Malevolent: Book One (Draco Malfoy)

Chapter 20

Dumbledore and Snape had just made Pansy, Ebony, Blaise, Daphne, Crabbe, Goyle and Draco make the Unbreakable Vow. I was now in the Slytherin common room with my nose nudged into a book - well, not literally - and trying to avoid the constant glares I was receiving from Ebony, Crabbe and Goyle.

Pansy was a different story. She was undoubtedly treating me differently since she found out I was a squib, but she didn't stop speaking to me completely like the others. Especially Draco... But he wasn't here, nor Pansy. They had both returned home for the small amount of time before the New Year.

I felt as though it were rather unfortunate that it wasn't September already, far from it, and I couldn't start my sixth year at Hogwarts yet. I sighed to myself and closed the dusty book about unicorns that I had borrowed from the library. I had finished it.

Deciding to take the book back, I headed to the library quickly. Curfew was in an hour or so.

I had some trouble finding the section where I'd found the book, and I heard a quiet voice speaking,

"Do you need help? I've read that book before."

I turned to see Hermione Granger staring at me with soft, brown eyes and hair that appeared to be starting to settle from its usual bushy state.

"Ah, hello," I replied quietly, "Yes please. I can't seem to find wherever I got this from."

Hermione nodded and gestured for me to follow her. I wished I had her sort of calm, kind nature - but I was a Slytherin, and although I often used my cunning traits for good, I wasn't worthy enough to be a Gryffindor.

That didn't mean I wasn't proud to be a Slytherin, though, because it was a title I kept with joy - then I realised. Although I fit the traits of a Slytherin perfectly - well, I had to, or else it wouldn't have made sense to place me here - I wasn't a true witch.

I sighed and felt tears prick at my eyes when Hermione turned to me and said gently,

"Are you alright? I heard about M-... Um, Draco."

I smiled at her, "I've certainly been worse, yet I have been better."

"Reasonable," she replied, her hands drifting to pick books off the shelves as if they were treats to a puppy.

"I suppose it is," I told her, "Why are you being kind to me? I hurt Neville. I'm not very good friends with Luna anymore, either."

"I think you've forgotten, Evelyn, that the role that comes along with being a Gryffindor is to be brave, and that to me means that I must face those who are seen as enemies without reason."

I gave her another grin, "You really are a Gryffindor, Hermione. You'd make a good Hufflepuff, though. You are loyal and kind, I can tell. Harry and Ron are certainly lucky to have such a good companion by their sides."

What was I saying? I'd never felt the need to compliment someone like that before, especially not Hermione Granger - nor a Gryffindor. It made me contemplate what house I would be in, if I were not such a failure.

"Hermione," I called out, "There's no rumours about me in your house at the moment, is there?"

"Other than those you know of, no. The ones about Draco will probably be around for a while," she admitted, tucking a strand of brown hair behind her ear and picking up her stack of four books.

"Would you like-"

"I'm alright!" She said quickly, and began to rush out of the library, "Curfew is soon, Evelyn. The professors will be disappointed if they catch us out."

"Goodbye, Hermione," I waved as she ran off to the Gryffindor tower while I sloped off to the dungeons where the Slytherin common room was.

Watching the soft glow of the Black Lake reflecting into the room, I began to wonder if Draco would ever change his mind about me.

No, I told myself. You're a squib.

"A squib that stole his heart once."

I looked up in surprise, and I couldn't have gotten more shocked as I saw a figure I certainly wasn't expecting.