All Bark And No Bite
Draco frowned at the old broom in front of him. It was nothing compared to his new top-of-the-line Comet back at home. “This is so lame,” he mumbled to Vince. “I already know how to fly a broom. I’m probably best in the whole year.”
Vince rolled his eyes. “It’s ‘cause of all the muggleborns here.”
Tracey snickered from Vince’s other side. “Yeah, Malfoy. Not everybodies a perfect little pureblood like you.”
Draco stuck his tongue out at her. She had been very overly conscious at the fact that she was one of the very few muggleborns in Slytherin at first but had quickly come to take it in stride. She wasn’t a mudblood, after all, she was a proper Slytherin. “Shush it, Tracey. Now I’m gonna beat your arse at this as revenge.”
Instead of replying, she just smirked and turned her attention to the now approaching Madame Hooch.
"Well, what are you all waiting for? Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up. Stick out your right hand over your broom,” she boomed, "and say 'Up!’”
Everyone shouted at the same time, getting various responses. Draco nearly laughed out loud as Longbottom practically shook in fear and his broom stayed especially still. Pureblood or not, some people were always….well, Draco wouldn’t be uncouth.
Draco, along with everyone else, was told how to mount his brooms and grip the handle. Madam Hooch, the vile woman, had loudly mentioned that Draco had been gripping his the wrong way for years, much to Potter and Weasleys obvious glee. Potter was lucky Draco was being nice to him or else…
After what might as well been years with how slow Madam Hooch was teaching them, they finally got to ride their brooms only for Longbottom to mess it all up.
He flew up into the air a second too fast and, being as hopeless as he was, ended up falling and breaking his wrist. Now they had to wait until Madam Hooch came back to start flying.
Draco couldn’t help breaking into a fit of giggles as the pair walked away. “Merlin, did you see his face?” Draco snickered even harder at Vince’s awful impression of Longbottom falling to the ground.
"Shut up, you two," said a girl Draco recognized as Parvati Patil.
"Aww, sticking up for Longbottom?" said Pansy, finding this situation as funny as he was. Draco didn’t understand why the lions were all clenching their fists or about to growl at them. Did no one inform them they weren’t actual lions? It was just a broken wrist. Pomfrey could get it fixed in two minutes flat. And they said Slytherins were dramatic. “I didn’t know you had a thing for crybabies,” Pansy continued as something silver caught Dracos attention.
"Would you look at that!" he said, picking up the ball rolling in front of him. "It’s Longbottoms little Remembrall."
“You give that back, Draco,” Potter said and Draco was struck with the reminder of Potter and his pet weasel laughing at him just minutes ago.
“No, no, I don’t think I will,” he said. He tapped a finger to his chin. “But whatever will I do with it? Oh I know! I’m sure Longbottom won’t mind if I stick it in a tree. Just to keep it safe for him.”
“Give it back!” Potter yelled but Draco was already on his broom and flying away.
Draco only had to shout a quick ‘Come and get it, Potter!’ and the reckless Gryffindor followed fast, disregarding what Granger was saying beside him.
For a second, Draco just watched bewildered at Potter's skilled fly towards him.
Draco gave him an impressed stare. “You’re pretty good, you know that?” He smiled devilishly. “Too bad I’m better,” he said and flew further away.
“Don’t be a brat, Malfoy,” Potter called after him. Draco only smiled.
Potter shot towards him, nearly knocking him off his broom. “You don’t have your little henchmen to protect you up here,” he yelled.
Draco blinked, surprised for a second before realizing he was talking about Vince and Greg. He fought the urge to roll his eyes. Vince and Greg’s plan seemed to be working then. Whatever, Father had said it was something he could use to his advantage.
“Come on, Draco! Don’t be an arse!”
He couldn’t hold back the eye roll this time. “Back to Draco, are we? Fine. If you want it so bad, go get it!” Draco threw the ball into the air and sped his way back to the ground.
And then everything went to hell in a handbasket. Potter, the stupid git, had flown right in front of Professor McGonagall's office and had been promptly dragged away by her even when everyone, Draco included, tried to explain.
“You don’t think she’s going to expel him, do you?” Draco said, eyes glued to the sight of McGonagall dragging Potter off.
Tracey pursed her lips. “No idea….Probably not? He is the Boy Who Lived…”
~~~~
“Guess you haven’t been expelled after all, Potter,” Draco drawled. “What a shame.”
Weasley glared at him while Potter, weirdly enough, smiled. “What’s that, Malfoy? Suddenly confident now that you’ve got your two lackey’s with you?” Weasley said.
Potter rolled his eyes good-naturedly. “Just leave it Ron. You don’t need to worry about him. He’s all bark and no bite.”
Draco gaped. “Well that’s just rude! And completely untrue!”
Potter grinned. “Oh yeah? Prove it.”
“Well, alright then,” Draco said, getting annoyed. “I challenge you to a Wizarding duel. Tonight.” Noting Potter’s confused face, Draco smirked and said, “You alright there, Potty? Don’t know what a Wizarding duel is, do you?”
“‘Course he does,” Weasley said, butting in unnecessarily. “And I’m his second. Who’s yours?”
“I see you’re getting your followers to make decisions for you, Potter. A bit sad really but I suppose even Weasley has more brain than you. Poor thing. Crabbe’s my second. Meet us at the Trophy Room. Midnight. Be there or be square.” That was something Tracey had taught him. Muggles had the strangest phrases but he had to admit it was quite fun.
Draco stalked away, huffing when he heard a loud laugh and a ‘See you soon, Draco!’ come from behind.
Draco sat down at the Slytherin table, taking his usual seat between Vince and Greg.
“Let me guess, you antagonized him.”
Draco glared at Theo. “He started it. I don’t antagonize people. I react accordingly to how they treat me.”
Theo sighed. “Just don’t make him your enemy. The meetings soon so if you mess this up before it even starts, Mum’ll be mad.”
~~~~
"Malfoy tricked you," Hermione said. "He must’ve. He was never going to have a duel. Malfoy must have told Filch someone was going to be in the trophy room."
Harry frowned, shaking his head. “He wouldn’t do that. He’s an knob but…he wouldn’t do something that he thought might get me kicked out.”
Ron groaned. “I already told you mate! He’s a Malfoy, they lie all the time.”
“Think about it Ron. Draco tried to explain to Professor McGonnagall last time. Why would he do that just to get me expelled now?”
“And he did try and see if you got in trouble before…” Neville said quietly.
“Exactly! He’s just stuck up is all. All posh and the like. Those types are always weird.”
“Who’s weird?” asked a familiar voice from behind.
~~~~
Potter spun around to face him, momentarily smiling so bright that everyone in a 5 mile radius was as good as blind. Draco frowned. He really had to stop doing that. Sooner or later, Draco would end up with permanent eye damage. “Draco!”
“What’re you doing here anyways? And what's up with your gang of Gryffindors? Is it just me or are they multiplying? Is there an infestation of you lot?”
Weasley glared at him. “Shut it, Malfoy. We know you told Flich we’d be at the Trophy Room.”
Draco scrunched up his face. “Are you mental?” he said with genuine feeling. “Why would I tell if I was going to be there with you? Do you think I want to get in trouble?”
“Well then, what was taking you so long?”
“Hello to you too, Granger. Not that it’s any of your business but me and Crabbe nearly ran into Filch's dumb cat. Had to make a detour.”
“Yeah right,” Weasley grumbled. “If you didn’t tell, then who did?”
Draco rolled his eyes. “Oh, I don’t know. One of the multiple Gryffindors sitting beside you when I asked?” Vince tittered from beside him.
All of them froze as something sounding like ‘This way, my sugar crumb, this way’ came from a few feet away.
“Quick! We need to go,” whisper-yelled Granger and just like that they all ran off until Potter slammed into a door at the end of the hall.
"We’re done for!" Weasley groaned, pushing at the locked door. "We’re dead! This is the end for us!"
Draco snarled. “Merlin, Weasley. You’re a wizard, act like one!”
“What’s that supposed to-”
"Oh, just move," Granger growled. Pushing Weasley aside, she grabbed Potter’s wand and mumbled a soft, 'Alohomora!’ At least someone here had a brain. Even if it was a half-developed Muggle one.
Quickly making their way in, they pressed their ears against the door and waited for the sounds of Flichs footsteps to recede.
“Guys…” Longbottom whispered once all they could hear was their own unnaturally heavy breathing. “Turn around….”
Draco frowned, doing as told. “What now, Longbottom? You- Merlin and Morgana above,” Draco whispered.
They were in the forbidden corridor on the third floor.
Which, regardless of all the silly things he had said to scare Daphne, had a very real reason as to why it was forbidden.
Right in front of them, in all its monstrous glory, was some sort of humongous three headed dog that would surely kill them at any moment. It was standing on what might’ve been a trap-door and beginning to growl slowly.
Great, not even a month into his first year and he was already dead!
Someone, thank Merlin, opened the door and they all fell back scrambling away and running until they made it to their respective common rooms. Draco was embarrassed to admit that he had Vince carry him halfway through.
~~~~
Draco grabbed the package from Potter's hands and smirked, pushing back the jealousy climbing up his lungs. “Is that a broomstick, Scarhead? Someone’s being a bad boy, I see.”
“It’s not just some boring broomstick,” Weasley said. “It’s a Nimbus Two Thousand. Remind me again what you have, Malfoy, a Comet Two Sixty?" Weasley grinned at Potter. "Comets look cool, but they're nowhere near as good as the Nimbus."
“Shut it, weasel. Tell me, what broom do you have?” Weasley scowled. “Exactly,” Draco said nastily.
Like some sort of phantom, Professor Flitwick appeared next to him. “Not fighting, are you boys?”
Draco schooled his features. “Of course not, Professor. We were just having a delightful conversation about a little present of Potters.”
Flinwick’s eyes brightened. “Ah! I see you’ve got your new broom, Harry. Minevra told me all about it. Say, what model did they get you?”
“A Nimbus Two Thousand,” Potter beamed, looking far too gleeful. “It’s all thanks to Malfoy, really.”
Draco glared. “No need to thank me, Potter. I’m just a naturally kind person. Someone needs to look out for the less fortunate.”
Flitwick laughed. “I always forget how funny you can be, Draco. Visit me later today, will you? I’ve got a new article in the Charms Explorations newspaper that I want you to see. Doesn’t talk about anything you can do yet, no, but I think you’ll be interested. Bring along Blaise, as well, if you can.”
“Yes, sir,” Draco said, smiling politely. Flinwick had been a friend of Draco’s old Charms tutor and had invited him and Blaise, who was just a general Charms nerd, to go over a few works from time to time. It was actually quite fun, although Draco was more interested in spells used to fix things than anything else. The main reason he went was because Blaise refused to admit he liked Charms enough to meet with the teacher privately and used Draco as an excuse.
Once Flinwick disappeared from sight, Draco shot a rude gesture to the two boys in front of him, getting a large grin and an angry glare in response, and stalked away.
He could hear a ‘How can you even like that guy,’ come from behind him.
~~~~
Tracey was right. As the Boy Who Lived, Potter had the advantage of not only not getting in trouble but also getting a bloody Nimbus Two Thousand paid for by the bloody school.
That’s favoritism! That’s blatant favoritism! So unfair. Draco had wanted a Nimbus Two Thousandsince before Potter even knew they existed and he was the one who got it? Unbelievable.
Draco wanted some favoritism too.
~~~~
“Severus,” Draco whined, dragging out the last ‘s’. “This is so unfair.”
Severus glared at him from where he was grading on his desk. “I can’t say I remember inviting you in, Mr. Malfoy. Care to tell me what made you barge into my office when you should be on your break?”
Draco threw himself onto the warm green fainting couch he had needled Severus into getting the month before hogwarts. “Uncle Sev!”
Severus massaged his temple. “Pray tell, what do you want, boy?”
“Ughhhh,” he groaned, planning on exaggerating this as much as he could get away with. Uncle Sev had always been soft on him. “Did you know that Potter got himself a new broom?” He wiggled his body around violently and let out a second groan. “A Nimbus!” Another groan. “And the school paid for it too! Isn’t Potter rich? Why’s he need someone else to buy it for him? Especially when the school doesn’t even have enough money to get the official Quidditch teams new brooms! Ugh!”
“Are you quite done, Mr. Malfoy?”
Draco pouted. “I will be once you stop calling me Mr. Malfoy. I’m not my father.” He considered this for a second. “Although, I must admit we are both very respectable men.”
“I hope you know I don’t hold even a sliver of respect for you at this moment, Mr. Malfoy.”
Draco groaned. He was getting quite good at it. “Draco.”
Severus sighed. “Fine. Draco.”
“Thank you. Now back to what I was saying…”
“Absolutely not! Come here and help me grade if you want something to whine about.”
Draco raised an eyebrow, all thoughts of groaning leaving his mind. “Not that I mind but how ethical is it for me to grade the work of my peers? Wait!” Draco shot up and smiled in a way Severus had once said disturbed him. “Can I grade Potters? Please, please, please, Uncle please-”
“No. Say another word and I will throw you out.” Draco pouted. Severus was only maybe joking. “You will be grading the multiple choice portion of some of the work I have assigned my second years. You can do that, yes?” Severus raised an eyebrow as if challenging him to say no.
“Yes, yes,” Draco said, dragging himself over to the desk. “It’s all stuff you’ve already mentioned anyhow.” He didn’t even get the chance to beg him for a broom of his own…so unfair….