Fiction - Never turn your back on me (Harry Potter) P29
INFO and links to previous parts.
Thanks to off_that_bridge for beta. (At this point it's a rush beta job.)
Feedback would be very nice.
29. Stay
The grounds were overgrown with ivy and wild rosebushes. Draco stood by the open double-doors, staring out at the lush green scenery. Wild and overgrown like it now was, it looked uninviting. His mother would have been appalled at just how unkempt it had become. She'd taken great pride in her gardens.
They had all followed Potter out to the back of the manor so that he could let his owl free and watch as the bird glided about. Draco leaned against the doorjamb and crossed his arms. He watched as Weasley pulled on Potter's robe sleeve. From this distance he couldn't hear what they were saying, but he could easily guess at the conversation. Weasley constantly stared daggers in Draco's direction. Granger stood to Potter's left, her own mouth shut so tightly that even from where he stood, Draco could see how white her lips were.
Potter had asked Draco to give them time to talk, but he desperately wanted to be down there, so he could hear every maligning word Weasley was no doubt spewing about Draco in Potter's ear. It must have been killing Weasley that Potter wasn't listening to him.
Draco started at the sound of snapping twigs to his left, but relaxed when he saw that it was only Weasley's little sister. She didn't hide her disgust in the least.
"Whatever it is that you've done to Harry, my brother and Hermione will uncover it," Weasley snapped.
Draco rolled his eyes and snarled, turning his attention back to the distant trio. He chuckled as he watched the other Weasley fling his arms in the air yet again in exasperation. Draco licked his lips and blew at a tuff of fringe that had fallen over his eyes.
It was pure bliss watching Potter defend him to his friends. Draco had tormented each one of them at every opportunity while in school. Now here they all were, on his family estate, being forced by Potter to accept Malfoy. Did Potter seriously think that they would all be best friends now? Still, it was amusing to watch as Weasley turned fifty shades of red and continually waved his arms in the air.
"You'll not get away with this," the Weasley beside him announced.
Draco waved her away, just as he would wave away a gnat buzzing in his ear, without taking his gaze from the scene that was playing out in his mother's garden.
"Ron will help Harry see reason. He'll make Harry realise what a great mistake he's making," she continued.
Draco barely acknowledged her. Weasley had just grabbed Potter by his arms and was shaking him. Draco chuckled and spared the girl beside him a sneer. This was too rich.
"Stop that!"
Draco turned and snarled at the Weasley girl. She was actually stamping her foot on the stone ground, her hands balled into fists.
"You're mental," Draco muttered then turned back to continue to watch as Granger screwed up her face and shot a warning glare at Draco. How he wished he had a wand at this very moment so that he could pull it out and petrify the annoying Weasley. Of course, it would be hard to decide which Weasley he'd choose to turn his wand on first.
"You're the one who's mental, Malfoy," Weasley retorted with another stamp of her little foot. "Just because You-Know-Who didn't mark you, doesn't mean we'll all be friends now."
"Ooh," Draco pretended to shudder. "Brilliant comeback, Weasley. Did you learn that particular skill from your brother?" Draco smirked and stepped away from her. Why couldn't she just leave him be? There was literally a forest for her to get lost in. Draco contemplated the notion of making her cry. It would be so easy.
"You're a nasty boy, Malfoy," she shouted, crossing her arms and glaring, though she looked more as if she needed to use a toilet.
Draco laughed out loud and pushed her away. She fell back against the stone wall arms flailing. Draco hadn't really pushed her very hard.
"Shut up!" she shouted, though Draco had barely spoken to her. "What did you do to Harry?"
Draco glared down at her and smiled wickedly when she backed away, a glimmer of fear in her dull eyes.
"I slipped him a little love potion and made sure he'd fall deeply and madly in love with me," he gloated.
Somebody grabbed him from behind and flung Draco aside. He smashed into the stone floor, just managing to throw out his arms to prevent his head from making contact with the hard ground.
"Get away from my sister, Malfoy," Weasley shouted.
Draco could see tears brimming in Ginny Weasley's eyes. The look of horror in her face was worth a few bruises. Potter crouched down beside Draco. He looked up into Potter's bright green eyes. Anger swirled in their depths, but it must not have been for Draco because Potter gently gripped Draco's arms and helped him to stand. He brushed at Draco's robes even though they hadn't been soiled. He was sure Potter was using it as an excuse to touch him.
Draco smirked, resisting the urge to touch Potter. He could play this game. He'd played games all his life. His mother had taught him most of these kinds of games.
"It's not true," Ginny Weasley sobbed. She covered her face with her hands and cried.
"What did you say to her?" Granger demanded. She looked really cross. Draco wanted to kiss Potter for turning what had started out as a mind-numbingly boring day into the best day in weeks.
"He said..." the crying girl stuttered between sobs. She took one look at Potter and saw how close he stood to Draco. Her eyes drifted down to Potter's hand which was gripping Draco's arm firmly. This sent her into more fits as she covered her face once again, bursting into even louder sobs.
"You're so pathetic. It was a joke, you silly girl," Draco snarled.
Potter suddenly realizing that he still had a grip on Draco's arm, released him and sighed.
"He was only joking," Potter insisted. Draco didn't know whether to be amused or amazed that Potter was taking his side without even knowing what had transpired.
"Yes, I was," Draco glanced at the older Weasley as he consoled his sobbing sister who was now sniffling. She lowered her hands. Tears streaked her puffy face.
"Well, it wasn't funny," she cried.
"I thought it was positively hilarious," said Draco. With those words, he turned on his heels and marched back into the manor.
Thanks to off_that_bridge for beta. (At this point it's a rush beta job.)
Feedback would be very nice.
29. Stay
The grounds were overgrown with ivy and wild rosebushes. Draco stood by the open double-doors, staring out at the lush green scenery. Wild and overgrown like it now was, it looked uninviting. His mother would have been appalled at just how unkempt it had become. She'd taken great pride in her gardens.
They had all followed Potter out to the back of the manor so that he could let his owl free and watch as the bird glided about. Draco leaned against the doorjamb and crossed his arms. He watched as Weasley pulled on Potter's robe sleeve. From this distance he couldn't hear what they were saying, but he could easily guess at the conversation. Weasley constantly stared daggers in Draco's direction. Granger stood to Potter's left, her own mouth shut so tightly that even from where he stood, Draco could see how white her lips were.
Potter had asked Draco to give them time to talk, but he desperately wanted to be down there, so he could hear every maligning word Weasley was no doubt spewing about Draco in Potter's ear. It must have been killing Weasley that Potter wasn't listening to him.
Draco started at the sound of snapping twigs to his left, but relaxed when he saw that it was only Weasley's little sister. She didn't hide her disgust in the least.
"Whatever it is that you've done to Harry, my brother and Hermione will uncover it," Weasley snapped.
Draco rolled his eyes and snarled, turning his attention back to the distant trio. He chuckled as he watched the other Weasley fling his arms in the air yet again in exasperation. Draco licked his lips and blew at a tuff of fringe that had fallen over his eyes.
It was pure bliss watching Potter defend him to his friends. Draco had tormented each one of them at every opportunity while in school. Now here they all were, on his family estate, being forced by Potter to accept Malfoy. Did Potter seriously think that they would all be best friends now? Still, it was amusing to watch as Weasley turned fifty shades of red and continually waved his arms in the air.
"You'll not get away with this," the Weasley beside him announced.
Draco waved her away, just as he would wave away a gnat buzzing in his ear, without taking his gaze from the scene that was playing out in his mother's garden.
"Ron will help Harry see reason. He'll make Harry realise what a great mistake he's making," she continued.
Draco barely acknowledged her. Weasley had just grabbed Potter by his arms and was shaking him. Draco chuckled and spared the girl beside him a sneer. This was too rich.
"Stop that!"
Draco turned and snarled at the Weasley girl. She was actually stamping her foot on the stone ground, her hands balled into fists.
"You're mental," Draco muttered then turned back to continue to watch as Granger screwed up her face and shot a warning glare at Draco. How he wished he had a wand at this very moment so that he could pull it out and petrify the annoying Weasley. Of course, it would be hard to decide which Weasley he'd choose to turn his wand on first.
"You're the one who's mental, Malfoy," Weasley retorted with another stamp of her little foot. "Just because You-Know-Who didn't mark you, doesn't mean we'll all be friends now."
"Ooh," Draco pretended to shudder. "Brilliant comeback, Weasley. Did you learn that particular skill from your brother?" Draco smirked and stepped away from her. Why couldn't she just leave him be? There was literally a forest for her to get lost in. Draco contemplated the notion of making her cry. It would be so easy.
"You're a nasty boy, Malfoy," she shouted, crossing her arms and glaring, though she looked more as if she needed to use a toilet.
Draco laughed out loud and pushed her away. She fell back against the stone wall arms flailing. Draco hadn't really pushed her very hard.
"Shut up!" she shouted, though Draco had barely spoken to her. "What did you do to Harry?"
Draco glared down at her and smiled wickedly when she backed away, a glimmer of fear in her dull eyes.
"I slipped him a little love potion and made sure he'd fall deeply and madly in love with me," he gloated.
Somebody grabbed him from behind and flung Draco aside. He smashed into the stone floor, just managing to throw out his arms to prevent his head from making contact with the hard ground.
"Get away from my sister, Malfoy," Weasley shouted.
Draco could see tears brimming in Ginny Weasley's eyes. The look of horror in her face was worth a few bruises. Potter crouched down beside Draco. He looked up into Potter's bright green eyes. Anger swirled in their depths, but it must not have been for Draco because Potter gently gripped Draco's arms and helped him to stand. He brushed at Draco's robes even though they hadn't been soiled. He was sure Potter was using it as an excuse to touch him.
Draco smirked, resisting the urge to touch Potter. He could play this game. He'd played games all his life. His mother had taught him most of these kinds of games.
"It's not true," Ginny Weasley sobbed. She covered her face with her hands and cried.
"What did you say to her?" Granger demanded. She looked really cross. Draco wanted to kiss Potter for turning what had started out as a mind-numbingly boring day into the best day in weeks.
"He said..." the crying girl stuttered between sobs. She took one look at Potter and saw how close he stood to Draco. Her eyes drifted down to Potter's hand which was gripping Draco's arm firmly. This sent her into more fits as she covered her face once again, bursting into even louder sobs.
"You're so pathetic. It was a joke, you silly girl," Draco snarled.
Potter suddenly realizing that he still had a grip on Draco's arm, released him and sighed.
"He was only joking," Potter insisted. Draco didn't know whether to be amused or amazed that Potter was taking his side without even knowing what had transpired.
"Yes, I was," Draco glanced at the older Weasley as he consoled his sobbing sister who was now sniffling. She lowered her hands. Tears streaked her puffy face.
"Well, it wasn't funny," she cried.
"I thought it was positively hilarious," said Draco. With those words, he turned on his heels and marched back into the manor.