Stupid rings
It was official, the first day of third year had been the strangest Harry had ever experienced. Receiving a death sentence and Draco Malfoy seeking him out for help? A rollercoaster, to say the very least.
Ron and Hermione still bickering about divination, the trio made their way down to their first care of magical creatures class. He'd decided not to mention his encounter to the two of them just yet, until he got answers from Malfoy. Besides, it was so unbelievable that Harry wouldn't blame them if they suggested he'd created an entirely fabricated story anyway. It was simply bizarre. As if he'd met an entirely different version of Draco Malfoy.
And Harry could not stop thinking about him.
He'd watched him all day since lunch. When he was with his Slytherin friends, he was the same old Malfoy, prone to general arsehole behaviour. But if Harry looked close enough, squinted his eyes just right, something had definitely changed. He wasn't quite as relaxed whilst insulting first years as his friends seemed to be, eyes always slightly distant, never quite present. And when he was alone, he seemed to be an entirely different person, the person Harry had met in the Library.
Why had Draco even wanted to know about the Chamber? And why on earth had he seemed genuinely concerned? It was driving Harry mad, and although he knew it was most likely a bad idea, Harry knew he'd have to question Malfoy directly. Would he be hexed for bringing it up? Yes, most probably. But it would be worth it if he even got a slight of an answer.
"Oh god," Ron mumbled as they reached the clearing in the forest where a group of students gathered for class, all staring in question at the large feathered animal standing on the far side. Harry groaned for what felt like the hundredth time this day; what more could this day throw at him?
Stroking the spine of his Monster book of Monsters, Harry's eyes automatically searched the crowd of students for Malfoy. He spotted him, sitting on the stone wall, greeb apple in one hand, opening his textbook effortlessly in the other. Malfoy always managed to do everything infuriatingly effortlessly, Harry thought with a roll of his eyes. The polar opposite of Harry, who'd always felt as though he were stumbling clumsily through life.
Late afternoon sun streamed through the leaves, patches of gold hitting Malfoy, the rings adorning his slender fingers glistened whilst he stroked the spine of his textbook.
"Harry, you're staring," Hermione said pointedly, raising a brow.
"Right," Harry tore his eyes from Malfoy, looking back to Hermione, who was staring at him with question. Harry gestured her to look at Malfoy, "But, don't you think he just looks so unbearably pretentious? I mean, who wears rings to a care of magical creatures lesson anyway? It's like he's going out of his way to look stupid," Harry stated with an angry shake of his head.
Hermione fought a smile, shaking her head, "I think you might be over analysing it a tad, Harry,"
"Nah," Ron joined in, looking over at where Malfoy sat, "Harry's right. The rings just make him look like more of a prick,"
The three of them were staring contemplatively at Malfoy now, attempting to decide which pieces of jewellery made him look particularly irritating. Suddenly, Draco looked towards the trio with narrowed eyes, causing the three to hastily avert their gaze, muffling their laughs.
"Oh, Neville- You're meant to stroke the spine!" Hermione called out, running with Ron to where Neville was unsuccessfully attempting to hold the angry book away from his robes.
Harry stay put, sparing another glance at Malfoy. Maybe it was just sunlight on his face, but he simply didn't look as malicious as usual.
And Harry had to know why.
ೃ⁀➷
Harry, Ron and Hermione stood and watched as Hagrid carried an angry Blaise out of the forest, towards the hospital wing.
Harry shook his head. "It wasn't Hagrid's fault Zabini was too dense to listen and got himself hurt,"
Hermione frowned, "I doubt the governors will see it that way." She sighed, "Come on, we'd better go cheer up Hagrid,"
Harry turned around to survey the lessening crowd of students, spotting a flash of blonde hair in the distance. He gestured them to go on, "I'll catch up with you later,"
The two nodded and followed Hagrid, whilst Harry turned back to look at Malfoy, narrowing his eyes and walking towards him cautiously.
Draco seemed to be walking hastily, deeper into the forest. Where could he be heading? There was nothing but trees for miles.
Before Harry's sense could stop him, he called after the boy, "Malfoy, where are you going?"
Draco stopped in his tracks, as if he'd been caught out. He turned to glare whilst Harry jogged to catch up to him. "What do you want, Potter?" Potter; Harry didn't think there could be even a single person on earth who'd be able to say his name with as much distain as Draco Malfoy.
"Shouldn't you be in the hospital wing with Zabini, him being your friend and all?" Harry raised his eyebrows.
Draco shrugged, "If he was foolish enough to get himself booted by a big chicken, that's his problem,"
Harry shook his head, "Buckbeak isn't-"
"In love with a chicken now, are we Potter?" Malfoy sniggered.
Harry rolled his eyes. "Shut up Malfoy,"
"You didn't answer my question," He glared with exasperation, "What do you want?"
Harry paused, narrowing his eyes, "Why did you want to know about the chamber earlier?"
Draco sighed deeply with a scowl, leaning back on a tree. Harry studied him; in the sunlight, he could see the strands of his white blonde hair shimmer, spun gold falling over his grey eyes. Tired eyes, Harry noticed, though Malfoy was so pale, maybe it was simply common for him to look like a living corpse.
"None of your business, Potter." he snapped.
Harry had expected Malfoy to retort, but he was adamant on getting answers. "Well, it is my business, since you involved me,"
"You're not involved in anything," Malfoy snarled. "Besides, I've already told you: I wanted to know the truth."
Harry sighed impatiently, "Yes, but why? Why do you care what happened to me last year?"
Looking appalled at this statement, Draco hastily retorted, "I do not 'care what happened to you', in fact, I couldn't care less." He crossed his arms angrily.
"Okay, fine. But why else would you want to know? Is it because of Ginny or something?"
Harry almost laughed at the outrage on Malfoy's face. "Girl Weasley?! No." Draco shook with head with a scowl, "I know this might be difficult to believe, Potter, but I do not give a shit about the boy who lived or his little girlfriend." He spat.
"Ginny's not my girlfriend-"
"Right, ex girlfriend, that position's been filled by the chicken." Malfoy muttered.
"Piss off," Harry ignored the jab, still considering Malfoy's motive. An idea sprung to his mind, "Your father..." He muttered quietly, thinking back to Malfoy's peculiar reaction to discovering that it was Lucius Malfoy who'd given Ginny the diary in the first place.
At that, Draco's head shot up, eyes widening ever so slightly.
Bingo.
"But..." Harry considered, "You worship your father, why would you care?"
Draco stiffened, "Stay out of it, Potter."
"Is that why you're acting different? Find out your father's not the breath of fresh air you made him out to be?" Harry prodded.
Draco glared uneasily, "I'm not acting- Why do you even care?!"
Harry could see the warning signs but he'd not give up, "Why do you care-"
"WOULDN'T YOU WANT TO KNOW?" Draco yelled, an uncharacteristic expression on his face that Harry couldn't quite decipher. Harry raised his eyebrows, taken aback. Draco stared at Harry, anger and something else tainting his words, "Wouldn't you want to know if your father was almost responsible for the deaths of-" He stopped himself, averting his eyes from Harry and catching his breath.
Harry stared. There he was again- the new Malfoy. He only stayed for a split second, though.
"Shouldn't you be off comforting that drunken oaf of a teacher or something?" Draco sneered, his expression guarded.
Glaring, Harry took out his wand. Of coursed he hadn't stopped being a git. "Hagrid is my friend,"
Draco stared at the outstretched wand, rolling his eyes, "Just leave me alone," He spat, turning to walk away, into the forest, "Go make out with your bloody chicken or something,"
Harry stared after him, desperate to get the last word in. "Well, your rings make you look stupid!" He called after him, cursing as he realise how lame of a comeback it'd been.
Turning back for a second, Draco stared at Harry with furrowed brows and a scoff of a laugh.