Inevitability

When the train finally arrived at the school Hermione was shocked and flustered; I wasn’t. I had made sure to keep both her and Ron thoroughly distracted so we wouldn’t be able to get off the train with the others. Frantically she and Ron dove for their suitcases and pulled out a school robe while I calmly followed their example, hoping that I could buy just a little more time so that the crowd outside of the train would thin a little more.

I really didn’t feel like being jostled around by hundreds of other students vying for a carriage. By the time I was dragged out there the crowd was about half of what it would have been but I still tensed up and flinched away if someone got too close.

***

Everything seemed normal. The feast was as boring as ever, and annoyingly enough some of the first years were already almost as tall as me. Everyone still talked about the same childish concerns; it tired me to even pretend to listen to such frivolous things. Despite the dragging of the feast it inevitably ended and I escaped to bed, telling Ron and Hermione I was tired, and curling up in bed with the curtains shut and locked; one of the few places I’ve felt even remotely safe.

***

The next day of class of course started out with potions. I think Dumbledore arranges that just so we get the idea that school has truly started. Either way I wasn’t looking forward to it. As a new torture Snape decided this year he would assign seats. Surprisingly he didn’t force me with Malfoy but instead Blaise Zabini who I guess wasn’t a bad guy, but the thing I couldn’t stand was the placement of my new seat. For the last six years I had always been in the back right of the classroom where I could see everyone but now I was right in the middle of the class. My finger started twitching nervously before I even sat down which I was extremely reluctant to do. I glanced around the classroom trying to see someway out of this…

“Potter, sit down!” Snape barked and as if his voice was in direct connection to my brain, my body sat me quickly into the seat. The first five minutes of the lecture I heard not a word, I couldn’t stop glancing behind me to make sure no one had moved or come closer.

“Potter! Ten points from Gryffindor. What is your problem, you have some twitch or something?” All the Slytherins snickered, which was actually a large proportion of the class since only Hermione and I were the Gryffindors who had made it in. But surprisingly I saw to my left the Draco Malfoy wasn’t one of them, he was just staring at me with this weird look in his eyes; I think I would have preferred the snickering.

“Sorry sir.” I quickly mumbled, I didn’t need to make Snape pissed at me so early in the year.

“I’m sure. Can you let us know what we were discussing before you disturbed the class?” Snape crossed his arms, sneering down his big hook nose at me, I was dead.

“No sir.” I mumbled again.

“Ten more points from Gryffindor, pay attention Potter. Now…”

Well crap. Not even ten minutes into class and I’ve lost twenty points, I don’t even think we have that many points yet. For the sake of not being mass murdered by my housemates for loosing more points I paid attention, taking fairly good notes while still trying to sneak a glance over my shoulder every few minutes.

***

When the class was over I purposely had a lot to clean up still and since Hermione wanted to talk to McGonagall before Transfiguration she left without me. I was just out the now empty classroom when a flash of silver caught my eye. There leaning against the wall was Draco Malfoy, no goons in sight.

“What was your problem in class today Potter? Couldn’t keep your eyes off your lover in the back?” He asked in his usual tone, but something in his eyes was off again.

“Of course Malfoy, I was debating about grabbing them and throwing them on the floor right then. You think Snape would have mind?” I said sarcastically as I tried to walk by him staying close to the other wall, but suddenly he shot forward, faster than I thought he could move and placed an arm between me and my freedom. His body was so close to me that I had to press my back into the wall behind me to find some space.

“Don’t play your games with me.” He practically growled in my ear and then he took a long deep breath through his nose as if sniffing the air. A look of lust passed over his face and for a split second I could have sworn I had heard some kid of rumbling purr. But I couldn’t think about that, I was on the edge of full blown panic attack. Malfoy was way too close, fears and memories began to force their way into my mind and I suddenly couldn’t catch a breath. My gasping noises must have surprised the blond cause he jerked back confused and I used the opportunity to dash away.

Running while you can’t breathe has always been tricky but thankfully I took one of the many secret passages and came out near a bathroom where I could take a minute to compose myself. So close to the start of the next class it was thankfully empty and I locked myself in the far stall, tears that I couldn’t stop streaming down my face. My body was in full panic and I couldn’t stand still. I continued to pace the stall, gasping for breath and holding myself, trying to stop my body from shivering with little success. I used all the techniques that I had acquired over the years but it still took me ten minutes to calm down. Now I was just frustrated with myself, angry that these things made me so weak. I washed my hands and face, using a charm to hide what evidence was left and then left for class.

***

“Potter, ten points from Gryffindor for being late to class.”

I hadn’t even been through the door when McGonagall barked at me; this really wasn’t turning out to be a good day.

“Sorry Professor.” I mumbled and then took the seat that Ron had saved for me.

“Where have you been mate?” He whispered, leaning over close and I leant away.

“Nowhere.” I replied harshly, ignoring his hurt look.

********

Unfortunately McGonagall kept me behind trying to figure out why I was late but I just apologized and said I would try to not let it happen again. By the time she stopped drilling me and I got down to the great hall lunch was almost over and Hermione and Ron had seemingly vanished off somewhere, probably to snog. I had just enough time to grab a few bites before ushered out and made my way down the nearly deserted corridors. I heard some voices down a seldom used corridor but ignored it until a heavy slap caught my attention.

Picking up pace, caught once again by my ‘hero-complex’ as Hermione says, I came around a corner to see Malfoy leaning over a girl who he had trapped to the wall. Crabbe, Goyle and Zabini where all there too, fanned around their leader and laughing at the clearly frightened girl. I recognized her as a 6th year student, a Hufflepuff who was extremely out of her depth.

“Malfoy, why don’t you fuck off.” I snarled catching their attention. As Crabbe stepped back to face me I had clear view of the girl now and could see the Malfoy’s hand was making it’s way up he skirt despite hers pushing against it.

“Hello Potter, why don’t you join in the fun? You’re always too tightly wound anyway.” He snarked. The others gave their normal brainless laughs and the girl whimpered in fear.

“You disgust me Malfoy.” I snarled, and was pleased to see I had caught his attention enough now that he had removed his hand.

“Disgust you? I’m hurt Potter. Really, I am.” He said coming closer. Suddenly he was in front of me, moving faster than I could follow and slamming me back against the wall. I was in the exact same position as the girl had just been in… well, except for the hand up the skirt part obviously. “You really should learn to keep your mouth shut and nose out of other people’s business, it might get broken.” He snarled before punching me in the face and I felt my nose do just that.

The noise of the crack bothered me more than the pain, I hate hearing my bones break. I instinctively raised my hand, feeling blood rush over it, but the decided paying Malfoy back for that hit was more important. I couldn’t get in a good position for a normal punch but an uppercut would do just fine. One second my bloody fist was rushing towards his jaw and the next caught in a vice grip inches from Malfoy’s face. He took a deep breath again, just like earlier in the hall and his eyes became completely dilated. When his eyes focused on me again my body froze. Something inside of me was screaming at me that there was a powerful predator in front of me and not to move. As I stood frozen he leaned in and licked some of the blood form my hand stunning me completely. My eyes flicked up to see the remaining three people in the hall equally stunned and took a moment to be grateful that the girl had slipped away. I was too stunned to do anything right away, thrown completely off by the image of Draco Malfoy apparently happily liking my blood off of my hand and… was that that purr again? There was only a little bit left when I got my wits around me and jerked my hand away and jumped a few feet back. Suddenly pissed eyes focused on me, seeming to glow bright silver in the darkness and a growl echoed from him.

“You’re fucking mental Malfoy.” I snarled while backing up quickly, and once I had enough room turning and running back to the common room.