Trauma
When Harry Potter started shining like a star, Draco knew that Sirius Black had finally made contact.
Draco could see the Chosen One's broad smile even from over at the Slytherin table.
-Although that didn't say much, since Draco naturally saw better then most-
Potter, bracketed by his favourite blunderbusses, told everyone in earshot about how great Sirius Black really was. How good of a Godfather he was. That he had even bought him the newest Firebolt broom. Sirius here, Sirius there.
How often Draco had heard that name already this week.
Every article, since the day after they caught Pettigrew, had been in some way related to the innocence of Sirius Black. Filled with conspiracy theories and scandals.
Rita Skeeter had published an article on Wednesday about how Dumbledore himself had never let Black have a trial on purpose, to solidify his plan of world domination. Something like that anyway. Draco gave up on the article half way through, when he couldn't find any real facts.
Normally Draco loved her articles and their abstruse nature. Especially her pieces dragging Dumbledore through the mud. But something about it hit too close to home for his liking.
-
In the next Care of Magical creatures lesson, sadly Draco was the one chosen to have his ear chewed off by Potter.
Perhaps somewhere down the line Potter had hit his head, since he somehow seemed to think that they were friends now. Draco didn't really find it in himself to correct the other though. And it really was quite amusing how clueless about Draco's lack of interest the other was.
But there still was a point when the constant blabbering got so annoying that Draco had to literally flee. As soon as they had to partner up for a task Draco was gone, and stepped up next to Pansy. The smaller evil.
Pansy was still annoying of course, but she at least knew when to not bother him. And Draco liked that, since he had a lot to think about.
One thing in particular.
Yule was coming up and Draco still couldn't narrow down any particular suspects in the vast pool of Death Eaters to choose from.
And it was bugging him to a point at which he wasn't even able to concentrate properly anymore.
Even Severus had noticed his lack of participation in Potions class, though his godfather was a bit too attentive concerning Draco and his scholar achievements.
However, Draco still didn't really want to tell him what he was so invested in. He just knew his Godfather wouldn't be happy.
And Draco knew he was turning a bit too obsessive. But the more he ran into a wall, the more he wanted to brake it down by hammering his head against it.
This wasn't the least bit healthy.
Fortunately the wake up call, did come eventually, when Draco almost went ballistic just because Blaise had moved one of his books in an effort to clean the room the day before Yule brake.
He really would have punched the other, if there hadn't been Theo, looking at him wide eyed, as if Draco was a sliver away from destroying the boy's opinion of him.
As if the git knew that his innocent act always did something to Draco. And oh how Draco hated how much control the blond had over him. The effect anyone, cute enough to swirl themselves into his heart, had on him.
He really was to soft, as his father always said.
So in the end, not wanting to revert back to the feral animal that had almost ripped Blaise appart, Draco had to either tell someone or finally have a brakethrough.
And nobody was ready for a vampire running feral in school.
Both, however, seemed easier said then done. Because who was he gonna tell, without revealing his secret?
Because he was surely not gonna talk about this with Severus or his parents. And the only other person that knew was...
Oh hell no. He was not really thinking about asking HIM!
--
The first DADA lesson after Yule, however, Draco had sadly realized that the person in this school he hated the most - Even more than Dumbledore, might Draco add.- was just the right one to talk to this about.
It could almost be perceived as genius, if it wasn't so revolting.
Remus Lupin was the only one who didn't really care about him, which made him a perfect match for this, since Draco neither needed nor wanted the other person to stop him from doing anything stupid or dangerous. He knew how dumb this idea was himself. If that didn't stop him from doing it, then nothing would.
And the man was his teacher after all. He was contractually obligated to answer any students' question.
-At least Draco was sure that was what teachers were for. -
The werwolf already looked rather unamused when the Vampire approached him, with an innocent smile that already spelled trouble.
"What can I do for you Mr. Malfoy?"
The teacher pressed out nonetheless, forcing a smile on his face.
"I'm really sorry to bother you Professor," - Draco was not- "but I have a few questions to ask you that would really help me concentrate better."
Lupin furrowed his brows, calculating whether Draco was telling the truth. Lastly, the werwolf sighed deeply, almost loathingly, before he stood.
"Very well Mr. Malfoy. If you want you can follow me to my office."
Amusement fought it's way onto Draco's face, as soon as the other turned towards his office climbing the stairs. And of course, the good student he was, Draco followed.
For the first time he noticed a slight limp in the Professor's step, when he climbed up the stairs. Maybe residue from the first war? He had heard rumors once, in his fathers office about how the Potters as well as Sirius Black had been part of the Order of the Pheonix. Perhaps Lupin had been too.
Draco couldn't see any side wanting to work with a werwolf though.
"Please, take a seat."
Lupin indicated towards the armchairs infront of a busy looking desk, the teacher sat himself behind, swinging his wand around to fetch two cups and a can of tea from a nearby surface.
"Tea?"
He asked while he already poored the hot fluid into both cups.
Out of the kindness of his heart, Draco didn't object, only nodded shortly, looking around at the variety of useless stuff accumulating on every surface. Draco wrinkled his nose in disgust, while he sat down and reached for the tea.
"So, what was it you wanted to discuss?"
He was already looking like he was about to fall asleep in boredom.
Perfekt!
"I don't know whether you were bitten as well to turn into..." Draco swung his hand in the others direction, "this."
The professor sighed deeply again, before he righted himself on his stool, as if remembering he was still on the job.
"Yes I was bitten, when I was younger. 4 years old to be exact. Right before my birthday too."
The werwolf chuckles humorless.
"That tends to happen then doesn't it."
Draco mumbled. At the other's look, the white haired boy went on.
"I was bitten the night after my 6th. Very funny those daek creatures to make you remember them every year on the day you should be happiest."
Draco mused before returning to ehat he had tried to get across before.
"So you have been bitten too. So perhaps you understand a common level of resentment for the person who did end up destroying your life, do you not?"
"Perhaps I do."
Came the werwolves' answer back. He seemed a bit more interested now.
"Have you ever wanted to? I mean to find them? Seek whoever did it out? Try to understand why they did it?"
The teacher nodded.
"Naturally you wonder. So did I. I did find him in the end."
"Did you kill him?"
The teacher looked at Draco, questioning his motives until he probably didn't want to ask.
"No, I did not."
He answered simply then.
"But you wanted to."
It wasn't a question.
"For a long time I did. I was never fully convinced whether I really wanted to end his life, but I did want to know why. I did want...revenge."
The Professor eyed Draco couriously.
"Is that what you want Mr. Malfoy? To kill whoever did this to you?"
Draco looked down at his tea, sipping the brew carefully, before placing the cup back down, hand still around the handle.
"I'm not sure."
He finally answered, swirling the cup with his fingers absentmindedly.
"I already have a few theories on the why, But I do want to know who did it. I just can't seem to find them."
Draco really tried to keep the frustration from showing, but he was sure Lupin could still see it wash over him like a storm.
"Well, you've made me curious now. Why do you think they attacked you?"
"I think..."
Suddenly there was a knock on the door, a black haired man peeking in, who startled when his eyes fell on Draco.
"Oh Remus, you're not alone. I'll wait outside then."
"No it's alright. I was about to leave anyway."
Draco declared, placed his teacup down and stood up. Of course. The werwolf and the traitor. A natural pairing after all.
"Professor."
The vampire nodded at the werwolf before hurrying out, avoiding the inevitable brush of body's with the former criminal by slamming into the doorway a bit more forcefully then planned, accidentally splitting the wooden doorframe.
"Sorry."
Draco mumbled shortly before he almost vampire speeded his way out of there.
"What was that?"
He heard before closing the door to the DADA classroom.
"I have no clue."