Superior (Draco Malfoy)

“It’s disgusting how you let yourself be seen with those blood traitors and that mudblood Granger!”

I gave a sour look to my text book as an all too familiar blonde sat down beside me. I gently folded the book shut and turned my attention to the distasteful look on his face; propping my head up on the table.

“Yes Draco, it’s such a shame that not all of the upper class is as small minded as you and your family.”

He scowled at me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders purposely to irritate me. I tried to shrug him off but that only encouraged him to dig his fingers into my shoulder blade. His little visits were becoming more frequent and even more annoying. Whenever I found a spare moment to get some extra studying done or even on the way to classes I didn’t have with my friends he would just waltz up and make pathetic small talk.

He glared at me and retracted his arm from my shoulders. I ignored his look and opened my study book again. Before he so rudely interrupted I had been preparing notes for a huge essay we had to write for potions about the various effects of a badly made polyjuice potion. But a hand swiped down knocking the book off the table.

“You know Gracey I don’t really care for the way you talk to me and I’m sure my father won’t either.”

I rolled my eyes at the proud smirk on his face. He always thought mentioning his father would get him everything he wanted and threw his name around whenever he could. I leant over to the side and picked up my book a stray piece of food dirt that had gotten smudged onto the front.

“Dont call me Gracey Malfoy that’s a nick name I only let my friends use and I would hardly call you a person, let alone a friend. And you can whine to your daddy all you want; you know he won’t do anything.”

He sneered at my response but I could hardly be fussed with him anymore. I slide the book and what notes I had managed to get done into my shoulder bag. I adjusted the strap on my shoulder quickly and took off towards the grand hall doors.

I could hear slam his hands onto the table and knock a load of cups and left over plates around in anger. That boy was such a brat, I hadn’t the slightest idea why he started following me around but I could have done without it. A hand roughly grabbed arm making me lurch to a halt. I felt 5 fingers dig painfully deep into my flesh and an angry whisper hissed by my ear.

“Dont walk away from me Grace, I’m not finished talking to you.”

 I struggled quietly, flinching as his fingers squeezed harder around my arm. I could already picture the bruise that would show in the morning. I looked nervously around at the few people still seated around the hall. They were starting to stare and I knew gossip would probably be the result of this. I gave my arm another tug, wincing as it agitated my already bruised flesh.

“Let me go Draco, you’re hurting me!”

I whispered angrily, trying not to drag any more attention to the situation. He gave my arm another squeeze in warning and hissed at me to be quiet.

“Shut up Grace, now come sit back down and we can finish our conversation without your rudeness.”

I suddenly felt two sets of hands tear Draco’s away from my arm, lift me up and place me behind two grey sweater clad backs.

“Oi, Oi! What’s this Fred? Little Malfoy seems to be picking on Gracey.”

“Well we can’t have that, can we George? Why don’t we test out some of our new products on him?”

I sighed in relief, gently rubbing my arm to try and dull out the sting. I recognised the fuzzy shoulder length hair of both Weasley twins and smiled at their threats. I gently pushed myself in between them both and rested my hands on their arms. They got into enough trouble as it was and any open attempts to prank Draco like this would not end well for them.

“It’s fine guys he’s just being his usual bratty self so let’s just leave him to it by himself.”

They both gave me a disappointed look and shrugged their shoulders.

“Are you sure? We don’t mind.”

Draco sneered at us and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Please, you Weasel’s wouldn’t dare do anything to me. Not while my father can easily make sure yours becomes unemployed.”

I could see this was turning into a rare situation where Fred and George became angry. One of the things you could always count on with the Weasley’s, even Percy included was that they went all out to protect their own. I pulled them back and gave Draco a sour look.

“Come on guys lets go to the Gryffindor common room. He’s not worth the aggravation.”

They both grumbled quietly to each other and took steps back with me. Draco puffed out his chest and waved, grinning stupidly. I saw him grab a cup and start chuckling to himself before I gently pulled the twins to the exit. They both put an arm around my shoulders whispered quietly.

“Shall we get him later?”

I grinned and nodded furiously. Oh god yes. Doing something up front and in the open was a bad idea but I was all for them slipping transformation potions into his drinks or setting up various bobby traps that would turn him pink for a week.

“Oh definitely, make it last a little longer than usual just for me ok?”

They grinned at me and began to exchange ideas when Fred nudged my side and made a kissy face at me.

“You know Gracey, with all the stalking and everything I think the little snot has a crush on you.”

They both burst out laughing at the look of horror probably now permanently etched onto my face. I turned quickly to cast a disgusted look at Malfoy who was still watching us leave, the cup to his lips. I instantly felt blood rush up to my cheeks as he gave a cheeky wink before sitting down at the table.

I snapped my head back towards the path in front of me as we finally made it through the grand doors of the great hall and into the hallways.

I’m not sure what happened after but I just remembered the heat in my face becoming too much and darkness creeping into my eyes and Fred and George decided to take one last shot at me.

“Jesus Christ Grace we were only joking! You could fry an egg on those cheeks right now!”