Bond (Drarry)

Chapter 17

Chapter 17

February 8 - February 11

Day 133, Monday

"What? No, he's not," Pansy was laughing as Draco sat down next to her. "Draco, tell them. You haven't offered to tutor Slytherin OWLs students in Potions, have you?"

Draco laughed, pouring himself some pumpkin juice. "No but I should - and for their first tutorial I'll have them brew a sleeping draught that'll keep them awake for the rest of the year and teach them not to trust upper-year students."

"Very funny. You could help some of them, you know," Queenie said sourly amid laughter from the others.

"Why would I want to?"

"It's the decent thing to do?"

"... and?"

"My sister wouldn't mind paying for help," Queenie said.

"That's a splendid idea, Queenie. I can use every Knut I can get, you know how stingy my father is - oh sorry, that's your family I'm thinking of."

"Weren't you going off for tutoring yesterday though?" Crabbe asked.

"That was tutoring for me, not from me, and it was Charms, not Potions."

"Having a spot of trouble with schoolwork, are we?" Queenie said snidely.

"We are, yes. In my case, it's possibly due to having switched Charms sections in the middle of the school year. I'm sure you have an equally valid reason," he said kindly, and Queenie scowled and looked away.

"Stephen Cornfoot's tutoring you, right?" Blaise asked. "He helped me with Runes last year. Useful lad."

"Bit slow for a Ravenclaw, though," Pansy tittered. "How long did it take him to figure out you only bat your eyes at boys, but never follow through?"

Blaise smirked. "Long enough for three stellar essays and a new set of EagleLight quills from Mother."

Draco hid a smile. Very useful lad, Cornfoot, though the Charms tutoring story was just a cover in Draco's case. Cornfoot had, a few days ago, propositioned Draco out of the blue. Draco had, after a startled moment, taken him up on it. He had never batted his eyes at Cornfoot, but he was not averse to a quick shag, or a couple of quick shags. After all, a willing, attractive body was a willing, attractive body. Cornfoot was certainly useful at keeping single life from consisting of bleak sexual deprivation.

Queenie sniffed in disdain, looking up as the post came in, and taking the Prophet from her family's owl. Draco neatly plucked his regular package of sweets from his mother's owl and handed the bird a treat. He took a sip of pumpkin juice as he undid the lacing on the package, looking up as Queenie exclaimed at something in her paper.

"Oh my g-" Her eyes snapped to Draco, her mouth a wordless O. Draco gave an impatient snort at Queenie's tiresome theatrics, took another sip of juice as he leaned over to look at the front page-

-and choked as he read the headline, Queenie utterly forgotten.

Boy Who Lived, Abusive Spouse?

He hastily swallowed the juice and dropped his sweets, pulling the paper closer, his breath catching at the ugly words that swam before his eyes.

...brief marriage ... appears to have actually been abusive ... spouse was twice treated for serious physical injuries suffered at the hands of Mr. Potter ... school nurse was so concerned with his safety that she contacted a Healer from St. Mungo's...

Not one word on the fact that said Healer had dismissed Pomfrey's concern out of hand. He was going to kill the reporter. And Pomfrey. And possibly Father as well.