The Worst In Me- A Draco Malfoy Story

Chapter 4 - Brackium Emendo

Reign sat on her bed, starting at the book she was supposed to be reading for D.A.D.A.

"I just don't get it," she shook her head, "I thought you said Malfoy was supposed to be Snape's favorite student, but there was some serious tension between them in class today."

Clara smirked, "Maybe mister perfect has finally fallen from Snape's good graces. If he has, you know what I say: 'Good riddance!'" She made a waving gesture from where she was laying on her bed, facing the ceiling.

"I agree with Reign though," Emaline frowned, "That is odd." She was sitting by the window caring for her new plant from Advanced Herbology. She'd named him Spike.

"Who cares how odd it is?" Clara rolled her eyes, "All that matters is that the little rat got what was coming to him."

Reign nodded but didn't say anything. For some reason she didn't feel as smug about Malfoy being reprimanded in class. Sure, he was a jerk, but he had also helped her on more than one occasion when he had no real reason to.

"Maybe Draco joined the Death Eaters and Snape is angry," Emaline seemed to be thinking out loud, "Or Snape asked Draco to join the Death Eaters and he said no."

Reign shook her head, "Do we know for a fact that either of them is working for Voldemort?"

No one said anything for a moment.

Finally Clara broke the silence, "You shouldn't say his name like that, especially now that he's back."

Reign rolled her eyes, "It's just a name. There's no more power in his than there is in mine really."

"Where'd they teach you that? Ilvermorny?" Clara scoffed.

"Yes."

"So let me get this straight," Clara sat up in bed, "Theres a whole continent of witches and wizards who go around saying the Dark Lord's name all willy nilly as if it's no big deal?"

"It is no big deal," Reign laughed, "Honestly, the things you'll convince yourselves of."

Clara opened her mouth to say something further but Emaline spoke up before the argument could get any more heated, "Do you think it's got something to do with Draco's dad? He and Snape must know each other. Maybe they had a falling out."

"Yes and maybe Malfoy rolled his eyes at Snape one too many times, maybe Snape realized what a sick little twat Malfoy is, maybe lots of things!" Clara sounded exasperated, "The point is: if he's not Snape's favorite anymore there's room for Reign to swoop in and have the ultimate D.A.D.A and Potions mentor."

Now it was Reign's turn to roll her eyes, "I don't particularly want Severus Snape as my mentor in anything."

"At least consider it," Clara laid back down and closed her eyes as if that settled the matter.

Emaline shot Reign a knowing smile and went back to caring for her Venomous Tentacula.
- - -
Later that night at dinner Reign pushed her food around her plate, thinking about her experience in each of her classes that day. Slughorn seemed interesting, although quite odd in her personal opinion. Snape gave her the creeps, but she also felt a strange sort of respect towards him. Maybe she would try asking him to mentor her after all.

She was just beginning to let her mind drift to the grey eyes of a certain blonde boy when Malfoy hurried in through the doors of the Great Hall.

He was holding his right hand in his left and muttering curses under his breath. His eyes looked tired but the rest of his body was tense.

From the brief look she got, Reign thought she saw bruises on his knuckles.

"Probably hit the wrong Hufflepuff and broke his hand," Clara muttered before looking at the piece of chocolate cake on Reign's plate, "Are you gonna eat that?"

She shook her head and pushed the plate across the table to her friend.
- - -
That night Reign spent hours trying to memorize the castle. She walked down countless corridors and found countless rooms she didn't know existed. The rotating staircases didn't do much good for her sense of direction.

When she finally returned to her common room it was around one in the morning. She figured everyone else would probably be sound asleep but as she walked through the secret door she heard a voice muttering and swearing.

Malfoy sat on the couch of the common room, attempting to bandage his hand.

"What happened to you?" Reign asked before she could think twice about opening her mouth.

He looked back at her, clearly startled and rolled his eyes, "Not that it's any of your business, but I shut my hand in a wardrobe."

"Oh!" she exclaimed, "That must have been awful. Let me take a look."

Before he could protest she had already made her way over to the couch and sat down next to him, taking his right hand in both of hers.

Now that she was looking at it up close she was horrified by what she saw. His hand was swollen with bruises and cuts lining his knuckles. She flipped it over to look at the palm and saw that it was just as bad.

"Does this hurt?" she asked as she bent and straightened two of his fingers.

"Ah!" he cringed in pain, which effectively answered that question.

"Why didn't you go to the hospital wing?" she asked him curiously.

"I'm not a big fan of hospitals," he told her, but that didn't sound like the full truth.

"Right," she sighed as she picked up the bandage he had been holding and wrapped it carefully around his hand.

She then pulled her wand out, pointed it at his hand and said, "Backium emendo."

He sucked in a quick breath through his clenched teeth as his bones mended themselves. Reign slipped her wand back into the pocket of her robes.

"Where did you learn to do that?" he asked her, rubbing his hand.

"I broke a lot of bones as a kid," she shrugged, "Training for the Triwizard Tournament. My brother didn't have time to constantly be taking me to the muggle hospital so he taught me a spell I could use instead."

Draco looked at her in confusion, "The Triwizard tournament? But you didn't-"

"Compete? No, unfortunately I was fourteen. Too young to enter my name," she shrugged, "I wasted years of my life training for a competition I couldn't even compete in, but I got over it. Larger losses really put the little things in perspective."

"Diggory," he stared at her for a moment.

"What?"

"Nothing," he looked away, "Just- I recognize you. You're the Beauxbatons girl Diggory brought to the Yule Ball. The one who ran to him when Potter brought his body back after..."

"After he died," she finished the sentence for him.

For a moment neither of them spoke. Malfoy actually seemed to be genuinely sympathetic towards her situation. Sympathy wasn't a trait she would've assumed he had much of.

"Anyway," she finally sighed, standing up and running a hand through her long blonde hair, "You should be getting to bed. That hand's not going to heal itself."

His expression had returned to its normal scowl when he looked up at her, "This conversation doesn't leave this room. Got it?"

"If that's your way of saying thank you I feel sorry for whoever does a favor for you next," she scoffed, turning to go to her room.

"Dwyer," this time when he spoke his voice was more intense.

She turned back to look at him and saw that he had stood.

"I'm serious," he stared at her dead in the eyes, "I don't want anybody else knowing about this." He gestured to his bandaged hand.

"Alright, fine with me," she frowned at him, "Although I don't see what's so embarrassing about shutting your hand in your wardrobe."

He stared at her for another moment before saying, "Not a word to anyone." Then he turned and walked off down the corridor to the boys rooms.

Reign sighed and headed off to her own room. What a strange person Draco Malfoy was turning out to be. She wondered if she would ever figure out what made him so miserable.