The Huge Magical Snake Problem

Horcrux

Draco Malfoy stared in shock at the impressive figure that had just backed away from Potter's bed. He had come to the infirmary to try to explain to Potter how and why he and his family had saved his life.

He wasn't expecting to see this.

Potter whished his wand, and the figure vanished.

He stepped forward, curious. "Potter, if I may ask, what was that?"

The dazed look on his face vanished almost immediately. "Malfoy," he said neutrally. "I have no idea what that was."

Draco raised one eyebrow at him. "Really? Because, to me, it looked like a patronus charm gone either extremely wrong or extremely right."

Potter looked extremely tense and suspicious. Although, Draco didn't blame him - his supposed rival (in both school and a war) was being civil to him.

"Boys, let's not start a fight in the middle of the infirmary," Madam Pomfrey scolded. "Don't forget that we have another patient sleeping on the other side of that curtain!" She pointed towards the other side of the room.

"I couldn't care less about what that muggle thinks," Draco retorted. A split second later, he regretted it because both Potter and his snake were staring at him with incenced expressions.

"Get out of here, Malfoy," he hissed. Draco, knowing when to argue and when not to, turned on his heel and stalked out of the infirmary.

How dare he speak to me like I'm nothing more than scum on the bottom of his shoe? Draco thought, storming down the corridor leading from the infirmary. I try to be nice for once, and this is how I'm repaid?

His mind was full of these angry thoughts until he found himself in front of where his parents were staying. They were actually not too far from the infirmary, all things considered. He didn't feel like marching all the way back to the dungeons after being thoroughly rejected by the Gryffindor Golden boy.

He whispered the password to the knight guarding the passageway to his mother and father's room. The bricks on the wall slid away to reveal the opening, kind of like the tunnel from the Leaky Cauldron to Diagon Alley. He slid inside, the stones soundlessly dropping back into place.

It was a nice place, very spacious. Although it wasn't as grand or imposing as the Manor was, the mere memory of Potter's screams made him glad he was in Hogwarts instead of there. That place was haunted with too many bad memories and misused dark magic.

His father was sitting on the couch, reading a thick book. He glanced up when Draco walked into the room, but looked back down once he had identified who the incomer was.

"Ah, Draco," he said. "To what do we owe this pleasure?" He turned a page.

"Nothing," he lied. "I just decided I would grace you with my presence." He wasn't about to tell his father that he had angered the paragon of the Light merely a day after he had been told to step lightly around him. There was something about Potter that just... made his skin itch. It wasn't Potter as a person, he didn't think, but there was just something... off... about his aura. (A/N: Remind you of anything?)

Lucius hummed, obviously not believing him. He ended up dropping the subject, however, much to Draco's relief.

Narcissa emerged from the door leading to the bedroom. She didn't seem surprised to see Draco standing there, and she raised her wand to conjure a cup of tea. She daintily sat down on a seat and took a sip.

Draco hummed noncommittally as he made his way over to his room. In all honesty, he had thought that he would never use it, since he had his dormitory down in Slytherin. He found himself reaching out for any positivity he could possibly get. The headmaster had attempted to reach out to him, but it was always a bit awkward sitting across from him with almost nothing to talk to him about.