The Afflicted Pretty Boy ~ Book 3 of the Pretty Boy trilogy

Chapter 10

I had a free day on Thursday. On Friday, I started to feel it. I sit next to Hermione in Transfiguration.

At the end of class, we have ten free minutes. Hermione notices my sweating and trembling.

Finally, she's sighs "What's wrong?" I take out my pack of smokes and she scoffs sarcastically "What, have you only had a pack today?"

I motion towards my head and tell her "I, ahhh... I, ahhh..." I drift off for a moment, before declaring "Stopped drinking."

She cocks an eyebrow to me and asks "Weren't you dead set on killing your liver?"

I gulp, before telling her "Don't like the person I become." She scoffs and I sigh "Blaise had to put up with my bullshit, yesterday."

She gives a curious look, before asking "When are you going to stop smoking, then?"

I look at her, tiredly "I haven't slept in two nights, my head hurts, and I vomited on Blaise, earlier." She chuckles and I narrow my gaze at her "One day at a time."

She raises her hands in surrender, before declaring "I knew you could do it." She looks me over "Sober up."

I hum, before resting my head on the table "Not there yet." I gulp and tell her "I'm half tempted to run down to The Three Broomsticks and down a bottle of Fire Whiskey."

McGonagall taps my shoulder and I sit up as she tells me "Which is exactly why, if you're not at Hagrid at half four, your father will be notified."

I nod, before stretching out to crack my back "I know, Professor." She gives a weak smile, before I ask her "Can I ask you something after class?"

She nods and steps up to the front "What do you need to ask her?" Hermione asks.

I take a moment, before telling her "If Hagrid knows that I'm not drinking, anymore."

She nods, before asking "Why do you have so many volunteering and work out hours?"

I sigh, before declaring "The Weasley, Tonks, Malfoy cult think that it'll help take my mind off of everything." I lie.

She nods, before asking "Why was Lupin there?"

I furrow my brow and asks "Did you not know that they're shagging? Remus and Tonks?"

Her eyes go wide and I remark "I'm surprised we haven't got a letter of their engagement!"

She furrows her brow "How do you know?"

"They've been living at the manor." I tell her, before explaining "Remus, being..." I nod and she does the same, understanding that he's a werewolf "He can keep up with me, a lot better than Lucius. He can understand, not feeling at home in your own body. And I won't hurt him if I start pushing back on arguments." I shrug and tell her "He's able to help me find what is me, and what's You-Know-Who."

She nods and I continue on with lies "And I help him during the moon phase. Close the curtains, insure he takes his potion, insure he doesn't go rabid on a peacock." In actuality, he does all of this for me.

She sighs "Yeah, he's got a rough go at life." She looks me over "So have you." I scoff.

I tap my pack on the table as McGonagall checks her watch. She looks up to me and gives a short nod.

As I stand up, he tells me "Come back after class." I give a weak smile, before grabbing my book bag.

Hermione follows me out, and the instant I'm outside, I light a cigarette between my lips.

As I inhale the burning smoke, she asks "What are you doing?" As I walk into the boys lavatory.

I walk into the first stall and tell her "I'm changing." As soon as the stall is locked, she leans on the opposite side of the wall.

The first thing I do, is take off my tie and blazer. When I pull off my shirt, Hermione asks "Voldemort used to be in Harry's head, you know?"

I sigh, and explain "But not like he's in mine. Not mind control. More manipulation."

She hums as I button my plaid shirt. As I pull off my pants, the door opens and I can smell Harry and Ron step into the lavatory.

As I pull on my jeans, I hear Harry ask in confusion "What are you doing in here, Hermione?"

"Talking to Draco." Hermione states and they stop dead in their tracks. I release a drag and Hermione states "He's changing."

When I walk out of the stall, I can tell Harry's hurt. I take a drag and sit on a bench to change my socks and shoes.

"You look like shit." Ron states. I chuckle, before Blaise walks into the lavatory. Ron looks to Blaise "How'd you do on the quiz, Zabini?"

"Aced it." Blaise tells him, before looks to me "Did you vomit, again?" I shake my head as I pull on my trainers.

"Vomiting?" Harry cocks an eyebrow to me and I nod, before sniffling "Why vomiting?"

"Didn't the Weasleys tell you?" Blaise smirks, before looking to me "Our dear arsehole, is getting sober."

I flip him off, before Ron asks "What made you do that?"

I clear my throat and stand up to roll up the sleeves of my shirt, along with the undershirt "I didn't like what I became when I wasn't shitfaced."

I knock the ash on my cigarette and crack my back as Blaise declares "Had a bottle smashing ceremony and everything."

I grovel "The fifty year Macallan. I still wish I would have tried it." He chuckles, before I sigh "I should have gave it to Remus! Had them describe it!"

Hermione furrows her brow "I doubt we'd like to see a drunk werewolf." I scoff and nod.

She looks to Ron and Harry "Remus has been living at the manor, you know. Draco's been helping him with the moon cycle."

Blaise cocks an eyebrow to me and I shrug, before taking a drag. I check my watch, before sighing "I've got to get going."

As I brush past Harry, I can feel his heart skip a beat. I stop nextdoor to the door, fighting the urge to turn back and have a proper snog fest.

I take in a shakey breath, before opening the door and walking out.

When I walk up to McGonagall's desk, I ask "Does Hagrid know what I am?"

She shakes her head, before explaining "All Hagrid knows, is that you'll be helping him, three weeks out of the month. The week you're not, he thinks you're helping Professor Sprout with hemlock."

I nod, before motioning towards the door "I should get going."