Angels and Devils (Harry Potter Fanfiction)

Chapter 10. Malfoy

The Quidditch game had been quite spectacular with Slytherin only beating Ravenclaw because Malfoy had caught the snitch. Harry had been impressed with the manoeuvre the Slytherin Seeker had pulled off, even if he didn't really want to be. He waited for the cheering supporters to let their team head off the pitch and then Harry stepped into the path of the whole group of players as they headed for the locker room.

"Nice catch," he said and fixed Malfoy with a firm gaze.

One thing Harry did not want Malfoy to feel was threatened, and hence, he had decided to make sure his approach could not be misconstrued. Malfoy appeared slightly surprised and not very pleased to see him.

"Come to admire the team who is going to beat you this year, Potter?" the blond Slytherin asked acidly.

"Actually, Malfoy, I need to speak to you privately," Harry said bluntly, "and I didn't want you thinking I was trying to corner you, so I decided to ask in front of your friends."

Malfoy raised an eyebrow at that.

"You could never corner me, Potter," the object of his fixation said coldly with a sneer and Harry had to mentally kick himself for thinking that the boy was attractive.

What he did not need now was a reason to step into la-la land and do something stupid. Malfoy had a very unsettling effect on Harry's psyche, and he did not trust himself at all.

"Malfoy," he said firmly, "would I be here if this wasn't more important than our happy little feud? Can we forget the insults for five minutes?"

Baiting Harry was a favourite game amongst the Slytherins, and up until the previous week it had always worked rather well, now he was focused on other things.

"But insults are what we do best," Malfoy said snidely, less than willing to acquiesce.

Both Goyle and Crabbe stepped round from behind their glorious leader with their beater bats in hand. Malfoy did not look as if he was about to stop them. From the look in his eye Harry thought Malfoy was more interested in seeing what he would do than talking about anything.

Harry not high on hormones would have thrown his hands in the air and gone back to Poppy for her assistance, but then the problem would have been moot and he wouldn't have been having this conversation anyway. As it was his displaying instincts kicked in and he watched the two beaters approach with contempt.

Harry's wing nubs itched as his defence mechanisms stirred, but he did at least have the presence of mind not to let them loose. He was faster and stronger than either of the Slytherins with his enhanced Seraphim physique and he did not need any of his magical defences. Both Goyle and Crabbe appeared surprised when Harry stood his ground as they approached. Clearly, they had expected him to retreat.

"Call off the dogs, Malfoy," Harry said pointedly, at least a little of his common sense coming through.

"Why?" Malfoy asked and crossed his arms across his chest in a very final move.

That appeared to bolster the two Slytherins' confidences and they moved forwards faster.

"Fine," Harry said and accepted that he couldn't avoid the confrontation, at which point Crabbe swung his bat at him.

Rather than back away and avoid the blow as he suspected he was supposed to do, he caught the bat on its way down with one hand and yanked it out of the other boy's grasp. A swift hook with his foot on the back of Crabbe's knee sent the Slytherin sprawling to the ground, at which point Harry brought up the bat he was now holding to block the blow coming from Goyle. A sharp left hook under their arched arms sent the other Slytherin onto the grass as well.