an unbroken force

Three

        "Get up, Francis," Draco demands, snatching my hand. "We should observe the others fight first. I want to see how pathetic they all look. It'll be like viewing little clones of what you're going to be like in just a minute."

        I search his eyes and notice a glimpse of fear mixed with excitement in his eyes. I can't imagine that fear is a product of my doing; it's Snape. He expects too much from Draco. Never mind that, maybe the nerves will cause Draco to choke so I can beat him.

        Duels between students are, for the most part, repetitive and uneventful. The same charms are used until someone taps out, and it's almost as if they're scared of hurting one another. Given this, I'm not going to lose. And I'm not showing weakness or mercy to Draco. There's no way.

        Even though the other students' fights are weak, I still take my notes. I think of the right charms to use at certain points of the duel, and I force myself to remember defensive spells. This is especially because our class is Defense Against the Dark Arts. I need to prepare myself for anything that might come my way. My parents have also provided me somewhat with similar preparation throughout my life. Especially since they're defect Death Eaters. They told me that after I was born, they decided to defect from being Death Eaters. They told me to tell no one or they would be sentenced to death. I do recall them both still possessing the dark mark. I grew up with knowledge of how to fight and kill. I learned that anyone can use dark magic and I need to protect myself from them. Of course, my parents have since retired to do other things, but I hold these lessons in the back of my mind in case I ever need them.

        Alas, it's our turn to fight. I slide off my cloak, caring too much for it to ruin it in a fight, and follow behind Draco to the stage. I'm left in my Slytherin sweater, with my white button-up and tie tucked underneath, along with black slacks and black Converse sneakers. Draco (who, I'll admit, is more put together than me) stands opposite me in his white button-up, tie, black slacks that were much nicer than mine, and proper black dress shoes.

        It seems as if Snape is especially concerned with our duel. He halts all the other students and orders them to watch us. He must have high expectations for us. Besides, we're by far his top students. We stand apart in the area where we are instructed to spar.

        "Remember," Snape tells us. "You are to disarm and keep your opponent from casting charms on yourself. Using any spells to harm, especially the Unforgivable Curses is strictly prohibited. I imagine you two will respect this rule, given the high stakes, yes?"

        I nod, but I can only look at Draco. Draco mumbles a yes professor but is only half-paying attention. I know exactly what he wants to do. He looks at me with that classic smirk of his, and I look into his eyes. I can feel that he's going to commence the battle with a Stunning Spell. Draco wants to disarm and defeat me as soon as possible. He wants to make it look like I'm weak and easy to disarm. Or, he knows exactly what I'm doing right now and he's tricking me.

        No, he isn't that intelligent.

        "You know, Francis," Draco begins another one of his arrogant rants. In preparation, he rolls up the sleeves of his white button-up shirt, revealing his hands and forearms. "If you, you know, start crying or something, I might show you mercy."

        "You can only dream of me doing that, Malfoy," I roll my eyes and shake my head at him, but I'm not surprised by his distasteful words.

        "You may begin," Snape snaps and lets us begin.

        Both Draco and I briefly assess the situation we're in. I'm thinking about how I'm going to handle this and how I'm going to block whatever he throws at me. For the first time, I notice my mouth is dry and my heart rate is quicker than normal. I look down at my jumper and instinctively smooth it out. That is a well-known nervous tick of mine. Draco knows how I feel right about now.