Determination| 𝐴 𝐷𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑆𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦 (𝚈𝚎𝚊𝚛 4, 𝙱𝚘𝚘𝚔 2)

Chapter Nine | Human

Human, by Rag'n'Bone Man

  "Drrraaacccooo!!!" Lucius Malfoy growled, storming into Draco's room. Draco, who had previously been amusing himself with a flock of small birds he'd conjured, jumped up from his bed and hid his wand behind his back so that his father would not see him fooling around,(something he was often lectured for). Though he didn't think it would matter, seeing as it sounded like he was already in trouble. Draco let out a small sigh and held his wand upright behind his back. "Avis Evanesco." He quickly muttered the vanishing spell under his breath and attempted to stand up straight, (yet another trait he was often berated about).

   Draco let out a sigh and lowered his gaze. He winced, disgusted with himself, and rolled his eyes. Since when did he become so submissive? It was one thing to obey his father's wishes, but to follow his every command and then still to be treated like some... some... house elf or something?! The house elves were treated like dirt. The muggleborns were treated like dirt. And though it had taken Draco much too long to realize it, he too was treated like dirt. Draco shook his head and sighed then looked up at Lucius. His father towered over him, making Draco feel inferior. "Yes, father?" He asked in a hollow voice, trying not to sound timid.

Lucius scowled. "Do you know anything about this?" He snarled, throwing a paper at Draco. Draco looked down at the paper and recognized it as the Daily Prophet. On the cover, he saw a picture of himself. His eyes widened and Draco's heart sank. How did this happen? How could anybody have had their camera ready that fast? Draco swallowed the growing lump in his throat. This was going to be bad. Very bad. "Read it out loud!" Lucius snapped, his voice commanding. His vicious tone told Draco he had no choice but to obey. Draco grunted and ignored the growing fear in his chest as he began to read.

"The daring Draco Malfoy..." Draco hesitated, afraid to read any further.

"Yes, yes, go on!" Lucius insisted.

Draco cleared his throat. "The daring Draco Malfoy performed an act of great heroism yesterday at the event of the Quidditch World Cup. During an attack, set up by the Death Eaters, Draco Malfoy saved a young muggleborn girl from a perilous fate. In the midst of the fire, Draco Malfoy reached sweet little Clara Vermont just before she was crushed by the burning debris of a tent post. The question we all ask ourselves is why would a pureblood such as Draco Malfoy save a muggleborn girl? And what would his father think? Rumors have lead us to believe that Draco's own father, Lucius Malfoy was behind the raid. Further investigations are being pursued and any new information will be listed."

Looking up, Draco met the angry glare of Lucius Malfoy. Draco prepared himself mentally for a berating that would last him for years to come. Not only had he saved a muggleborn and made front headlines, but he'd brought his father up for suspicion on the front page! And not only that, but now his father was under investigation. Draco looked at the bottom of the paper and saw the name, Rita Skeeter. Of course, that good-for-nothing reporter caught him helping that poor defenseless girl. Anything to make the headlines. But why did she have to bring his father into it?

Draco looked up and met his father's gaze. The fire in his eyes was enough to scorch Draco if he looked long enough. Lucius was angry. Not just angry, he was furious. He fumed, and Draco could practically see his blood boiling. "A muggleborn?! You saved a muggleborn?!" His father growled.

Draco had never seen him so mad. "I didn't know she was a muggleborn."

Lucius sneered. "If you were a better wizard you would have known."

"How could I have possibly known father? She was a little girl! For all I had known, she could have been a pureblood! How did she even get there if her parents are muggles?!"