Death Eater, Slytherin... Poet?

Malfoy's Poem

I opened my eyes and stared straight at Malfoy's manor. Just like I'd remembered in those countless nightmares I'd had.. I saw none of the elegance or power that it radiated. Instead, I felt a very small shiver go down my back. The nightmares had stopped years ago, like all of my dreams eventually had. But there were some scars that would never fade. I remembered Bellatrix Lestrange's mad cackle as she tortured me, her screams to tell me the truth. I remembered the white hot pain and felt another shiver go down my back. It's all in the past. She can't hurt you.

"Okay, get to the point," I said abruptly, turning to face him.

He raised an eyebrow, feigning hurt. "No pleasantries? No 'what a lovely home you have?'" he mocked, shaking his head. "It seems with the War over, mudbloods have gotten so much more arrogant and rude."

Fire could have blazed from my eyes at that very moment. My head throbbed harder, making me curse any drink that had alcohol in it. "Get. To. The. Point," I hissed, looking away from him. My eyes landed on the dark green grass that we were standing on, and then slowly I looked all around us. I blinked a few times as I surveyed the garden we were standing in, seeing all the varieties of flowers. I saw a simple beauty in all of the plants, something that the manor lacked. I'd bet a hundred galleons no murders or tortures were ever created here.

"I didn't know someone like you would do all of this," I said grudgingly. "Or did you have a house elf to do it?" The last sentence, though stated in an afterthought, held cold skepticism.

"No," Malfoy replied, turning in a slow circle around the garden. "My mother oversaw this, I never had a thing to do with it."

I wanted to roll my eyes at his blatant confession, but there's also a small feeling of.. respect. If he'd responded with a 'yes, of course,' I wouldn't have believed him at all. At least this way he was honest.

"Are we just going to talk here?"

He smirked. "If that's what you want, Granger."

I raised my eyes to the sky in frustration. "I don't care, you know."

"Would you be here if you didn't care?"

"Not about - not about the location, for Merlin's sake!" I snarled, spinning away from him yet again. Odd spots flickered in my vision, making me feel lightheaded. By God, I will never drink so much again, I promised to myself as I let out a steadying breath.

We stood there in silence for over three minutes, neither of us willing to say anything. Finally, he let out a long sigh. "You won't give in, will you, Granger?"

I didn't reply, unsure if it was a compliment or an insult.. or both. But before I could say anything, he said, "Let's go inside."

He didn't wait for me to respond, instead striding away, his black cloak billowing behind him. I rolled my eyes and followed, leaving the beautiful plants behind.

***

We walked into a dimly parlor a few minutes later. A house elf bowed and murmured something to Malfoy, who nodded his head once. Eventually, the house elf moved quickly out, not looking in my direction once. I fiddled with a stray piece of thread on my shirt as Malfoy sat down on one of the couches.

"Have a seat, Granger." His eyes were curious as he surveyed me, as one might survey an interesting pet. I flushed and sat down, meeting his eyes without hesitation. "You aren't what I expected."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I bit back.

"Well.." He shrugged. "I assumed you'd refuse to follow me at once, maybe curse me out a few times... yell at the Slytherin for stealing your property.. which, you did, but at an admittedly smaller scale. What's left? Oh, and warn me to never contact you again."