PART TWO
Draco's Saturday wasn't getting any better. He was about to do a good deed, which in his experience rarely turned out well. Not that he'd done many good deeds; his shining moments during the war were when he refrained from doing bad deeds, or at least performed the bad deeds unenthusiastically.
He wasn't sure his current plan qualified as a good deed anyway. Certainly Granger wouldn't consider it so. But Draco hoped that if he delayed Tennant's plans long enough, his roommate would tire of Granger-baiting and fixate on a different witch. This was unlikely— Tennant had inherited all of his father's doggedness—but possible. Ginevra Weasley, for example, would be an excellent distraction for Tennant and she'd probably enjoy the confrontations.
Which brought Draco to the Astronomy Tower on this clear October afternoon. He'd been tracking his quarry since lunch and was now climbing the tower staircase, his shoes under a Cushioning charm to muffle his footsteps.
The wizard was fiddling with the tower's brass telescope, with a box of magical tools open on the floor beside him. Draco lurked in a corner shadowed from the sun, holding the checkered wand and wondering what on earth Granger saw in Justin Finch-Fletchley.
The Head Boy was attractive, Draco supposed. Dressed well for Muggle spawn. He and Granger could probably talk about Muggle books or ah ... construction cranes. Draco's Muggle Studies class had just begun a lesson in non-magical engineering, which sounded frankly dangerous. He'd never enter a Muggle building if he could help it.
Draco didn't have time to waste, but still he lingered in his hiding spot, watching the wizard polish the telescope casings and adjust the screws. Did Finch-Fletchley touch Granger with those slender fingers? Kiss her with those pursed lips? Draco loosened his grip on his wand before he broke the thing in half. He could Body-Bind the git right now and be done with it. But then Granger would wander the castle looking for Finch-Fletchley and run into Tennant while all distracted. Draco would stick to the plan. Better for everyone.
He didn't know why he was worrying anyway. This was a Hufflepuff.
Draco stepped out of the shadows. "Finch-Fletchley," he said coldly. Stupid fucking name.
The Puff nearly fell into the telescope at the sight of Draco. He recovered with impressive quickness, however, drawing his wand and aiming it much like Vane had.
But Draco was quicker. "Expelliarmus!" A quick nonverbal Summoning spell, and the Puff's wand was in his own hand.
"You will do exactly as I say, Mudblood," Draco growled.
"And if I don't?" The Puff didn't look nearly scared enough.
"There are two ways to leave this Tower," Draco said. "The stairs, or ..." He gave a slight nod toward the thin iron railing protecting stargazers from the hundred-foot drop.
"You wouldn't dare," Finch-Fletchley said with a fairly creditable sneer. "You'd end up back in Azkaban." The Head Boy eyed Draco thoughtfully. "It would almost be worth it."
"Nobody would know," Draco said. "A sad accident." He stepped closer, prompting the other wizard to step backward against the railing. It had been some time since Draco had threatened murder, and he didn't enjoy it any more than he had during the war. But Draco needed to finish this quickly; the slow, spinning movement of the huge, bronze astronomy model was making him sick and he just hated it here.
"My request is very simple," Draco continued. "Stay away from Granger."
The Puff's eyes widened. "Hermione? Why?"
"If you have a date with Granger tonight, break it," Draco said.
"What's it to you, Malfoy?" the Puff wanted to know. "Why do you care if I spend time with Hermione?"
Draco growled in his throat, disliking the sound of Granger's name on Finch-Fletchley's lips.
The other man was looking him up and down. "Is this what Death Eaters do with their time these days?" he asked. "Disrupt other people's social calendars?" The Puff was nearly as tall as Draco and his face was full of contempt.
"Damn it, it's for your own good!" Draco repeated. See, this was why he didn't do good deeds. People never listened. "Granger doesn't need your useless prating!"
The wizard's face darkened. "Who are you to know what Hermione needs? Give me my wand!"
Draco willed himself to calm down. Hexing the Head Boy was a direct route to Azkaban. "It's very simple," Draco said. "Stay away from Granger. Never mind why. Break your date and go talk about bull-doozers with someone else. Alright?"
"No, it is not alright," Finch-Fletchley said, his blue eyes cold. "Give me my wand or I'm going to McGonagall."
Draco's hand tightened on his checkered wand and a pink petunia popped up in the Head Boy's dark hair. The moment held, and finally Draco placed the Finch-Fletchley's wand, a golden elm, beside the telescope and backed away. "Think about it," he said.
"Not bloody likely." Finch-Fletchley scooped up his wand and pointed it at Draco. "A hundred points from Slytherin."
Draco sneered. He couldn't care less, although Theo would be beside himself. He spun on his heel, allowing his black robes to billow, and swept down the Astronomy Tower stairs. On his way, he struck the stone wall with a fist, dissatisfied with his actions. Draco had hoped Finch-Fletchley would see sense, but he suspected that this wizard was in the wrong fucking House.
***
Draco watched the Head Boy closely during dinner and he didn't like what he saw. Far from staying away from Granger, Finch-Fletchley marched up to her the second she entered the Great Hall and escorted her to the Hufflepuff table. Granger's back was to Draco, so he couldn't see her face, but Finch-Fletchley looked over her wild curls to give Draco a flat-eyed stare. Granger left the Great Hall alone, however, after undoubtedly setting up a place and time to meet.
"I'll wait outside," Draco told Tennant in an undertone. He left the Hall and followed Granger up the Marble Staircase and into the first-floor corridor. But before he could get close, she had already spun around, hand in her sleeve. Maybe she did have eyes in that ponytail.
Granger squinted up at him. "You look terrible, Malfoy."
Draco glared. He knew he looked terrible, especially after a day in the Forbidden Forest and Astronomy Tower, and he didn't need yet another person telling him so. "I have to talk to you, Granger."
"What, we don't spend enough time together? Where are you going?"
Draco was slipping into an alcove behind a tapestry, betting on Granger's curiosity. His bet paid off, and she stepped inside the alcove with him.
He immediately wished she was out. Her high ponytail brushed his nose as she closed the tapestry and her hip was pressed against his ...
"Well?" Her caustic tone mercifully ended that line of thinking.
"Tennant Rowle," Draco croaked, then cleared his throat and spoke again. "He's been following you."
Granger snickered. "I know. He thinks he's all sneaky."
"Don't meet that Puff tonight," Draco said.
"I certainly will," Granger said. Her expression was anything but inviting, but Draco was uncomfortably aware of how close she was, that flowery scent filling the small space. He knew those curls' softness, those lips' sweetness, the smoothness of her cheek ...
He bent his head closer. "Tennant is following the Puff now. He'll be waiting for you."
"I-I'll be fine," Granger whispered. Draco felt her breath against his lips.
No. You won't be fine. She wasn't listening, nobody ever listened. Please, please, don't meet him, Draco wanted to say, but that would be begging and Malfoys never begged.
Granger's eyelashes dipped slightly. Draco couldn't help himself, he brushed his lips against hers. "Granger, I ..."
"Cormac!" A high-pitched squeal shattered the moment, and to Draco's horror, a small hand began tugging aside the tapestry. "Honestly, Cormac, let's get—"
Vane's head popped into the alcove, her eyes round at the sight of them. The witch squeaked in surprise and disappeared again. Draco sagged against the wall with relief. Vane wouldn't say anything.
"We have to get out of here," Granger said, face flushed.
"Wait." Draco extended an arm to block her way. "Don't. Don't meet up with him."
"I have to. I need to fix that clock." Those honey-gold eyes looked up at him almost pleadingly. "It might adjust the time element in the spell."
"Tennant will follow him and—"
"Justin won't let him."
"Your Puff's an idiot," Draco snapped.
"Your roommate's an idiot. And I'm not afraid of any Rowle." She easily ducked under his arm and flounced out of the alcove.
Draco stormed out after her, heedless of anyone nearby, but the corridor was deserted, thank Salazar. The bushy ponytail disappeared around the corner, but Draco couldn't follow. He had to stay with Tennant.
Scowling, he headed back down the Marble Staircase, hoping the Puff hadn't left the Great Hall yet. No, Finch-Fletchley was still spooning custard and gassing about something tedious, if his housemates' expressions were any indication.
So Draco withdrew to the shadows by the Hourglass Cabinet. (That git hadn't been bluffing about House points; the lower bell of the Slytherin hourglass was empty now.) Blaise entered the Entrance Hall, pulling up the hood of his black cloak.
Then the She-Weasel appeared, and Draco's blood ran cold. Fuck, he'd forgotten about her. He didn't need that witch's interference tonight. She'd stalk Draco and ...
Or would she? Blaise was now moving from shadow to shadow, looking entirely menacing, and the She-Weasel followed. They both disappeared into a corridor opposite the Great Hall. What was Blaise doing?
And now here was Finch-Fletchley, closely trailed by Tennant. Granger had been right, Tennant was anything but stealthy. The Head Boy had his nose in the air, taking no precautions either. Insufferable prat—for all the wizard knew it was Draco with the dark designs on Granger and yet Finch-Fletchley made no effort to protect her.
In this, Draco had possibly misjudged the Hufflepuff. Draco found Tennant at the top of the Marble Staircase, looking very much like his father—in other words, confused.
"Which way did he go?" Tennant hissed.
Draco shrugged. Perhaps things would turn out alright after all.
"Come on." Tennant climbed the stairs, hesitating at the second-floor landing but continuing on. Then Draco nearly groaned: Finch-Fletchley was on the third-floor landing, telling off two First Year Slytherins for untucked shirts.
Draco gritted his teeth. Fucking Head Boy. Draco was equally offended that anyone from his House would appear so rumpled, but was this really the time? Finch-Fletchley left the chastened boys and entered a third-floor corridor. Draco had a good idea where they were headed, and he was correct. Draco and Tennant peered around a corner to see the Puff slip into the old DADA classroom.
A telltale shimmer appeared on the classroom door. "He's set up wards," Draco said.
"Break them," Tennant ordered. "We don't have all day."
Draco approached the door, drawing his wand. "Cooperate or you're kindling," he muttered.
The wand obeyed; Draco easily broke the wards and entered the room. He closed the door silently behind him. The idiot was staring at the plaster heads, his back to the door. Too easy.
"Stupefy!" Draco hissed, and the Puff collapsed.
Draco strode across the room. "You should have listened to me," he told the unconscious wizard at his feet. "She's in danger now because of you, you stupid fuck."
He paced the room, ignoring the staring heads and skeleton. Soon he could hear muffled voices from the corridor. Draco tiptoed to the door and opened it a tiny crack, enough to peek through.
"Oh, hello, Rowle." Granger's back was to Draco, but he could hear the Gryffindor rolling her eyes. "Don't you have anything better to do tonight? You'll never pass your NEWTs if you spend all your time stalking witches."
Tennant chuckled. "I have better lessons in mind, Hermione." Draco could see her back shudder slightly. But her voice contained no fear.
"Again, not interested, Rowle." Granger put her hands on her hips. "Honestly, can't any of you Slytherins get laid like normal people?"
Draco's eyes narrowed. Well, that was just uncalled for.
"Interesting." Tennant was edging closer, a fact that Draco hoped Granger noticed. "And what do you know of how Slytherins get laid, hmmm? Firsthand knowledge, perhaps?"
Fuck. Why was that bastard so easy to underestimate?
Granger snorted. "Oh, I've seen you sidle up to girls with that oily voice. Trust me, it's not charming. It's creepy." Her tone turned lecturing. "Think of it as a dance, Rowle—advance and retreat. Give her a chance to want you instead of all that trapping and crooning. You should really consider ..."
Draco smirked. He could sell tickets to this. But the fun ended all too soon. For if there was anything a Rowle hated, it was being mocked, and Tennant's smug smile turned into a look of naked loathing.
"I don't know why I waste time trying to be nice," he said. "You'll be begging when I'm through with you, with your—"
He jumped forward suddenly, and Granger took a step backward, wand up. A red spark flashed and she was on the floor.
Draco froze. He'd been a fool; of course Tennant wouldn't launch a frontal assault. The Slytherin had set a tiny Stunning trap, popular with Death Eaters during the war. Tennant leaned over the witch on the floor, hands outstretched.
"Stupefy!" Draco's whispered spell hit Tennant broadside and the huge wizard fell in a heap with a buttercup in his hair. Draco shook his head at the checkered wand, then slipped out of the classroom, Quickly, he knelt beside Granger.
She lay on her back, arms splayed out, her jumper bunched up to reveal bare skin above her denims. Draco didn't like how pale she was, but her pulse was strong and her breathing steady.
Draco pointed his wand at her chest. "Rennervate!" Granger's eyes popped open and she now had a red camellia flower in her curls. Oh, for crying out loud ...
"Malfoy! What are you doing here?" she cried.
"Saving your arse, apparently."
"I had things under control—"
"You had nothing under control," Draco snapped. "You're on the fucking floor, if you hadn't noticed. I told you not to meet that Puff, I told you—"
"Justin!" Granger sat up so suddenly that her head smacked Draco in the jaw.
"Ow! Take it easy, you daft—"
"Where's Justin?" The Gryffindor was on her feet now, wand in hand.
"Now don't get your knickers in a—"
Granger pushed Draco aside and ran into the classroom. "Justin!"
Draco glanced nervously down the corridor; someone would be along any minute and discover Tennant. Draco needed to get out of here, but instead he peeked around the door to see Granger kneeling by the Puff.
"Justin, can you hear me?" she cried.
Of course the man couldn't hear her. Why was she fussing over that git, anyway? What about Draco? He had never seen such ingratitude.
"Rennervate!"
"Hermione! Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, Justin. Did you hurt your head? Those Stunning spells can be nasty ..."
Salazar's snake, Draco was not standing around listening to this. He left the classroom corridor and headed down toward the dungeons, glaring horribly at any student in his way. Good deeds were truly overrated.
NEXT UP: Hermione learns about proper courtship.