hogwash | (no subject)

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Who: Draco Malfoy and open
What: A fact-gathering sojourn
Where: Diagon and Knockturn Alleys
When: December 4th, afternoon
Rating: PG, for now

He made his way through the small crowds of wizards and witches. It truly disgusted him. Look at them all--the weak and filthy masses. They should have bended over backward to move from his line of sight, in fear, as they had this time years back. If the Dark Lord had succeeded, the filthy mudbloods would have been exterminated and the rest of wizarding kind could have recovered from its grave folly. Instead, the side glances and the suspicious eyes were enough to drive him mad.

How dare they think to have such privileges! He made his way toward Knockturn Alley, to hear the news that really interested him. It made him wonder; had he doubted their fall from power too easily? Perhaps it wasn't time to throw in the towel just yet. Not just yet.

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For the life of him, he couldn't figure out what had possessed him to make that promise to Hermione. It was for kicks; he was bored, looking for something to do that day and breaking Hermione out of Mungo's seemed like a good idea at the time.

So too did his promise, that he would go to Knockturn and procure a copy of Moste Potente Potions for her, seem utterly foolish now. What had he been thinking? While he loved Diagon Alley, it's connecting village never did appeal to him. His hands were shoved deeply into his pockets and he had the hood of his robes pulled up over his face in an attempt to hide himself - his scar and glasses seemed to be a dead give-away these days. He knew that he really had nothing to fear, but he still took precaution. The further in he walked to the shady part of town, the more his eyes traveled over the different faces. Some were still familiar to him, while others were not. However, there was only one head, one pale blonde head that seemed to stand out on the crowd above the rest.

Malfoy.

He would recognize that git anywhere.

Well well, Malfoy, and just what are you doing in Knockturn these days...

It felt like he was sixteen again. The last time that he had decided to follow Draco in Knockturn Alley was the year that Draco had joined Voldemort and made several attempts to kill Albus Dumbledore. But... there was no way that the other boy's intents could have been similar to his last. ...Right? His fingers clenched tightly over his wand in his pocket and he inched his way closer to the boy.

"Just doing a bit of weekend shopping, Malfoy?" Harry asked in a light tone, "I must admit, the place really is your style."

His attentions were elsewhere before the familiar voice caught his notice. Turning around with the sweep of his cloak, it took moments before his eyes noted the face before him. In return, his eyes narrowed and he stood his ground. His own hand wrapping about the wand hidden in his robes. "Potter..." Spit out.

A swift glance around to note any wandering eyes towards him or the other boy. Satisfied that no one was paying attention, he directed his gaze towards him.

"My business is my own. Besides..." A small smirk curved the edges of his arrogant lips (he got it from Daddy). "Don't you have a mudblood to busy yourself with? Heard she was under the weather?" Another smile, though he managed to avoid the laughter in his throat.

A confident smile was stretched across Harry's lips when he saw the look that Draco gave when he first spotted him. Normally, Harry wouldn't have taken a moment to strike up a conversation with him, but Knockturn Alley wasn't exactly the kind of place a respectable wizard wanted to be known for skulking around. Even more so for a former death eater. What was his business here? Before Harry could even open his mouth to speak he heard Draco's voice. It was his tone - that almost sneering tone he used when he asked about Hermione which forced Harry to stand there rigidly with his hands trembling as they tightened around his wand.

God damn snivelling git...

"She was, yeah. But I've got great news, she's made an amazing recovery. In fact," Harry continued, "she's better than ever. Isn't that great, Malfoy?" he replied in a falsely up-beat voice. He wanted nothing more than to send any hex in his direction, but he decided against it. That was more Ron's territory... "I didn't think that you would have cared about something like that, it's not like it's any of your business what happens to my friend."

When he spoke to Draco, it was through clenched teeth. The fact that he had the nerve to bring up Hermione annoyed him and it showed on his face. "Who told you then? One of your old mates that used to sit next to Voldemort and be one of his little pets? It's not really in your character to keep track of what happens to muggleborns, is it, Draco? What do you know of it?"

Eyebrow quirked in interest as he listened. Suddenly he drew closer to him--grabbing a handful of cloak and dragging him to the wall to lean in close. His voice was low and quiet, "Best to keep out of the way, lest the eyes around us become more curious." There was a pause before he continued, "And just so we get our communications on the same wavelength; it's mudblood, not muggle-born. Call it like it is, Potter." He narrowed his eyes deeper and released his cloak. His voice, however, remained low, "How did they poison her? Do you have any idea who did it?"

He seemed interested, but perhaps not in the way of concern--rather, curiosity.

Eyes flickered around as someone seemed to linger a bit longer as to give him pause. However, his eyes returned to him with a sneer as the person continued on their way.

Harry blinked when the hand grabbed onto his robes and he went to swipe it away the moment that Draco had pulled him off to the side. "Get your damn hands off of me!" he barked, straightening his cloak. "What's wrong, afraid someone might see you speaking to m- ... Who poisoned her..?"

Harry repeated the question back to him slowly as he tried to buy himself a little bit more time. As far as Harry was aware, no one knew exactly what or WHO had poisoned her. Not the healers or any aurors for that matter. He held his breath as he watched the passer-by quiver under Draco's stare and he waited until the pair of them were once again alone and going unnoticed by the rest of the crowd.

Harry turned his attention back to Draco and his voice turned acid, "Call her that once more and I swear you won't have a tongue to utter that word again by the time I'm through with you. And don't ask stupid questions to which you already know the answers. I'm not going to tell you how they poisoned her. I don't want to start giving you any bloody ideas and as for who, I assumed it's one of your lot and if it is I'll find out. We're already narrowing it down to a few select members that were at the restaurant that day, so it's only a matter of time."

It was a lie - they weren't any closer to figuring out what had poisoned Hermione, nor were they close as to figuring out who had done it. Despite this, he kept his eyes narrowed and his face straight, as he did not want to give Malfoy any reason to suspect that he was lying. "When will your kind realize that killing muggle-borns is pointless? Don't you remember what happened to you the last time you decided to do something so stupid and reckless? ...Why do you even care? Because I know you don't give a damn about Hermione Granger."

Potter always had an annoying tendency of making threats that he probably didn't want Draco to collect on; especially in this area of town. He kept his attention on his eyes and noted even the most subtle of expressions. After a moment of pause once his question was poised, he straightened his posture and watched him. One would get the feeling he was 'sizing him up'. "Listen here, Potter. There are things going on here that your puny brain can't come to terms with."

There was another pause and a swallow as another man passed by with a sketchy bearing. He waited until the man was out of sight before returning his eyes to him. "You don't know anything about my sort. You don't know a thing, Potter. And I'd be careful if I were you--or your little mudblood girlfriend. Be careful, because they clearly have every intention of wiping her kind off the face of this planet. And all the wizarding world will benefit from your untimely demise, Potter."

He swallowed his next words and just watched him. He was angry; full of fire, and rage, and ambition. This feeling was glorious. He loved seeing the look in his face as the anger flared up. It caused an arrogant smile to curve his lips and he chuckled. "My sort... I hope she stays like that. We don't need anymore mud in our veins, do we Potter?"

"You don't know a thing, Potter. And I'd be careful if I were you--or your little mudblood girlfriend. Be careful, because they clearly have every intention of wiping her kind off the face of this planet. "

All over, he felt himself trembling; shaking silently with the rage that had risen inside of him. He loathed everything about the pale, snivlling little boy in front of him and, what got to him even more, was the fact that he had let him, Malfoy - DRACO Malfoy - get the better of him.

"I hope she stays like that. We don't need anymore mud in our veins, do we Potter?"

Before Harry could think twice, he grabbed the front of Draco's robes and he slammed him against the solid brick wall that he had been pressed up against. "If you ever, EVER call her a mudblood again, I swear, Draco, I will be your personal stalker." Harry spat at him. "Every single move you make, every single meal you eat, every time you blow you damn nose, I will make sure that it is my business to know about it, and one day? I don't know when, but you will fuck up. You'll slip, make some HUGE mistake, and then I'm going to lock your ass in Azkaban. SO DON'T. CALL HER THAT."

Immediately, he knew that what he had said and done was a very bad idea. Lately there had been so many things that had placed him on edge, he didn't need Draco's narrow-minded opinions; first Ron and Hermione's engagement, then Hermione getting poisoned without anyone knowing what it was, now this? He felt like he was fifteen all over again and he didn't like that. Taking a deep breath in through his nose, Harry forced himself to relax, but he didn't loosen his hold.

"Watch your mouth and who you go around saying things like that to, Malfoy." He said, a little more calmly. "Now who is this "they" you're talking about? You make it sound like this was planned and organized by someone you know, Draco."

Shock overcame his face when he felt the cold, hard stone against his nice robes--easily causing pain as the robes were of fine material, thin and easily shredded. He watched him with wide eyes for a moment before eyes immediately locked upon them all. His eyes found the gaze of the people watching on to them. One might wonder if they were watching for show--or watching to find a good moment to join in. He returned his attention to the immediate threat and immediately slapped his hands from on his coat with a severe narrowing of his eyes. "You'll regret that Potter," now everyone one note whom was being so outwardly aggressive.

"Mark me. You'll regret the day you ever made that decision. And I'll never even have to lift a finger." That's right, he'd almost forgot, Harry Potter had bigger enemies than he knew of. A smile coiled his dark lips. "Turn and smile for the onlookers, Potter, perhaps you'll get an article in the Prophet for this mishap. Right next to the article about your mudblood girlfriend." Chuckle.

Harry was blinking still when Draco told him to turn around. With his heart sinking in his chest, he did. He turned to see a small crowd of people that were now gazing upon the pair of them; whispering to each other, pointing, murmuring the name 'Harry Potter' amongst themselves.

Damn...

He stepped back from him, letting his hand quickly fall to his own side as he took the step back from Draco. He didn't want to make the situation worse for himself than what it already was. "Shove it, Malfoy, and wipe that smug look off your face, it really doesn't suit you." He snapped under his breath. There was nothing more that he really could say to him... With the large crowd of people still swarming around them, as their interests had now been peaked because Harry Potter was pushing people up against walls, and the little information he was able to get from Draco, he felt as if further questioning would only do more harm than good. Still... He felt as if there could be something more. Something that he was still missing.

Harry flicked his wand towards Draco, repairing the damage that he had made upon the boy's robes. "You know, you don't always have to be a snivelling little git. I would have thought you learned your lesson from the last time you made rash decisions around a darker force. ...Smart people normally learn from their mistakes, Malfoy, not make them twice." The crowd had begun to disperse and, seeing this, Harry took advantage of the moment and he lowered his voice to Draco, "If you have any information about the poisoning, Draco, you could HELP us... If something is starting you could do the right thing... I don't like asking for help, especially from you but you could at least consider the possibility that you could potentially be making a bad choice?"

He smiled with dark intent as he watched him regret his actions. It was always so rewarding to see the way -real- people took his actions. After all, 'the boy who lived' felt too often like he could take rash actions.

He straightened out his robes and brushed nonexistent dirt from his shoulders. The threat didn't receive a blink of acknowledgement. He smirked that calm, coy expression into existence and shrugged. "Haven't the faintest, Potter. If you'll excuse me. I have some snivelling to do."

Once he threw Harry's insult back into his face in that arrogant way he was trademarked for, he stepped past him and began his merry way down Knockturn. He had received enough information to whet his appetite.

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