father's hand, that his pain was meant to punish his father because at least that meant that his father truly did love him. He was more than his heir. He was his son. Perhaps that's why it all hurt so much. 

Draco dressed in his school robes in the bathroom stall, just in case any other boys woke up. He gelled his hair in its usual style. No reason he shouldn't try to keep up appearances. He stared at his reflection in the mirror for a while. He saw dark circles under his sunken eyes and a scowl where a smile should be. Draco let the corners of his mouth turn up into a smile but quickly shrugged it off. He left the bathroom and entered his dormitory. The boys were starting to stir and Draco, still avoiding everyone, fled to the great hall. 

Instead of sitting at his usual spot at the Slytherin table, right in the front of the Great Hall where everyone could see him, he sat in the very back corner of  the Slytherin table. He wondered if Pansy and Blaise would notice, if they would find him, or if they would even sit with him. 

I doubt it. Who wants to sit with the kid who's parents are good for nothing death eaters? Who would- His train of thought was cut off by the chattering of the first of many groups of students entering the hall. Despite everything that had happened only months earlier the castle was buzzing with cheerful chatter and laughs. Everyone who entered the Great Hall seemed happy. Everyone except Draco. 

"Hey Malfoy." Pansy sat down next to him taking a piece of toast with strawberry jam. Taken aback by the fact she would even sit by him, Draco just flashed a small smile that if one were to blink they wouldn't even be able to notice. Draco grabbed a piece of toast as well, he wasn't hungry but he was hoping it would keep him from having to talk. 

"Say where'd you run off to yesterday anyway?" Pansy prodded. "Seemed in a bit of a hurry."

Draco glared at the girl then simply replied "No where."

"Well you have to have gone somewhere!" Pansy teased hitting Draco slightly on the shoulder. 

"I don't have to tell you anything!" Draco swiped her hand away, "besides it's none of your damn business!" Draco marched out of the great hall head held high just as he was always taught. The second he was out of the Great Hall and no one could see him, his head fell and he only stared at his own two feet. He loved Pansy but like that annoying Granger girl Pansy couldn't keep her nose out of other people's business. 

He turned around the corner and Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy collided. For a brief moment Draco and Harry's bodies were pressed against each other as they grabbed on to the other's robes to regain their balance. 

"Watch it Potty!" Malfoy snarled as he quickly released Harry's robes from his firsts. He smoothed out Harry's crumpled robes before he realised he was "being nice" and quickly gave the other boy a shove, leaving a very disoriented Potter in his wake.

Draco almost running through the corridors now, thought to himself. Wow! Totally didn't blow it with Potter huh?! Nice one idiot. That was so humiliating. 

He finally slowed down. He made sure no one else was around and sitting down by the window he shut his eyes, leaned his head back and just as he had last night, he cried. Tears began to stream down his checks. 

As he cried he thought of the war. Sure the war was about 6 months ago and others have moved on already. But all he could think about was that war. Having to fight against his school. Against the side he wanted nothing more than to be on. How scared he had been. How scared he still is. What if the other death eaters escaped from Azkaban? What would they do? Kill me Probably. Then he thought of his father. What was to become of him? His terrible father locked in Azkaban, his mother awaiting trial. They weren't terrible parents. They treated me right most of the time. They loved me. Didn't they? I loved them. I love them its just complicated..... 

That was quite enough of that Draco thought to himself as he got up and went to the boy's lavatory and washed his face. After carefully checking to make sure no one could ever tell he had been crying, he went to his first class, Care Of Magical Creatures, with Professor Hagrid. 

When he made it to the edge of the Forbidden Forest where lessons were to take place, he remembered he had forgotten his copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them along with all his other books in the boys lavatory. It was too late to go back and get it now. Class was beginning to start and he couldn't be late. As much as he hated to admit it, he valued his education. Even if it was just Hagrid's useless class. 

"Welcome class! Er Today we're goin' ter be discussin' a very misunderstood creature." Hagrid's voice beamed in the usual cheery way it did when he was excited to show the students something new. Normally something extremely dangerous. 

As the lesson on acromantulas continued and all the other students scavenged through their copies of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Draco just stood and stared. Wondering if he would get in trouble for not having his copy. He tried to hide towards the back and listen to what the other students were saying. 

"Er... Malfoy?" Potter tapped Draco's Shoulder. 

Draco snapped "What do you want Potter?"

"Well uh... I noticed that er...well you don't have your copy of Fantastic Beasts so I was wondering if you wanted to um..." Harry hesitated then continued "Er share... my copy?"

"Oh.." Draco was shocked Potter was even talking to him considering their past. Especially after this morning. "I'm.. I didn't mean to....I...uh thank you. For sharing, I mean."

Harry moved the book closer to Draco so he could see better, and Draco scooted closer to Harry, for the purpose of seeing the book better of course. Draco still couldn't read it too well so he moved his hand onto the book, right where Harry's hand was. Harry let his hand linger near Draco's for a while. The boys looked at each other and Draco smiled. Harry looked away and moved his hand. 

After Hagrid's class they walked to their next class. Potions. On their way to Harry's least favourite class Draco listened to Harry's story of being attacked by a colony of acromantulas in their second year. Harry was surprised that Draco didn't laugh when he said he had almost died.

Surely Malfoy would've found that funny! Harry thought to himself.

"Harry! Wait up! HARRY!" Hermione's petite voice came from somewhere down the hill. Trying to catch her breath she spoke "Harry....have you....read today's ... Prophet?...oh. hello Malfoy." 

"Of course I haven't Hermione. Why?" Harry questioned

"Because Harry! They've escaped!" Hermione had finally managed to catch her breath. "Death eaters! Three of them! But Harry that means-" Hermione suddenly remembered that Draco had been there. She turned from Harry to see a trembling Malfoy run off towards the castle.