𝐀 𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐄

Chapter 6

Chapter 6: "Chapter Six"

If Draco had been a different kind of child, namely the type of child his grandfather had wanted him to be, the life he was to lead at Mister Fudge's Select Seminary would have been entirely the wrong sort for him. He was treated as an esteemed and revered guest, which was the way his grandfather would say a 'real Malfoy' should be treated. Draco, however, was so unassuming that he took it all in stride, continuing to say 'please' and 'thank you' and remaining a well-behaved and agreeable child. Privately, Fudge disliked his show pupil a great deal, but he was far too aware of the fact that a simple letter from Draco would result in Lucius pulling him from the school immediately, so he swallowed his pride and continued his sycophantic attentions.

Draco was used to receiving praise, as his father was quick to bestow it, but he also knew quite well not to put too much stock into what everyone else said. He was a very sensible and level-headed boy, after all. He was aware of the fact that Mister Fudge was nice to him only because he had to be, and therefore only smiled modestly and politely whenever he was praised for his quickness at lessons, his amiability toward his fellow pupils, his generosity if he shared any of the constant flow of sweets and cakes that were sent to him with the other members of his class.

As a result, many of the younger students absolutely worshipped him and most of the elder students respected and admired him. There were those, of course, who were the exceptions to the rule. The most prominent of these figures were the Gryffindors, as they were still called, namely Zacharias, Orion, and Harry.

Zacharias, especially, was spiteful. He had worked very hard to earn his place as the school's best pupil, and then Draco had arrived and taken his glory away. Orion, too, was rather hateful as far as Draco went, but that was because his father had had a particular dislike for Draco's father when they were at school together. Harry, while not quite so affected by Draco's presence, was caught between admitting that Draco was, in fact, an excellent student and angering his friends. So, not unlike his father's friend, Remus Lupin, had done when he was a boy (but, of course, Harry didn't know that), he did the only thing he felt comfortable doing. Nothing at all.

If there was one thing he had gotten from his father, though, it was the urge to speak whatever he was thinking whenever he was thinking it. So one day, as he, Orion, and Zach were sitting around, flipping through Quidditch Weekly, he turned to his friends and said, "You know, the thing about Draco Malfoy is that he's never grand. And he could be, because he's rich and spoilt and people make a fuss over him. I can't help thinking that, were I in his place, I might be - but just a little."

Orion snorted. "It's disgusting, the way Fudge shows him off whenever parents come," he grumbled, flopping back against the bed and stretching out his gangly legs.

Zach sneered. "'Dear Draco must come into the drawing-room and talk to Mister Higgs about India,'" he mimicked, in his best impression of Mister Fudge, which was actually very good. "'Dear Draco must speak French to Madame Kirke; his accent is so perfect."

Orion rolled his eyes. "There's nothing special about him aside from the fact that his father is a rich, stuck-up prick with too much time on his hands. Dad says he'll grow up just like Aunt Narcissa; lazy, cruel, and snobbish."

Harry blinked. "Remus said that Draco's dad changed after your aunt died, Rion," he said gently, turning his Dumbledore card over and over in his fingers.

"He just became more ek-eccet-oh, weird," Orion grumbled, shaking his shaggy head. "And Malfoy will be just like him. Walking around like he has a cane up his arse."

Zach cackled aloud at that, no doubt imagining the sight, and even Harry couldn't suppress a laugh.

It was, however, quite true that Draco was never 'grand'. His years in India had taught him to be a very friendly person, although he was still shy of children his own age, especially since children his age had the horrible tendency to be extremely cruel. He was more comfortable with the younger children, in fact, and since they were largely used to being disdained and ordered out of the way by the elder and 'more mature' of the bunch, they absolutely adored him.