The Dragon Tamed

Chapter 12

It was a Friday morning in December, and Thea and Benji were deep in argument about the merits of various fantasy writers. Thea was arguing for the supremacy of Tom Holt, while Benji maintained that Terry Pratchett was a god amongst men. Ginny was taking another bite of her toast and watched them with a bemused expression on her face because she had no idea what they were talking about. Colin, for his part, busied himself with his porridge as he just didn't get the whole sci-fi/fantasy thing.

'Oh, please,' Thea scoffed, 'Tom Holt is by far better. Just look at how he killed off Puss in Boots. Genius.'

Ginny swallowed her piece of toast and whispered to Colin in confusion, 'Puss in Boots?'

As Benji opened his mouth retort, Thea's eyes slipped past him and fastened on the entrance of the Great Hall. She frowned, wondering what had distracted her when Malfoy walked in, chatting with Zabini. Thea glanced at her watch and nearly groaned out loud. This had been happening with increasing regularity over the past week or so. Since when had she actually known what time Malfoy showed up for breakfast? She was going to have to stop sitting facing the door.

And even if she knew what time he arrived, why did she have to keep staring at him? Scowling at herself, she watched as a group of first years parted to let him walk through them, and not around them. It was becoming more and more annoying and her friends were beginning to question her again. She was running out of answers too, especially when she couldn't tell them that she was slowly but surely considering Malfoy a friend.

The others noticed her scowling just as Malfoy and Zabini stopped to talk to Parkinson, who had just left the Slytherin table, and turned to see what had caused it.

'What's the matter?' Colin asked her. 'I thought you and Malfoy were getting on alright.'

'We are. Or at least we are when it's just the two of us. When there are others around, he's still a complete shit.' She had to admit that it was beginning to grate on her that Malfoy was still being vastly unpleasant when others were around. Was it too much to ask that he at least tried to be civil?

'So? It's not like you're friends,' said Ginny.

'Exactly, Thea. You're not actually friends, so why do you care if he's nice to you or not?' said Benji, piling more bacon onto his plate.

Ginny frowned. 'You're not, are you?'

Thea mentally kicked herself. This was exactly the conversation she didn't want to have with her friends and it seemed to be the very conversation she had managed to initiate with them. 'Not what?' she asked as innocently as she could.

Ginny wasn't fooled for a moment. 'Oh, for crying out loud, Thea. What are you thinking?'

'Don't be silly, Ginny,' protested Colin, 'Thea wouldn't be that stupid.' He squinted at Thea. 'Would you?'

'Of course I wouldn't,' she readily agreed, nervously nibbling on a piece of toast.

'Thea, just because he's being nice to you for a couple of hours a week, it doesn't mean anything,' Ginny argued.

'I'm not saying that it does, and I'm not saying it makes us friends,' protested Thea.

'So what do you mean?' demanded Ginny.

Thea shrugged. 'I don't know,' she said, feeling just as confused as she probably sounded.

Before Ginny could continue to question Thea, Sara Madison, one of the Ravenclaws in Thea's Transfiguration tutorial, ran up to Malfoy, who by now had resumed his walk to the Slytherin table, and grabbed onto his arm.

Thea felt her eyes widen in shock. What on earth was Sara doing? No one in his or her right mind would publicly grab Malfoy like that. Actually, they probably shouldn't do it in private either.

Thea looked at her friends and saw shock reflected on their faces as well. Glancing down the Gryffindor table she noted that Harry and Ron - who had unsurprisingly noted Malfoy's entrance - were also looking rather taken aback at Sara's actions. Looking around the other tables Thea could see a few people watching Sara and Malfoy with interest and bringing it to the attention of those sitting closest to them, but most were engrossed in their own conversations, reading the Prophet or letters from home, eating or catching up on nearly due homework.

'What is she doing?' whispered Ginny to Thea.

Thea shook her head. 'I haven't got a clue,' she whispered back. 'It can't end well though.'

Even from a distance it was obvious that Sara was upset, and it even looked as though she'd been crying. Thea thought that might explain her unwise action, but it still screamed calamity. Malfoy and a crying girl was never a good combination and he was always worse with an audience, especially one that included Slytherins.

Malfoy had frozen the moment Sara's hands had touched him. Thea had always thought that he might be a bit fastidious about his personal space, and it seemed she had been right about that. He slowly turned to the distraught girl and his posture that had been relaxed when talking to his friends, was now stiff and tense.

Thea couldn't hear what he said to Sara, due to the buzz of conversation around the hall and the fact that he had spoken quietly, obviously trying to prevent others from listening in.

'Draco, I have to talk to you,' she whimpered, trying to pull him out of the Great Hall with her. Her panicky voice echoed around the hall, interrupting conversations and distracting others from their food/homework/letters. All those who had been unaware of the drama unfolding now sat riveted in their seats. All conversations had stopped and pens had been laid to one side so that no one missed the coming scene.

In the silence of the hall Thea could hear Dom Norton on the Ravenclaw table whisper, 'What on earth does Sara want with scum like Malfoy?'

Since no-one answered him, Thea came to the conclusion that she hadn't told anyone about her little fling with Malfoy and that this was the first time anyone in Ravenclaw had heard about it.

'I have nothing to say to you,' he told her, disdain dripping from his voice. He freed himself from her grasp, leaving her to fall flat on her arse and making her cry out in shock. 'And I don't recall ever giving you permission to call me Draco,' he informed her haughtily. Then he turned away from her and started to walk to the Slytherin table with Zabini, who was smirking openly at Sara.

'Permission to call him Draco,' snorted Ron. 'Who the hell does he think he is?'

'Who would want to call Malfoy "Draco" anyway?' added Dean.

Ginny raised her eyebrows significantly at Thea who ducked her head. How would Ginny react if she knew Thea did, in fact, occasionally - if only in her head - call him Draco?

'But Draco,' Sara cried, tears pouring down her cheeks, 'I love you.'

Thea winced.

'Oh dear Merlin. What did she go and do that for?' whispered Ginny in horror.

'No idea,' whispered back Thea. She could see the Slytherins laughing and jeering on the other side of the hall.

'He's going to completely humiliate her in front of the whole school,' whispered Colin. 'Well, more than he has done already,' he amended quickly.

It seemed to Thea like the whole school was watching the show in the same way most people watch a train crash. It was fascinating, but ultimately you knew how horrific the end result was going to be.

It was nearing the end of breakfast so all the teachers had left, probably to prepare for classes: meaning there was no-one around to stop Malfoy. The majority of Slytherins were watching with unabashed glee, many of them either standing up or standing on the benches to see over the heads of others. There were a few Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors standing up as well, while the majority were craning their necks to see what was happening. Hostility towards Malfoy was coming off the Ravenclaw table in waves, although a good many of them still looked rather stunned by the revelation that Sara had been having a relationship with the Slytherin. Sara's friends were all glaring daggers at Malfoy while a couple of them looked ready to launch themselves at him if he said anything else.

In the end, Emma Pearson pushed herself away from the Ravenclaw table and hurried over to where Sara was sitting crumpled on the floor. Thea was relieved that someone was getting Sara out of the line of fire; she didn't think the girl could take much more of Malfoy's taunting.

'Come on, Sara,' Emma said gently, helping her up off the floor. 'You don't need this. Let's get out of here.'

Sara shook Emma off. 'No, I'm staying here until he admits he loves me.'

She was going to be standing there a while, then.

Personally, Thea thought Sara kind of deserved what she was getting. Well, not exactly; no girl deserved to be so thoroughly humiliated like she was about to be. However, it didn't take a rocket scientist to realise that Malfoy would react like this: he'd done it before after all, and he'd to it again. If she had really wanted to talk to him, the Great Hall, at breakfast, was not the time or the place to do it.

Malfoy snorted, totally ignoring Emma. 'Good for you. I, however, am lucky enough to not be lumbered with any feelings for you.' Looking her over he added, 'Except mild contempt that you would reduce yourself to this grovelling. Have you no dignity? No pride?'

Despite his tone Thea couldn't help agreeing with him, though possibly for different reasons. What kind of girl would throw herself at a guy like that? And in front of the whole school no less. Plus, the guy in question was Malfoy. She really should have known better.

'But Draco, you told me you loved me,' Sara wailed.

Thea had to bite her tongue so as not to burst out laughing, while the people around her started to mutter angrily. Draco, tell someone he loved them? Was she having a laugh? That was never going to happen in...well, ever. He was the most closed off person she had ever met. And even if he'd said so, she was all the more fool to believe him. And to think that the girl was supposed to be a Ravenclaw.

'First off, I've already told you not to call me Draco. Second, I never told you I loved you. I told you I liked you. Liked to shag you, that it. If you want to turn that into some kind of declaration of love, that's your business. It has nothing to do with me.'

'So you never liked me?' she asked in a small voice.

'We've just been over this,' he said, sounding really exasperated.

Zabini snorted. 'I bet it wasn't worth all this trouble. No shag is.'

'I couldn't agree more,' said Malfoy dryly.

At this the Slytherins started whistling and catcalling - or more than they had been already. Some of the older Ravenclaws who had been looking at Malfoy as though they'd like to beat him to a pulp, now stood up and took a few steps towards him. It looked as though there was going to be a god to honest brawl in the middle of the Great Hall. Luckily some of the older students of the other houses quickly saw where it was going and took the necessary steps. Thea saw Dean and Neville stop Terry Boot from throwing himself at Malfoy, while Ernie and Justin were stopping Anthony Goldstein from doing the same thing. Mandy and Sally-Anne were being held on to by Susan Bones and Lavender.

'Is that all it was to you? A quick shag?' Sara choked out, looking devastated.

'Why? Is there anything else?' Malfoy asked in a bored voice, eyes flicking over those being restrained. 'Are you quite done yet? I'm hungry and my breakfast is getting cold.'

As he walked off with Zabini, Emma pulled Sara away with her, walking towards the door where Alicia met them. Together they all left the hall, Malfoy not even glancing their way as the door banged shut behind them.

'You're disgusting, Malfoy,' Terry Boot said as he planted himself in Malfoy's way, accompanied by a few other Ravenclaws, 'picking on poor Sara like that.'

Evidently Terry had managed to convince Dean and Neville to let go of him. Thea wasn't entirely sure that had been a good idea. The possibility of a fight was still there.

'How could you treat her like that?' added Anthony Goldstein, sounding equally disgusted.

Although Thea could no longer see Malfoy's face, by the reaction of the Ravenclaws facing him she got the impression he was smirking arrogantly at them as he said, 'Oh please,' he scoffed. 'You act like she was some innocent virgin. Well, I can assure you that she was more than happy to spread her legs for me, and she knew exactly what she was doing.'

There was an audible gasp from both the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor tables while the Ravenclaws glared at Malfoy and muttered darkly. Chris and Alex had to hold back Darryl Winston, who was trying his hardest to get at Malfoy. If it wasn't for the fact that Darryl would probably end up in the infirmary, Thea thought they'd probably have let Darryl attack Malfoy. The Slytherins, predictably, were finding the whole debacle incredibly amusing and were already taunting the Ravenclaws about Sara's lack of virtue. A couple of them had even stood up and were hovering; as if ready to run at any Ravenclaw's should a fight break out. There may be no love lost between Malfoy and the rest of Slytherin, but they were more than ready to back him in a fight if it meant they got to beat up some of the other houses. Sara's life was going to be a living hell until they found something else to laugh about.

Thea for her part wasn't sure what she thought. On the one hand, she felt terribly sorry for Sara - being that humiliated in front of the whole school and setting yourself to be an object of ridicule until everyone got bored wasn't something she'd wish on anyone (well, maybe Myra Flint). Sara's bad judgment shouldn't mean that she got treated in such a manner - and the fact that Draco could treat a girl like that and apparently not see anything wrong with his actions worried her. On the other hand, everyone knew that Malfoy was a bastard. Putting yourself in a situation where you literally begged Malfoy to belittle you beggared belief.

Thea was aware that when something similar had happened last year (fortunately there had been some teachers around and so it hadn't gone anywhere near as far as this one) she hadn't felt an ounce of sympathy for Malfoy, and this year she did. It was obviously because she was getting to know him, even regard him as a friend, that she was trying to excuse his behaviour - behaviour that was very difficult to explain away. Even so, she found herself unable to be angry with Draco; disappointed yes, but not angry. Well, maybe a little. It was rather difficult to watch something like that and not imagine how you'd feel if you had been the one being dismissed by Malfoy.

Glaring at them for a moment, Malfoy swept around the Ravenclaws to finally finish his journey to the Slytherin table. However, he found his path blocked by Snape. He nearly walked straight into the professor but managed to pull himself up short, just in time. He didn't say anything, just glared at his Head of House. Now where on earth had Snape appeared from?

'What is the meaning of this ungodly racket?' Snape demanded, glaring at each table individually - well all excepting Slytherin. He had had no need to raise his voice as practically every student had shut up as soon as they saw Snape.

'Mr Landsberg, Miss Tyler, Mr Sloper, Miss Quirke, Mr Ackerley, Mr Whitby, Miss Zeller, Mr Harris, Miss Benson, that will be five points each for standing on school property,' Snape snapped to those who hadn't managed to scramble down before being seen. 'Mr Winston, Mr Boot and Mr Goldstein, that will be ten points each for fighting.'

There wasn't a squeak of protest from anyone, although Thea did notice that no Slytherins had any points deducted and practically all of them where standing on the benches and a couple were even standing on the tables.

'Mr Winston, you will also have a detention for instigating the fight.' He glared round at everyone again. 'Now, if you have all finished acting like Quidditch hooligans, Mr Malfoy, follow me, if you would,' said Snape, ignoring the look his student was giving him.

Malfoy looked mournfully at the table in front of him. 'I'm just not going to get any breakfast this morning, am I?' he lamented.

Thea choked on her juice, earning herself a questioning look from Ginny. He was being funny - in public. Could she possibly be the only one who noticed?

Zabini smirked at him and Malfoy glared back.

'I'm sure Mr. Zabini will happily pick something out for you,' Snape snapped.

This time Malfoy smirked at Zabini, who looked less than amused at having to pick out Draco's breakfast, before following Snape out of the Hall.

As the doors fell shut behind them, each table, except Slytherin, exploded into angry chatter. Thea got the distinct impression that Malfoy was being made into the bad guy of the whole thing. Of course, she could understand why, but still - if Sara hadn't tried to talk to him in the middle of the hall then none of it would have happened.

'Of all the rotten things,' exclaimed Benji, angrily.

'How dare he treat a girl like that? He's no respect,' agreed Colin.

'Malfoy? Respect? Don't be daft, Colin. Malfoy doesn't even know the meaning of the word,' injected Ron.

'That all sounded rather normal Malfoy behaviour to me,' Neville said from next to them. 'He was being cruel and mean.'

'Yeah,' agreed Harry, turning to say something to Ron. 'There goes Hermione's theory about Malfoy. It doesn't look to me like he's changed, become a better person. He's still a bastard.'

Thea looked up sharply. Hermione had a theory about Malfoy being nice? Since when?

'Don't act so surprised, Harry,' said Ron. 'I said last week that it wouldn't be long until Malfoy was up to his old tricks, but would she listen? No!'

'I bet you can't wait to prove to her that she's wrong,' muttered Harry.

'Well, she had to be wrong eventually,' said Ron, 'better it be now than we when we need her know-it-all attitude in some tight spot, or other.'

Harry just rolled his eyes.

'If anything he was more vicious than usual,' commented Seamus.

'As long as Malfoy is getting what he wants he doesn't care about anyone else,' agreed Dean, stabbing viciously at an unfortunate tomato.

Thea looked at Ginny as the rest of Gryffindor insulted Draco, Ron leading the way, naturally. 'I can't believe he just did that.'

'You can't?' Ginny asked her. 'Neville's right. That is the most Malfoy-like I've seen him in weeks. It's actually good to know he's still a bastard.'

'Well, I'm really not looking forward to this evening after that. I hope his mood will have improved.'

'I'm sure he'll be nice...to you,' Ginny teased, laughing.

Standing up and throwing her bag over her shoulder, Thea gave her best friend a withering look before making her way over to the Hufflepuff table to pick up Abi.

Alicia was probably still with Sara, meaning she'd be a while.

'Can you believe the nerve of the guy?' fumed Abi as they walked towards the Elemental classroom. 'Just who the hell does he think he is? Just because the whole of Slytherin think he walks on water, doesn't mean the rest of us do.'

Thea didn't need to contribute much to the conversation. Abi was mad enough for at least nine people, so Thea only really had to nod and agree in all the right places. Plus she didn't want to say anything that could get her hexed to Timbuktu and back.

'He's an arrogant, selfish, stuck-up prick. Prince of Slytherin, my arse. More like Prince of Toss, if you ask me.'

Thea snorted with laughter. Abi had such an unusual way of putting things. Only she could come up with a phrase 'Prince of Toss' and make it sound good.

'Personally, I prefer Prince of Darkness myself. Although Prince of Toss does have a rather unique sound to it, I have to admit,' a voice drawled from behind them.

Both Thea and Abi spun around, Thea nearly managing to trip herself up in the process. She noticed Malfoy rolling his eyes at her, before turning his attention back to Abi. Somehow Thea didn't think this was going to be a friendly fireside chat.

'Oh look who it is,' spat Abi, 'the dickweed himself.'

'Ah, Murphy, you wound me. Only moments ago, I was the Prince of Toss.' His voice was light and slightly mocking, but his eyes were as cold as ice. In Thea's estimation, he was furious.

'I can't believe you're finding this funny, Malfoy. Don't you even care what you've done to Sara?'

'What I've done to Sara?' he repeated, as if he couldn't quite believe what he was hearing. 'And what, exactly, have I done to Sara?'

'You seduced her, you bastard,' seethed Abi, her hands curling into fists at her sides. 'You seduced her and once you'd got what you wanted, you threw her out. You disgust me.'

To Thea's utter surprise, Malfoy threw back his head and laughed. Not a nice one, it was definitely a cruel laugh, but laugh he did.

'Perhaps, my loyal and gullible little Hufflepuff, you should get all the facts straight before accusing people of things they didn't do.' He took a step closer to them. 'Your innocent little friend was the one who did all the chasing. I didn't have to do a thing. She literally begged me to fuck her. She knew what she was getting into and she loved every minute of it.'

'You lying bastard,' shouted Abi, taking a step towards Malfoy. Thea put her hand on her friend's arm in alarm. Abi should not be moving any closer to Draco, considering the mood he was in.

'Are you sure?' taunted Malfoy gleefully.

'Of course I am. Why would I believe a Malfoy over, well, anyone? We all know you're lying Death Eater scum. It's just a matter of time before Dumbledore throws you out.'

Thea felt her stomach contract as Abi spoke. 'Shut up,' she hissed at her friend, watching Malfoy's every move. 'What the hell are you doing?' Apart from getting herself killed, that was.

'Telling this shithead that I'm not scared of him.'

'Are you insane?' Thea asked her friend. 'He'll kill you, or at the very least hurt you a lot.'

'As if he's got the balls to do that. Look at him. He hasn't even got the balls to deny it.'

Thea disagreed with Abi on that point. To her, it looked as though Malfoy was only stopping himself from truly exploding by sheer force of will. She could feel the elemental magic around her vibrating with Draco's anger and she was surprised that Abi couldn't feel it too. She had to get Abi out of there before she actually managed to get herself hurt.

She pushed her friend on down the corridor. 'Go on. Go to Elemental. I'll follow you.'

Abi spun back round. 'As if I'm going to leave you with him,' she protested.

'I'll be fine. Nothing's going to happen to me.' She glanced down the corridor. 'Anyway, Dumbledore's office is that way even if anything happens.'

'Yeah, because if Malfoy tries to kill you, Dumbledore will be so helpful up in his office,' snapped Abi.

'Look,' snapped back Thea, turning to glare at her friend, 'I can deal with him better than you can.' Out of the corner of her eye she saw Malfoy's anger break for a moment to give her a rather incredulous look. 'How else do you think I've managed to survive nearly a whole term of tutorials?'

'Well, if you're sure...' Abi said finally, looking worried. 'Do you really think- well, alright. He really won't kill you?'

'Really won't kill me,' Thea assured her, not feeling all that sure herself.

'What shall I tell Professor Algaron?'

Thea just about managed to stop herself from screaming in frustration. Here she was trying to get Abi out of Malfoy's way as quickly as possible and all she wanted to do was ask questions. 'Tell him I got held up if he gets there before me. Now shoo.'

Abi slowly backed down the corridor, obviously still unsure if she should be leaving Thea alone with Malfoy.

As Abi disappeared down the corridor, Malfoy turned his attention to her. 'Now what did you do that for?' he demanded. 'I already had planned what curse I was going to inflict on her first.'

'Perhaps that was why I got rid of Abi,' suggested Thea, noticing that the elemental magic was once again stable.

'Or perhaps you just wanted to get me alone so you could sample what got Sara so wound up.' He leered at her suggestively but he just didn't seem to be putting as much effort into being a lecherous git as he usually did.

Thea just rolled her eyes, but refused to say anything. No matter what she said he'd spin it to his advantage, so it would be best not to say anything really.

'So what really happened?' she finally asked him.

'Why? Don't you believe me when I say it was Madison chasing me and not the other way round?' He sounded ever so slightly defensive and Thea was sure she must be imagining it.

'Actually, I was giving you a chance to tell me your side of the story, seeing as I'm no doubt going to be hearing a rather biased story from Sara, but if you don't want to tell me...'

Malfoy opened his mouth to speak, but at that moment Thea heard Harry and Seamus voices floating down the corridor, getting closer to them. Although she couldn't hear what they were saying, they were near enough for her to recognise their voices. She did wonder why they were late to class, but didn't really have time to ponder it.

'I'll tell you later,' he promised her, already walking off. 'Now get out of here before Potter and his sidekick get here, decide I'm harassing you and attempt to fight for your virtue.'

Thea wasn't sure if she'd just been insulted, or, in some weird way, complimented. Unable to decide she walked quickly down the corridor, not wanting Harry or Seamus to ask her why she was hanging around near the Defence classroom.

----------

'...an arrogant, sleazy, manipulative fuckwit, is what he is,' concluded Abi as Thea sat down with her and Alicia.

'No need to ask who you're talking about,' said Thea pulling her quill, ink and parchment out of her bag. She looked around the room. 'Where's the professor?'

'He's just such a bastard,' said Abi with relish, raising an eyebrow at Thea in question. 'Oh, and I have no idea where Algaron is, just that he's not here yet.'

Thea smiled at her friend in reassurance. 'Still in one piece,' she whispered, prompting Abi to smile. Her friend didn't say anything about their confrontation with Malfoy, but she was quite sure that sooner or later Abi would ask her about what had happened.

'No argument here,' agreed Alicia. 'I can't believe he did that to Sara. The poor girl is beside herself.'

'How is she doing?' asked Thea.

'She's with Mandy now, as far as I know. Hermione said that they could use her room, keep Sara away from prying eyes.'

'That's really kind of her,' commented Thea. You could always trust Hermione to come through in a crisis. She frowned, a thought coming to her. 'Hang on a minute, Hermione wasn't there.'

'We met her coming back from the library,' explained Alicia. 'She got very angry with all the Slytherins pointing and laughing at Sara as Mandy tried to walk her back to the Ravenclaw common room. She was deducting points like there was no tomorrow, even though she had no idea what was going on, only that Sara was crying like mad. She was brilliant.'

Thea laughed. 'So, did Sara say what had happened?' she asked.

'Apparently he dumped her.' Alicia shrugged. 'That's pretty much the extent of the story.'

'Can't say I blame him,' sniffed Flint at them from across the room, where she was deep in conversation with Trellis. Thea couldn't hear what they were talking about, but she would guess that the earlier scene in the Great Hall was the hot topic.

'Did she say why she ran up to Malfoy like that?' asked Thea, ignoring the Slytherin girls. She wanted to know what made a girl lose all her good sense and do something that stupid. Even Luna wouldn't do something as crazy as what Sara had done. On the other hand, Thea couldn't see Luna having any kind of relationship with Malfoy that involved touching him.

Alicia nodded. 'Apparently they met up as usual last night.'

'The Astronomy Tower?' guessed Abi.

Alicia nodded. 'The second Malfoy appeared he told her he was finishing the thing between them because, and I quote, "he was getting bored."'

Flint and Trellis laughed loudly from where they were sitting. 'Why are they surprised?' Trellis said to Flint. 'That Ravenclaw was pathetic. I'm shocked it went on for as long as it did.'

Abi leaned forward, sparing only an irritated glare for the Slytherins. 'He didn't?'

'Oh yes, he did,' Alicia said grimly. 'Bastard.'

'He told her in those words?' asked Thea, appalled. No wonder Sara had been so upset. How could he possibly have an excuse for acting like that? Even if Sara had done all the chasing it didn't mean he could be a bastard when it ended.

'Yep, those very words apparently. He said them and left, didn't even give her a chance to say anything.'

'You think that anything she could have said would have changed his mind?' asked Thea doubtfully. 'You know what Malfoy is like. It's practically unthinkable that he would be nice to her just 'cause she's upset.'

'I know, I know,' agreed Alicia, running her fingers through her hair. 'It's just...couldn't he have handled it slightly better? Did he have to get her into such a mess?'

'I'd imagine the sodding wanker wasn't thinking about how Sara would feel, only how to get rid of her quickly,' said Abi sourly.

'No doubt he wanted to move onto better, Slytherin things,' suggested Flint maliciously.

Thea glared at her. 'I thought Malfoy had got bored of all the Slytherins a long time ago,' she snapped. 'No one left for him to fuck since you all spread your legs for him at the merest suggestion he might be interested.' Sara may have been stupid, but all the Slytherin girls wanted were the advantages that came with being Malfoy's girlfriend.

'You bitch!' exclaimed Trellis, her face flushing.

'What's the matter, Trellis?' shot back Abi, 'Remembering how you felt when Malfoy discarded you like the common whore you are?'

The Slytherin girls retreated to the other side of the room, glowering at them, but unwilling to say anything else. Sometimes the truth was a wonderful thing.

'But, my god, did you see Darryl?' asked Alicia. 'I swear, if looks could kill...'

'Darryl would have been dead long ago,' Thea interrupted. 'Probably about our second week in second year when he bumped into Malfoy.'

'Oh yeah. I'd forgotten about that,' mused Alicia. 'Malfoy can freeze steam with that glare.'

Thea laughed at the image of steam freezing as Malfoy glared at it and then crashing to the ground.

'So does Darryl like Sara then?' asked Abi leaning forward in interest. Ever since she had got together with Colin she had been overly interested in her friend's love lives, wanting them to be as happy as she was. In Ginny's words, "it was sickening."

'I think he has for ages,' Alicia told them.

'Hope he doesn't retaliate against Malfoy,' said Thea. 'That could only end badly for him.' Like being dead.

At that point Professor Algaron hurried into the room. 'Sorry I'm late,' he huffed. 'There was an altercation involving some Ravenclaws and Slytherins - all from the third year. I had to put a few of them out and usher the rest to see Dumbledore. I left them in his capable hands.'

Thea exchanged a worried look with her friends. 'Wonder what that was about,' she whispered.

Alicia bit her lip. 'I'd put fifty galleons on this getting worse before it gets better.'

Professor Algaron clapped his hands, pulling their attention back to him. Recognising that this meant he wasn't in the best of moods, they quietened down and gave him their undivided attention for the rest of the lesson.

-----------

When Thea walked into the History classroom that evening she saw Draco lounging in his chair, his legs stretched out in front of him and his hands folded behind his head. He had a book open in front of him but he didn't seem to be reading it. She went and sat in her chair next to him.

'Well, you've definitely created quite a talking point,' she told him, setting her bag on the floor.

'Stupid bitch,' he muttered darkly.

'I'm sorry?' she demanded. She didn't think he was talking about her but it didn't hurt to check.

He glanced up at her. 'Not you, Thea. Sara. Sara is the stupid bitch,' he clarified.

'That's what I thought you meant.' Though how him being a bastard was Sara's fault, she didn't know.

He scowled. 'I still can't believe she had the audacity to approach me at breakfast.'

'I don't think it was audacity, as much as desperation,' Thea informed him.

He frowned at her. 'Desperation.'

'You hurt her, Draco, you really hurt her,' Thea told him, not in the least surprised that he hadn't thought about it. 'You could have let her down just a little bit kinder. I mean, the words "heartless bastard" come to mind.'

'Why would I want to be kind to her?' he asked her. His eyes narrowed. 'And how do you know what I said to her?'

'The entire school knows what you said to her. Haven't you been listening to what's being said?'

'No. Why don't you tell me?' Draco's voice was calm and soft. Thea recognised that as being the warning to his most ferocious temper.

'You're not going to shoot the messenger, are you?' she asked him, swallowing nervously.

'Unlikely,' he told her.

Thea sighed. That really wasn't all that reassuring.

'Well, basically, you told her she was crap and boring. I know this 'cause Alicia told me and Abi in Elemental class. However, I think the rumour mill is working overtime because, well, it's kinda been expanded on.' She paused to gauge his response. He was watching her, but didn't seem inclined to react just this minute. 'You are also supposed to have told her you were going to find someone better and apparently you had been sleeping with her for months.'

For about a second his jaw hit the floor before he recovered himself. 'We had sex, Thea. There was no sleeping involved.' He scowled. 'And it was two weeks, tops.'

Thea rolled her eyes. Trust Malfoy to get his equilibrium back through making a caustic remark. 'The difference being?'

'It's rather difficult to fall asleep against a classroom wall,' he responded.

Thea felt herself blush bright red. 'That is so more information than I needed or wanted to know,' she told him.

'Is that all she's saying?' he asked her.

She nodded before she looked at him and said, 'You know, at least some of this is your fault.'

'And how did you jump to that conclusion?' he asked her coldly.

'I didn't jump to any conclusions, Draco. I took a tiny step, and there they were, waiting for me to find them.'

He didn't look amused.

Thea hurried on. 'I mean, did you have to dump her so cruelly? Surely you could have handled it slightly better than you did. It's hardly surprising that she was upset and wanted to talk to you.'

'Why would I have wanted to be nicer to her? She knew what it was before we started. It was sex, nothing more, and she knew that and was happy with it. Hell, that's what she asked for.'

Thea laughed. She just couldn't help it. And he called her naïve. Honestly.

He scowled. 'Why are you laughing?'

'You actually thought she was happy with that arrangement?' she asked him.

'All the other girls have been. Why should she be any different?'

'I don't doubt that some of the girls would have been more than happy with the "arrangement." I doubt though, that they all were. I'll bet you anything that some of them thought that they could be the one to change you.' Thea rolled her eyes. Girls. They could be so stupid. Like Malfoy was ever going to change. Well, not like that anyway.

'They wanted to change me? Into what?' Ho sounded ever so slightly bemused.

Thea looked at him incredulously. 'Malfoy, you're a Slytherin. Surely you don't need me to spell it out to you.' She stared at him. 'Do you?' she questioned. Since he stayed uncharacteristically quiet, Thea sighed and entered dangerous waters. 'They want to turn you into boyfriend material, you idiot. They want to be the one who tames the great untouchable Draco Malfoy.'

He didn't speak for about a minute. 'They want what?' He had managed to school his features so he wasn't giving anything away but the slight raise in his voice wrecked it all. Thea reckoned he was mightily pissed off. Either that or scared. Probably both.

'They probably don't even realise it. I mean, it's not like they plan it. It will start out as just a little thought in their head that just gets bigger as time goes on.'

'They want to tame me?' he repeated looking horrified.

Thea laughed. 'Sounds ridiculous, doesn't it? Not to mention impossible.'

He narrowed his eyes and watched her, considering. Since he didn't seem about to speak and she really didn't want to know what he was thinking, Thea grabbed a book and opened it up to the first page. She could feel his eyes on her but she refused to look up and meet his gaze. If she paid attention to him every time he watched her, she'd never get any work done.

'What about you?' he asked out after some time.

She blinked 'What about me?' She'd been enjoying reading about how the feud between wizards and the giants had begun and had completely forgotten what they'd been talking about.

'Are you trying to tame me?' He sounded genuinely curious.

The book fell out of Thea's hands and dropped, with a thud, to the floor. She quickly scooped it up. Draco did not like it when bad things happened to his books. She closed it and placed it on the desk before looking at him. 'What on earth possessed you to ask such a question?' That was pretty much the question she had hoped he wasn't going to ask.

'You said all girls wanted to tame me. You're a girl.' He raked his gaze over her. Thea shifted in her seat, uncomfortable. 'Yep, definitely a girl,' he confirmed as she blushed furiously for what felt like the millionth time that night. He returned his eyes to her face. 'So, are you trying to tame me?'

'Does it look like I'm trying to tame you?' she asked him, hurt that he had asked. She liked him just the way he was. Well, that wasn't strictly true, she supposed. She wasn't a fan of his public face, to put it mildly. However, the Draco she was discovering when they were alone, she liked a lot. She was finding it difficult to reconcile the two different, sometimes contradictionary, personae of Malfoy. However that didn't mean she wanted to change him; just tone down some of the more malicious aspects of his character. Then again, she didn't think Malfoy would appreciate the difference at the moment. Also, she was unlikely to volunteer that information willingly, lest she got laughed at.

'Not immediately. But it could just be a very sly ploy to lull me into a false sense of security.'

Thea snorted. Wonderful; he thought she was a Slytherin. 'You? A false sense of security? Not bloody likely, I'm thinking. And anyway, I'm a Gryffindor, sly tricks and ploys are more in the realm of Slytherin, I think.'

'Ah, but you could be using that to your advantage. Making me think that since you're a Gryffindor you couldn't possibly act at all sly or cunningly.' He leaned back in his chair, regarding her seriously.

'Are you done being quite so daft?' she asked him, exasperated.

'You didn't answer my question, Thea. Are you trying to tame me?' His voice had gone very quiet but very hard. So not a good sign.

'You want the truth?' she asked him. It would be fun to make him squirm just a little bit. Did Malfoys squirm? She could see the wary look in his eye as she pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around them.

'Of course I want the truth,' he snapped.

'I'm not trying to turn you into boyfriend material or tame you.' She rolled her eyes at the thought. 'That would be stupid, not to mention completely unlikely to ever happen.' She paused before continuing. 'All I want is to maybe be your friend.' She watched him closely for his reaction, wondering if she should have told him.

'Friend?' he questioned, frowning in suspicion.

She nodded. 'Isn't that where these tutorials have been going?' Please god let her be right and not reading them completely wrong, that would be so embarrassing. Not to mention giving Malfoy enough ammunition to make her life hell of the next twenty years or so - if she survived that long.

'What's the catch?'

'Catch?' she asked, confused.

'There's always a catch, Maggi. Or haven't you noticed? No one wants to be my friend because they like me. They want to be my friend because they want something from me. My name, money, or sex generally.' He cut his eyes to her. 'So, what is it you want?'

Uh oh. They had reverted back to Maggi. That was not a good sign. 'Draco,' she said cautiously and deliberately, 'I don't want anything. That's not friendship, not proper friendship, anyway.' She wanted to ask what that made Zabini and Parkinson since she had got the definite impression that they were all friends, but she didn't have the courage to ask him at this moment in time.

'If you say so,' he said, sneering. 'Friendship is about using people to get what you want. And until you tell me what it is you want I won't even consider it. Now get out. It's ten thirty and I would like a decent nights sleep this Friday night.'

Thea grabbed her bag and stood up, suddenly feeling very angry. Funny, she had always assumed that if she'd just been rejected she'd have just wanted to get out of there and lick her wounds. Apparently she got mad instead.

Who did he think he was to presume that about her, to think that she would just be using him? Bastard. Pulling her bag over her shoulder she turned back to look at him, to find him watching her with what looked like curiosity. 'Fine,' she snapped at him loudly. 'I'll tell you what I want, you bastard. All I wanted was for you to have someone you could talk to without worrying about what you said or didn't say being held against you. I wanted you to have someone who you didn't have to act in front of, since it's obvious that that's all you ever do with anyone else. I was offering to be that person if you wanted.' Dear god, what was she saying? She had to stop. Please, please, make her stop. She hadn't wanted Malfoy to know any of that. She hadn't even told Ginny any of that. She had to stop talking but she just didn't seem to be able to. 'I don't give a damn about your money; I don't give a damn about your name. Neither is particularly helpful or scary to me. But since you're going to be such an ass about everything, you can go to hell.' She could feel tears pricking behind her eyes and she had to get out of here before she started crying, if only out of anger.

Malfoy opened his mouth to speak but Thea didn't want to hear any of it. Considering the mood she was in, she'd just tell him to fuck off and die, and probably not in a nice way. Best thing to do would be for her to leave and calm down. That would hopefully leave Draco to think through what she'd said and maybe come up with a reply of some sort: be it, sure, why not, or something about not being friends with a Mudblood, which, in all honesty, was more likely. With that she turned on her heel and stalked out of the room, fuming so hard she was sure there would be steam coming out of her ears if she looked in a mirror.

She stormed down the corridor. Really, just who did he think he was? How dare he accuse her of scheming to be his friend. As if she would put herself through all this trouble if she just wanted a rich and well-placed friend. If she was like that then why would she go for Malfoy of all people? If she wanted that, Harry would have been a much easier target. The wanker.

'Thea,' she heard Malfoy call but she only stomped louder to drown out his voice. 'Thea!' he finally shouted as she got further away from him.

She kept on walking. She so did not want to talk to him. And she didn't care one bit that he had called her Thea and not Maggi. She didn't care in the slightest. Not her. Finally, as she rounded a corner she was suddenly yanked back into an alcove. Knowing exactly who it was she turned round and glared at him. 'What?' she demanded, ignoring the flash of regret she thought she saw in his eyes.

'Thea, what the hell are you doing?' he demanded, nearly yelling at her.

'Walking back to the common room, you dimwit. What does it look like?' she replied hotly.

'You cannot walk off without me. I have to escort you back,' he told her impatiently.

'Oh piss off, Malfoy. I don't want to spend time with someone who thinks such nasty and horrible things about me.'

'I don't think nasty and horrible things about you,' he protested.

'Sure? Cause what you said a minute ago sounded really quite nasty and quite horrible,' she retorted, not bothering to hide the hurt in her voice. It really pissed her off that what he had said had hurt her.

He looked at her before sighing heavily. 'You tell anyone what I say now and I will deny it and then kill you, hiding the body where no one can ever find it. Understood?'

'Crystal,' Thea said, wondering what one earth he was going to tell her that could warrant such a virulent warning. In the back of her mind she was noticing that he hadn't bound her to her promise like the last time he had told her something private about himself, so maybe he was beginning to trust her without realising it. Or maybe she was in the land of make-believe.

As they began to walk towards the Gryffindor common room, Malfoy stared ahead for a few minutes. Thea didn't rush him. If he said he was going to do something, he did. So all she had to do was wait.

'As far as I am aware, my father has never had a friend in his life,' he began slowly. 'All of his acquaintances have either been to his advantage, or they have been under the impression that they could benefit from it. He has never trusted another soul with his deepest secrets or to show any other side of his personality to be viewed, if there is one,' he acknowledged. 'Everyone my father knows wants to be near him for the power he has, the prestige or the money...that or they hate him and want him dead.' He sounded rather bitter about it. 'I was kind of under the impression that that was how it always worked.' He paused momentarily, looking into the distance. 'I was never aware that the friendship that Potter has with Granger and Weasel, or the one you share with your friends could exist. And when I did I certainly never thought I could be part of such a circle.' He glanced over and glared at her. 'I don't understand how they work.' He seemed to resent telling her that.

Thea bit her lip as she looked at Malfoy. She had never really thought about it like that. What a horrible way to grow up. Little wonder he was like he was.

As she opened her mouth to say goodness knows what, he snapped, 'And I don't want your pity or your sympathy. I like who I am.' He licked his lips slightly. 'I just...want to find out what my father is missing out on and if it can work.'

'So does this mean that we are friends?' ventured Thea, hopefully.

He considered her question for a moment. 'It means we could be.'

'I guess that'll have to do for now,' she decided, relief flooding her. 'But let me know how it progresses.'

'I will,' he promised her as they came to a stop in front of the Fat Lady. 'But Thea,' she looked up at him. 'Be assured that I have confided in you more in the last ten minutes than I have to anyone in the last ten years.'

She smiled. 'I'm glad. And I promise not to tell anyone anything you tell me.'

'Don't make promises you can't keep,' he warned her.

She turned to the Fat Lady to say the password (Dances with Wolves), before replying, 'I'm not.' With that she turned and left what looked like a rather shell-shocked Draco standing there, staring after her.