XXVIII
On our way back to the castle, after a day full of pretty much only getting stoned and daring each other to do the stupidest shit. Hence the bruised lip I now had from falling eight foot from a mud dune, face first; we were spotted whilst trying to sneak back inside.
"Not-- so-- fast Mr Malfoy."
That low and drawn out voice, it could ruin your day before it even started.
"Keep walking y/n," I whispered to her, using it as the perfect excuse to wrap an arm around her. "He won't waste his time trying to chase us down. He's got way too much pride."
"Last chance Draco.."
"Oh fuck he used your first name, should we start running?" Y/n sniggered to herself, hanging her head so that he wouldn't see her face or house tie. But that would prove to be pointless as we both jumped back from the swirling mass that landed in front of us. "Oh my...!"
We both scuffled backwards to avoid the pinching grip of Snape, only narrowly missing a book to the side of the head. And he took a scathing look at me, before a judgmental one passed over y/n, eventually falling back to me.
"A word?" He asked sarcastically. Y/n saw her opportunity and took it.
"Yeah, here's two actually, fuck off."
"I beg your pardon?!" It was as if y/n had slapped him in the face, I'd never seen the man so personally offended. Even I knew this wasn't good. "Come with me you insulant little pig!"
He grabbed y/n by the sleeve and yanked her so hard that she misplaced a foot and took a tumble. In less than a second Snape had the good sense to know he'd just messed up, and my wand was already at his throat; his own defensively raising too. "Hitting kids about now are we? Is this a new hobby you've taken up?"
Severus was just as shocked by his own behaviour once an ounce of sense had found it's way back in to his brain. "I didn't mean that to happen. Miss y/n, I'm truly sorry."
"Whatever," y/n huffed, climbing back to her feet and brushing off her knees. "You can still fuck off though."
Snape cleared his throat and side-eyed the floor before returning to a semi-intimidating stance. "Very well, on this occasion I see no need for detentions or otherwise. Just be off with yourself please.."
The smirk on her face as she rolled her tongue in to her cheek and chucked in a chewing gum to start chewing obnoxiously was so inherently her. And I knew it was killing him inside to have to just take it. Fucking great to witness, honestly.
"See you later then fellas, I'm clearly unwelcome." And with that, she poked her tongue out to me before slowly slipping away, throwing every middle finger and stupid face to the back of Snape's head as she could think of before disappearing. Only once she was out of eye-sight did I lower my wand. "What is your problem?"
"You skipping classes Mr Malfoy, you cannot start to rouse any suspicion, and especially not at this point of the school year. You have things you need to be focusing on."
"It's done."
His face fell in to a sort of fearful confusion before he managed to pull it back. "Oh, I see. And you are certain?"
"I'd stake my entire life on it."
Again, another strange expression as the information sunk in. "Does... Anyone else know about it?"
"Look, I can see what you're getting at here. No y/n hasn't a clue so yes you've more or less just assaulted a pupil for no reason. You'll be lucky if she doesn't have your teaching licence. And honestly, I'd support her."
"I've never seen either of you together before? I didn't think someone like that would even be on your radar? I can tell you now that I don't see her making it to the end of her seventh year for her behaviour. Is that really someone you want to be involved with?"
"She's just a mate, and mind your business. Pretending to care doesn't look good on you. Now if you don't mind I want to go back to my dormitory, unless you're not finished and you want to push me around a bit before anyone comes along? Besides I'd say the people I'm 'involved with' already pose a much greater threat to my studies. Wouldn't you agree?"
"Not quite," he muttered beneath his breath. Barely making eye contact. "There is nothing further. In future just attend my classes, unless you want to fail. I'm still your teacher, for now."
"Yeah. For now. Also everyone in Slytherin house knows your Patronus is the same as Potter's dead mother, we laugh about it all the time."
I shoved passed him, leaving him looking guilty and ticked off with himself for thoroughly misreading the room. Even I'd of been embarrassed of something that astronomically stupid. And that unexpected sprinkle of humiliation at the end was just a warning.
Nobody is off limits when it comes to a little indignity and shame.
My relationship with Snape, my head of house was far different this year. Now I knew that he was in fact a death eater I didn't have the same respect for him as I once did. And he had no way to reprimand me for flouting the rules without drawing unnecessary questions. The limits I were able to test were endless now, confirmed by his apparating away with a scowl.
But arriving back the tone instantly switched in the common room, Parkinson turned pale at the sight of me. Panicking in case Snape hadn't caught up with me yet. "Draco! Come here quick!"
I flounced beside her and wrapped my hand over her mouth. "No need, I've seen him. It's fine. He clearly didn't buy the lie then?"
"Sorryyyyyyyy."
"No, it's fine. Have I missed much?"
"Not really, he was going on and on about the repercussions of not wandering about the upper floors at night for the first half of the lesson. It was quite weird, like he knew something is going to happen."
"Yeah, that is weird. Can't imagine what he'd be worried about."
Blaise threw me a disapproving look from over his book before returning to his reading. Each of the rings on my fingers had grown sore, it was only then I realised I'd been pulling and fidgeting with them again. That was until Pansy threw both of her legs over my lap.
"Where were you anyway, was it with your lover?"
"Oh piss off Pans, she's not my lover."
Theo chirped up from behind one of the sofa's, begging the question of what he'd been up to. It was only when Bullstrode tried to stand up and her robes were tied in to the fabric tassels, meaning that she was fused to the thing did anyone realise.
"Hm, I'd be her lover."
"She doesn't have a dick?" Crabbe casually muttered from the corner where he had a third year in a death grip, trying to take whatever they had in their pockets. "I could be bisexual I think, you know with the right girl."
He jumped over the back of the sofa and straight between Bullstrode and Zabini. Bullstrode instantly shoved her elbows in to his ribs exclaiming. "You literally sit with the girls when we all get dressed, not even once have you so much as taken a look never mind gotten a boner."
"I said the right girl, that means absolutely none of you lot. Nothing about you lot is right."
Needless to say he received another few blows before falling apart in to a cackling, whining mess. "Right Parkinson, legs off!"
"Why where you going? We've got supper in half an hour?"
"Not going, I've got Herbology I need to catch up on.."
"Herbology?! When did that happen?!"
In the end I had to shove her legs off my lap to escape the gruelling one hundred questions. "Oi?! Do you want any food brought back then or are you working on your summer bod?!"
"Surprise me, I'm sure whatever you decide will be fucking mind blowingly amazing." I humoured her, to pacify her. "I mean you're not wrong, I'm literally always right.."
"Perfect."
The door closed, leaving me in peace at last. Finally the dirty laundry was gone, the smell along with it. Although I don't recall making my bed this morning and there sure as hell was no reason why there should be a note folded on top of it. Guesses are this is the start of some pathetic trick or prank.
So I unfurled my jacket, stripped down to my comfies and took the note in to my fingers, carefully unfolding it until the writing became clear. "Friday night, boathouse. 9PM. Bring booze and any other desirables. Bring friends. Don't be a loser.."
Confused, I turned back out in to the common room where everyone was starting to leave. "Who put this note on my bed and what are you talking about?"
"Wasn't me, wasn't me, dunno mate, not me.." people started reeling off in quick succession. "Only elves have been in and out for the laundry!"
Weird. This had y/n's evil little pawprints all over it. But figuring how and why would be beyond me for now at least. And the next two days were fairly uneventful, leading up to the Friday night.
But when it came around, boy, it came around alright.
The castle grounds were in complete darkness as me and the others snuck our way out. I'd settled on only bringing the usual suspects. Pans, Theo and Blaise, purely for the fact that the others are morons and would either get us caught or ruin the whole thing.
But the further out we got, the darker and quieter it got. "Are you sure it said the boathouse Malfoy?"
"Yes I'm one hundred percent sure, look!"
Taking the note from my pocket it surely did say exactly that. But the boathouse was in complete darkness, not a single sound carrying through the air. "Yeah, this is weird. Maybe it was a trick or something I don't know. Shall we go back?"
"Yeah, I'm fucking freezing," exclaimed Parkinson. Although Nott had continued on without us and pulled us from our deliberating with a loud signature "HOLY FUCK!"
"What's spooked him out? Yo Nott!" Blaise shouted. "I can see it, come on!!"
"See what? Is he fucking tripping, Draco have you given him anything? You know he goes cuckoo lala!"
Lest we forget the time he had taken some unidentified substance, and spent a good three hours trying to chat up his own table lamp.
"Pans, I haven't. I don't know what he's on about.."
Theo took off running down toward the boathouse, leaving us confused and worried for his mental health. "Someone needs to go after him before he breaks his legs."
"I'll go, idiots.."
Pansy took off after him, yet stopped right where Nott had. "No I can see it too! Bye fuckers!!!"
I couldn't figure out what the fuck was going on. That was until several long strides later, we came to a strange wall of iridescent mist. It had the slightest shimmer that would be undetectable to the naked eye unless you were as close as we were. Me and Blaise both took a swiping look at each other before I made the move forward.
It was like stepping out of one world and in to another. I'd never seen an illusion charm this strong before. It had created an invisible wall that noise nor light could penetrate.
Honestly, nobody would have a fucking clue unless they'd been made aware. And most would never suspect it, because to create a charm as intricate as this would of taken several people all colluding to the same charm.
It was advanced magic, even for the best of wizards and witches out there.
The boathouse was lit up with lanterns and candles. A loud, thumping beat echoed from within. Silhouettes of bodies bounding around shadowed through the glass and endless laughs invited us with enthusiasm.
"Fuck, I think we've just been outdone. This better not be a Gryffindor thing or my pride is going to be really fucking hurt.."
Blaise was aghast, as was I. Only I knew better. I already knew what the freaks and misfits get up to when they just want somewhere to go to be themselves.
A whole new world had opened up to me at the hands of y/n. And Blaise, Theo and Pansy's worlds were about to get a lot bigger too.
"I don't think it's a Gryffindor thing Zabini. I think it's a house wide thing. And we just got a golden ticket to the main event."