Battle Scars {Draco Malfoy}

Chapter Ten

So far the year was going pretty well for Clara, at least, class wise. However, while she had her good days, she also had her bad days. If someone stared at her too long, or if she heard someone mention her scars, it left her in a terrible mood. It was one of the bad days as a younger Ravenclaw boy had decided it would be funny to howl in her direction as she passed him in one of the window seats. She had to restrain herself from pushing him out the window, and instead made her way down the corridor until she found a quiet spot.

She pressed her back against the wall, and slid down it until she was sitting on the floor. Grabbing her knees and drawing them to her chest before burying her face to hide her crying. Unable to figure out what she had done in her life to deserve the torture she was receiving currently. Clara was aware that there were nasty people in the world, even if they weren't Death Eaters or involved in Dark Magic. There were those who found humor at the expense of hurting others, sickened Clara to no end. She was raised to believe that no one had the right to judge another because everyone had their flaws whether they were external or internal.

While she knew that the Ravenclaw boy was just a foul little git, it didn't stop his actions from hurting her. Clara tried to collect herself before someone found her and questioned her crying. But it seemed it was too late, as she heard someone approach her. Quickly wiping at her eyes and straightening herself, Clara looked up to see Draco coming down the corridor, but as soon as he spotted her, he came to a halt.

"Please don't stare at me!" She covered her face with her hand. "Just stop it all of you, okay? I get it! I know you don't want to see the scars, but it's not like I want to see them either."

Draco was caught off guard by Clara's harsh tone, especially after she really hadn't said much to him since they're arrival to the school. She had really only answered his questions with a basic yes or no. But when he found her sitting on the floor in a quiet corridor, he had to admit that he was curious as to what she was doing. When he heard the crying, he only wanted to know why she was crying, but apparently she took his look a different way.

He quickly averted his face to the floor but remained still.

"I'm sorry." he said. "I wasn't staring at the scars though...I was just wondering why you were crying."

"It doesn't matter." Clara sniffed.

"If it didn't matter than why would you be crying?"

Clara's fists clenched as her sides as her jaw tightened. "It's none of your business, please just leave me alone."

Draco wanted to walk away, but for some reason he found himself planted in place, his body refusing to move.

People crying had never really bothered him before, he had witnessed multiple people cry, whether it was caused by him or by his former friends. However, watching Clara cry certainly made him feel bad even if he had done nothing.

"I'll leave if you just tell me why you're crying?" he said.

He could hear her growl in irritation before she looked up. Her eyes met his, watery with tears before she sniffed again.

"I...some stupid boy thought it would be funny to howl at me." she told him quietly.

"That's it?" he said. 

Wrong thing to say, especially to Clara.

"That's it?!" she repeated. She suddenly pushed herself up to her feet stepping towards him angrily.  He took a step back and she stopped.

"It might be easy for you to deal with name calling...considering you were once a name caller yourself. "

"I didn't mean it like that..You shouldn't let the names bother you-"

"Oh so it doesn't bother you when the other Slytherin students call you a coward?"

Draco stared at her, his expression hardening. 

"Oh it does? Doesn't it? Of course it does. It hurts when people call you names and do stupid things...so don't just say that's it. You don't like it either."

"I didn't mean to offend..."

"Yeah well too late."

She stomped off brushing past him roughly leaving him alone in the corridor.

"That went well."