The Darkest Night

Reviews answered at the end of the chapter. (Insert standard disclaimer) I own nothing, it's not mine. Don't sue me, I don't make money. This chapter is a PG-13, to be on the safe side, because there are some jokes or sexual innuendo that the younger crowd (considered what, like 10 and younger now?) might not understand. It's not blatant, I promise!! I'm just waiting for the angry mothers and their scathing reviews.... But please don't, I have a tendency to be violent, and I might set Draco on you.

Also, my owl post is finally working! Yay! If you like, I can start sending out chapter owls. Just tell me if you'd like one.

Chapter 4: Treading a Dangerous Path

It was the day that wouldn't end. McGonagall had droned on forever during Transfiguration, as the students tried to turn wool sweaters into actual sheep. Not that they would ever find the use for such a skill, at least, none that could ever be mentioned in polite conversation.

A pair of Ravenclaw boys to Draco's left were snickering to themselves the entire time, even under the vigilant glare of Professor McGonagall, Mistress of Death. She had paced the front on the class, wand in hand, smacking it against her palm, strangely reminiscent of a Nun holding a ruler. Normally, her steely gaze would have been enough to quiet even the bravest of Slytherins.

He smiled to himself, remembering the moment. The pair had no doubt been discussing new found uses for their recently created sheep. He had vaguely overheard words like "zipper" and "kilt" from their conversation. Draco had no idea what they were talking about or what a zipper was, but he could guess if it had anything to do with sheep.

He paused briefly to hitch his bag higher on his shoulder, and then continued walking towards the Hogwarts grounds. On any other day, Draco would have found this conversation extremely entertaining. But seeing as how it would appear on the N.E.W.T.S., as McGonagall had hinted, Draco had tried to fully concentrate on his sweater, blocking out the voices coming from the corner, which had been no easy task. In the end, his sheep still had a tartan pattern, but it's the thought that counts, right? Transfiguration was one of his worst subjects anyway. His bandaged hand had made his normally graceful wand movements look entirely too clumsy for his own liking. Luckily, McGonagall had been too busy shooting death glares at the Ravenclaws to notice his awkwardness.

Draco was currently on his way to Care of Magical Creatures, with Crabbe and Goyle following closely behind him. In fact, they were almost stepping on his heels. He shot them an irritated glance, and they quickly backed off.

The cool breeze felt wonderful against his skin. He inhaled deeply, fully enjoying the sensation. His breath made small puffs of smoke in the frigid afternoon air, and a slight fog hung over the grass, which was now covered in delicate icy crystals. Draco had yet to leave the castle until now, and it was refreshing to leave the stifling atmosphere of the classrooms.

As the trio walked towards Hagrid's hut, Draco grew continually uneasy. It wasn't the type of feeling that he had felt earlier in the potions classroom. It was more of a sense of foreboding, like he was approaching something he distinctly disliked. He shook his head, trying his best to clear away those stray thoughts.

Wait a minute! Did Hagrid know that Draco was a werewolf? Had he been informed? Hagrid had been the one to find him that night. It was kind of hard to miss, actually. How often do you find a bloody boy slumped against the front door in the middle of the night? I guess I'll find out...

He paused and bent down to pick up a blade of grass, idly twirling it through his fingers as he walked. Thankfully, there was enough distance between his two bodyguards and himself that the two louts hadn't run straight into him. The grass, slightly icy despite the afternoon hour, crunched underfoot as he approached the paddock. A pungent smell was wafting through the air, one that Draco could not place. That is, unless it was a...

"Porlocks!" roared Hagrid, who beamed at the students as they walked forward.

Standing in the paddock, some silently munching, others walking upright, stood about a dozen small horse-like creatures. They were only three or four feet tall. Shaggy fur covered their entire bodies, with the exception of a large quantity of rough hair across their overlarge noses. They stood on two sharp hooves, although some were currently bent over the mounds of hay in the middle of the enclosure. Two stubby arms replaced the front legs, each with four small fingers protruding from the ends. It really was a rather strange sight.

"Some of ye may be wondering why I've brought these fellers back, as we studied them in your 5^th year," said Hagrid, waving a massive hand in the direction of the porlocks. "But I've got it from a good source that these 'ere beauties will be on your NEWT exams, and I thought it best if we 'ad a good review. You all know how to treat 'em, so gather 'round the fence and grab a sugar cube, and I'll remind you just in case." He grinned broadly to the awaiting class.

"Now, these 'ere Porlocks are horse-protectors. Ye can find 'em in, err, Dorset and, err, parts of --" Hagrid stumbled over his words slightly, but his eyes lit suddenly. "Does anyone else know where you can find a porlock?" he asked, as if he actually knew the answer.

Draco couldn't take it anymore. Information had always been Hagrid's weak point. It's not that he didn't know it; he just couldn't relate it to the students. It didn't help that Draco was low in the patience category either. How were they supposed to learn anything when your teacher had the IQ of the brutes he was teaching about? Draco mentally kicked himself for his own inability to get Hagrid sacked in his third year. Ever since, Hagrid had continued to act as the Care of Magical Creatures professor, much to the chagrin of Slytherin and Gryffindor alike. Might as well put him out of his misery before he puts us all to sleep...

His father owned a number of Porlocks at the manor, which helped to protect the thoroughbreds at the Malfoy stables. Being fabulously wealthy did have its advantages, even if didn't help to get rid of a certain overgrown groundskeeper-turned-bumbling-professor.

"I know Professor!" chimed in Hermione. "The Porlock, besides living in Dorset, also lives in-"

"Parts of Southern Ireland," he cut in, making Hagrid look extremely uncomfortable and leaving Hermione fuming. He kept running his hands over his long, tangled beard, and seemed to clear his throat more than necessary.

He smirked and crossed his arms defiantly as the Gryffindors scowled at his interruption. He was receiving a particularly nasty glare from Hermione, who looked like she wanted to walk right up to him and slap him again. Just let her try this time, he thought to himself, and shot her an equally fierce look.

"Yeah, err, that's right, but I would prefer if you spoke in turn next time. Five points to Slytherin, and an extra point to Hermione as well." Hagrid paled a bit as he said those last words. It was clear that he would rather roast one of the Porlocks than give Slytherin points, even if Draco knew the information.

"Now, as I was sayin', Porlocks are very docile animals, so ya have no need to fear 'em. The wild ones can be a might distrustful of humans, but these have been around 'em for all their lives, mostly for farms and the like. Just give 'em a sugar cube, and they'll let ya pet 'em as much as ye' like."

Hagrid seemed a bit disappointed as he spoke. Apparently, there had been some discussion among the staff concerning Hagrid's taste for exotic, and mostly dangerous, magical creatures. He had attempted to bring griffins to the school last year, and even Dumbledore, who had given Hagrid free reign for several years, felt it was time to step in. It had been agreed that Hagrid would have to tone it down a bit, so to speak.

Draco visibly shuddered as he remembered Hagrid's myriad of "pets". His own near-death experience with the hippogriff had left a lasting impression on him. And who could forget the Blast-Ended Skrewts? Much to the class's dismay, they had matured fully by the end of their fourth year, only to reach an astonishing six feet in length. Of course, it wasn't so bad when the things had attempted to fry Potter during the Tri-Wizard Tournament, Draco mused. Those things have their uses too.

Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Pansy slowly inching her way to his side. He had snapped at her during breakfast, and since then, she had seemed slightly miffed and had maintained a small distance between the two of them. Her perfume was nauseating. He almost felt the need to hold his breath again, or at least breathe out of his mouth. He coughed slightly as the fumes seemed to catch in his throat. Don't make eye contact, Draco thought frantically. Don't make eye contact, that'll only encourage her.

Just as Pansy began to approach Draco, another figure came up from behind.

"Pansy!" said Blaise, smiling radiantly at the blonde. "I've been looking for you. Doesn't your father own porlocks?" he said, steering her towards the paddock.

Pansy, sensing something amiss, eyed Blaise suspiciously. Blaise, talented actor that he was, continued to impress upon her just how interested he was in her father's stables, and wouldn't she please tell him about the derby that was held last month? Even if Pansy thought that something seemed strange, she still couldn't completely ignore the handsome boy talking to her. So she walked to the paddock, conversing with Blaise in a most frivolous way.

He didn't believe that was luck for one second. To confirm his suspicions, he saw Blaise turn back when Pansy's back was turned, mouthing "You owe me one" in Draco's direction. Seeing this, Draco smiled and waved good luck to his friend. Only a real friend would take a bullet like that.

Draco shifted his gaze, which settled upon Hagrid once more. He was now unlatching the gate and urging the students forward. Considering that the beasts did appear domesticated and tame, many students showed no qualms whatsoever when approaching the fence. Harry, Hermione, and Ron were all standing next to Hagrid. Each had a sugar cube in their outstretched palms, and was doing their best to entice one of the Porlocks.

Draco slowly walked forward, brows knit together, frowning slightly. It was there again, that sinking feeling that something bad was about to happen. Call it a premonition, but he was decidedly cautious when he finally drew close to the Porlocks.

The students were now entering the fenced in area, eager to feed the Porlocks the entire stock of sugar cubes. Even Pansy was excited. Hopefully, she'd be too preoccupied with them to bother Draco. He sighed gratefully. There was something about girls and horses; he would never figure it out.

Unfortunately, the only spot left beside the fence was next to a group of giggling Gryffindor girls. They giggled even more as he approached, and whispered behind covered mouths to each other. Parvati Patil batted her eyelashes in what she must have thought was a very seductive way, and inched closer to him as he neared. Draco inwardly cringed. Weren't there any decent girls left at Hogwarts? Apparently, the house rivalries were overlooked sometimes when potential boyfriend material came into the hunting ground.

Parvati, lioness that she was, circled her prey and settled on his left side, leaning suggestively against the fence. He was sure that her shirt was against school regulations, even if it was partially covered by her low-cut robes.

"Draco," she purred. "It's been ages since I've spoken to you. We really should keep in touch more." She flipped her long dark hair over her shoulder and leaned forward, giving him a full view of all that she offered.

He flashed her a disdainful look and then ignored her, intent on keeping the house rivalries as strong as ever. Sure, Parvati was easy, but after some of the stories he had heard in the common room, he wasn't sure if he even wanted to touch her with a ten foot pole. Who knows what she had?

He smiled to himself. Parvati Patil was the village broomstick. Everyone had had a ride.

Parvati, mistaking this smile for a form of greeting, continued in a way that Draco found repulsive. She was almost as bad as Pansy. But at least Pansy had a brain. Did she ever shut up? He briefly wondered how many points could be deducted for a banishing hex.

"Like I was saying before Draco, I think we should put aside our differences and maybe play the field a bit, so to say?" Parvati pressed her body closer to his, and tried to sling an arm around his neck. She stared into his eyes, and he narrowed his own.

Draco couldn't help but sneer. He knew for a fact that Dean Thomas had just broken up with her because he had caught her cheating with a Hufflepuff, of all people. I think you've played the field a bit already, he thought inwardly. In fact, I think you've gone into overtime. What happened to Crabbe and Goyle? They would have scared off this Gryffindor nymphomaniac in seconds.

Not saying a word, he walked past her, and made his way towards the gate. He practically had to restrain himself from running in the other direction. Any distraction would do right now! Anything! For all that is blessed and holy, please save me from this blabbering simpleton! Maybe he could lose her if he pretended to show interest in the class. Annoyance was clearly showing on his face. Maybe she would take the hint.

Regrettably, she was denser that he thought. Parvati followed him into the paddock, mindless of his expression. She continued to chatter away incessantly.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Harry and Ron watched the entire scene with amusement. The pair had retreated to the far side of Hagrid's cabin, leaving Hermione to actually pay attention in Hagrid's class. They had completely forgotten the Porlocks. It wasn't everyday that you saw Draco Malfoy in such an uncomfortable position.

"So, do you think he's gay or something?" Ron asked in an amused sort of way. He had crossed his arms over his chest, and grinned some more as he watched the scene unfold.

"Nah," replied Harry, although he too was smiling, eyes glinting with laughter. "He just knows what every other boy in Hogwarts knows. It's disgusting; you practically have to beat her off with a stick!"

Ron looked confused. He raised his eyebrows, and voiced his question, even if he wasn't sure that he wanted an answer.

"What do you mean 'what every boy knows'?"

Harry openly gaped at Ron. He waggled his eyebrows suggestively, but this only confused the gawky red head more.

"You mean, you mean you don't know?" He tried to force the laughter down, intent on not embarrassing his friend anymore than what was surely to come, but it opened like a flood gate, and before he knew it, Harry was laughing outright.

"Know what Harry!? This is getting really frustrating you know." Ron's ears were starting to turn a shade of pink, which signaled to Harry that he better cut the laughter real soon.

He wiped the tears from his eyes, and forced himself to take slow, deep breaths. Once he was able to control himself he said, with the slightest hint of amusement, "Well, Parvati is, err, promiscuous. You know, she gets around a lot. In fact, I think she's going for some school record or something. Everyone knows that Ron. It's common knowledge. Where have you been the past couple of years? Living with the Dursleys?"

Now it was Ron's turn to be surprised. His entire face turned as red as his hair and his eyes widened to the size of saucers. Ron's eyebrows were threatening to rise off of his forehead and straight into his mop of red hair.

"Hold on. Slow down. When did this start? Didn't you take her to the ball in 4^th year?"

"Yeah, but she didn't start messing around until at least 5^th year. Lucky me, huh?" Harry raised his eyebrows slightly. Ron gave him a look that matched Harry's feeling of relief.

"I'll say. Now what did you hear again?"

Harry sighed. This would take a while.

(30 minutes later)

"You mean it? Three guys?! And Filch?! But that's impossible! And it's just not right! I think I might be sick." Ron had definitely turned a slight shade of green.

"I'm just telling you what I heard. Besides, don't act all surprised anymore. Even Neville knew! You're just irked because she hasn't made an advance on you yet," said Harry laughingly.

Harry yelped as Ron took a dive towards his friend. The next thing he knew, they were both sprawled out on the ground, laughing hysterically, each attempting to catch his breath. Ron clutched his side, as he tried to wipe away the grass stains that had magically appeared across his trousers with his other hand. Harry, glasses askew, robes in disarray, sat up and ran a hand through his wild dark hair. Although it was messy before, Harry's hair was now irreparably tousled. His green eyes danced with glee.

Ron pushed himself to his feet, and stumbled a bit as he tried to catch his footing. Once stable, he gave Harry his hand, who was still trying to catch his breath, and pulled him to his feet as well.

"Well that was interesting," said Ron, who had stopped to pick at a tuft of grass that had lodged itself between the hinges of Harry's glasses.

"Yeah, you could say that. You know, I did say the word yet, which implies that she could still try to come on to you any day now."

Ron looked slightly pleased at this response, but his look quickly turned to revulsion as he realized what that actually meant. He shot a disgusted look at Harry, who smiled back sweetly in return, the perfect picture of innocence.

Harry glanced around him. The class was still deeply engrossed with the magical creatures. Luckily, they hadn't missed anything too important. Harry gestured to Ron, and they both walked back to the paddock.

"She's still there! She's not giving up, is she?" Ron, who had been completely clueless moments earlier, now wondered why he hadn't seen it before. Parvati was practically throwing herself onto Draco, who was desperately trying to rid himself of her. Ron almost felt sorry for the poor guy. Well, almost.

"Yeah, I mean, he looks like he wants to start bashing his head against a wall or something."

"No, he wouldn't do that," said Ron, in his most serious tone. "It would mess up his hair." His face broke into a wide grin.

Harry laughed again, and the two resumed their observations of the ill-fated Slytherin.

******************************************************

Draco had been trying for the last half hour to loose himself from the scantily clad nymphomaniac that threatened to follow his every move. He had walked around the entire fence a dozen times already, and still she wouldn't leave him alone. Sometimes, being incredibly handsome can be such a burden.

Now what can I do to get rid of this idiot? As a last resort, Draco decided that he would rather try his luck with the Porlocks than listen to her for another minute longer. Maybe she would be afraid of getting something on her shoes? He could only hope.

He approached one of the Porlocks cautiously, but instantly regretted it. This had been a bad idea. He just didn't feel comfortable around these creatures, and the feeling was mutual. The roan porlock in front of him backed away skittishly, eyes wide with fear as he stepped forward. It snorted at him and pawed the earth between its cloven hooves, steam rising from its nostrils in the crisp winter air.

Draco backed away slowly, breath quickening, eyes locked to the creatures' every movement. It didn't like him, not one bit. Probably the wolf, he thought slowly, although he kept his attention riveted to the animal before him. Porlocks may be docile, but those cloven hooves could definitely do some damage.

The scene that ensued would be forever imprinted on Draco's memory. He wasn't quite sure how it happened, but next thing he knew, he bad backed up onto Parvati's foot, which set him off balance. He threw his arms out in one last desperate hope to right himself, but his attempt was futile. Before he could stop himself, his full weight came crashing down with the unsuspecting (and now shrieking) girl landing on top of him. The pair pitched forward, straight into the Porlock's path.

They hit the ground with a thud, groaning in unison at the unexpected impact. The Porlock was now stomping towards Draco's head, intent on smashing it into gelatinous goo. It threw its head back and gave a neigh of terror, eyes wild and rolling to the back of his head. Fear and shock showed on Draco's face, and he barely had enough time to shove Parvati and roll out of the way before sharp hooves drove themselves back against the ground.

His elbows rubbed against the hard packed earth as he pushed himself to his feet amid a clatter of noise. A cloud of dust was materializing over the paddock. His mouth felt like sandpaper, and he dearly wanted a glass of water. Draco realized with a start that he had been holding his breath the whole time, and drew in a deep gulp of dusty air before glancing around again.

Complete chaos had ensued. The other Porlocks, alerted by their brother's cry of warning, were now stampeding across the paddock, with nothing but escape on their minds. He could barely make out the forms of students rushing to and fro, jumping over the fence, trying to escape the rampaging Porlocks.

Draco's breath quickened once more as he searched his immediate vicinity. Blood sang and pounded in his head. Where was she?

Parvati Patil had somehow managed to scramble to the center of the paddock. Now, she stood frozen in place, hands to her mouth, and eyes as wild as those of the stampeding Porlocks. She was standing right in the middle of everything! Did she want to be trampled?! What a moron. Honestly! But why do I care in the first place? He was too busy to play twenty questions with his own conscience.

With a grunt of frustration, Draco sprinted towards the frightened girl. His shoes smacked the ground as his heart thumped against his chest, threatening to explode any second. Time seemed to stand still. With one last burst of energy, Draco hurled himself towards Parvati. His body slammed against hers, knocking them both to the ground, right before the herd of panic-stricken beasts trampled the very spot where she was formerly standing. He dragged her to the side of the fence, and crouched down, pulling her closer to his body. A rush of hooves could be heard, and a cloud of dust surrounded the pair. He held her to his chest, eyes squeezed shut, chin down, and praying to whatever God existed that he would somehow survive the hour.

AN: Well, comments? Suggestions? Sorry about the cliffhanger, but I just had to! The chapter would have been incredibly long, and it would have taken ages to get out ( I know, not that it didn't already) But I think I've gotten past my writers block, so it might pick up a bit. Thanks to all the faithful reviewers who've stood by me so far.

Fic of the day! Please read Once Bitten, Twice Damned by Lil' Slayer. She's a great author, I promise. If you like Draco, and the supernatural (vampires, so cool and it makes for great material) and all that, then you'll love this story. Lots of action, with some D/Hr for those ship fans.

REVIEWERS!!!

First of all, thanks to all of you who pointed out my spelling mistake. And if you didn't catch it, all the better for me! On to the reviews.

Broken Angel: Nope, I haven't mentioned who the DADA teacher is yet. And yes, Lupin is coming soon. Maybe in the next chapter or two, I need to decide. As for the prank, I think it should be interesting too. (: I'm really working on keeping Draco in character, and I gotta admit that it's really hard, seeing as how we've never gotten a private look into Draco's thoughts before. A lot of it is guesswork, but I'm glad that you think it's working out so far.

Deirafalcon: Good to see that you like it so much. And thanks for the little spelling corrections for me. I don't have a BETA reader, so it's the best I can do sometimes, especially when it's 3 am. And YES! The plot is thickening. I'm hoping to bring more characters in soon, so maybe the action might start up a bit.

Portrait of Mrs. Black: Are you a writer as well? Even your reviews are well written. This was my favorite part of it: He's different, he's changed, but he's still Draco. I loved that line! It sums it up very well, and you're completely correct. And good old Wormtail and Moony...yes, both of them will be making an appearance in the next couple of chapters. I can guarantee Moony in either the next one or the one after. Thanks for all of the great compliments on my writing style. To be honest, I'm not quite sure what kind of writing style I have. I just write as I go. But it's definitely an ego boost. Haha. And I'm still deciding how exactly to include the Golden Trio. I'm trying to decide how much of a part I want them to play, but this will definitely still be a Draco- centric fic.

Panture: Welcome to the fic! So glad you could start reading!

So, next chapter?? Any guesses on how this is going to end up. I'll wrap up the cliffhanger, and an old favorite will make an appearance. I've changed the story to give you what you asked, I hope you know this. So many people put in a request that I couldn't help but do it.

What did you think of Draco/student interactions? Ron/Harry? Action scene with the porlocks? Was it convincing? Please help me! I need feedback to improve my writing. Also, any suggestions for the story? You never know, I'm always open to new ideas.