Saving Each Other - Dramione

Allies

Draco's POV

The red sparks certainly attract the attention of the Slytherin students in the common room. Lucas is glaring at Hermione and me with a look of intense hatred whereas Blaise looks almost relieved that we've come to break up the fight. Some of the people who'd been watching are slowly trying to back away from the scene. Some, mostly the younger students, run off all the way back to their dormitories, but others only make it back a couple of steps before they realise they can't resist staying to watch.

There is a momentary silence and Hermione and I look from Lucas to Blaise, wondering who's going to be the first to provide an explanation. I am just considering how I would best be able to get information out of them when Blaise steps forward and clears his throat.

'Well, Lucas and some of his friends over there had been saying some pretty awful things about people like muggleborns and squibs. Then he started talking about how Slytherin house had always been about blood purity and that even now we should maintain that standard. So I just told him that it's one thing for him to have his own twisted ideals but he's got it completely wrong if he thinks that's what Slytherin's about. After everything that's happened, with everything that some of us are trying to do to rebuild Slytherin's reputation I just couldn't just stand here and let him say that so I told him to keep his mouth shut but obviously it escalated from there. '

'Thank you Zabini,' I say before turning to look at Lucas.

'Do you have anything to add Mr Rowle?' Hermione asks.

Lucas doesn't even look at her.

'Hermione asked you a question.'

'Yeah but see, she's a mudblood so I didn't answer,' Lucas says casually. There is an audible intake of breath from the watching Slytherins, like they know he's crossed a line but Lucas' self-satisfied expression doesn't shift.

I feel rage building up inside me and I want to yell at him but I take a deep breath a say in a low, dangerous voice 'Well Hermione also happens to be your head girl, so for your disrespect, you can spend your Saturday morning in detention.'

I thought that might wipe the smile off Lucas' face but he just laughs.

'I don't see what's so funny.'

He stops laughing abruptly and looks me dead in the eye. 'You think you're so important, sticking me in detention but you'll get what's coming along with the rest of them. Just because you got scared and ran away from Him doesn't mean the rest of us did.'

Before I can think about what I'm doing, my wand is in my hand and pointing at Lucas' chest.

'How dare you,' I growl, taking a step forward but I feel a hand gently close around my wrist.

'Draco don't,' I hear Hermione's voice say softly from behind me and I lower my wand my Lucas keeps going.

'What's wrong Draco?' He jeers, 'were you trying to forget your past? Did you think it would all go away? Some marks don't come off.'

'Sometimes they do.' I rip my left sleeve back to reveal the line of scarring where the dark mark used to be. Most people gasp in shock and I hear one girl scream but I am too filled with rage to react. How could he still believe that?

'Right that's enough,' Hermione orders. 'Lucas, I will see you in detention every evening this week and if I hear another word from you it'll be a month.'

Lucas rolls his eyes but doesn't say anything.

'And the rest of you,' Hermione continues, 'off to bed. If you want to argue you're welcome to join Lucas in detention.'

Slowly the common room clears with Lucas and his friends being the last to leave. He turns only to glare at us before trudging off to his dorm.

***

The next morning, at breakfast, I am about to follow Hermione to the Gryffindor table when I hear someone call my name. I turn around, ready to yell at someone but the only person even looking in my direction is Blaise and as soon as I see him he starts to walk towards me.

'Draco wait up!'

'What do you want?' I question, wary of the fact that I haven't had a single positive interaction with a member of my own house this year but also curious about what he has to say after last night.

'I was just wondering if you would join me at the Slytherin table this morning. I wanted to talk to you.'

'Um yeah, alright, I guess.' I say, still a little bit suspicious but I look over to Hermione to see what she thinks.

'Well I don't really think I'd be very welcome at the Slytherin table but I'll see you later in arithmancy yeah?'

'Yeah.'

She kisses me quickly on the cheek before going to sit at the Gryffindor table.

Blaise doesn't say anything until we're both seated opposite each other at the end of the Slytherin table, some distance from the rest of the house.

'So how's Granger?' he asks.

'What?' is all I can reply, confused. I hadn't expected that.

'You know? Granger? Your girlfriend? The one who-'

But I cut him off before he can describe what Hermione is. 'Yeah, what about her?'

'How is she? It was meant to be a friendly question.'

'She's fine but what did you actually want to talk about.'

'Well, it's just that, after last night, I realised that we might be on the same side.'

'And what made you think that?'

'Well both of us know that this Lucas kid is trouble. It's weird to think that we used to be like him. Anyway, I just thought that we might be friends again.'

'How come you haven't talked to me about this before?'

'You wouldn't talk to me mate. Though to be honest I didn't know what you were doing. You were really in the thick of it with You-Know-Who so I honestly didn't know what you were thinking or if I could trust you. Then I heard the rumours that you were going out with Granger and I wonder if it was true or if maybe it was part of some plan. Anyway, I saw the two of you last night and after everything you said I realised that you're either faking it really well or you've changed.'

'Yeah well, war does that to people.'

'We just got caught up in everything, you more than anyone.'

'How do I know I can trust you?' It had occurred to me that this was some sort of trick. Trusting people was always dangerous.

'Come off it mate. I know last year was a mess but before that, we were in this together. Neither of us had a choice in all of this but now we do.'

I think about how it would be nice to have someone other than Hermione who I could talk to. Blaise would be a nice change from everyone who hated me or barely tolerated me. 'Alright then.'