✓ WE NEVER SLEEP, draco malfoy

T W O

"Yea, all things live forever, though at times they sleep and are forgotten."
— H. Rider Haggard 

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Turns out, after all this time, the Ministry was just fucking stupid.

Dolores Umbridge was a short woman who really, really liked pink and screwing over everyone who wasn't a Slytherin. She also just so happened to be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor and Rowan was just about ready to pull her hair out at how frustrating it all was.

And it didn't help that she had both Potions and D.A.D.A. with Malfoy. 

It was the perfect way to start the worst year. 

"Don't tell me we got Umbridge next," Ron groaned, dropping his head onto his folded arms. The Great Hall was bustling with students getting ready to leave for their next period. "It's been a day and I already want to stab my bloody eyes out."

"How much you wanna bet she pairs you up with Goyle again?" Harry laughed, already standing and pulling Ron by the back of his collar. 

"Don't sound too smug, Harry," Rowan grinned. "She did after all pair you up with Zabini."

"Bloke wasn't too bad," he shrugged when they were all standing. "Too bad he's up Malfoy's ass."

The three of them slowly caught up with Hermione as she came out of the library and the four of them then solemnly walked to D.A.D.A with only one or two grimaces. 

Turns out, they should've been more worried.

She handed out partners for the rest of the term so everyone could practice their useless skills they are learning from an old book. They were learning nothing about defending themselves, rather just learning how to sit and read and never use magic, ever.

Rowan drowned out most of what Umbridge was saying as she read off the list in her small hands and she barely had time to register that she was saying her name and someone else's until Hermione was nudging her.

"Ro, I'm sorry but-" she started and Rowan sighed and murmured, "Tell me she didn't just say who I think she did?"

"Good luck, Ro," Ron whispered as she slowly gathered her books and stood. She gave them a fierce smile and swallowed her pride as she walked towards the back of the classroom.

He sat with his head in one hand and lazily flicking through the pages of his book. His cool eyes barely glanced up when she approached and he didn't bother saying anything once she sat either. Didn't even seem to breathe when she opened her own book.

"Really?" she scolded, resting an arm on the table as she turned to look at him because why the hell was he acting like such an annoying prick? "Not a word?"

"What do you expect me to say?" he flipped the page of his book again. "That I want to be partners with a fucking muggle-lover?"

Her cheeks began to burn and her lips parted in embarrassed horror, because it wasn't like he said it softly. "Wha-?"

"Come on," he sighed, shutting his book to finally look at her. "What's the other reason you're a Gryffindor, then? You don't have a shred of chivalry and you don't have a brave bone in your body, Greer. You were a fucking mistake of a pureblood."

"Listen here, Malfoy-" 

"What?" he mused, lips curling into a sinful smirk and her hands shook gently. "What are you really going to do about it? You know I'm right. Your whole family knows it too."