The List (Draco Malfoy)

Chapter 3

I'm sorry for the cliffhanger for this chapter :)

Chapter Three - The Wrong Side

Draco had never considered himself a cruel person.

He couldn't deny the fact that he had had his fair share of taunting over the years, that he had been the reason that several first years burst into tears. He knew that whenever the mudbloods and blood-traitors of the school were furious or terrified, that it was almost certainly because of some plan he had concocted. And he knew that he, solely, could effectively control every single Slytherin's actions to suit his very whim; be it to mock, insult, or ridicule other students. It wasn't malicious, it was control.

And anyhow, they all brought it on themselves.

If someone slandered the Malfoy name, they were ostracized. If they belittled him, they were punished. And if they, Salazar forbid, think themselves better than him, they had better hope that Draco didn't come after them himself, for they would leave that fight a testicle short and the unfortunate (or fortunate, in Draco's opinion) lack of ability to procreate.

No, he had never felt particularly cruel.

But as Draco stood by the hospital wing window, watching a numb Potter collapse by the edge of the lake, sobbing hysterically, he unconditionally believed himself the cruelest bastard to live.

.

.

.

Lainey stared at her clock blankly, wanting nothing more than to just curl up in her blankets again and ignore the fact that she had class to attend. She was tired, and sore, and just healed...and there was nothing to do in class anyway except watch her peers jealously and curse her own existence. There was no real reason to attend. After the mishap in Transfiguration, Lainey would happily pack her bags and run for the next train. What was the point? If that was going to happen, she would will it to snap her neck instead of her arm.

The fact remained, she was nothing better than a squib now; there was, for the first time in her life, nothing at Hogwarts for Lainey. Or, that was what she repeated as a mantra inside of her head.

That was the reason for her hiding. Definitely not the fact she didn't want to face the unnaturally observant blonde git from hell, who unsurprisingly, shared most of her classes.

Double Defense. Transfiguration. Charms. Study. Five of his six classes today were spent with the insufferable, attentive little twat. Five of them. God, it would be better to re approach Romilda and threaten her with every Gryffindor present; that way, at least, she would survive with her dignity intact.

Slowly, the clock ticked down. She only had five minutes until Transfiguration. McGonagall would protect her there, wouldn't she?

Knowing her brain and sense of useless guilt was against her, Lainey swung out of bed slowly and gathered her equipment for class. At least in that class, she was seated away from the slimy backstabbers...and closer to the traitors in red.

Why hadn't any of them checked up on her? After a few hours Lainey had gotten stiff from the cold and ventured back inside. The common room had been empty. Everyone had been asleep. Not a single person had checked on Lainey in the hospital wing, or, it seemed, been even inclined to worry. Now her job was done, no one cared.

Even Ron and Hermione hadn't checked on her. Neither had woken her this morning either. Sure, they were in a tiff yesterday, but hadn't they calmed down after she had been hurt? Even seeing their friend in obvious pain, they hadn't quelled their anger towards her?