The Insanity of Draco Malfoy

Gryffindor is the weirdest House in the world. Really, no joking, they are the strangest bunch of people. If they´re not prancing about on their brooms pretending they´re an actual Quidditch team, they´re staring at you constantly.

Well, that´s just Hermione Granger. It´s starting to freak me out slightly. Maybe she fancies me? I wouldn´t blame her, it´s not like everyone else doesn´t.

It´s weird though. Everywhere I turn, she is bloody staring at me. And not appreciative Lavender Brown staring either, it´s all freaky stony-eyed, suspicious staring. I swear, if my heart wasn´t already frozen, it would be seriously cooling right now. Everywhere I go, whether it be in the Great Hall, Potions, or even in the freaking corridors, she´ll go out of her way to blatantly catch my eye and glare, while she practically shouts, "Come on Harry, this way!", as if I´m just going to suddenly leap over and ravish Potter up against the wall.

Not that I hadn´t thought about it . . .

Then there´s bloody Seamus Finnigan. Merlin, that God-damn Gryffindor! Everytime I see him, he bloody winks at me and makes a big deal out of dancing around Potter, brushing his arm and grinning over at me. One day, I´ll sic Crabbe and Goyle on him. Then we´ll see whose smiling.

Oh God. Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy have noticed that I´m a bit distracted lately too. Crabbe and Goyle keep asking why we take a wide berth whenever The Three Musketeers are around, wanting to go over so they can grunt menacingly at them. Pansy, on the other hand, just wants to know when we´re next gonna take a trip into her favourite broom cupboard. I keep making excuses, telling her I have too much homework. It´s a good job she´s not exactly the brightest Dark Mark on the arm, I swear, because she´s in practically all my classes.

"Don´t you just hate Gryffindors?"

That was Blaise. Apparently, he´s got turned down by Parvati Patil. Well, at least someone shares my opinion on that stupid bunch of people.

"Got kicked away again, Zabini?" I ask innocently, trying to stop myself smirking as I put my books away. I swear, it takes a lot of will power for my mouth not to curl up in its trademark position. I wonder if Father has this much lack of control over his smirk?

Blaise sits up from his sprawled position on my bed. Honestly, why can´t he go and lay all over his own bed? He´s rumpling all my sheets!

"I have not been kicked anywhere!" he replies. "Just merely pushed slightly to one side," he looked thoughtful for a moment. "And what do you mean, again?"

"Zabini, the only reason you turned on Parvati was because Padma turned you down."

Blaise shrugs. "What´s the point of twins if both of them are the same?" Sighing, he finally decides to get the hell off my bed and stands up. "I bloody hate Gryffindors. And Ravenclaws. And Huffle-"

"Back to Gryffindors," I say quickly, trying to straighten my sheets without looking to obvious. "Isn´t there anyone in there you like the look of, apart from the Patil girl?"

Blaise raises his eyebrows. "Which part of `I bloody hate Gryffindors´ didn´t you understand? What´s wrong with you lately, Malfoy? You´ve been so out of it lately."

Uh oh. "Um . . . bad fish?"

Blaise seemed satisfied with by this and went and sat on his own bed, leaving me to breathe a sigh of relief for a moment before he asks, "So what about you and our brave, courageous and downright boring little House?"

"Me and Gryffindors," I scoff. "I don´t think so."

Blaise grins. "When you get them on their own, phew, let me tell you!"

Ok. Ew. One does not want to hear about the extra curricular activates of Gryffindors straight after lunch. "Yeah. I´m sure."

Blaise carries on, oblivious to my sudden queasiness and decides to make it worse. "What about Seamus Finnigan? According to my spies, you two were getting pretty close at the Quidditch match the other day."

"Finnigan!? No way. Close? Yeah, close to shoving that bloody Gryffindor flag he was wielding right down his throat!" I pause. "And what do you mean,spies?"

Blaise looks at me pointedly. "Yeah, what did you think I go to do with all the second-years I keep going to meet?" I didn´t like to say. "Where do you think I get all my information of the happenings in the school?"

I laugh. "You don´t know everything going on in the school!"

"Sure I do," he says. "Take for instance, tonight, I know that three fourth-year Ravenclaws have detention, Dumbledore will be off visiting the Ministry, and McGonagall´s off to meet Snape for a bit of how´s your father." Blaise grins smugly as I cover my ears.

"Oh no. I didn´t need to know that. I really didn´t. That was an over-share."

Blaise laughs. "I told you I knew everything about this stupid place."

I roll my eyes. "Whatever," Taking my cloak, I pull it on. "I´m going for a walk, I´ll see you later."

"Yeah, bye. Watch you don´t bump into McGonagall, you never know where she´s been."

Shudder. Blaise loves seeing me squirm. Big freak.

I slip through the castle quickly, heading into the Great Hall. Not that many people are around at this time, just a few finishing up from dinner or wandering around aimlessly. Crabbe and Goyle are still eating, most probably. I often lose track of them around meal times.

It only takes me a couple of minutes to get outside, pull the cloak hood up right over my head and inhale the cold, fresh air deeply. Yesterday we had a cold day, meaning there is a lot of frost around, turning everything into white, glinting icicles. It´s that time of the year when you breathe out and your breath is clearly visible in the sharp air, especially at night. It´s not dark yet though, and I take my first step on the frozen grass and listen to the satisfying crunch, before making my way towards the lake.

I´m not sure when I started going for walks. It was originally to escape Pansy´s advances at nightfall, but now it´s part of a sporadic routine. At the risk of sounding like some big Ravenclaw or something, it´s kinda therapeutic. I can imagine this is what they all so for kicks.

The lake is partly frozen and I stand at the waters edge, watching the thin chunks of ice float around on the surface for a while, before picking up some stones and skimming them across the lake, seeing how many ice blocks I can sink with three skims.

All I can think about is bloody Potter. It´s like he´s been burnt permanently on my brain, some big, goofy picture of him. Him and his un-kept hair and round glasses and that ugly scar. Everywhere I go, all I can see is that damn lightening thing bobbing up and down, completely stood out amongst everything else. Even when I´m all alone in the dormitory, or I just close my eyes, it´s still there, dancing away mockingly.

I cry out, frustrated, and slam a rather large stone right into the lake infront of me, causing the ice cold water to splash up, soaking me through. I swear, again and again, repeating every curse word in the whole universe, my voice growing louder and louder. Part of me hopes there is no one around, praying that no one has to witness my sudden lack of control. The last thing I need in a load of first-years running inside to announce that Draco Malfoy has finally lost it. The other part of me couldn´t give a damn.

Suddenly, just as I´m about to throw another pebble, someone crunches on the grass behind me, their voice echoing around the lake and startling me.

"Malfoy? Is that you?"

* * * * * * *

Coming up, in `The Insanity of Draco Malfoy´ . . . Draco meets a surprise person (any guesses?!) and gets involved in a little sarcastic battle, while Hermione gets to perfect her glare on our favourite little insane boy . . .