Valentine

I dedicate this fic to Essy and Laura, for spending ages in my flat making accessories for my little Draco figure. (especially that 'Draco in Love' outfit ::giggle:: Don't ask...) :p

Draco sat cross-legged on the comfort of his huge four-poster in the Slytherin dorm, a piece of parchment and an expensive looking silvery-white quill on his lap, the deep green velvet curtains pulled tightly closed around him. But he wasn't alone.

A small dwarf with tiny little angel wings stood next to him, his short stumpy arms folded, and a harp laid beside him, waiting.

"And the last line, Master Malfoy?" he asked, trying to mask his impatience.

"Wait a minute, dwarf." Replied Draco shortly, "I have to get it just right..."

He brushed the end of his quill against his pale cheek, looking thoughtful, and then scribbled a few words down on the parchment (he'd omitted the special Malfoy-crested stationery for this occasion), before frowning and promptly erasing them again with a simple charm.

The dwarf-made-cupid audibly sighed, to be quickly quieted by a sharp gaze in Draco's silvery-gray eyes.

Draco returned to his quill and parchment, and bit his lower lip with deep concentration, scribbling another sentence. Then, his slightly-cruel looking lips curved into a half childish, half unmistakably Slytherin smile, and he handed the parchment to the dwarf, looking almost smug with pride at his work.

The dwarf glanced at it boredly, and then swiftly disappeared at Draco's command. The young blonde Slytherin lay back on his bed, still smiling, his hands behind his head. His tranquil sense of triumph was soon rudely interrupted, however, by the unmistakable sound of Crabbe and Goyle blundering into the dorm, and his heart thudded against his chest, thanking Salazar that they hadn't come in a moment sooner...

* * * * *

Later that day, Draco watched silently from around the corner as the Gryffindors made their way up to Charms, and smiled secretly to himself, folding his arms as he saw the dwarf-cupid approach Harry. How unsubtle the ugly little thing was being, thought Draco with irritation, as it loudly called out - "Oy, you! 'Arry Potter!"

That was no way for a valentine to be given. Draco was glad they spent so much time spying maliciously on Potter anyway, otherwise Crabbe and Goyle (who stood right behind him) might begin to wonder, and that would be the end of it all...

His distaste at the way the dwarf conducted itself increased, as he saw the way the dwarf grabbed Harry and broke his bag, forcing him to pick all the contents up from the floor. Draco smirked slightly, however, being presented with a rather nice view of Harry's back-side as he picked up the remaining pieces of his smashed ink bottle... Never really noticed how nice that part of him was before, he mused appreciatively. Oh, I have to get a little closer to this... It's just too good an opportunity to miss...

If he was truthful to himself, he liked picking on the cute blackboard-black haired Boy Who Lived just as much as he liked stealing quick glances at his pretty face and his mesmerising toad-green eyes. Besides, he looked even cuter when he was mad...

"What's going on here?" he asked with a cold smirk, although he was obviously quite aware of what was happening. This caused Harry to speed up the process of shoving everything back into his bag. Draco flushed subtly with a quick spark of anger. How dare he ignore him.

When Harry tried to run away, Draco began to panic inside, thinking all his efforts might go to waste, but almost audibly breathed a sigh of relief when the dwarf immobilised Harry. He tried not to smile as the dwarf sang the short verse he'd written for Harry, grimacing at the musical abilities of the creature, but pleased with his composition nonetheless.

'His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad,
His hair is as dark as a blackboard.
I wish he was mine, he's really divine,
The hero who conquered the Dark Lord'

Draco turned his eyes to sneak a look at Harry, but his already pale face turned a shade paler still as he saw the expression on the other boy's face. Oh no, he thought, distraught with humiliation, horror slowly dawning on him. He's beyond embarrassed, he hates it...

Draco's state of panic worsened, completely ignoring that stuffy ponce Percy Weasely's command as he shooed everyone from the hallway, and he decided that he'd have to revert to his old tactic... Yes, that was it, he thought, as he spotted a small book on the floor from where Harry's bag had split - He'd have to retain his hostility, steal something from him... Something to save face, make him feel better...

Stooping down to pick the book up, with a cruel leer, he turned and showed it to his idiot henchmen, false triumph in his eyes.

He looked at the book in his hands, noticing with more interest than he should that it was a diary. Oh, what he'd give to have a read of that... He stubbornly refused to give it back, vastly enjoying taunting Harry, until his bubble was rudely burst by Idiot Weasley the Prefect about to stop him, when the most shocking thing happened...

Harry actually lost his temper, and summoned the diary right from Draco's grasp! Fuming, yet feeling a strange admiration for Potter's outburst deep in the pit of his stomach, Draco stared right into his eyes angrily.

Panicking that Harry might see a little more than he was supposed to, as he thought he saw a spark of recognition in his eyes (or it could have been his imagination), Draco's gaze hardened as he saw his chance to ensure that he wasn't suspected regarding the Valentine - Little Ginny Weasley was walking right past. Perfect.

He cruelly shouted at her from behind, with the trademark cold dagger-sharp Malfoy voice, a wicked sneer curling his lips.

"I don't think Potter liked your Valentine much!" he said venomously, then turning, his hands in the pockets of his robes, strolling away casually, and smiling to himself slowly. No one would ever know...