"You crossed the fucking line this time."

I turned away, not being able to suffer the disappointment in Blaise's eyes.

"It's a good job Crabbe and Goyle have no morals," he continued sternly, "because without them you'd have no one in your corner."

Fat lot of good they had been though, I thought sulkily. They just stood and watched as Harry attacked me.

"Where are you going?" I asked quietly as Blaise stood up from the sofa and snatched up his bag. "Weren't we going to work on that Charms essay together?"

Blaise's eyes narrowed down at me, his lips twitching in what I could only call disgust. "And listen to you go on about bloody Potter? I think not. You're like a broken record, Dray, and there's only so much of the same fucking song I can take."

Pansy, who had joined us just in time to hear Blaise's words, threw me a sympathetic look as he stormed across the common room and disappeared through the exit.

"Personally, I really liked that song." She said kindly. "Really catchy. I don't know what Blaise has got his knickers in a twist about."

I scrunched up my nose and pretended to look for something in my bag so that she wouldn't see the tears swimming in my eyes.

"Potter was out of order attacking you over some silly words," she continued obliviously, "he needs to grow thicker skin if he wants to survive the wizarding world. Thank goodness for Professor Umbridge. Finally a teacher worthy of Hogwarts."

I was too upset to remind her about Snape. Although, if truth be told, I was in the minority who actually liked him. Although they enjoyed watching him belittle Harry, the others found Snape's intimidating nature too much to handle.

Excusing myself, I made my way back to the dormitory. I briefly thought about writing to Father, but then quickly dismissed the idea. Every time I thought of him I pictured him standing over Cedric Diggory's dead body and it made me feel sick.

Writing to Mother was out of the question, I didn't want to worry her anymore than she already was.

"What's up, Dray?" Daphne asked as she preened herself in the mirror. "Sure, I thought you'd be happy that Potter got himself a lifetime ban from Quidditch?"

Sighing heavily, I dramatically collapsed down onto my bed and pouted. "Blaise is being a big sulk."

"Same as Theo," Daphne muttered, her tone dark as she returned to applying mascara, "he's gone all emo all of a sudden. I think it's safe to say that he's gone off me."

"I don't think it's you, Daph," I said wryly, looking up at the dark velvet green of the canopy above my bed, "they're all acting like the world's gonna end."

"Do you think it's true? What Harry Potter is saying about that night?"

I shrugged. I didn't want to believe it, because believing it would mean facing up to a lot of uncomfortable home truths.

*****

Anyway, it turned out I had other things to worry about.

That wretched oaf had returned from his mysterious beginning of year absence, and not only that but he had reclaimed his laughable post of 'teaching' Care of Magical Creatures.

"We're workin' in here today!" He called, grinning sadistically as he jerked his head back at the dark trees behind him. "Bit more sheltered! Anyway, they prefer the dark."

"What prefers the dark?" I said sharply to Crabbe and Goyle. "What did he say prefers the dark - did you hear?"

They both gormlessly shook their heads and I felt consumed by panic. This great big oaf had what looked like half a dead cow flung over his shoulders and was talking about marching us into the Forbidden Forest.

Again.

Did the word forbidden not mean anything to these Neanderthals? How was Dumbledore allowing such dangerous behaviour?

Well, I suppose he couldn't give a toss about entering his students into a deadly tournament which resulted in the death of a promising, bright, young student, so what's a little stroll in the woods with a savage giant?

And yes he was savage because he clearly had just killed that cow dripping blood all down his rags! No doubt with his beastly bare hands. I shuddered.

"Thought we'd go an' see these creatures in their natural habitat." The oaf explained. "Now, what we're studyin' today is pretty rare, I reckon I'm probably the on'y person in Britain who's managed ter train 'em."

"And you're sure they're trained, are you?" I asked quickly and loudly. "Only it wouldn't be the first time you'd brought wild stuff to class, would it?"

"Course they're trained," the oaf scowled right at me, hoisting the carcass a little higher on his shoulders.

"So what happened to your face, then?" I demanded. It looked bruised and bloody, as though he'd been in a barbaric fight with an angry creature.

"Mind yer own business!" He growled threateningly. "Now, if yeh've finished askin' stupid questions, follow me!"

And with that, he turned and strode straight into the Forest.

As the silent class began to follow, in my panic, my eyes unwittingly met a pair of amused green ones.

Anger ripped through my stomach. He was laughing at me.

"What's the matter, Malfoy?" Harry smirked, his drawl soft and lazy. "Scared?"

Huffing, I flipped my hair back over my shoulder and walked determinedly into the forest, trying not to pee myself in the process. Of course I was scared - the last time I found myself in the Forbidden Forest I was nearly eaten by a monster.

Luckily, Crabbe and Goyle made sure to keep me safely between them. I could hear the golden trio cruelly chuckling behind us and I felt my face go hot.

I found myself mentally writing a letter to my father, despite knowing I would never send it.

Turned out, the creatures were invisible. At first I thought the oaf had just gotten lazy in his teaching, but then bloody Harry stepped forward and pompously claimed he could see them.

Of course he bloody could. Teachers pet.

Luckily, Professor Umbridge came along, saving us all.

"Hem, hem."

The class turned around in shock as the High Inquisitor arrived wearing a green hat and cloak, her clipboard at the ready. 

"Please continue teaching as usual." She announced in a loud, slow voice. "I am going to walk among the students as I inspect your lesson."

"Excuse me, Professor," I implored the second she moved towards me. "But this oaf needs to be sacked. He refuses to answer any of my questions and constantly places us in dangerous situations. I'm surprised he's allowed to teach at all."

She gave a curt nod and scribbled something down on her clipboard. "Thank you for raising your concerns, Miss Malfoy. They have been duly noted."

I could almost feel the golden trio's glares penetrating the back of my head. But I didn't care. I refused to be intimidated by students and teachers alike.

There was absolutely nothing wrong, after all, with wanting to feel safe in school.

*****

"Oi, Malfoy!"

I paused at the sound of Harry Potter's voice bellowing behind me in the empty Entrance Hall. It was after dinner, and I had just left Crabbe and Goyle in the Great Hall as they stayed to wolf down my leftovers.

He had clearly waited until I was alone... the coward.

Composing myself, I took a deep breath and wheeled around to see him thundering towards me, face red and eyes flashing angrily behind his glasses.

"What is it, Potter?" I asked, trying to make my voice sound as bored as possible. "Having nightmares about poor, dead Digg-"

I never got to finish my sentence because Harry had drawn up to me at a surprising pace and shoved me violently against the wall.

Pinning me to the wall with his body, he pushed his face down into mine, his hot breath hitting my cheek.

"You knew exactly what you were doing earlier," he growled, "now, thanks to you, Hagrid is on a warning."

"Good!" I hissed up at him, my heart racing in my chest as I looked him fiercely in the eye. "He shouldn't be teaching! He got expelled as a student for exposing the castle to dangerous creatures and yet he is still doing it! I could have lost an arm due to his irresponsible behaviour!"

"You deserved it!"

"And you deserve to be an orphan!"

My words were met with a stunned silence. Harry immediately stepped back, letting me go. We looked at one another, the quiet punctuated with our heavy, heated breaths.

Harry drew himself up tall, his face hardening in an expression I did not think I'd ever seen before.

"I'd sooner be an orphan than the product of a cowardly Death Eater."

A red hot mist descended upon me, and before I knew it, I raised my hand ready to strike. But Harry was quicker, and I found my wrist was suddenly at the painful mercy of his vice-like grip.

"Let- go- of- me-!" I gritted as I tried to free myself from him, from the Boy-Who-Lived... from the Boy-Who-Refused-To-Be-My-Friend, "let- me- GO!"

Suddenly I found myself freed, clutching breathlessly at my sore wrist as Harry backed away and stared at me. It took me a moment to realise why his mouth was agape and his eyes wide with shock.

I was crying.

******