NIGHTINGALE ( draco malfoy! )

23. i'll go easy on you

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

    "READY TO LOSE?" MALIA AVERY ASKED the boy standing across from her, feeling his gaze from the other side of the room.

     The sun had just risen, and their training had begun. As soon as Malia had arrived that morning, she and Draco were immediately informed by Bellatrix that most of their training would be practiced while dueling one another. This was much different than their previous training last summer, because this time, they would not be casting spells on wooden dummies, but on each other.

     Yes, it would be dangerous. Yes, they could seriously injure themselves. But, it was necessary. They needed to learn both offensive and defensive spells in order to survive a fight.

     "In your dreams," Draco replied to the girl, grinning smartly. "Don't worry, I'll go easy on you."

      "Thanks, but I don't need you to," Malia finished with a smirk.

     Without a second thought, Draco lunged forward, pointing his wand and shouting the words, "Petrificus Totalus!"

      Before the spell was able to reach her, Malia quickly ducked and moved to the far right of the room, dodging the spell. With a light laugh, the girl shook her head and spoke, "Come on, Draco. You're starting to get too predictable. Locomotor Mortis!"

     Just after the spell was cast, Draco toppled onto the wooden floor. With one look, the boy realized that his legs had been bound together with what he immediately recognized as the Leg-Locker Curse. In other words, he couldn't use the lower half of his body anymore.

     "Seriously?" Draco whined, trying to push himself off the floor.

     Watching from the other side of the room, Bellatrix rolled her eyes, "Come on you two, stop playing with each other. I want to see some real spells."

     "You heard the woman," Malia shrugged, pointing her wand at the boy once again. "Stupefy!"

     Pain exploded on the left side of Draco's face as he failed to dodge yet another blow from Malia. A light ringing sound echoed in his ears as he tried to shake away the blurred vision the spell had caused.

     "Nice job, Malia," laughed Bellatrix, now amused with the performance. "You're going to have to be much faster than that, Draco!"

     To his suprise, Bellatrix's words were able to distract Malia long enough for him to duck underneath the spell he knew was coming next. Raising his arm, Draco cast another spell in Malia's direction, "Confringo!"

     Although it did not hit her directly, the spell was close enough to blast the large pillar beside her, broken pieces scattering everywhere. The force of the explosion immediately sent the girl flying backwards, straight into the stone wall behind her.