Respect the Name of Malfoy (A HP fanfic)

Chapter 8

Again, this hasn't ben proofread so let me know if there is anything truly atrocious. Otherwise I hope you enjoy :)

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The hospital wing was full of light when I cracked my eyes open the next morning. I rolled over in the blissful state where you are not asleep but not quite awake either. Suddenly that vanished when the memory of the previous evening returned with full force, and along with it the stinging in my right hand increased tenfold.

Ignoring the stabbing pains which were the result of detention with Umbitch I reluctantly pushed back the covers and saw to my relief that my clothes from yesterday had been cleaned and were folded at the foot of my bed. I changed quickly and splashed my face with the basin of cold water that Madame Pomfrey had left on ym bedside table. Feeling a lot more awake and slightly more confident about facing the day I picked up my bag and left the hospital wing.

However, the closer I got to the Greater Hall the more my care-free stroll turned into an anxious shuffle. The noise echoing from the hall felt overwhelming and I wanted to retreat back to the warmth and safety of the hospital wing where my house mates couldn't hurt me.

Mustering some self control I mentally shook my head and threw back my shoulders, assuming the haughty Malfoy mask which had been a staple expression in my childhood from both my parents and brother. In fact, the only member of the house hold who had shown any humanity had been our house elf, Dobby and he had disappeared sometime in our second year. Father hadn't explained what had happened to him so i assumed the worst. To be honest, murdering a house elf wouldn't be high on the list of Lucius Malfoys' offences if he was ever arrested.

As I stepped into the hall a great hush fell on the students and staff alike. Great. It appeared I was the hot topic to be gosspied about at the moment, although in truth it didn't really surprise me that much. Most of the student body had been there and for those who weren't, well gossip traveled faster than forest fire at Hogwarts.

I sat down at the very end of the Slytherin table, the place usually reserved for first years and ate quickly and quietly, desperately trying to avoid drawing attention to myself. This however was rather difficult when the entire school were craning there necks, trying to get a glimpse at the fool who dissed Draco Malfoy and his posse of baby Death Eaters.

Suddenly feeling rather put off my toast I stood up and made to leave the hall, only to walk directly into Draco. I looked up and felt like someone had pucjed me in the gut. He wasn't sneering at me, there was no anger, disappoint or any of his usual arogance. There was nothing, literally nothing. Just cold hard unrecognition. It was like he hadn't even noticed I was there.

Desperately trying not to let my composure slip any further I dodged past him and practically legged it out the Hall. I could feel everyone's eyes burning into my back but I didn't care. The fact that my own flesh and blood had completely cut off my existance hurt more then I had ever imagined it could.

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In my lessons I was silent as the grave and the teachers ignored me, obviously thinking that I needed some time to get my thoughts in order. in fact, had they asked me questions or tried to engage my attention in some way I would have been able to distract myself from the horrible situation I had found myself in. As it was I was left all morning to dwell on every single depressing though that ran through my head.

By lunch time I felt so ill I was planning on skipping lunch and retreating to the seventh floor to have a closer look at this so called room of requirement, but the loud grumbling of my stomache and the clawing pains which accompanied them forced me into the Great Hall once more.