when they became villains [draco malfoy] {book 2}

Year 7 - 204

He had told her this would come, and Astrid had dressed for the occasion. She could sense the glances sent her way where she stood among her Slytherin housemates. Her hair was freshly cut, eye-makeup darker than usual. Astrid wore a black turtleneck and a short ruffled skirt she had owned forever, paired with leather platform boots that stretched up to her thighs and that she had ordered for a special occasion. Finally one had come.

The students had been gathered in the Great Hall because of a rumour that Harry Potter had returned to the school. Grinning like a maniac, she was sure he had. She could feel the filthy presence of the boy, and her insides boiled. Astrid had not yet gotten over the day he had dumped her in a wet alley along with London trash. She was ready to take him down.

Draco was barely able to keep his eyes off her. The moment he had seen her step into the common room, ready to leave with all the other Slytherins, his eyes had grown in size, no matter how much he had tried to hide it. Now, even as their Headmaster spoke in the front of the room, the blonde's head was slightly turned, eyeing her out of the corner of his eyes. She hadn't told him what was going on, but there was a clear question in his gaze. A different kind of flame burned there as well.

When Harry Potter finally did step out of where he was hiding, Astrid took out her wand, ready to send the boy to hell. 

Always full of cheesy pride, he spoke, addressing Snape. "It seems, despite your exhaustive defensive strategies, you still have a bit of a security problem, Headmaster."

Astrid had already rolled her eyes, ready to step out of her own spot and grab the boy when Draco grasped her hand. As he did, the door to the Great Hall opened and in walked a group of Order of the Pheonix members. For fuck's sake, she cursed in her head, knowing damn well this would make it loads harder.

She turned to glare at Headmaster Snape, mentally blaming him for the indeed weak safety measures. 

"And I'm afraid, it's quite extensive," Potter spoke again as if anybody cared, and Astrid right about told him to shut up.

"How dare you stand where he stood?" Potter continued. "Tell them how it happened that night. How you looked him in the eye, a man that trusted you, and killed him. Tell them."

Part of the students turned to stare at Snape. Part of them turned toward Astrid and Draco. The latter's hand was still holding hers and she felt him squeeze, anxiety growing within him before she shook his hand off. Astrid made contact with anyone who stared and raised her brows at them, daring them to utter a sound.

Snape raised his wand and students scrambled backwards, bumping into her and pushing her back. Professor McGonagall stepped out in front of Potter, at whom the wand had been pointed, and raised her own. When Snape did nothing, an orange light shot out of McGonagall's wand. He deflected it. She did it again, he deflected it again, stepping back. Bam. Bam. Bam. The woman tried to get the man away, every one of her blows met with a gasp or a cheer from the student body until inevitably the man was pushed to the very back of the Great Hall. Transforming in a black shadow, he disappeared, breaking the windows behind him on the way. The daft creature hadn't even tried to fight back.

The students cheered, one happier than the other. Even a few Slytherins, amongst which she stood were whooping; though only a few, since many had never liked the Gryffindor Chosen prat anyway. Herself, Astrid frowned, finding the entire matter thoroughly disgusting.

A girl began screaming. Annoyed yet intrigued, this time Astrid followed the majority of students in spreading back out among the Great Hall to see who was making the voice. She couldn't locate the source. One scream turned into two. Then three. It was soon, with a grunt, that Astrid finally understood what the screaming was about. Her head was pounding.