New Vinyl (A Draco Malfoy Story)

III

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was actually quite beautiful without all the people around mussing it up. As was the case at 4 a.m. on a Friday morning.

I stood at the top of the Astronomy Tower, bundled up in my warmest coat, a joint hanging precariously between my fingers. I brought it up to my lips, inhaling. Even in the dark, I could see the smoke curl out in front of me as I exhaled. Not a soul stirred at this time. Not even a ghost. I reflected on how long ago it was when I discovered this spot in third year. Not to marvel at sunrises and the great many wonders of nature; sunrises are fucking overrated. And not solely as a place to smoke, either. That was just a happy coincidence. No, back then this spot acted as a means of escape during a torturous period of adolescence.

Still did sometimes.

Since it would be dark for a while, I brought two joints. "Thank you, insomnia," I said to myself. I sat on top of the wall, swinging my legs over the edge toward the ground so very far below. Feeling safe enough in the dark, a Muggle song gurgled up from within me. The band, The Killers, an older album but still one that always found its way to my mind. "And I won't forget you. At least I'll try. And run, and run tonight." I wondered how far a broom ride to Hogsmeade would be for the Fairest show. No doubt going undetected would be an issue. "Everything will be alright." What a fucking joke. But it made for a nice song. I let the tip of my wand burn the end of the second joint. The sky lightened a bit. Barely. What was pitch black now looked a dark grey. The lids of my eyes drooped, and already I debated whether or not to go to class at all that day. My stomach grumbled. I pulled the licorice wands from my bag, alternating between inhaling and chewing, The Killers still crooning in my head to me and me alone, and I liked it that way. My own little secret.

When the sky glowed yellow and orange, and it hurt my eyes to look at it anymore, I twisted around and dropped my feet back down to solid ground. A nice way to spend the morning. But sadly, all good things must come to an end. Still not quite breakfast time, I dashed to the Great Hall, hopeful to finish eating before anyone came down.

At the entrance to the Great Hall, my plan became thwarted at the sight of Draco fucking Malfoy. He looked up from his bowl of porridge at me standing in the doorway. Ducking out unnoticed no longer an option, I took a deep breath and mentally prepared to act like a normal human being, not completely high off my ass. Yet, putting one foot in front of the other suddenly proved to take up about 98% of my brain capacity.

"Hill," he said.

"Draco," I said. Fuck, I cursed myself. "Malfoy." That made it worse. Meant to correct addressing him by his first name, replacing it with his last name, it came off as addressing him by his full name. He scrunched up his nose, glaring at me. I slid down onto the bench opposite his, though a few seats farther down.

"What's wrong with you?"

"What's right, really?" That was fine. I exhaled, not realizing I'd held my breath, and grabbed a bagel. I smeared a mountain of cream cheese over it, because it sounded like the best idea in the world at that moment, and took a bite. I moaned.

"Eat much?" he asked.

"No, actually," I said, thinking back to the last time I ate a decent meal, one not comprised solely of food items found in my candy stash. Breakfast yesterday.

Cream cheese overflowed from the side of the bagel in my haste to spread it, running over onto my index finger. I licked it. Deciding the bagel to be a vehicle by which the cream cheese merely traveled, and that the best action would be to cut out the middleman, I dragged my finger along the edge and caught a glob of cheese. Putting my finger in my mouth, I did the only logical thing. Sucked. And it was fucking amazing.