The Worst In Me- A Draco Malfoy Story

Chapter 9 - The Owlery

Trigger Warning: This chapter includes implications of sexual assault that may be triggering for some readers. This story is intended for readers 18+. See bottom for a list of resources for survivors of sexual assault.

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Reign was sitting in potions class, trying not to fall asleep as Horace Slughorn droned on about doxycide. Her head was pounding from the night before and she deeply regretted having had as much champagne as she did.

"Rough night?" Draco asked from the seat beside her.

"Actually no, quite the opposite" she smiled, "I had a lovely night."

He frowned and scratched his quill against his paper, "Your date with Urquhart went well I take it?"

"How did you hear about that?" she asked.

Malfoy shrugged, "Word gets around Hogwarts bloody quick."

She rolled her eyes, "Well if you must know, it did go well. Very well." She didn't want him knowing how even the thought of him had effected her so deeply last night.

Draco kept to himself for the rest of the lesson and left without a word to Reign as soon as Slughorn released them.

They sat through Defense Against the Dark Arts without a word to each other and their lesson afterwards was just as awkward.

"Although some of us have not quite mastered the skill of banishing a boggart, we will be moving on in our lesson today to bigger and better things," Snape told them, "Today we will be learning to perfect counter curses."

Reign found it hard to concentrate throughout Snape's lesson. She had learned the majority of the counter curses he was going over at Ilvermorny. They taught D.A.D.A. at a faster pace there, possibly because they hadn't had to go through the trouble of hiring a new professor at the start of every term.

As Snape went over the most effective way to cast each counter curse Reign attempted to figure out why she couldn't get Draco Malfoy out of her head.

Adam was kind and confident and understanding. Malfoy was none of those things.

She snuck a glance in his direction. He was looking down at his parchment, but it didn't look like he had written anything in it.

"And which incantation would that be?" Snape asked, raising an eyebrow, "Malfoy?"

Draco looked up, clearly not having been paying much attention either, "Uh- disputatio?"

"No, you fool," Snape slammed his fist down on the table in front of Malfoy, "That incantation counters the tongue-tied curse. The killing curse has no counter, which you would have known if you were paying attention."

"I-" Malfoy started to speak.

"No!" Snape yelled, "You are a sorry excuse of a wizard and I refuse to teach you anything further if you cannot pay attention to a simple lesson."

Malfoy stared at him for a moment before picking up his books and storming out of the classroom. Reign stared after him and then looked back to Snape who actually looked somewhat surprised.

"You know, he's trying his best," she snapped at her mentor, "He's clearly having a tough time and maybe if you were just a little bit more understanding-"

"I am pushing Malfoy to be his best," Snape cut her off, his voice stern, "He'll thank me for it later."

She shook her head and gathered her belongings before heading out into the busy corridor.