Monsters by Nightfall

Madam Pomfrey had wanted to keep Draco over night, since she hadn't been sure what had hurt him on the train. Severus had thankfully protected his secret by casting a few concealment charms to deter detection spells of any kind.

So, even though Draco did miss the first night in his own bed, he was cleared in the morning, and made it in time for his first lesson of Care of magical Creatures.

Not many students had already arrived when Draco trotted downhill to Gamekeeper's hut on the edge of the forbidden forest, Vince and Greg running after him like little ducklings. Draco had wanted to grab a quick snack on his way over, but given that he wasn't alone, he had to wait until after the lesson.

At the entrance of the hut stood the tall halfgiant gamekeeper, Hagrid. The guy had always creeped Draco out a little bit. And how he stood there now, moleskin overcoat covering his broad shoulders, and a big bearhound next to him, he did make an almost terrifying sight to Draco.

"What happened to Professor Kettleburn?"

Draco asked his followers, trying to hide how uneasy the gamekeeper made him.

"Malfoy!"

Draco turned, expecting Greg or Vince to have said something, but there was a third party his Lackey's were eyeing as well.

Harry Potter.

"I wasn't sure whether you'd be out of the hospital wing yet."

Draco's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. What was Potter going on about? What was he up to? Had the werwolf let something slip?

"I came to visit yesterday, but Madam Pomfrey said you needed to rest."

"Why did you want to come visit me?"
In all the confusion Draco forgot the disgust he really wanted to show, so he only looked stunned.
That seemed to encourage the other boy who went on.
"I wanted to thank you."

Was the guy blushing?

"What for?"

Potter chuckled nervously, scratching his neck self conciously.
"Well you saved me from that dementor."

Draco didn't know whether he could look even more confused, but he really tried to convey his feelings.
He hadn't saved Potter. Was the guy really so stupid? Had he not seen the same hunger that Lupin had? Draco had been trying to kill him, and both a dementor and a werwolf had stood in his way. If they hadn't, Potter would be dead now.

"I..."
Draco wanted to protest, but at the same time Potter went on.

"That was really brave of you. You know?"

Was the git complimenting Draco?

"I couldn't do anything."
Potter looked at his hands, which were fidgeting.
"I was so scared! But you just smashed your wand into that dementors head as if it was nothing."

Well Draco actually had been scared shitless too. It had just been his vampire parts which had tried to slaughter the dementor dor standing in their way of a delicious meal. But of course noone could kill a dementor.

"It could have killed me. So thank you... for saving me. I really owe you now."

Draco felt like he had went into cardiac arrest, before he remembered his heart always beat that way.

"Dementors can't really kill people, you know?"
That made Potter look up at him. His green eyes were shining like two emeralds hit by light.

"They just suck out your soul."

"C'mon, now, get a move on!"
Hagrid suddenly called to the class as more and more students approached.
"Got a real treat for yeh today! Great lesson comin' up! Everyone here? Right, follow me!"
"This school is ridiculous. They should at least teach the teachers proper English."
Draco murmured as he started to follow the crowd.

"What did you say?"
Potter was still standing next to him, were he had stopped before to talk to him. Draco's eyes shot up in surprise, but Potter hadn't snarled. He really hadn't understood Draco. For a short moment Draco really was tempted to repeat it a bit louder, but then he reconsidered. Harry Potter owing him one. Harry Potter thinking he was a good person who saved people. That really was quite the treat.

So Draco just shook his head and murmured a quipped: "doesn't matter."
He was too hungry to fight anyway. Noone could end up dead on the first day.

Five minutes later when they found themselves outside a kind of paddock, Potter was still walking next to Draco, sending him smiles whenever he cought his eye. In Salazar's name, what was happening? Blunderbuss two and three had joined them about halfway through, though they didn't talk. They just sent each other nasty glares.

"Everyone gather 'round the fence here!" Hagrid called from up front. You could even see him from a crowd with how ginormous the man was.
"That's it - make sure yeh can see - now firs' things yeh'll want ter do is open yer books-"

Draco looked down at his book. It was hexed and looked like it was gonna eat you as soon as you even opened it.
"How?"
He wondered out loud.

"Eh?"
Came the gamekeepers answer back. Very eloquent indeed.

"How do we open our books?"
Draco repeated. If he had to repeat everything for that big old Flobberworm he'd immediately drop the subject, or ask his father to get them a new teacher.

"Hasn' - Hasn' anyone bin able ter open their books?"

"Well not without it trying to eat me."
Draco quipped quietly. Potter on his right side chuckled at that. When Draco looked over, the Chosen one was already eying him gleefully. For Salazar's sake. Had the boy really gone mad?

"Yeh've got ter stroke 'em" Hagrid explained, as if ot was only too obvious.
"Look -"
The giant took Grangers copy and ripped off the Spellotape that was wrapped around to bind it.
And of course as Draco had figured, the book tried to bite, but Hagrid ran a giant finger down the spine. The book shivered. Actually shivered. And fell open to lay quiet in his hand.

"Oh, how silly we've all been! We should have stroked them! Why didn't we guess!"
Draco deadpanned.

"I - I thought they were funny," Hagrid responded, looking uncertainly at Granger who narrowed her eyes at Draco. Draco wanted to go on, to really convey his dislike about all of this, but he did want a relatively decent grade. And he was really preferring Potter's smile today. So for the first time, perhaps even in his life, Draco just, shut up.

"Ooooooh!"
A Gryffindor girl squealed, making all of them look towards the opposite side of the padlock where there were a dozen Hippogriffs aproaching.

Draco had never tried one of those. Though all ghe feathers probably made it hard for him to get near enough to get a taste. Draco had was able to overpower most animals, but with those deadly looking talons on their front legs didn't really make him want to try with those.

They all wore thick leather collars around their neck, which were attached to a long chain that joined each other in Hagrid's hand, who came jogging into the paddock behind them.

"Gee up, there! Hippogriffs!"
Hagrid had now arrived at the fence they were all standing at.
"Beau'iful aren' they? So, if yeh wan'ter come a bit nearer -"

No one but the blunderbuss trio approached the fence. Typical. Nobody else was that mental.

Draco's gaze caught on one of them, that was already eying him. That one was gonna kill him. He felt it in his bones. Most creatures didn't really get along with vampires. Hippogriffs seemed to be one of those.

He only barely realised Potter approaching one of them until the Hippogriff was suddenly gone. Potter with him.

And so it happened. As soon as Draco entered the Hippogriffs surrounding area, it was glaring at him. Cautiously he approached the big bird. Maybe he shouldn't have mumbled something about what a great meal the creature would be making. Maybe he shouldn't have taken Magical Creatures at all. But befire he knew it, the hippogriff was attacking him, trying to latch it's claws into Draco's skin.

It's claws weren't really magical though, so there wasn't even a scratch on him. Still he shrieked in surprise and jumped back at the attack. Almost fletching his fangs at the beast, before he realised where he was.

"Are you hurt Malfoy?"
Potter asked, who had come running before Draco had even had to evade. Gryffindors and their hero complex. It was sickening.

"Yeah I'm fine."
Draco slapped the other's hand away, still glaring at the creature that was leveling it's head as if it was to attack again.

"I probably, kind of deserved that."
Harry furrowed his brows.
"Did you insult it?"
The chosen one asked. Was that annoyance in his eyes? There you go. Everything back to normal.
"Something like that."

"Where did it get you?"
Draco hid the slashes in his robe away. But he wasn't fast enough.

"Yeh really had luck there eh boy."
Hagrid mused coming closer to look his student over too.
"Are Hippogriffs even safe enough for Third Year classes?"

Draco shot back angrily, when he saw that his shurt underneath had been ripped appart too.

"Are Slytherins even safe enough for Third Year classes?"
Finnigan quipped unoriginally. Draco was about to spit back when Potter did it for him.
"Shut up Seamus. Malfoy could've been seriously hurt."

Finnigan was just as startled as everyone else at Potters words. Potter however didn't seem to mind, turning to Draco again still concerned.
"You really alright?"

This friendly side of Potter kind of creeped Draco out even more than the gamekeeper still hanging back, equally shaken.
"It's alright."