Something Golden

6.

November 11 1995

I'm one more smack of the lips away from taking this fork and burying it in this twat's neck. Pansy has decided to expand her horizons, and legs, by venturing into the lap of a Hufflepuff.

Jason Inglebee's to be exact.

She can do as she pleases but I would prefer if she didn't please herself right beside me while I'm trying to eat my pudding.

Dinner comes to an end and somehow I managed to keep my food down while Pansy and Inglebee practically fucked one another at our table.

"Jason and I are meeting with some of his friends down by the black lake, do you want to join us Draco?" Pansy asks as we're leaving the great hall.

"I'd rather light myself on fire."

"Come on mate, it will be fun." Inglebee pats my back. Grabbing his wrist, pulling him from Pansy's side, I throw him against the wall.

"Listen Inglebee, you may have managed to weasel your way into Pansy's knickers but let's just be clear about one thing." Pushing my forearm further into his trachea. "I'm not, nor will I ever be, your mate. Once you manage to fuck up and trust me, you will, I'll find immense pleasure in disfiguring you."

Stepping back and releasing him he coughs as he tries to catch his breath. I let Theo and Blaise know that I will meet up with them later and head off for the library.

If I keep up my usual pace I might actually make it by 9 so I decide to take my time, stopping to throw an insult at every portrait I pass.

Regardless of my attempt to be late I arrive a minute before. I stand just outside of the library and watch the clock, waiting for it to read 9:01 before joining Granger at her usual spot.

"You're late, again."

As she scolds me for my tardiness and explains to me how to read a clock I snatch the parchment from the table.

"The big hand is the one that tells you what hour it is-"

Occlumency is the act of closing one's mind in order to protect their thoughts and feelings from a Legilimens.

"And the smaller hand is for minutes-"

"This is a joke right?" I ask, holding up the paper.

"I worked hard on that. Besides, it's just a rough draft."

"Well congratulations Granger, you managed to compose a thesis that resembles the work of a half-baked inbred."

Ripping the paper from my hand and tucking it underneath a book, she turns to me, hand on hip.

I think this is my favorite version of her.

The one where her hair is a tangled ball, her wand poked through to hold its place. The little vein in her forehead protruding as she curses me out for my pretentious ways.

My beautiful Granger.

She gives me a mouthful as I fantasize about giving her one as well. Surely she'd swallow, spitters are quitters and Granger is anything but that.

"Maybe you can get Madam Pince to let us into the restricted section. I'm almost positive there's books that go more in depth on occlumency in there."

I'm not entirely sure when she switched from going off about my lack of morals to the research paper but regardless, I know for a fact that there isn't some hidden book stowed away behind bars.

"You don't need to go in there."

"And why not? Are you afraid that you'll be shut down by her? I thought you said no one was immune to being seduced Malfoy." She raises a brow at me as she smirks, proud of herself for using my own words against me.

Precious.

"And I stand by that statement. What I'm saying is, you don't need another inaccurate book to aide you in your research. You have me." I grin.

"Right, because you have been so much help." She mocks.

"Have you taken the time to ask about my knowledge regarding the subject?"

Plopping down into her seat she flips open her book. "You want me to believe that you know more about occlumency then these books?"

"You can believe whatever you want Granger, it doesn't change the fact that I do."

How even after all the times I've scored higher than her she still refuses to acknowledge my intellect is beyond me and quite honestly, it's insulting.

Time for me to teach you Granger.

"Compartmentalization and Separation." I say.

She removes her nose from her book and looks up at me, tilting her head.

"It's one of the methods used in occlumency. There's also the rudimentary methods but those only get you so far and are more of a suppression that will only hold for so long until everything boils over. The few facts in those books of yours are correct but vague thus leading to your shit interpretation of how it's performed."

"And I assume you know the proper way?"

"That I do." Flashing her a cheeky grin.

"Then what is it?"

"Wouldn't be very educational for you if I just handed you the answers now would it? Anyways, I'm meant to be somewhere. Perhaps I'll consider writing a few more facts down for you, if you ask nicely that is. Just so you know, I'm not opposed to bribery." I wink. "Tomorrow. 9 pm and not a minute late."