The Darkwood Wand

Virtue

"If you have a date with Granger tonight, break it," Draco said.

"What's it to you, Malfoy?" the Puff wanted to know. "Why do you care if I spend time with Hermione?"

Draco growled in his throat, disliking the sound of Granger's name on Finch-Fletchley's lips.

The other man was looking him up and down. "Is this what Death Eaters do with their time these days?" he asked. "Disrupt other people's social calendars?" The Puff was nearly as tall as Draco and his face was full of contempt.

"Damn it, it's for your own good!" Draco repeated. See, this was why he didn't do good deeds. People never listened. "Granger doesn't need your useless prating!"

The wizard's face darkened. "Who are you to know what Hermione needs? Give me my wand!"

Draco willed himself to calm down. Hexing the Head Boy was a direct route to Azkaban. "It's very simple," Draco said. "Stay away from Granger. Never mind why. Break your date and go talk about bull-doozers with someone else. Alright?"

"No, it is not alright," Finch-Fletchley said, his blue eyes cold. "Give me my wand or I'm going to McGonagall."

Draco's hand tightened on his checkered wand and a pink petunia popped up in the Head Boy's dark hair. The moment held, and finally Draco placed the Finch-Fletchley's wand, a golden elm, beside the telescope and backed away. "Think about it," he said.

"Not bloody likely." Finch-Fletchley scooped up his wand and pointed it at Draco. "A hundred points from Slytherin."

Draco sneered. He couldn't care less, although Theo would be beside himself. He spun on his heel, allowing his black robes to billow, and swept down the Astronomy Tower stairs. On his way, he struck the stone wall with a fist, dissatisfied with his actions. Draco had hoped Finch-Fletchley would see sense, but he suspected that this wizard was in the wrong fucking House.

***

Draco watched the Head Boy closely during dinner and he didn't like what he saw. Far from staying away from Granger, Finch-Fletchley marched up to her the second she entered the Great Hall and escorted her to the Hufflepuff table. Granger's back was to Draco, so he couldn't see her face, but Finch-Fletchley looked over her wild curls to give Draco a flat-eyed stare. Granger left the Great Hall alone, however, after undoubtedly setting up a place and time to meet.

"I'll wait outside," Draco told Tennant in an undertone. He left the Hall and followed Granger up the Marble Staircase and into the first-floor corridor. But before he could get close, she had already spun around, hand in her sleeve. Maybe she did have eyes in that ponytail.

Granger squinted up at him. "You look terrible, Malfoy."

Draco glared. He knew he looked terrible, especially after a day in the Forbidden Forest and Astronomy Tower, and he didn't need yet another person telling him so. "I have to talk to you, Granger."

"What, we don't spend enough time together? Where are you going?"

Draco was slipping into an alcove behind a tapestry, betting on Granger's curiosity. His bet paid off, and she stepped inside the alcove with him.

He immediately wished she was out. Her high ponytail brushed his nose as she closed the tapestry and her hip was pressed against his ...

"Well?" Her caustic tone mercifully ended that line of thinking.

"Tennant Rowle," Draco croaked, then cleared his throat and spoke again. "He's been following you."

Granger snickered. "I know. He thinks he's all sneaky."