𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐆𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐎𝐍 || Draco & Luna Get Along

Chapter 16: Settled

Minerva McGonagall paced around the large room with various gadgets hanging from the ceiling, a particularly curious aura hung around the painting of Albus Dumbledore as he stroked his long white beard and watched the scene unfold before him. Fawkes stayed still, perched upon a pile of dusty looking books, its coal orbs inspecting Draco closely.

"Mr. Malfoy, care to explain the reason behind your...Unusual late night stroll to me and Professor Slughorn?" She pursed her lips briefly, her gaze falling over the boy with a strong authoritative aura. "I believe you are more than aware of the rules in this School."

Professor Horace Slughorn, on the other hand, had a very drowsy look that couldn't be ignored, his heavy blinking eyes made it evident that he wasn't exactly glad to have been awoken in the middle of the night for such matters.

"Precisely, Headmistress McGonagall." Slughorn held back a yawn.

"Uhm." Draco fiddled with his hands behind his back. That was it...He was going to be expelled. All that effort would be clearly in vain even if he justified his actions bit by bit.

Struggling to keep his face straight and not give his panic away, Malfoy came up with the least pathetic excuse he could think of.

"I couldn't sleep." He mumbled.

McGonagall rose her eyebrows with obvious skepticism. It was clear to him that she didn't buy his excuse at all, but Slughorn seemed more than convinced.

"Perhaps you should use the potion I gave you, Mr. Malfoy...It's sure to help, eh?" The Potion's professor rubbed his eyes with the back of his plump fingers. One minute more, and he would fall asleep right then and there. For a minute, the odds seemed to be in Draco's favour - not for long, though.

"Very well." Minerva sighed at last, her firm stare never leaving Draco's now pale and visibly distressed face. "I do have to insist that 5 points be taken from Slytherin tonight, and you must receive detention as well. As you have not inflicted more than one rule, the Head of Slytherin House will decide your fate from now on."

Draco couldn't believe his luck. Even though he knew all too well Minerva didn't buy his cheap justification and he doubted her motives not to expel him right away, it was still a relief so he wouldn't push it any further.

She gestured her long boney hand at Slughorn, who didn't seem to be paying enough attention and merely nodded. Draco looked at him expecting a verdict that never came, until Minerva cleared her throat with impatience.

"Ah, let's see...My potions are in no need of cleaning or sorting, but..." Horace scratched his head in thought. "Madam Prince did mention she will be receiving new books this weekend and the next, perhaps she could use a hand or two."

Draco merely nodded, still holding on to his own acting abilities not to give his true whereabouts away. He sighed discreetly in response; sorting books was indeed way better than being locked in the dungeons under the close surveillance of Argus Filch.

"It's settled, then," McGonagall adjusted her halfmoon glasses with determination.

"Excellent!" Beamed Horace, eager to go back to his beloved headquarters.

"I advise you to get a good night's sleep," Minerva once again raised a warning eyebrow at Malfoy, who shivered under her all knowing Gryffindor gaze, "You've got a long weekend ahead of you, Mr. Malfoy."

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Draco stared at his bowl of oatmeal in utter bitterness as he heard Pansy Parkinson calling his name for the thousandth time in a span of five minutes.

"What were you doing again?" She whined.

"I told you already, I was going out for a walk." He uttered miserably, dropping the spoon into the bowl and giving in to his loss of appetite.