The Other Creature Within

Beta: Starry_sunrise (Linz)
Rating: PG-13 (for now)
Spoilers: SS, COS, POA, GOF, OOTP, HBP, IMPORTANT, THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE
Summary: It becomes a little less canon now, just because it’s much like the sixth book but with added scenes. ^^;;

It was a stupid idea. Harry could see that now in hindsight; however, he had not come here for hindsight...

Draco Malfoy’s cronies emptied the car, leaving only Draco and a restless Harry Potter behind. To Harry’s horror, however, Draco did not follow his friends as expected but rather revealed Harry before making him immobile. Draco was obviously smarter than he looked.

“I thought I heard you, Potter,” he snarled, grey eyes flashing dangerously at the bleeding boy on the floor.

He made sure to step on Harry’s fingers as he left, opening the door, and about to leave, when suddenly, he had a change of heart. He turned back quickly and tossed Harry’s invisibility cloak off of his frozen body.

“You think you are so damn special, huh Potter? Thought you were invincible... hah! I could kill you right now if I wanted.”

Draco smirked and, leaning closer, grabbed a handful of dark hair, pulling Harry’s face closer to his.

An immediate flush fell over Harry’s body, his mind screaming with anger and humiliation. Draco, sensing the immense embarrassment of “the chosen one,” laughed – a horrible taunting laugh, in Harry’s opinion. However, Draco loosened his death grip on the raven hair and instead traced his fingers lightly over Harry’s cheek in a rather mocking soft gesture.

“Pathetic,” Draco spat before haphazardly throwing the invisibility cloak back over Harry’s unmoving and still bleeding body.

Harry heard Draco’s footsteps departing the room and, soon after, the door slamming shut. Despite the raging pain in his nose and his scalp where Draco’s hands had wreaked havoc, the most powerful burning sensation came from the single line Draco’s elegant finger had traced along Harry’s cheek.

And so, Harry waited under the cloak, anxiety building, but his main thoughts were already fixated on Draco Malfoy.

~@~

His mind was quickly consumed with Malfoy. It was worse than obsession, as Harry had to admit it was becoming, and even Ron picked up on it! But Harry was determined, he would find exactly what Draco Malfoy was up to.

In fact, after the occurrences during their trip, and having Katie Bell still at St. Mungos, Harry was more convinced than ever that Malfoy was a death eater. Of course, no one believed him, but now, seeing Draco being dragged out of the Slug Club party, Harry found his chance to find out the truth.

He held is breath as he heard Snape reprimand Draco, but what was worse, he heard the potions master offer Draco help! Harry’s blood boiled; he should have known that Snape couldn’t be trusted. In fact, he did know that already, and yet...

Harry pulled himself off the floor, where he lay huddled, tangled within his invisibility cloak, and followed the quickly disappearing blonde boy.

Harry reached his destination as he almost collided into the young Malfoy, finding Draco slumped against the wall. Harry found himself frozen for a moment, sickeningly mesmerized by pale skin with a greyish hue and dark shadows under lost grey eyes. Indeed, Draco looked nothing like the boy he had met years ago at Madame Malkin\'s. In fact, the once supercilious and arrogant boy was looking utterly and completely defeated. It frightened Harry almost as much as it angered him.

Forgetting he still was wearing the invisibility cloak (and ignoring the hesitation due to the image of the sickly boy), Harry grabbed the collar of Draco\'s cloak and pulled him up so that Draco was now standing directly in front of Harry.

Draco\'s eyes widened, rather startled, before they darkened in realization. He stretched out a pale, thin hand and yanked the invisibility cloak off of the unsuspecting Gryffindor.

\"Potter, rather cheap trick, isn\'t it? That thick skull of yours has yet to realize that your petty little charms and objects,\" at this, he threw the cloak on the ground, \"cannot fool me anymore. What in bloody hell do you think you are doing here!?\"

\"I-I...\" Harry stuttered for a moment, flushing slightly from being made into a fool in front of Malfoy once again.

\"Yes?\" Draco snarled, seemingly using his immense rage to cover the tiredness in his eyes.

\"Cheap tricks! You should talk Malfoy, what with your secret plans. I heard you and Snape talking, I know you\'re up to something, you bloody Death Eater!\" Harry shouted, regaining his composure quickly.

\"You were listening in on me and Snape...?\" Draco asked calmly, this silent fury frightening Harry more than it should.

\"Yes! And you should know, Malfoy, I will discover everything soon enough, and I will stop you.\"
Harry tightened his grip on the collar of Malfoy\'s robe, though he was hardly aware he was even holding them anymore.

\"You will do no such thing, Potter!\" Draco spat fervently, though starting to shake slightly, \"I can\'t have anything else in my way, you won\'t... you can\'t..\"

The sudden fear in Draco\'s eyes took Harry aback, so much in fact that he unconsciously loosened his grip on Malfoy.

Taking his opportunity, Draco shook Harry off of him and grasped Harry’s neck within his frail hands.

\"You will do nothing to get in the way, Potter!\"

And with that, Draco let go of Harry and stumbled away into the darkness, leaving Harry alone and filled with mixed emotions in the dark hallway.

He was overcome with rage, with humiliation, with curiosity, and, most of all, as all these ardent emotions only strengthened it: an even stronger obsession.