The Siren's Call (A Draco Malfoy Fanfiction)

P9. An Arrogant, Bullying Prat

As it turned out, only Aki and Imani seemed interested in supporting Dioleh in her quest to remain as much a part of Siren Culture as she could from afar. However, she quickly got the impression they agreed with Andre and just cared more about preserving the group than saying so. Once this realization had hit her, Dioleh gave up and began going through her days with a sullen countenance.

She sent letters to her father, sat through classes, and did her work, more or less pretending everyone else didn't exist. This was with an exception for four people. Imani and Aki stuck to Dioleh throughout the day and soon they were more or less inseparable. She also refused to ignore Andre, even if he was irritating her at the moment.

The fourth person she would acknowledge was more noticed simply because he wouldn't let her alone, not that she tried very hard to get him to. About a month into the term, Dioleh was sitting in the common room in the nook with all the books. Imani was busy doing research in the library and Aki had decided to join her.

As Dioleh was working through a Transfiguration essay, the common room door opened and a group of four boys came into the room. As it was a beautiful October afternoon and many were still out and about, the common room only had a few people still around. Only a few weeks into the term, numerous friend groups had emerged and solidified. This group of boys was one of them.

Zabini, Goyle, Crabbe, and Malfoy were certainly the popular crowd of the Slytherin boys. Dioleh, however, had never really cared to notice them. The group settled on the couch in front of the fire which roared next to the book nook. "Care for some help, love?" Draco called, leaning over the edge of the couch to look at her.

Smirking, she kept looking down and replied, "I think I should be asking you that, Malfoy."

"Are you offering?" he replied with a cocky smirk.

"Better not risk having to spend time with you," she said, failing to suppress a smile at her own joke as she continued to work on the essay.

"You wound me, love," he replied, hand on his heart.

"I'm sure," she replied dryly, setting down her quill to pull half her hair up in a messy bun at the back of her head. Chuckling, he dropped it and went back to his friends, leaving the siren alone.

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Thursday afternoon, Dioleh was standing with Imani and Aki next to the line of broomsticks facing the Gryffindors. "Ever flown before?" Imani asked quietly.

"Nope," Aki and Dioleh replied instantly.

"Have you?" Dioleh asked.

"Once or twice," she replied. "It was fun. It feels a bit like swimming really fast."

"Really?" Aki said in surprise. "I wouldn't have thought so."

"It's kind of similar," she explained.

Before the three girls could talk more, Madam Hooch, their instructor, arrived, barking, "Well, what are you waiting for? Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up. Now stick out your right hand over your broom and say up!"

"Up!" Everyone called. Instantly, Dioleh's broom flew into her hand, but few others did the same.

"Now, mount your brooms like this," Madam Hooch ordered, demonstrating the proper hold. She walked around, correcting each person's grip before standing at the end of the two lines and saying, "Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard. Keep your broomsticks steady, rise a few feet, and then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle - three - two-"

Before she could blow the whistle, one of the Gryffindors, Neville Longbottom, pushed off the ground jumpily and shot into the air. When he didn't come back down instantly, Madam Hooch shouted, "Come back, boy!" Before anyone could do anything, Neville looked over the side, about twenty feet up, froze, and began to plummet to the ground. There was a thunderous crack as he landed in a heap in the grass.

Imani gasped, covering her mouth with her hand as Madam Hooch rushed forward to Neville. "Broken wrist," she muttered, looking him over. "Come on, boy, it's all right. Up you get." As she helped him along, she turned back to the class and ordered harshly, "None of you move while I take this boy to the hospital wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say Quidditch. Come on, dear."

The moment they were gone, a sharp laugh erupted from somewhere on the left of Dioleh. Glancing over, she saw Draco was still laughing as he said, "Did you see his face, the great lump?" Most of the other Slytherins, apart from Imani, Dioleh, and Aki, also laughed along with him.

"Shut up, Malfoy," Dioleh snapped.

"Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom?" Pansy said, shrieking with laughter. "Never thought you'd like fat little cry-babies, Marlow."

"Oh, sorry I'm not an arrogant, bullying prat," Dioleh retorted scathingly. "Oh wait, you're just an attention whore, I forgot."

"Look!" Draco shouted, moving forward to grab a clear ball and cutting off whatever furious retort was dancing on Pansy's tongue. "It's the stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him."

"Give that here, Malfoy," one of the Gryffindors ordered quietly. Looking over, Dioleh realized it was Harry Potter. She'd forgotten he was even there.

"I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find," Draco said with a nasty smile. "How about up in a tree?"

"Give it here!" Harry shouted just as Dioleh groaned, "Oh, give it up, Draco!" Ignoring both of them, Draco mounted his broom and flew into the air to hover at the top of a large oak tree.

"Come and get it, Potter!" Malfoy shouted cockily.

Harry grabbed his broom, but Hermione Granger, one of the Gryffindors, shouted, "No! Madam Hooch told us not to move - you'll get us all into trouble!" Ignoring her, Harry mounted his broom and shot into the air.

"Boys," Dioleh muttered irritably.

"Idiots, the lot of them," Hermione muttered in agreement.

"Give it here or I'll knock you off that broom!" Harry shouted threateningly. Draco was unnerved, Dioleh could tell, but he was hiding it well.

"Oh yeah?" Draco replied, attempting to hide just how unnerved he was.

"No Crabbe and Goyle to save your neck, Malfoy," Harry shouted.

"Catch it if you can then!" Draco shouted, throwing the ball and heading back toward the ground. The moment he landed, he winked at Dioleh, causing her to roll her eyes and scoff. After a rather spectacular dive, Harry caught the ball and landed.

The moment he did, a loud voice shouted, "HARRY POTTER!" Professor McGonagall was running toward him at a fast pace, seemingly completely flustered. "Never - in all my years at Hogwarts - how dare you - you might have broken your neck!"

Bitterly, Dioleh defended, "It wasn't his fault, Professor!"

"Be quiet, Ms. Marlow," she ordered.

"But, this idiot-" she began, throwing Draco a nasty look.

"That is enough, Ms. Marlow," she thundered.