A dish best served cold

3

Harry motioned Draco into the compartment before him, and once the blond was inside, Harry closed and locked the door before closing the blinds. He felt Malfoy's wand poke him in the neck.

"You think you're so cool, eh Potter? You can just order me around and make me look like a fool in front of my friends? Give me one good reason I shouldn't put you in your place." The Slytherin prefect was hoping that this tactic worked and would give him a leg up in this conversation. With Potter wearing the Beaufoy ring, he couldn't afford show any weakness what-so-ever. He had to control this conversation from the start, or things could go downhill quickly.

Harry turned slowly to face his fellow fifth year. He wanted to laugh in Draco's face at the obvious posturing. This boy thought he could control this meeting, but he was severely mistaken, as he was about to find out. Faster than Malfoy could react, Harry brought his left hand up and placed it against Draco's wrist. He felt a tug on his magic as the tendons in Malfoy's wrist suddenly snapped.

The wand hit the floor as the blond fell to his knees screaming out in pain. His hand was hanging limply from his arm, drooping like a dead flower. "WHAT THE FUCK POTTER!? What the hell did you do to me!?" He had tears in his eyes and was biting his lip from the shear agony. The pain was pulsing up his arm and down into his fingers. All from a simple touch.

"What the hell did I do? I showed you who had the power here Draco. You actually believed that sticking your wand in my neck and threatening me would give you an advantage?" He laughed out loud for the first time that day. "I'll let you in on a little secret. You have no power over me. This ring on my hand," he held up the gold ring with an onyx raven on it, "is not just for show. This signifies my place as head of the Beaufoy family. You know what that means don't you?"

Draco just nodded. Of course he knew. Every Malfoy was raised knowing that they had come from the Beaufoy family. From a young age, they were taught that the Malfoys were better than the Beaufoy because they had been the branch to survive. At the same time though, there had always been tales of possible survivors and how bad it would be for them if the line was brought to power once more. It would be bad.

Harry picked up Malfoy's wand from the floor and said, "Now. Let's have a little chat shall we?" He sat down on one bench and motioned for the blond to take the other. Draco got up on to the seat and glared at the dark haired boy who had put him in so much pain.

"What matters the most to you Malfoy? Your family? Your pureblood way of life? Your extravagant lifestyle? Tell me, Draco, what is most important to you?" Harry was asking these questions to see which angle he would need to approach this from. Each response had a necessary counter response, and he had to be careful. Of course he had a preferred reaction, but you know what they say about the best laid plans of mice and men.

Draco was looking at Harry, trying to figure out this game. 'What is he playing at? What does he want me to say? Damn it! This is so infuriating. When did he become so calm and collected? He used to be so emotional so I always had the upper hand. This sucks!' These were Draco's thoughts. Of course, with Harry's new training in the mind arts, he was able to pick up a couple of the ideas. They weren't clear to him, but he got the gist.

"I'm waiting Draco. I don't have all day." Harry was getting impatient, but this feeling was balanced with his amusement at the boy's predicament.

Draco sighed before saying. "Well, these are shitty choices. However, if I had to pick one, I would say my lifestyle. I would miss my family, but I could marry another pureblood if I have the money. My parents wouldn't miss me all that much; they're too busy with other things." Draco didn't need to say the Dark Lord for Harry to know what those other things were. Lately the young Slytherin had been feeling more and more detached from his family, as if he was now second class. "The Pureblood way of life is accessable through my money. So, if I had to choose one, it would be the money."