ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴅʀᴀᴛᴛᴇᴅ ʟɪʟᴀ ʜᴏʟᴍᴇꜱ || ᴅʀᴀᴄᴏ ᴍᴀʟꜰᴏʏ x ᴏᴄ || ʏᴇᴀʀꜱ 1-3

hades

a/n: sorry, bit of a long chapter!! Also, rare moment of Malfoy openly acting like he cares about his grades.

I didn't talk to Harry or Ron at all for the next few weeks. I'd been finding it very hard to focus in class as well. Between the three-headed dog and the awkwardness between me and my friends, I wasn't having such an easy time in classes anymore. I cried a few times a week, and whether it was from stress or legitimate sadness, I didn't know. 

Hermione and I were closer than ever, though neither she nor Neville had much interest in what the three-headed dog was guarding. I, however, couldn't stop thinking about it. I often spent some time alone in the library studying hellhounds and the history of the castle.

It was on one of those days that I was joined by Malfoy, whose presence I hadn't really been expecting. We were assigned homework as partners and I'd suggested we meet in the library to work on it together, but thought he was still too upset with me to come.

Nevertheless, the sound of him clearing his throat drew my attention from the book I was reading.

"I didn't think you'd show." I said in surprise, closing the book. He scoffed at me.

"It's not like I want to be here. I have to make sure everything's done properly." He rolled his eyes. "You haven't seemed to be on top of things lately."

"Touché," I muttered, pulling out another stick of gum to chew on. Dean Thomas had offered me the whole pack before Potions that day, clearly sensing something was up. To say I was thoroughly flattered would be an understatement.

"What are you doing?" He asked, squinting at the blueprint of the third floor I'd pulled from a shelf.

"Just trying to find out more about the castle," I lied. "There are loads of hidden passageways and I figured that they might help me get to classes faster."

"Sounds boring," he said, taking the chance to sit across from me. He laid his bag beside his chair. "But so are you. Making friends with books now, are you?"

"I'll try not to take insult to that," I replied stiffly, though it stung. "But if you've ever read a book, Malfoy, you'd know they can be excellent companions."

"Well hopefully I'll never get as lonely as you, Holmes, so I won't have to tell myself that," Malfoy dropped his potions textbook on the table, moving the scattered books I'd accumulated aside. "What's the deal with your friends anyway? How will they know I won't hex you to oblivion?"

I tutted. "You wouldn't hex me."

"I could."

"Not if you'd get expelled for it," I raised an eyebrow at him. "You talk a lot of smack, Malfoy, but only behind the scenes. You wouldn't dream of acting out where you'd be caught. You could take a leaf out of Harry's book if you wanted some real nerve."

"Just because Potter does it doesn't make it right," Malfoy scoffed at me. "I don't understand why you defend him. He's done nothing for you."

"You wouldn't know that," I frowned at him. I wanted the conversation to end. It was starting to sting a little. "Harry has done lots for me."

"So have I," Malfoy argued.

His reply surprised us both, and we stared at one another in a tense silence. Before I could ask him what he'd meant, however, he was already flipping open his textbook.

"Remind me of the page," he directed, eyes glued to the pages. "Sixty three?"

I sighed. "Sixty three."

When minutes later he seemed to realize I wasn't working, he looked up with irritation. "You know this is a partner assignment, right?"

"Yes," I replied.