Malfoy's Mark: Draco's Obsession

Draco Malfoy had previously been known as the most insufferable bully of all of Hogwarts. He had taken pride in it, reveling in his blood status and his superiority. But, like many youths, he grew and changed as he became more mature. And the Draco Malfoy of today didn’t want to be that bully anymore.

He stood confidently in front of his huge 10 foot tall silver framed mirror, snakes winding along the trim with carefully etched scales, and pondered his appearance. As he stared he realized he was the same Draco Malfoy as always. Though he felt so different inside than he had last year before he went to Hogwarts, the outside changed little. He still had that platinum blonde, almost white hair, pale complexion and stone grey eyes. Still he looked slender and handsome, all notes of his pedigree.

But perfection wasn’t what he strived for anymore. With a grimace he reached up to his collar and gripped onto his tie, pulling it down into a messy and more relaxed fit. He unbuttoned his robes and let them slouch, and looked at his reflection again thoughtfully. It was unkempt, but not quite different enough.

Finally he looked at his hair. He had carefully styled it, brushing it back, but it was still too stiff. Too regal. With his fingers he reworked it, messing it up to look more effortless, some strands falling over his face and eyes.

Now it was different enough. Or perhaps now it was just more of a normal look for a boy his age. At 17, the age wizards consider an adult, he was in his last year of Hogwarts. But he was still a teen boy, and most teen boys didn’t button their uniform or center their tie. And they certainly didn’t style their hair.

Draco was just a teen boy.

He smirked at that.

Because, starting today, he was disowned from the Malfoy name.

As soon as he walked out of the doors of Malfoy Manor, he would be free of the legacy of the Pureblood house once and for all.

About a year ago Draco was chosen by the Dark Lord for the heinous task of assassinating Albus Dumbledore. It would have been easy for him to agree, but deep down he knew he wasn’t capable. While the old man was irritating and favored Harry Potter to a fault, he wasn’t someone deserving of death.

And when Draco looked to his father and other members of the Death Eaters he realized something crucial.

Following the Dark Lord didn’t make them any happier.

They were all living in fear of the Dark Lord and committing heinous acts without ever getting any benefit.

Why should Draco kill Dumbledore? Why should he have to take the hatred and the blame for killing the greatest wizard of their time? What benefit could be had from it?

Nothing. The guilt would rest with him with little reward.

So he gathered his courage, going against every Slytherin self preservation instinct he had, and refused.

And the repercussions were astounding. Dumbledore still died by the hands of Snape in a scuffle at the Astronomy Tower. Harry Potter still didn’t believe Draco wasn’t involved in the nefarious activity in the castle, no matter what Draco said, and they got in a scuffle in the bathroom mid way through the year. Harry’s spell nearly killed him. The Dark Lord was still gaining in power every day.

And Lucius blamed Draco solely for the Malfoy Family’s fall from favor.

Draco remembered getting locked in a cold, damp room with nothing to do and no way to defend himself over the holiday season at the age of sixteen. His father would routinely come in and try to ‘reeducate’ him. It was all an effort to make Draco kill Dumbledore so that they could win the Dark Lord’s favor back, but every moment of suffering made him more convinced not to do it.

This was not a world he wanted to be part of. The sort of world where a father would torture his son for approval.

That defiance kept him there long enough to think. Alone, and in pain, he reached a point in his pondering where he realized that everything he had been taught was lies.

He wasn’t special.

No one was.

And the Dark Lord, who ordered that a boy be locked away and tortured by his own father, was just a power hungry mad man who did a lot of bad magic to get stonger.

Draco was not sent back to Hogwarts for the rest of the year, his father still trying to get ihm to come around. It never happened.

After Dumbledore died, they gave up on trying to force Draco to do anything. They managed to get help from someone else in the castle and the Battle of the Astronomy Tower went just as planned.

In fact, they were so disgusted with him that they refused to acknowledge him at all.

The Dark Lord could have easily ordered his death since his usefulness was exhausted, but he was so gleeful about Dumbledore’s demise that he forgot about Draco entirely.

He was still loved by his mother at least. Narcissa persuaded Lucius to take the moment where Voldemort was distracted and save their son. The only way they could help Draco was to keep him away from the Dark Lord.

So, with tearful eyes, Narcissa told Draco he was no longer a Malfoy and to leave the manor when the school year begins. In the interim she tutored him on all the lessons he missed while captive, just so he wouldn’t be left behind. A last act of love when she was still officially his mother.

She didn’t have to tell him to leave twice. He was itching to leave the house where he had been captive, and eager to be away from the man he once respected as his father.

Draco packed up his items in his suitcase and headed for Kings Cross Station. All he had to his name now was that one pack of items. He apparated to the station, glad he was old enough now not to get flagged by the corrupt ministry for underage magic. It would have been hard for a former rich brat like him to find his way to the station with other means.

Walking casually into the wall between platforms nine and ten, he made his way into the busy station where the Hogwarts Express waited to take students to Hogwarts for the school year. And what a year it would likely be, the Dark Lord now in control of the ministry and the school.

But Voldemort had made it mandatory for all Wizarding youth to attend, and he was no exception. He showed the ticket, receiving a punch, before sliding into the packed train. Every compartment was full but no one invited him in. They glanced away, some with fear and others with disdain. He had bullied the first half so it was understandable to be weary, but he was coming to terms with the fact that none of his Slytherin friends were willing to stand by him now.

Finally at the back of the train he found a room that was mostly empty. Except for one Slytherin boy. Cassius Warrington. Slytherin Chaser.

Malfoy used to be on the team so he though that surely this arrangement wouldn’t be an issue. Draco had always got on with Cassius just fine. But as soon as Cassius spotted him his lip curled back like he smelled something disgusting. Standing up, he shouldered Draco as he passed, turning to spit on the ground by his feet.

“Blood traitor.” He hissed, before walking down the hall to find some other friends to join.

Draco sighed.

This was fixing up to be a long train ride. At least he was alone in his little cubicle. He pushed his bag into the luggage compartment, grabbing a novel from his luggage, and sat heavily down on the seat while running his hands through his bangs. With the impending stress of this year, it was a wise choice to leave his hair down. He had a feeling that the motion would become habit.

There was no reason to draw attention to himself. His entire plan was just to sit quietly on the train and read. And he did do that for an hour or so, calmly flipping through the book. Since Lockheart had proven to be a joke that was now hospitalized, he picked up the adventure novels of another author. This one was about the Dragon Sanctuary in Romania, and the protagonist was returning a baby dragon that he had saved from a poacher. The plot was cringey at best, but it was at least suitable for passing the time.

It was around the time for the sweets trolly to roam through and Draco considered buying something to drink. There was a small amount of money in an account unaffiliated to the Malfoys that his mother had set aside for emergencies, and she had transferred the amount to Draco when he was disowned as an act of monetary motherly love.

Still, he had to be cautious with it.

Draco had grown up rich, so he was just learning how to be frugal. After he graduated Hogwarts he would have to use the money to find a place to stay and support himself while he looked for work. Unlike the guaranteed Ministry job he would have had through his father, with the Dark Lord in control he would have to find something in a private sector. It wouldn’t pay as well as government work but he needed to stay off the grid. Saving the money was the only option.

As he kept his ears peeled for the sound of the trolley, he heard rushed footfalls pound down the narrow hallway. Curious, he closed his book and watched the door, wondering who was running on the train. Usually they didn’t take kindly to such behavior.

There was some yelling and he stood up, considering checking it out.

And then his train door slid open.

A girl was in the entryway, her chest heaving.

Her clothing was disheveled, her robe falling off a shoulder, but he could see by the green inner lining and silver striped necktie that she was a Slytherin. Her hair was in disarray, a deep brunette color nearing black with streaks of green throughout. The sun behind her shined through the lighter green parts of her hair, casting a strange glow. But what caught his attention the most was her matching vibrant green eyes that were so bright they were almost ethereal and the cute little beauty mark under her left eye.

She was lovely.

He didn’t recall seeing someone like her in Slytherin before. Surely he would have noticed such a beautiful girl. Draco was as red blooded as any male, after all.

Those stunning eyes locked with his and widened, astonished to see who was in the cab.

“Draco Malfoy…!” She cursed. A moment of indecision came over her and she stepped back as if she were going to try elsewhere, but the yelling down the hallway made her head swivel, her shiny hair flicking with the motion. Her cunning mind whirled, calculating her best course, before she rushed inside and closed the door.

“Hey… what do you think you’r-” While Draco was suddenly very curious about the girl, he wasn’t about to put up with rude and brazen behavior. Showing weakness was how you get bullied. He knew that for a fact as a retired bully.

“Shh!” She insisted. Pulling out her wand, she pointed to her hands and muttered something he didn’t quite catch.

“What are you doing…?!” He asked, his brows raising at the sudden use of magic.

“ShhHHHhhh!” She said again, turning to look over her shoulder. “I’m not here, okay?”

And then she pressed her hand into the wall and scaled up it, her hands sticking to the side like glue.

A gripping charm.

Perching herself above the door and partially into the luggage compartment, she waited.

Footsteps approached and the door flew open again, revealing a group of Slytherin girls. Flora and Hestia Carrow, as well as Millicent Bulstrode, and Daphne Greengrass. They blinked in confusion when only Draco was in the compartment, standing awkwardly near the center. From their angle, they couldn’t see the girl perched above the door.

“Draco…?” Daphne frowned, realizing they had just stumbled upon the most recent pure blood outcast.

Hestia pushed forward. “Have you seen a girl pass by here?”

Draco glanced up to the top of the cab briefly and considered giving the girl up, but her lovely eyes beseeched him to stay quiet. Hestia started to follow his gaze but he snapped his eyes away, confusing her.

“Nope. I haven’t seen anyone. It’s just me in here.” Draco shrugged casually.

“You’re lying!” Flora snarled. “I saw that wench run this way. This is the last cab. We’ve checked the rest.”

“Are you calling me a liar, Carrow?” He darkly responded, his eyes narrowing.

“Whatever.” Millicent grabbed Hestia’s arm, pulling her back before she could investigate her hunch. “We don’t need to stay here with a blood traitor. And that little bitch isn’t worth the trouble.”

“That fat heifer ate all our snacks!” Daphne protested, stomping her foot like a child.

“It’s not like we can’t afford more.” Millicent snorted. “Let’s go back to the trolley and place a second order before she sells out of the good things. We’re going to the same castle. We’ll catch up with her eventually.”

“...fine.” Daphne followed Millicent out of the compartment and the rest of the girls left behind them, closing the doors.

The girl on the wall waited, holding her spot, as she listened for the footfalls to retreat. To be safe she stayed hidden a few moments more before dropping down and dissolving the charm so she could dust herself off and fix her appearance.

“What was that about?” Draco asked. She glanced to him, acknowledging she heard him, but didn’t answer, instead choosing to comb her hands through her messy hair. Annoyance bubbled up in him at being ignored.

“I think you owe me answers since I covered for you. Did you really eat all their snacks?”

“Of course not!” She snapped. “Do I look like I could eat all of that?”

It was a valid question. She was thin and elegant, without a pound to spare. Still, as his eyes raked over her, he noticed some well placed curves. It was really astonishing that he hadn’t noticed this girl before.

“Then… why were they after you…?” He asked.

“Well…” With a sigh she rummaged in her pocket and pulled out a little puff of fur. Draco blinked at it, wondering what the hell it was supposed to be, when the puff made a little peep and popped it’s head to the side. It grinned, it’s long tongue hanging out in a silly manner, before burping.

“Is that…?” Draco recalled learning about these in Care of Magical Creatures. Some wizards did keep them as pets, but they generally weren’t on the standard list of creatures allowed at Hogwarts and required special permission.

“A Pygmy Puffskein. And quite the gluttonous one. I blinked and it had already consumed three cauldron cakes and two boxes of every flavor beans.” The girl chuckled.

“What’s it’s name?” It was kind of cute, now that he looked at it, and he reached out to pet it. It grunted and backed up.

Just as he expected it to.

Animals never liked him much. If he were the old Draco he would have ignored it and petted the creature anyways, forcing it to bend to his will. But now he was a changed person, and he paused before retreating, respecting the will of the animal.

“I don’t know.” She sighed. “It’s not mine. I found it running loose on the platform. Someone must have lost it and is probably beside themselves. I ran out of time at King’s Cross to turn it into the staff. I was planning on keeping it safe and then returning it to the lost and found area of the Hogsmeade Station instead, but it caused trouble.”

“Oh. Why didn’t you tell them it was a puffskein that ate the snacks?” Draco watched as she tucked it back into her spacious robe pocket.

“What does it matter?” She retorted. “They would have found a reason to harass me. It’s always been like this.”

“What do you mean…?” Suddenly Draco was interested in her story, but she turned to the door, as if a sound alerted her. But he hadn’t heard a thing.

“Bollocks, that’s the trolley. If this little bottomless puffball gets a whiff of the sugar it’ll be on it like a chizpurfle on a mimbletonia. I need to go before it bankrupts me.” She waved her hand casually at him. “Thanks for the save.”

“Wait..!” He wanted to keep her back but she was already gone. It was only when he was alone that he realized he didn’t even get her name.

A minute or so later, the trolley lady appeared. Just as she had predicted. He got a box of Drooble’s Best Bubble Gum and a bottle of pumpkin juice and just chewed his gum, blowing bubbles as he pondered the encounter. He ran his mind over the Slytherin students he knew, trying to recall just who she was.

And he was stumped.

Now he was cursing his shallow past. Before Draco only cared about the people around him and didn’t go out of his way to know the outcasts. The kids who kept to themselves were losers who didn’t warrant any attention, no more than NPCs in his life.

But that attitude brought him to this embarrassing situation.

She clearly knew him, but he was in the dark about her identity.

If only he had paid attention to his surroundings instead of being so wound up in his image.

The girl looked to be his age. She was matured and in her later teens, likely a seventh year like he was. He probably went to school with her for six years already and never noticed in his arrogance.

He thought of her as he chewed, the flavor still strong in the magically enhanced treat. Blowing a bubble, he ran the image of her opening the compartment door in his mind, those stunning green eyes locking on him and the sun lighting her dark hair.

She was so pretty.

And so clever. He had never seen someone climb a wall like that before. Usually gripping charms were just used to cheat in Quidditch.

The bubble popped and he pulled it back into his mouth.

For the first time since he was disowned from the Malfoy family he felt a goal form. He wanted to see her again and learn her name.

He was able to catch one of the last thestral carriages and slip into the castle without getting too much notice. While he was reluctant to allow the elves to take his luggage, because it was everything he owned now, he had no choice. Like the rest of the students he funneled into the Great Hall under the direction of the prefects.

Draco had been a Prefect. But after his fall out with the Dark Lord, Headmaster Snape thought it was best to give his position to another student. Slytherins simply wouldn’t listen to him anymore, which defeated the purpose of the position. Now Miles Bletchley took his place as Prefect, and in regards to his academic excellence it made sense. If the world was fair didn’t run on popularity, he might have been a Prefect to begin with.

As he approached the table he wondered where to sit. Everyone looked at him like he was a slug, shooting dirty looks and whispering amongst themselves. He thought it might be an opportunity to get closer to the girl on the train, but as he looked at the faces at the table he saw no sign of her.

Which only made him more curious.

“Draco.” He heard his name and looked around. “Psst. Draco!”

Following the voice to it’s source, he noticed Bonson Pike waving at him. Draco frowned but came closer, inwardly wondering if it would be a mistake. Maybe he was drawing Draco closer to bully him.

“Sit here.” Bonson gestured to the chair next to him.

“...why?” Completely confused by his un-Slytherin-like behavior, Draco could only stand his ground and purse his lips in indecision like a paranoid cat.

“Because I don’t mind sitting with you. Isn’t that enough?”

They stared each other down for a moment before Draco let out a sigh and just decided to sit down. It wasn’t like anyone else was going to take kindly to his presence, and at least he was invited.

“So.” Bonson nervously fiddled with a napkin. “How was uh… your summer?”

“Terrible.” Draco dryly replied, unsure why he even thought to ask that. Bonson blinked, processing, and realized exactly what he had asked him. He had been banished from the Malfoy family and been confined for most of the summer. Everyone connected to the Death Eaters knew that. Of course his summer wasn’t good.

“Oh… uh… blimey, I’m bad at this.” Bonson muttered, running a hand through his hair with sheer stress.

“Why are you talking to me?” Draco asked bluntly, trying to get everything out in the open. He didn’t want to be surprised when he was backstabbed later.

“Because… I… respect you.” The boy finally admitted, looking awkward as he avoided eye contact. “Listen, since the Dark Lord came back… things have been…they’ve…”

He paused, as if he wasn’t sure how to say it without drawing attention or ruining the mood. With a thick swallow he continued.

“Things have been… pretty bleak. Not all of us want to be part of that, you know?”

“… yeah.” He understood without Pike having to elaborate further. Saying anything more might draw the ire of the rest of the Slytherins so he didn’t want to continue, and it was smart not to. But perhaps this was a good sign. Maybe Draco actually was the leader he had imagined he was and some of the Slytherin students would follow him in his rebellion. Away from the never ending cycle of serving the Dark Lord.

Draco had seen where that path lead. If he could just inspire one Slytherin to reconsider and change… they might live a better life.

One could hope.

And he had no reason to distrust Bonson.

Yet.

“Thanks, Pike.” Draco humbled himself with gratitude just in time for Crabbe to launch a pastry across the table right into the punch bowl in front of them. It splashed and Draco barely managed to avoid it. Always concerned with perfection thanks to his upbringing, Draco checked his sleeves to make sure they were clean from the red liquid.

“Blood traitor.” Crabbe hissed, spitting in Draco’s direction. Disgusted, Draco grimaced and avoided it, but it made his heart sink.

Crabbe and Goyle had been his friends for his whole life. His henchmen that accompanied him at every chance and were always a constant companion. All it took for them to turn on him like rabid dogs was having an opinion that went against the grain. There was no unwavering support, just instant betrayal.

“Don’t listen to him.” Pike nervously laughed, tossing a napkin over the spittle so that no one had to see it. “He probably doesn’t even know what that means. Words are difficult for him.”

Crabbe snarled at the insult, slamming a hand into the table and making everyone jump with surprise.

“...yeah.” But Draco’s mood was already ruined as he mourned the loss of friendship.

There had to be something to take his mind off the confrontation. He scanned the table again for the girl and couldn’t find her.

The sorting dinners were sure slow paced as everyone arrived. He was glad this was to be his last one.

Just out of boredom he scanned the Gryffindor table as well. Potter, Granger and Weasley were also missing. Considering they were all highly coveted by Voldemort, it was probably for the better.

Snape finally went up to the podium for his first speech as Headmaster and then began the sorting. There were a handful of new Slytherins and they all cast Draco curious but disgusted glances as they sat down. Even the first years knew to hate him.

He couldn’t bring himself to care anymore.

One more year.

Just one more year of this hellhole and he could stay away from these brainwashed lunatics.

If only the Dark Lord hadn’t made it mandatory to attend school. He would have just tried to find work and skipped it entirely. But at least, even disowned by the Malfoy family, Draco had blood status. A pureblood was still higher on the metaphorical totem pole than a muggle born or half blood.

As the ceremony ended he hung around the table until there was no one left. Even Pike excused himself, telling Draco he’d see him later. There was no reason to loiter other than his building anxiety.

Draco found himself increasingly nervous about heading to the Slytherin Commons.

In the Commons he would be alone with a whole group of Slytherins, most the children of Death Eaters. They would like nothing more than to take his life as a trophy for the Dark Lord. While Draco was insignificant to the Dark Lord, his life still wouldn’t be an unwelcome prize. After all, he found a way to slip his grasp and the shame of it was common knowledge. The only reason he still lived was likely his blood status, and even that could be overlooked for a traitor.

Steeling himself, he stood up and made the harrowing trek down the familiar path. As he got closer and closer to the dungeons, his heart started to pound in his throat and ears. The door came into view and he felt so fearful of what he would face that his stomach turned.

But as he walked closer to the entrance he felt a hand dart out and pull him into the shadows behind a statue.

Instinct kicked in as he was already hyper aware of his surroundings, ready for an ambush. He pulled out his wand, whipping it towards the threat, his eyes wild.

“Who’s there?!” He asked, the dim lighting of the dungeons making it hard to decipher the assailant.

“I’m not going to hurt you.” She assured him.

He knew that voice.

It was her. The girl from the train.

“What do you… want?” He asked, his brow furrowing. While he had been looking everywhere for her, he didn’t expect for her to seek him out. He was glad for it because he had desperately wanted to see her again, but it didn’t bode well. Maybe she was also waiting for a moment to attack him.

“You can’t go in there.” She hissed, pushing his wand down instead of arming herself in retaliation. He let her cautiously, keeping an eye on her body language so he could raise it again if she tried for her own wand.

“They are waiting for you.” She elaborated impatiently. “They want to jump you and hex you as a punishment for defying the Dark Lord.”

“… what?” Draco looked to the door of the common room and swallowed nervously. It was just as he predicted. But he had to go in. If he stayed out past curfew and a Slytherin Prefect happened upon him, even worse things could happen. He did not want to be in detention with an ill intentioned Slytherin for sure.

“Follow me.” She interrupted his internal panic, walking away from him. The girl waved him over to a corner. He had no reason to avoid her instruction so he did as she asked, watching her with curious but cautious grey eyes.

“Right here.” Her delicate hand reached out to point at a brick. “The third brick under the sconce. Tap it thrice with your wand. And say Aperta.”

It was a weird change to their dialogue, but he was still obedient. Redirecting his wand, he followed her direction and tapped three times.

“Aperta…?”

Even his unclear pronunciation was enough. A little flash spread over his body, as if scanning him. The bricks folded away, reminiscent of the charm outside of the Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley. Reaching out before he could pull away, she grabbed his hand and tugged them inside the doorway.

As they stumbled through, the bricks folded back. Inside the little nook it was dark, and he could only feel her body pressed up against him.

And it was nearly torture.

At this distance he could tell that she was curvaceous in all the right ways, with wide easy to grip hips and a soft chest. She kept it hidden under her robes and nearly ever came close enough to get a good look so until that moment he didn’t notice just how to his tastes her proportions were. He knew she was attractive on the train, but at this distance the chemistry was unavoidable.

“...uhm…” Draco cleared his throat nervously. “W-where is this?”

It was a valid question. They were left in absolute darkness.

“Lumos.” She whispered, a soft light flickering at the tip of her wand. Once the light filled the space, he saw her face up close for the first time. Everything about her was lovely, down to her small nose and wide eyes. The warm light of the wand shadowed her face, but her soft skin only offered a stunning contrast instead of the severity of the lighting ruining her delicate looks. Again he noticed her unique little beauty mark under her left eye, but in the harsh lighting her stunning green eyes looked dark.

Draco swallowed thickly, trying to will his mind out of the gutter. The only saving action he could take was to distract himself so he looked around to inspect their surroundings. They were in a narrow gap of a hallway surrounded by the thick bricks of the dungeon.

Inside the wall…?

Along the siding there were tiny peep holes strategically left to peek through.

“Look.” She instructed, pointing to a hole. He stepped forward, glancing back to her unsure, before bending down to look through the little hole.

He could see the entrance to the Common room, which confirmed his theory that this was indeed inside the wall, and in front of the door a group of boys paced. Crabbe, Goyle, and Demarcus Bradley were amongst them. The burliest boys of their house.

“They want to torment you.” She whispered, peeking through the hole next to his. “They are trying to persuade you to return to your place with pain.”

“… not shocking, really.” He dryly returned as if it were so predictable he couldn’t bring himself to care. But his heart was pounding in his throat, the fear raising his adrenaline.

“This is a secret tunnel built for Prefects. To keep a secret eye on the students.” The witch explained. “Only Slytherins can come here. There’s a hex on the wall that prevents entry unless you belong here.”

“Really? How did you learn about this tunnel?” He pulled away from the wall and looked back to her with astonishment. She tapped at her chest, showing the prefect pin at her breast.

“Oh…” Draco stared at it with a frown.

It was odd. Pansy had been Prefect last year along with Draco. Now Pansy was the Head Girl and he didn’t even realize the Prefect pin had changed hands. This girl didn’t seem the Prefect type. She avoided confrontation and was anything but a leader or authoritarian.

And yet, the pin looked legit.

Her eyes traced his face as he thought, understanding lighting in them.

“I wasn’t made Prefect because I’m respected by the others, if that’s what you’re wondering. I was made Prefect because I’m really good at finding out secrets. Secrets that Headmaster Snape would be interested in.” Pulling away, she started walking down the narrow corridor, leading him. “Come.”

“But… I didn’t know about this place even when I was Prefect.” He obediently followed behind her. “It’s not like it was part of orientation. No one told me about it.”

“… I read about it a few years ago. From the Prefect’s edition of Hogwarts: a History.” The admission was insane, because a few years ago she wasn’t a Prefect. And that edition of the book was only available in the restricted section, in the section for the eyes of Prefects only.

“...how did you get ahold of that book?” Draco inquired, trying to crack the mystery of this girl.

“I asked a niffler to bring it to me.” She smiled, as if she were joking, but the way her eyes lacked a twinkle told him she wasn’t. “Don’t worry, I’m the only one who knows about this tunnel. You clearly never read the special edition when you were Prefect, and Pansy and Gregory aren’t the sort to read on their spare time.”

“I wasn’t worried.” He indignantly retorted, but still he felt relieved.

“Here’s the exit.” She stepped towards a sconce, lit with a dim ever burning flame, and extinguished her wand.

“Tap under the sconce three times and say the incantation again. Aperta.” She demonstrated and the wall folded open. On the other side was a private room, a singular personal chest in the corner next to the lavish four poster bed. He recognized it as a pair to his own personal room last year.

“It leads straight to the Prefect’s quarters?” He stared around with awe as he stepped out.

“If you go past the first lighted sconce you’ll go to other female prefect rooms, the Head Girl room, and eventually wind up at the Prefect boy’s side of the dorms, but I hardly think you want to lead yourself straight into Gregory’s room.” The implication made Draco pale, but she continued without noticing his emotional whiplash. “Instead, if you find it difficult to enter through the Common Room doors, use this path instead. You can sneak through my room whenever you want. Mine is the first exit.”

“Are you sure?” It was a bold offer, since he was a boy and she was a girl. But it was almost like she didn’t see him as a boy at all, which irked him a little. Her large, vibrant green eyes blinked at him.

“It’s fine. It’s not that I don’t think of you as a man, or something. But I’m hardly in my room, so it doesn’t matter. If it means your safety, it’s the duty of a Prefect to help.” She tilted her head, her voice soft and soothing. “I arranged with Professor Slughorn to get you a room assignment that would be easier for you. Please proceed to your bunk.”

The cold rebuff could have been insulting if he didn’t come to expect it of her. Instead he wanted to thank her, but the words became stuck in his throat. Malfoys never had to thank anyone so the gesture was new to him. He had already been gracious to Pike in the Great Hall so he might have met his daily limit for character growth. Somehow, in front of her, he still struggled with the desire to look cool.

“There’s no need to thank me, but gratitude can be cool too.” She assured him, pushing on his back to lead him away. “Anyways, you should go get unpacked.”

And then he was all but tossed from the room. An unsettled feeling came over him as he processed what she had said. A few times she had responded to his brief thoughts and emotions as if she knew what he meant to say.

Surely she couldn’t be reading his mind…?

Frowning, he considered turning around and demanding answers. There was a nagging suspicion building in his brain that there was more to her than meets the eye. But he couldn’t bring himself to rebuff her kindness in such a way. Instead he continued to his room as she suggested.

Halfway through the walk he came to a screeching halt, regret dripping over his body.

“Bollocks… I forgot to get her name again!” He finally turned and pondered if he should go back after all, but decided against it.

It was still her room.

He should be a gentleman.

Disappointed with himself, he ran his hand through his hair and groaned.

At least she was a Slytherin.

She was elusive, but it greatly increased the chances of running into her again. And this time he learned something new about her.

She was a Prefect.

There are only three female prefects. That narrowed it down enough he had a chance of identifying her on his own.

He so desperately wanted to see her again.

She was like smoke. Every time he saw her she appeared suddenly, densely, and left a huge impression. And then she dissipated, leaving no trace. Draco wondered if he could hold such a presence in his arms without her slipping away.