Dan has a pretty awful Halloween, to say the least. From literally people clearing a path for him in fear and even the Slytherins beginning to shift slightly when he sits at the table for dinner, he's feeling quite isolated and loathed.
See, everyone has been going insane since Mrs Norris was found, and there's been an increasing amount of people becoming petrified around the school. Fear is rising within Hogwarts and everyone can sense it. To make matters worse, Dan is being targeted. The blame has to go somewhere and everyone is pointing their irrational, shaking fingers at him - the powerful, isolated Slytherin from a dark family.
But he would never do such a thing, if only they'd open their eyes.
"How's my favourite heir," Phil asks with a grin as he falls into step beside Dan, "gloomy as always?"
"Phil, I'm not in the mood," Dan says dejectedly, keeping his eyes on the floor, "I'm just gonna go to bed. Possibly forever."
"What about dinner?" Phil asks, eyes wide, "you can't miss the amazing dinners we have here! Not just dinner, all food is awesome!"
"I can Phil, and I'm going to," Dan says with a sigh, sadness seeping off him just as rain would, "I'll see you tomorrow."
Dan lifts Phil's arm off his shoulder, letting it go back to hanging by Phil's side limply. He gives Phil a small smile before disappearing around the corner as he heads towards the Slytherin common room. Phil remains standing in the hallway, sad to see his friend in pain and sadder because he's unsure what to do about it.
As Dan gets closer to the common room, relief floods him, god he's looking forward to being alone.
"Dan! It's Dan, right?" A voice asks and a hand grabs his elbow, preventing him from going further.
Dan sighs in exasperation - so much for getting to relax on his bed in isolation and peace.
"Yeah?" Dan replies, unsure as he turns to see Ron, Harry, who has his arm, and his favourite classmate, good old Hermione.
"I just wanted to ask, uh, what you know about the chamber of secrets?" Harry asks, looking slightly nervous yet determined and angry - Dan sort of wants to explode at this.
"The same as, if not less than you do," Dan snaps sharply, pulling his arm away from Harry and frowning at the three, "look, I know what you think - I know what everyone thinks. I'm not stupid, but I'm also not the heir. My best friend is muggle-born, NOT ALL SLYTHERIN HAVE PREJUDICES! I don't want to hurt people, I just want to be alone right now, is that too much to ask?"
"N-no," Harry stammers, looking taken aback, "sorry."
Dan doesn't say another word as he turns away from the three and continues towards the common room entrance. He's so frustrated and sick of people telling him who he is, what he's capable of and what he's doing to the school. He's not the heir, he knows it. He may be Slytherin, but Slytherin isn't even a bad house, despite its reputation. Someone isn't only limited to each house's main traits, and even so, Slytherins don't necessarily have bad traits, they're just more different, isolated.
Dan knows he is kind, intelligent and brave. He knows he's loyal and values love and friendship over everything. He knows even the worst people have that little bit of good inside of them, even if it's only minuscule, it's still there. He knows light from dark, and which is the right path to choose.
Once he's inside the common room, he finds that it's empty - everyone is in the great hall eating dinner. Dan wanders over to the windows, where the dark water of the black lake is lapping at the glass, creating a lulling background noise. Dan stares out at the water while Max climbs onto his lap, rubbing against Dan as he senses his owner's sadness.
A mermaid swims it's way up to the glass, staring at Dan for a second. It seems to consider something, taking in the lonely boy, his figure limp and youthful face worn and tired. She nods her head at Dan, giving a small wave before turning and disappearing back into the darkness.
Dan sighs deeply, picking the cat up off his lap and carrying him back to his bed. He shuts the drapes, sitting in the middle of the large, four poster bed which is shut off from the world; his little corner of salvation. He hugs the cat to his chest tightly, tears filling his eyes and falling freely down his cheeks.
He just wants to fit in, be accepted and be loved, so why is this all so difficult for him?
As Dan cries in his bed, clutching onto his cat, who buries his head into Dan's chest and purrs, he's unaware that his tears are making it pour buckets of rain outside.
***
"Dan, check out this little mandrake!" Phil says excitedly in herbology, causing Dan to just scowl in response.
Dan personally doesn't feel too affectionate towards the ugly, stumpy, gnarled trees. They are only young, but squeal in an unpleasant way while they attempt to repot them. Dan's own is still squealing from the new pot, so Dan throws a handful of soil at it - just to try and shut the stupid plant up.
"It's so cute," Phil says fondly, gently scooping soil beside the mandrake in the new pot.
The plant is the only one not squealing, instead, its grotesque features manage to look content under Phil's care. Professor Sprout, the herbology teacher, smiles and pats the back of her star student.
"Look here class! Look how happy his mandrake is," she beams, giving Phil the thumbs up and shooting a scornful look at Dan before walking away.
"Those things are so stupid," Dan grumbles as they walk out of the greenhouse, brushing soil from his robes.
"They're actually a vital ingredient in restorative potions, which the school needs right now," Phil says, smiling widely, "plants are amazing, especially magic ones."
"Magical plants are all out to kill you," Dan mumbles under his breath as they head towards the great hall for lunch.
"So, what have you got after lunch?" Phil asks as they take a seat at the Hufflepuff table.
Dan tries to ignore the cautious and hateful glances he receives as he reaches for a bread roll. Dan takes a bite, chewing slowly before he answers Phil's question.
"Charms, how about you?" Dan asks, focusing his eyes on Phil instead of the people around them.
"I have history of magic," Phil says with a grumble, "bloody ravenclaws."
"Oi!" Liam, one of their friends, says, hitting Phil playfully on the head as he walks by, "I take offence."
A proud Ravenclaw, Liam also likes to study alongside Dan and pick his brain for tips and knowledge - he's an excellent study partner and also popular with girls around the school, with his bright blue eyes and dark features.
"That was the plan!" Phil calls after him as he walks towards the end of the ravenclaw table.
"Dan? What's wrong?" Phil asks, a worried look on his face as he sees his friend clutching his goblet of juice so tightly he's managing to suffocate an inanimate object.
"N-nothing," Dan replies, shaking his head to clear his thoughts, "seriously, nothing to worry about."
"That doesn't make me not worried about you," Phil says before looking around distractedly after he feels a drop of water hit the material of his shirt.
Phil then looks up to see a grey, gloomy cloud has drifted over the on-edge boy beside him. Phil sighs deeply as rain begins to pour from the cloud, soaking Dan and his robes to the bone almost instantly. Phil rolls his eyes at the over-dramatic slytherin and stands up, reaching out and grabbing Dan's left arm and tugging him out of the great hall - the cloud following behind.
"Dan, stop it," Phil says once they get out of the hall and into a more quiet corridor, "you always make it rain when you're sad Mr Dramatic, so what's wrong?"
"Sorry," Dan mumbles, making the cloud vanish, however he cannot be bothered to dry himself yet, "I just... I don't... I hate how I'm being treated."
"Dan," Phil says sadly, putting an arm around his soaking shoulder, "I promise you, this will all be over soon. I know that everyone isn't being very nice or the least bit understanding - but I know you're not a bad person Dan, when this is all over, everyone will realise that too."
"How do you always know what to say?" Dan asks quietly, looking down sadly at his intertwined fingers; fidgeting nervously.
"I don't half the time, I just say the truth. And usually, it's the truth that people want to hear anyway," Phil says with a shrug and a smile at his friend, before cheekily adding, "and it's nice to finally be able to know and do something you can't."
"Oh Phil, herbology extraordinaire, wise advice giver and overall senpai of Hufflepuff," Dan says dramatically, faking an adoring look, "how blessed I am to be in your presence. And shut up, I can do everything."
"Shut up before I transfigure you into your true form, a trash can," Phil threatens.
"Oh Phil, I'd like to see you try."
***
hope you enjoyed :)