You Don't Know

Chapter 3 - The Great Feast

The train arrived at the station and the many students ascended off the carriages. Hagrid, as usual, was directing the first years off to the boats as the other students clambered onto the horseless carriages. The trip to the castle was short lived and they were soon staring up, once again, at the splendour that was Hogwarts Castle. The students headed off to the great hall en masse.

The great hall filled with the many students of Slytherin, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. They took their places at their tables awaiting the Sorting Hat ceremony. Eagerly looking forward to what the hat's song would be.

Draco took his usual seat towards the end of the Slytherin table. His father had been a Slytherin and his father before him and so on. So it was expected of him to be in Slytherin. When he had sat up there as the frightened first years would tonight, he had been so afraid. So afraid that he wouldn't be in Slytherin and would be verbally abused for the 'disgrace' to the Malfoy name. The moment he placed the hat on he thought of only one thing 'put me in Slytherin.' Ignoring the Hats suggestion of Gryffindor 'You could be great there,' he had felt himself screaming, 'Slytherin.' The moment the hat had been removed, none of this struggle was known.

Crabbe and Goyle took seats on either side of him. He felt confined, unable to move, and trapped with them on either side of him. The hall was filled with laughter and chatter, but over on the Slytherin table it was full of sinister and sly remarks. Draco sank in his seat trying to withdraw himself from the table. He closed his eyes and tried to drift off to another world, but unpleasant memories that he could not remember came creeping in. Visions of darkness, pain and despair. He opened his eyes with a jolt. He realized that he was covered in a cold sweat. The Sorting ceremony was over and the tables were littered with new faces and Dumbledore was in the middle of his traditional speech

"... And now let us eat and be merry. Tuck in everybody!"

He often thought that Dumbledore was odd and that he wasn't particularly fond of Draco. He didn't blame him for this, as it was commonly suspected that Draco's father was a member of the Death Eaters, who were likely not the most popular people in Dumbledore's eyes. His eyes panned around the room. Everyone seemed so happy. 'How could they be, when he struggled through each day?' It seemed so easy for them to smile and laugh. He looked to his plate, and it magically filled up with food. He tried to eat, but every time he took a bite of something he got a sudden distaste for it and soon enough he lost his appetite. Pushing his plate away he silently left the table and slipped out of the great hall. He had become good at disappearing when he felt like being alone. He had been doing it for so long, it was like second nature. He exited the castle and sat on the large stone steps of the great entrance. He breathed in the fresh open air as if he hadn't breathed a breath in his life. The cool breeze was refreshing on his face. He looked beyond the large lake, past the forbidden forest and into the night. He wished he were there. As far away from everyone as possible. From Hogwarts, from Harry Potter and most of all his father.

There was a noise behind him and he turned instinctively with his wand drawn. Framed by the light from the entrance hall was Hermione Granger. If there was anyone he was meaner to then Harry Potter it was she. He regretted every moment. He didn't care if she wasn't of wizarding blood. It was the Malfoy's who cared, not him. He turned back to the fading horizon and pocketed his wand.

"Malfoy," she said with a cold voice.

"Granger I'm not in the mood," he replied still facing the unknown.

He couldn't see her but he knew her well enough to know that she would be standing there with a scowl on her face and arms crossed. Over the years she had grown a shield to his teasing. However he knew that it was all a show. He could see it in her eyes that the words that he spoke had hurt her. He sat silently for a while and could still fell her presence. He turned to see if she was still looking at him and was met with a face that said 'Jerk' and she turned and left. Draco sat stunned for a moment, then confused. What was she doing out here? She seemed to come out for no reason, but there must have been. Had she been looking for him? No that wasn't it. She was probably looking for Ron Weasley or another friend.