Locked to Angua (Dated May 15th)

[ferretface_git]

He'd never been so humiliated in all his life.

It had been a rather high bar to clear, but being reduced to a sobbing, begging mess at the hands of a girl half his size had done a nice job of setting its own record. She was clearly out of her mind, and he could only imagine what might have become of him, had he been someplace less inhabited. He shuddered to think, really.

He'd been told by the imbecile Muggle doctor on duty that his nose was just fine, but he didn't trust their expertise any more than Longbottom's potions skills, and he stood there now in front of the bathroom mirror, prodding at his bruised face and scowling back at himself. Nagini had taken to following him again, and she lay coiled on the cool tiles, tongue flicking and her glass eyes staring back at him. Mocking him.

"What are you looking at?" he muttered, tenderly probing the cut on his cheek and sniffling back tears. He was seventeen years old and he'd had a backstage pass to one of the greatest Wizarding Wars the world had ever seen, and here he stood, trying not to cry over a few nicks and scratches.

He was a Malfoy, for hell's sake. Father would be so disappointed.

Comments

[of-badfaith.livejournal.com]

"Well, I certainly can't blame you for your blind ignorance."

Only he could, and was. But for whatever reason, he felt something unfamiliar twist faintly in his gut along with the words. Strange... perhaps he'd eaten some spoiled fish.

[loaded-wolf.livejournal.com]

Angua braced her hand on the counter next to where Draco was standing, and leaned very close to him.

"Please, since I'm so ignorant, can you tell me what it is exactly I don't know?"

[of-badfaith.livejournal.com]

"That there's a growing number of voices calling for the marking and extermination of your kind," he said, gritting his teeth and drawing away from her visibly. "Or at least the... removal of your various freedoms."

[loaded-wolf.livejournal.com]

Angua moved closer as he drew away, her body going tense, but her smile growing into a manic, dangerous looking thing.

"Is that so?" she asked, backing him toward a corner like she would a rabbit. Nice snacks, rabbits. "Would you like to mark me for extermination, Draco? I'm right here."

[of-badfaith.livejournal.com]

"I'm more concerned with the other one. I certainly don't think the innocent public should be... exposed to her instability," he said, lips curling even as he felt his heart begin to hammer in his chest.

[loaded-wolf.livejournal.com]

"If you know what's good for you, you'll stay away from her," Angua threatened, coming very close to growling. She doubted Draco would try anything, but she wanted to be sure with all his talk of extermination.

[of-badfaith.livejournal.com]

"I can promise you, she's the last person on this island I want to be anywhere near," he said, pushing past her finally and stalking toward the door.

[loaded-wolf.livejournal.com]

"And me too, now, is that it?" Angua asked, her voice and gaze hard as she watched him retreat.

[of-badfaith.livejournal.com]

"Honestly, I don't really care what you do at the moment," he said, the words spilling out without thought. They were practiced... all of it, words and judgments ingrained within him over a lifetime. For a moment, no more than a second or two, he felt something he'd rarely felt in his life.

It was guilt.

But it was there and gone, and he pushed open the door, chin held high and alone again.