𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐇

Chapter 9

"Sleep well?" Harry asked Ron as the red-head joined the breakfast table.

"Not a wink," Ron replied, reaching for various platters of food and heaping his plate high. "Having a Slytherin in the room definitely made me nervous."

Harry snorted and Seamus made a sound of derision. "So you were pretending to snore like a pig all night?" he asked.

"Well, I might have dropped off a few times." Ron was now stuffing his face with runny eggs, much to Hermione's disgust.

"Malfoy wanted to put an anti-snoring charm on you." Harry grinned. "He couldn't get past your wards."

"How do you know that?" Ron asked.

"He told me, obviously."

"When?" Hermione leaned forward to hear better.

"I was sitting in the lounge - couldn't sleep - and Malfoy came down and whined about it."

Ron rolled his eyes and Harry couldn't help a snigger. Ron was getting more and more like his girlfriend every day. "I'm amazed you didn't hex his balls off."

"Ack - Malfoy balls." Harry grimaced. "No, we... well we actually talked for a bit - or rather he whined, I listened. He insulted the name of Gryffindor and I..." he stopped. What had he done? Stuttered and stammered and stared at Malfoy's eyebrows. Almost without thinking, his gaze went to the Slytherin table where Malfoy sat in solitary splendour. He shook his head and shrugged. "Then he went back to bed."

"Such a tale of thrilling adventure and derring-do," Seamus scoffed. "Almost on a par with the defeat of Voldemort."

"Shut up, Finnegan." Harry snapped over Ron and Hermione's protests. "That's just not funny."

"So-rry!" Seamus got up from the table, stuffing a corner of toast into his mouth. "See you in charms."

The remaining three ate in silence. Harry nibbled at his toast, his eyes once more sliding to Malfoy. Not one of the Slytherins seemed to be speaking to him, but Harry could see a small gaggle of sixth years all hunched up and whispering together, shooting furtive glances at Malfoy.

They were not friendly glances.

"Have you two finished?" Hermione put the book she had been reading into her bag and stood up.

"No..." Ron started, trying to cram one more kipper into his mouth.

"Honestly, Ron, you have the manners of a... a..." she shook her head. "I can't think of anything bad-mannered enough to compare you to."

"A Malfoy?" Harry grinned.

"He, at least, has impeccable table manners," Hermione huffed, "unlike some." She shot Ron a withering glare then stalked off, slinging her heavy bag over her shoulder.

Harry sniggered, got up and, with a wave at Ron, followed Hermione.

****

As Harry made his way to charms class, he noticed a herd of Slytherins all grouped up in one corner of a corridor. Their collective shouts and demeanour told Harry some poor bugger was being attended to in a violent manner.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Harry drew his wand and, firing stinging hexes indiscriminately into the crowd, scattered them all. They fell back glaring at him. Some made themselves scarce. "What the hell is going on?"

"Fuck off, Potter," one of the Slytherins spat. "You're not a prefect." His fist was raised, ready to thump the head of the boy he was holding by his collar. His victim was hunched into a ball and, it was only when Harry stunned his assailant did he realise that Malfoy was the target.