Chapter 16
Draco walked down towards the Clock Courtyard, avoiding the small groups of students heading in the opposite direction, moving away from the cold and deeper into the castle. His emotions were running high, and he needed to calm himself; the "confrontation" with Lucius, along with the rest of his problems, had left him on edge, as if there was electricity beneath his skin, desperate to escape.
He pulled his cloak tighter around himself, bracing for the cold, and slightly regretted not bringing a scarf or hat to help, but he wasn’t about to walk all the way back to Slytherin for them.
A small warming charm would have to do.
As he stepped outside, the first thing he noticed—besides the white blanket of snow covering everything—was the presence of three figures in the middle of the courtyard, two significantly larger than the third.
Greg and Vincent were throwing snowballs at Colin Creevey, laughing at the second-year's attempts to dodge their attacks. Draco felt disappointed. For a moment, he had forgotten that his former companions had been just as much bullies as he had once been.
-Come on, pipsqueak, does a little snow hurt?-Greg mocked when Colin flinched as a snowball hit his chest a little too hard. -What a ponce-
Vincent only laughed harder.
Draco watched the scene for a few more seconds before striding towards them. If he was going to start defying his father, he might as well begin by standing up for a poor second-year.
-You’ve had your fun, haven’t you? You can leave him alone now-
The Slytherins turned to him in surprise, while Creevey looked as though he had somehow paled even further. Goyle was the first to snap out of it, grinning with amused curiosity.
-Draco! Come on, join the fun- he said sincerely. -Didn’t expect to see you today after the show you put on last night, but look; we thought practising our aim with a moving target would be more interesting-
-I don't see him moving much. He’s barely dodging- Draco said, stepping beside the trembling Gryffindor.
-We’re not exactly keen on running after him, you know?-Vincent added.-It’d be worse for him if we did-
He shrugged, as if he had just stated the most obvious thing in the world, while Greg nodded in agreement. Draco discreetly slid his hand into his pocket, gripping his wand.
-You’ve practised enough. Let him go- he said, using the commanding tone he remembered from his first life.-You’re going to get yourselves into trouble-
That did not seem to please the Slytherins.
-Booo- Greg whined. -Don’t be such a spoilsport, Draco. First time you’ve spoken to us directly in months, and you’re trying to boss us around? If you’re not interested in playing, why don’t you go to Pansy instead? I’m sure she’d be more than happy to kiss it better wherever it hurt last night-
Crabbe made exaggerated kissing noises to accompany the taller boy’s joke before both burst into laughter. It was true, Draco hadn’t spoken directly to either of them since he came back to life. At first, because of the guilt of seeing Vincent, and then because he no longer felt comfortable with them hovering around him like bodyguards. They seemed to understand the message well enough, leaving him alone to follow Nott at times, or simply spending time with each other or other students in their year. Draco had watched them from a distance, growing used to their presence while making mental notes to add Vincent to the list of people he planned to save in his efforts to stop the Dark Lord.
Creevey was also on that list, and although this situation had nothing to do with the war, he was still going to make sure his housemates didn’t behave like complete idiots.
Goyle grabbed another handful of snow and hurled it straight at Colin’s face. The Gryffindor crouched quickly in an attempt to dodge, but he was left utterly stunned when, instead of hitting him or passing over him, the snowball crashed against an invisible barrier in front of him. Draco now stood directly between his housemates and Colin.
-I said leave him alone-
Crabbe and Goyle were dumbfounded, but their surprise didn’t last long before it was swiftly replaced by a bitter, angry expression.
-So now you’re defending Muggle-borns as well?- Greg sneered.-I thought you were just taking advantage of Lovegood, but it looks like our suspicions were right-
Draco was taken aback.
Suspicions?-
-That you’ve gone soft- Vincent spat venomously-and that you’re a traitor-
Draco remained silent. They weren’t wrong, but a small, deeply ingrained prejudice inside him bristled at being called that.
-Really? Nothing to say?- Vincent taunted.
-You sticking so close to the lunatic and suddenly stopping your hatred for Potter was already a bad sign,but this?-Greg pulled his wand from his pocket and pointed it at Draco.
-The Prince of Slytherin has fallen from his throne? -
Vincent let out a small chuckle. It was clear they wanted him to get angry, to react with something more than the cold indifference and distance he had treated them with all this time.
Draco’s withdrawal had given them space to think, and without a leader, if he could even have been called that,it had given them perspective. He hadn’t expected this turn of events. He hadn’t expected Vincent and Greg to follow him like before or obey his orders, but he also hadn’t expected them to feel such resentment towards him simply because he was no longer the same arrogant prick he had been in his first life—because he no longer played along with their games.
-I told you to stop bothering him- Draco stood his ground. His grey eyes gleamed with determination, and his grip on his wand remained firm-And you know I don’t like repeating myself-
For a few tense moments, they simply stared at one another, unmoving. He could hear the nervous breathing of the Gryffindor behind him. The winter wind howled at that moment, making all their hair whip around from its force,it was the only movement in what felt like an eternity.
Vincent broke the silence with a huff that sounded more exasperated than angry as he turned slightly to the right.
-Not worth it- he said simply. -Let’s go, Greg. The game’s been ruined-
Greg hesitated for a moment before lowering his wand, jogging briefly to catch up with his companion, and heading back to the castle. Draco allowed himself a soft, almost imperceptible sigh of relief at the lack of confrontation, even if his magic still itched beneath his skin, urging him to use it. The small shield hadn’t required enough magic to be the challenge his body was craving, but deep down, the blond didn’t truly want to fight with those he had once called close companions, even if they were complete idiots to him now.
-If you ever come to your senses- Vincent called out loudly from a distance, startling Draco and drawing his attention-and stop being a blood traitor, you know where to find us. You still owe me a game of Gobstones-
And with that, they disappeared into the castle.
Draco was stunned. He hadn’t expected a statement like that at all, especially not after the confrontation that had taken place mere seconds ago. His grey eyes even widened comically for a brief moment.
Had he, in his own stubbornness and obliviousness, misinterpreted his relationship with his two oafish companions?
After all, they had known each other since a young age, just like he had with Pansy and Blaise. He had helped them get through their classes with personalised tutoring, and they had almost always been together, making life miserable for the rest of the student body. It was true that they had never confided in each other about deeper matters, such as their fears or dreams—but then again, neither had his other friends. Even with them, with whom he shared more conversations and academic interests, he still kept certain topics too personal to reveal.
He had said it before, perhaps if their parents had never introduced them, they would have never interacted.
But they had. They had grown up together, suffered the pressures of pure-blood expectations and family lineage together in silence. They had supported him in his stupid plans. He had witnessed Vincent’s death. They had followed him into the bloody war. For Merlin’s sake—surely that counted as friendship, didn’t it?
Damn it, he had things to reconsider. But not now. Right now, he not only wanted to take a walk by the Black Lake, he wanted to dive headfirst into it.
Snapping out of his thoughts, he turned to look at the poor lion who was still sitting in the snow, staring at him with wide, expressive dark eyes,like an eager yet wary puppy unsure if the stranger before him was friend or foe.
Draco put his wand away before extending a hand towards the second-year, offering to help him up. Creevey hesitated for a second before taking it, finally lifting his bum from the cold ground.
-Thanks…-the younger boy murmured, still in shock.
-It’s all right.-
Draco expected that to be the end of it, that Creevey would quickly scurry off to wherever he had originally been heading. But instead, the brunet kept looking at him with what Draco could only assume was gratitude, a soft yet foolish smile forming on his face.
-Well, what are you waiting for- Draco said, slightly exasperated- Get -
He made a small shooing motion with his hand, as if swatting away a fly. This seemed to snap the younger boy out of his daze, and he quickly darted towards the castle, glancing back at the blond a couple of times before disappearing down a different path than the one the Slytherins had taken.
Draco let out a loud exhale, finally alone and free to go where he wanted.
Without thinking, he glanced up at the castle once more, only to his surprise,and irritation, locked eyes with none other than Longbottom, who was standing beneath one of the arches leading to the Clock Courtyard.
What was it about today that made Draco prone to running into people he didn’t want to see? Was his magic attracting people to challenge him just so he could finally release some of his pent-up energy?
Well, he wouldn’t give it the satisfaction. It was his magic, under his control, not the other way around. Not again. Not today. Not ever again.
With a quick grimace of distaste and his fists clenched, he ignored Longbottom and finally continued on his way.
A few minutes later, he finally reached his destination.
His tree, standing by the Black Lake, with the beautiful monkey flowers growing near the shore. Some of the flowers had survived the snowfall well, while others had succumbed to the cold, and some had been crushed under the weight of the snow. He hadn’t come here since the heavier snowfalls had begun, making the cold unbearable. A small pang of sadness struck him at the sight of the dying flowers, but in the end, it was something that had to happen. If anyone found them flourishing in this weather, it would raise questions. Besides, they would return, strong and beautiful in the spring. They just needed to rest.
And Draco needed a rest too.
He could sleep for five days straight, at least.
He felt mentally drained, with no energy to dwell on his entire situation. He just wanted to sleep and forget that a Draco Lucius Malfoy had ever existed in the history of the world.
With that in mind, he nudged some snow aside with his foot and sat down, leaning against the tree trunk. His cloak was thick enough to prevent the dampness of the snow from seeping through, so it was fine. He exhaled slowly and steadily, watching his breath turn to mist in the cold air.
For a second, he thought of Larry,how the brunette loved producing mist with his breath, pretending that any random twig he picked up was a cigarette and that his simple exhalations were the smoke. Hours later, you’d find him actually smoking because, according to him, there was nothing better to warm you up.
Draco had wanted to try it. Smoking had intrigued him, but the burning sensation in his lungs from his first inhale, followed by a coughing fit, had put him off entirely.
Larry had seemed satisfied that he hadn’t taken a liking to cigarettes. Still, the blond had always liked the smell, it reminded him of his friend and of sleepless nights spent talking on the balcony.
God, how he missed him, how he missed them.
He had a new chance to avoid living through the same mess as in his first life, but all those disasters had led him to meet people he had come to consider family. Who knew if he would ever find them again in this life? It was an idea that had always lingered in the back of his mind,to seek them out and reconnect, but if everything changed the way he planned, would he still get along with them? It had been their shared experiences that had bonded them. Could he have that again without the whole ordeal of being a stray dog rescued by two kindhearted people?
Did he have the right to look for them and insert himself into their lives, knowing everything he knew about them while they had no idea who he was?
Draco shook his head. There was no point in thinking so far ahead right now; he had a much more pressing reptilian threat to deal with, which wasn’t going as well as he’d like, either.
He scratched the right side of his neck in frustration, hating not having his cream on hand to soothe the burning sensation.
He was mentally exhausted, but his body felt like it was going to explode if he stayed still any longer.
He got up to resume his original plan: to go for a walk.
As he walked, he conjured small colored lights—similar to Lumos but much smaller. He remembered it as one of the first spells his mother had taught him when he started manifesting his magic. It didn’t require much skill, just some concentration to define the shape and colors dancing around the tip of his wand. The good thing was that it was helping calm the urge to use his magic.
Distracted by his little trick and keeping half an eye on the ground to avoid tripping as he entered the semi-safe area of the Forbidden Forest, he didn’t fully realize how close he had gotten to the hippogriff paddock until he heard the pounding of hooves and the trilling of their voices.
They looked just as majestic as the last time Draco had seen them so many years ago—various colors of gleaming fur, their overwhelming size, well-kept feathers, and those enormous talons capable of tearing apart any defenseless prey in their path. Maybe having lived so long away from magical creatures had given Draco the opportunity to appreciate them the way he thought someone from outside the magical world would. They were beings of captivating and raw beauty. Or maybe he could appreciate them now without the constant whisper of his father’s beliefs, that they were nothing but mangy beasts. Either way, Draco liked the sight before him.
He thought it was a little foolish to keep such creatures in a fenced enclosure when they could easily take flight and go wherever they pleased. But maybe it was more for the benefit of careless students, so they wouldn’t stumble into the hippogriffs’ space and offend them.
Like he had once done.
He kept his distance, watching the herd of at least a dozen hippogriffs interact. Some even seemed to be scraping the ground for food.
One thing caught his attention. In a more isolated corner, closer to Hagrid’s hut than to the rest of the herd, a hippogriff was moving in an odd manner. Intrigued, Draco cautiously approached the creature.
Once at a safe distance, the first thing he noticed was its beautiful gray coat. The second was the reason for its strange behavior, it was screeching and clawing at what seemed to be a large empty feeding trough. From the faint scent lingering in the air, Draco assumed there had been meat there not too long ago, but now only traces of blood remained.
He was about to turn and leave when the hippogriff noticed him and snapped its head in his direction. Immediately, the creature let out a piercing screech, spreading its wings in a display of power and irritation.
Draco assumed this must be the hippogriff he had once insulted.
Merde…
He quickly recalled the lesson from that class and, with less grace than usual, gave the hippogriff a deep bow.
I’m sorry- he called out.- I regret offending you,I was an asshole, and I deserve your anger, but please don’t hurt me!-
He hoped his pitiful plea would appeal to the creature and that he wouldn’t have to defend himself against the proud animal. That would only make things worse and prove his father right. Damn his curiosity and his feet for bringing him here. But now that he was in this situation, he had to try to fix it or at least attempt to.
"It was my fault, I regret what I said. I shouldn't have done it. Now you're going on trial, and I don't know how to stop it.-
He remained in his deep bow, silent. He could feel the creature’s gaze still on him, so he didn’t dare move.
Buckbeak stared at the boy who had insulted him not long ago. His memory, much like an elephant’s, never forgot faces or offenses. He had expected a fight, but instead, he got a bow and though he didn’t understand the words, he could recognize the tone of apology. It was the same tone the half-giant had been using with him these past few days, though Buckbeak didn’t know why. But he wouldn’t complain about the extra food.
Hippogriffs were stubborn creatures, but they were also rational enough to recognize when something was no longer a threat.
With another warning screech, Buckbeak folded his wings and resumed scratching at the feeder, trying to get his caretaker’s attention for more food.
Draco lifted his head, stunned but relieved to still be in one piece. He straightened up. The message was clear, and he was going to take it as the peace offering it was.
He took a few steps back just to be safe.
-I promise I will find a way to save you-
It was a rushed decision, but in his heart, it felt right ,another step toward amending his countless mistakes.
-Oh, Buckbeak, you've already eaten today! Stop damaging the feeder,it’s not just for you!-
The half-giant’s shouts were all Draco needed to bolt back toward his tree. He wasn’t ready to apologize to the Care of Magical Creatures professor, not while Buckbeak’s life was still at stake.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hagrid was no stranger to the surprises the Forbidden Forest and its creatures could bring, but never in his long life had he expected to hear a Malfoy apologizing to a hippogriff.
He had deliberately raised his voice only after stepping out from behind the trees where he had been half-hidden, giving the boy a chance to stay and explain himself—without knowing that he had been overheard. Hagrid had seen him approach the paddock from his hut and had hurried out to prevent another accident or perhaps to stop the younger Malfoy from causing intentional harm to his beloved friend.
That the Slytherin had run away was something Hagrid should have expected. And yet, he still felt slightly disappointed. He had wanted to talk to the boy about his apology. But perhaps… another time, with a bit of luck.
"Do you think he’ll come back, Buckbeak?" The hippogriff let out a soft squawk and kept scratching at the feeder. "Yeah, I don’t think so either… Oi, leave that alone, will ya?"
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Back under the shade of his tree, Draco had hoped to regain the peace he so desperately craved but it seemed the universe, or whichever gods might be watching him, had no intention of granting him that. Not today. Perhaps not ever.
He deeply regretted not having his journal with him. He needed something to write something to organize his thoughts or at least pour out all his frustrations.
Should he be worried about his creature's blood?
Should he fear for his magic again, or was that issue finally resolved?
What should he do about his father? Should he take as much as he could from the family accounts before he lost access to them?
He knew that once he dealt with the Dark Lord (task pending, urgent execution required), he would lose all contact with his father—which meant no more financial support from him. That led him to the next issue:
His mother.
Draco had already made up his mind: he needed to tell her everything cause he needed help from someone competent. And who was more competent than the person who had been able to lie to the Dark Lord’s face?
What he didn’t know was how he was going to convince her that he wasn’t crazy and that what he was saying was the truth.
He really didn’t want to end up in St. Mungo’s in the mental health ward, thank you very much.
Was it just him, or was everything piling up too much?
And worse yet, it was all happening near Yule, Christmas, or whatever they wanted to call it. About four years ago, he had regained some of the affection he had once felt for the celebration. It never became the intense excitement of his childhood again, but thanks to his new family, he managed to once again spend the festivities with a smile, even though the thorn of his mother’s distance, the rest of his life’s trauma, and the nostalgia for better times still made him cry on certain days.
The sound of footsteps in the snow pulled him from his thoughts and musings. The first thing he saw were snow boots that stopped a few metres away from him. He raised his gaze to the thick winter coat the school provided, a Gryffindor scarf brightening up the outfit. Finally, he made eye contact with hazel eyes that looked at him with determination, though the hands clenched at his sides, slightly trembling, showed nervousness or maybe it was just the cold.
Neville Longbottom stood before him with his head held high.
Draco hurriedly stood up, but the sudden movement caused the Gryffindor to step back in alarm. Draco pretended not to notice and simply maintained eye contact.
The curious grey met the determined hazel, but neither spoke.
The blonde began to grow impatient with the silence, while Neville seemed to be gathering the strength to overcome his nerves.
-Longbottom, what-
-you had changed- Neville interrupted-I’ve seen it, and Luna speaks very highly of you. Y-You even defended Colin from your friends, and you apologised to the h-hippogriff-
Draco felt his cheeks turn red, knowing he had been watched during that situation.
-You’ve been following me?- he demanded to know.
Longbottom raised his hands to chest height in a gesture of peace, trying to calm the snake.
-I-I just wanted to know- he replied quickly. -You apologised to me, but I wasn’t sure if it was sincere, so when I saw you standing between Goyle and Crabbe to save a Gryffindor, I had to come and talk to you. I-I’d actually been thinking about talking to you before, to discuss what happened. Luna really gave us a hard time after you left, and I’m almost sure now she has some sort of grudge against Ron, and-
Draco listened attentively, trying to follow Longbottom’s rapid and anxious chatter until it made sense. But after a few seconds, he felt it was best to stop him and end the whole interaction.
-to the point, Longbottom-
Neville stopped talking abruptly and took a deep breath to calm his nerves.
-When you apologised, you didn’t let me respond-
Oh, so that was it.
After the disaster of that situation, Draco honestly didn’t expect there to be any continuation or even a new significant interaction with the Gryffindor in the near future. He had apologised, he was trying to be better, and he no longer made the brown-haired boy’s life difficult. That should be enough.
But the sudden leap of his heart, filled with hope to be forgiven, contradicted his previous thinking.
-Yes, well…- he looked around, searching for something to say, something eloquent, but in the end, he decided to speak the truth.-It’s not like I deserve a response-
-But I do deserve the chance to give you one if I want to-
The strong intention with which the boy spoke surprised Draco. He knew, from future actions and a decapitated serpent, how strong and brave Longbottom could be at times, and he even remembered those moments when the lion had answered his nonsense with the courage hidden behind his stutters. Still, it surprised him to see him like this now. He even felt a slight change in the energy around the boy, more assertive.
With a gentle motion of his hand, Draco urged the boy to continue.
-I don’t forgive you-
Ouch. He should’ve expected that, but it is well known that a harsh truth hurts more when you still have hope that it’s a lie. The blonde lowered his head.
-I already told you I didn’t want you to forgive me. I was a complete-
-Na-na-na, let me continue- Draco shut his mouth a little louder than necessary, causing a snap. -You were a complete idiot. You made my first years at Hogwarts much harder than they already were by themselves. You insulted me and mocked me, I came out bruised because of you, and I’m almost sure you laughed. You mocked my fears and were a horrible little nuisance.-
Was it Draco’s perception, or had the ground suddenly become the most interesting thing in the world?
Hearing Longbottom tell him his truths was hurting more than Draco had expected, but he hadn’t considered how the anger seeping through the boy’s words would make the shame of his actions grow even more than he thought possible. He deserved it, clearly, so he stayed still and endured it.
-So no, I don’t forgive you-
Neville gasped a bit before taking a deep breath to calm himself a little.
-But I can agree that we should be civil with each other-
Draco raised his head so quickly that he was sure he heard a vertebra crack.
.I can see you’ve changed. You seemed sincere in your apology, and you haven’t been a horrible nuisance since the magical creatures class incident. I don’t know what’s changed in you, but it seems good, and I’d like to see where it goes without the hostility of before- Longbottom extended his hand, mimicking the gesture Draco had made that time. "So... acquaintance?"
The blonde was stunned; he had expected to be insulted and maybe even hexed before the Gryffindor left after gathering his courage, but not an opportunity to know that he didn’t have someone else actively hating him in the halls.
A distrustful part of him thought that maybe this was all an elaborate joke, and he’d end up vomiting slugs, but the boy in front of him sounded... sincere.
-Yes... sure.-
He slowly raised his hand to shake the brown-haired boy’s, but Neville suddenly raised it.
"Just one more thing."
Draco frowned at the change in events.
-Actually, just two more things, and we can be in a civilised relationship-
-And that would be?-
-One. You’ll help me with my potion studies-
Draco expected worse, honestly. Something closer to handing over his firstborn for sacrifice, for example, so this wasn’t too bad.
-Yeah, sure- Snape’s a bastard, and he’d gladly do whatever it took to piss him off. If the Gryffindor became good at potions, he wouldn’t have reasons to punish him or take points from the house, which would annoy him. -And the other thing?-
The blonde didn’t even have time to rationalise what had just happened; it almost felt like a déjà vu of what had occurred only a few hours before in the corridor.
Only this time, it ended with his backside in the snow, one cheek aching and a cut inside it caused by the sudden collision of his flesh with his teeth. He’d been punched.
-That... is…- Neville gasped, having put quite a bit of strength into that punch. -For... last year’s beating-
The Gryffindor inhaled.
-Now we can be civil-
Draco wondered for a second what his poor cheek had done that day to be the recipient of so much abuse in one day. At least this one was deserved. He grabbed his face with a small sense of déjà vu growing inside him, but instead of feeling offended or angry, he just felt an emotion rising within him that he couldn’t contain.
-a-are you... laughing?-
Longbottom was confused. He had expected a punch in return, but instead, he found the blonde laughing heartily on the ground, even holding his stomach from laughing so hard. It was a completely peculiar sight for the Gryffindor, who didn’t know whether to do something or just leave the blonde to his own devices.
-Sorry, hahaha, sorry-
Draco tried to stop, but it was impossible. His life was a tangle of such strange and unconventional situations that his only two reactions were either to cry in frustration or laugh at the absurdity of it all. Never in his past life or this one did he think he would be punched by Neville Longbottom; well, maybe at the end of the war, yes, the taller one had become very brave back then, but he hadn’t expected it from the scrawny lion standing in front of him.
Well, even a lion cub has teeth to bite.
Draco took a deep, shaky breath, starting to calm his laughter. How many of these outbursts had he had? He should keep track of them and see if they were greater than the times he cried.
No, that was a whole new level of madness he wasn’t going to entertain... or was he?
It took him a couple of minutes to calm down and look back at the confused Longbottom. He took the other by surprise when he extended his hand upwards.
-So? Don’t you help a acquaintance?-
-Oh! Yes, yes, of course-
With a strong grip on his hand, he was lifted up.
-No hard feelings?-
-Nah, I deserved it, and it was one of the requirements to be acquaintances, right? We good-
Longbottom sighed with relief.
-Should... should I fix that?- he pointed to Draco’s cheek.
The blonde shook his head gently, grabbed his wand, and with a quick motion, significantly improved his face.
-You’re not a bad wizard, but there’s something holding back your potential. We’ll discuss it in your first lesson-
-When will that be?-There was some nervousness in his voice.
-Hmm, Meet me tomorrow at the library after lunch-
-Malfoy!-
He turned, surprised to hear his name from a distance. Cedric was jogging toward them, his pace quick. He stopped for a second to catch his breath when he reached them.
-Malfoy....- he said more calmly-Where have you been? Half the castle is looking for you-
"What?!"
-Well, I exaggerated a bit, but yeah, people are looking for you. Luna asked me to find you. You didn’t attend your classes, and the professors are worried sick-
Well, that made sense. He was supposed to be on his way to his classes, but hadn’t attended any. Damn.
-And how did you know where we were? This area isn’t well known- Longbottom asked.
-Oh, yeah, Harry helped me. He said he knew exactly where you were, and he was right- Cedric smiled.
Potter? How would Potter know where they were? His stalking abilities hadn’t developed yet, right? Maybe he saw them heading in this direction.
-Well, there’s no time to look into that-Draco said, confusing the other two boys-Come on, Diggory, help a convalescent child get back?-
-Well, you seem fine to me, you trickster- He raised an eyebrow with some sarcasm- Come on, little snake, let’s get you back to your nest-
They took a few steps before the blonde turned around.
-Coming, Longbottom?-
Neville seemed to snap out of his stupor quickly and joined the group on their way back to the castle.
In Draco’s mind, he was only thinking about how many scoldings he would get for disappearing, from Pansy and Blaise... and from Luna now.
Gods, or Merlin, whoever listens first... when would his suffering end?