Miss Quinn

166 ~ Corridors

Draco's POV

Snape escorted Draco out of Slughorn's Party just in time. A moment longer standing across from Emma Quinn in a shimmering gold gown while completely avoiding looking at her would have been undoable. So Draco was thankful when he had a reason to turn his back on her and flee from her presence. He was less thankful when Snape pushed him into an empty classroom and shut the door behind them.

"You need to be more careful, Draco," Snape said in his disappointed, accusing voice, which wasn't very different from his normal voice.

Draco squared his shoulders, "I don't know what you mean."

"Don't play daft with me. You know perfectly well what happened with the Bell girl. You cannot afford mistakes, Draco, because if you are expelled --"

"I didn't have anything to do with it, all right?" Draco snapped.

"I hope you are telling the truth, because it was both clumsy and foolish. Already you are suspected of having a hand in it."

"Who suspects me?" Draco demanded. "For the last time, I didn't do it, okay? That Bell girl must've had an enemy no one knows about --" He felt a prodding at the walls of his mind, then. Like someone poking around for weak spots "-- don't look at me like that! I know what you're doing, I'm not stupid, but it won't work -- I can stop you!"

Snape pushed against his mind's walls, but Draco's shields were strong. And he had good reason for it too. He actually had something to hide. Or, somethings, rather.

"Ah. . . Aunt Bellatrix has been teaching you Occlumency, I see. What thoughts are you trying to conceal from your master, Draco?"

"I'm not trying to conceal anything from him, I just don't want you butting in!"

Snape took a step towards him. "So that is why you have been avoiding me this term? You have feared my interference? You realize that, had anybody else failed to come to my office when I had told them repeatedly to be there, Draco --"

Draco slammed his palms on the desk in front of him. "So put me in detention! Report me to Dumbledore!"

There was another pause. Then Snape said, "You know perfectly well that I do not wish to do either of those things."

"You'd better stop telling me to come to your office then!"

Draco knew he was being stubborn, and secretive, and probably acting half his age, but was it really any of Snape's business what the Dark Lord had tasked him with? Draco didn't need the Professor's help, and he sure didn't need to entrust the man with his secrets.

"Listen to me," said Snape, his voice so low now that if Draco wasn't already red with anger he would've gotten chills. "I am trying to help you. I swore to your mother I would protect you. I made the Unbreakable Vow, Draco --"

Oh, he was going to have words with his mother.

"Looks like you'll have to break it, then, because I don't need your protection! It's my job, he gave it to me and I'm doing it, I've got a plan and it's going to work, it's just taking a bit longer than I thought it would!"

"What is your plan?"

"It's none of your business!"

"If you tell me what you are trying to do, I can assist you . . . "

"I have all the assistance I need, thanks, I'm not alone!"

"You were certainly alone tonight, which was foolish in the extreme, wandering the corridors without lookouts or backup, these are elementary mistakes --"