song(s) for the chapter: idfc by blackbear; heartless by The Weekend

T/W: swearing, harsh name-calling/bullying behavior (sadly, it's Draco again )

"There's that Chan girl!" Pansy screeches out, gesturing towards the dark-haired Ravenclaw who's trying to briskly move down towards the hall where we suspect Potter's gang is located.

"I'm pretty sure her name is Cho—" Bulstrode begins to correct Pansy, but I'm already shoving past her and rushing after the Chang girl.

"By the order of the Inquisitorial Squad, we demand you stop!" I yell out at her, but she continues to run. Frustrated, I pull out my wand, pointing at her as I say, "petrificus totalus!"

She instantly freezes mid run before falling onto her side. Her eyes are the only thing moving as I slowly approach her frozen form. I feel a sly smile creep onto my mouth as I bend down so I'm right in front of her face.

"Easy...just like your dead little boyfriend." Although her face is frozen, I can still see the hurt and tears pooling in her eyes at the mention of Cedric.

I don't care though.

If the twit was better at magic and not such an idiot, maybe he wouldn't be six feet under.

"Now...you're going to come with us and tell us where Potter and his stupid gang are meeting." I snap my fingers at the rest of the group for them to grab Cho and carry her to Umbridge's office.

After the oafs carry her body to the bitch's office, they plop her down on the chair opposite of Umbridge's large chair. Umbridge gives us all a cat-like smile as she sits up from her seat, walking over to a pot of tea perched up on a tray.

She takes a small vial, pouring the contents into a pink, porcelain cup, following with tea after. She places a couple cubes of sugar within the cup, giving it a taste before nodding eerily to herself.

"Miss Chang...I'll need you to drink this and then tell me exactly where you were heading," she says, her voice ringing in my ears.

Cho says nothing because, well, she's still frozen. Umbridge glances over at me.

"I see we need to undo this so she can properly talk to us."

She snaps her fingers over at me, so I pull out my wand, pointing it at Cho before saying the reverse spell. Once it hits her, she unfreezes and lets out a loud gasp, clutching onto her throat as she inhales again.

"Now, take this and tell me everything." Umbridge snips out with a devious curl of her lips. Cho, at first, shakes her head; oddly defiant of her orders. With no hesitation, Umbridge snaps her fingers at Crabbe and Goyle, to which they hold her down and she begins to pour it down her throat.

She gags a bit as the tea goes down, but she reluctantly swallows after a couple seconds, knowing it's either swallow or choke.

Soon enough, she begins to chatter away about the little group Potter and his lousy friends made up, explaining that they found the Room of Requirement beyond the wall we have continuously seen them appear and disappear by.

With this information, I grab onto her shoulders dragging her along towards the large, deceiving wall. Filch has a huge grin on his disgusting face as we manage to get into the room.

I swear he thrives off of getting children into trouble.

I scan the room, first seeing Potter stare over at us with a painstricken face, before it's covered with anger. I'm unsure if it's fully directed towards me or if it's also directed towards his hand-me-down girlfriend.

I smirk a bit at his scathing stare before my eye catches a glimpse of familiar, wavy golden hair.

"Jo?" I automatically mouth as I see her with an upset expression.

Why the fuck is she here? My eyes glance over at Potter again before locking back on her.

Why is she here with him???

Filch begins barking orders, saying some crap about heading to 'Headmaster Umbridge's" classroom. Which, she's not the fucking headmaster, but I'm not about to correct him because I really don't give a shit at the moment.

All I can think about is the fact that she's a part of this group.

Frustrated, I finally confront her and tug on her arm, gaining her attention quickly.

"What the absolute fuck, Jo?"

I don't care about how vulgar it sounds. I'm so pissed I could pitch myself off the Astronomy tower.

"Draco...I had no choice. We aren't learning anything from Umbitch—er—Umbridge. You know that."

Umbitch...I like that. But I'm still pissed at her.

She joined a group with my enemy as the leader! I clench my fists at the thought again.

"You know I hate potter!"

"For someone who supposedly hates Harry, you sure are obsessed with him." I scoff before averting my gaze away. What the hell is that supposed to mean?

I'm not obsessed with him.

I look back over towards her. I hate that I just want to pin her up against the wall and make her beg for my forgiveness.

Taking a deep breath and leaning closer, I say, "you're going to regret this."

Her eyes don't leave mine as she says, "I don't regret anything."

...

"Merlin, it felt good to bust them!" Goyle bursts out randomly as we set foot in the common room. We just saw the stupid Dumbledore's Army group—dumb name if you ask me—leave the detetion with Umbridge.

I also saw Jo, her arm around bloody Cho as she cried in her robes. So pathetic.

"Yeah! Did you see the look on all their faces?" Crabbe remarks, letting out a loud cackle. I scrunch my face up at the sound, wishing they would just shut up already.

We all take a seat on the sofas, I stretch out my legs, leaning back as I say, "did you see Cho crying? It was incredibly annoying."

Pansy sashays over towards us, plopping her annoying self on the seat next to mine. She purposely hits her leg with mine as she flutters her lashes a bit. I only roll my eyes in response before looking away from her.

"I also saw your Hufflepuff whore comforting her."

My jaw clenches at her words. "Shut the fuck up, Pansy."

"Why? She is, afterall, just a shag of yours—" my eyes lock onto hers, narrowing as she smirks, "—or, perhaps she's much more to you? Do you have feelings for her?"

My exterior falls slightly from her questions, and her smirk widens more at this mistake of mine.

"Oh no, Draco. You do have feelings for her! A Hufflepuff and Halfblood. What will your parents think about that?"

I scoff at that. "I do not. So, why don't you do us all a favor and just shut up. Merlin, you're bloody annoying!"

"Prove it. Prove that you don't have feelings for her." She crosses her arms as she says this, her snake-like smirk still on her ruby lips.

Prove it?

"I don't need to prove anything," I say, giving her a deadly look.

"Wait until your parents hear from mine that you pushed me aside for some Halfblood bitch who also was a part of Dumbledore's Army!"

Does she want me to Confringo her??

I can't let my parents, specifically my father, hear about this.

Letting out an exasperated sigh, I say, "fine. I will tomorrow."

With this, I get up from my comfortable spot on the sofa and storm off to my room.

I don't have feelings for her. I can't have feelings for her. We're from two different worlds; and we would never be accepted in each other's families.

As I slam the door shut, I grab the nearest object—a pot of ink from my desk—and throw it against the wall. The pieces of the ink pot shatter as ink stains the wall and floor.

I can't have feelings for her. I shouldn't. I won't.

After cleaning up my mess, I go to sleep, dreading for morning to come.

...

"Your nose is looking better." Blaise points out as we walk towards Transfiguration. Pansy is walking next to me, in an oddly giddy mood. Well, for Pansy at least.

We turn down a hall, getting closer and closer to the room, and the last place I want to be because of her.

Jo.

"They were weak punches," I grit out, hating that this bastard likes to make me look like shit.

He doesn't say anything, but the small exhale through his nose tells me everything I need to know. He thinks I'm a cocky weakling.

I fucking hate him sometimes.

As we near the doors of McGonagall's classroom, I hear her voice. She sounds like she's in a good mood. It almost puts a smile on my face until Pansy whispers to me.

"Time to shine, Dracy." I glance over at her, wanting to wipe that smug look off her face.

As I step in, I ignore Jo. I make no eye contact with her, hoping that will prove to fucking Parkinson that I have no feelings for her.

"Morning, Draco," I hear her say softly. I'm surprised she's even speaking to me after everything that has happened the last couple of days.

I look over to see her small smile. Next to her, Granger is giving me a deathly glare—per usual from her.

"Piss off, Tonks," I spit out, narrowing my gaze at her. My stomach drops as her face falls. Pansy begins to snicker beside me.

"What?" Jo says, her voice shaky.

I can't stop my mouth. My anger rises at myself as I begin to spew out every mean thing I can think of.

"Just because I got a couple good wanks out of you doesn't mean I care about you or care to hear your bloody annoying voice in the morning."

A few of our classmates gasp, while Pansy continues to snicker obnoxiously.

Merlin, I want to punch her.

"Draco, I don't understand—" she begins to say, tears already forming in her eyes.

I don't care. I don't care about her feelings.

I don't care about her.

"Understand this. You and I will never fucking happen. Do you really think I would ever truly be with a fat, blood traitor nobody like you? The answer is no. So piss off."

At this she lets the tears fall as she bolts out of the classroom. Immediately, someone shoves me, and I stumble back a couple feet.

"What the hell was that?" Blaise says lowly which catches me by surprise. His dark eyes are lethal, but before he can say more, bloody Granger speaks up.

"How dare you speak to her like that!! You—you absolute jerk!"

That's the best she can do?

"Will you just shut up! Nobody cares about your opinion, Mudblood."

"Shove off, Malfoy! I care about her opinion! And her opinion happens to be right!" Weasley belts out, storming over towards me. His face is already as red as his hair.

I hate Gryffindors so fucking much. They think they're always doing the right and just thing. And they're always shoving their noses into things that isn't any of their business.

"What in the world is going on?"

I close my mouth before I can say anymore as Professor McGonagal steps in with a stern expression. She walks in with poise and calculating eyes, which bounce between Granger, Weasley and I.

"I could hear the shouting all the way down the corridor." Her eyes stay on me as she says, "30 points from Slytherin—" and her eyes glance over at Granger and Weasley, "—and 30 from Gryffindor."

"That's not fair! I hardly said a word to them!"

McGonagall gives me a deathly stare. Wonderful.

"That will be a detention for you, Mr. Malfoy. Now, take your seats at once!" Everyone sits down; including myself.

I can't believe I earned myself a detention with her: the bloody worst detention you could get!

Something out of the corner of my eye moves. I glance to my side to see Hannah dash towards the doors of the classroom. She's probably off to go find Jo.

Before McGonagall can say anything, Bones raises her hand.

"Yes, Miss Bones?"

"Libby is feeling unwell. Is it alright if Hannah and I go check up on her?"

Her and McGonagall seem to have a silent conversation with their eyes; and based on the rise of her grayish brow and slight glance over towards my way, McGonagall seems to understand the situation.

"Of course. But please hurry back once you check in on her." Her gaze is on me now as Bones nods swiftly before joining Hannah at the doors. "You may only be able to help so much."

I feel like I'm going to vomit, and I hate vomiting.

I shift my eyes around the room, and everyone seems to be looking at me. I usually thrive off of this attention, regardless if they're mainly glares and hard stares being sent my way. But now, I hate it.

I hate the attention right now.

So I look down at the ring around my finger, twisting it forcefully while my leg bounces under the desk with a nervous jolt.

What is this feeling???

I don't feel guilty. I never feel guilty.

I don't know how to make this awful feeling stop.

I look back up at McGonagall, her eyes still on me as she starts the lesson.

I need to apologize to Jo.

But I don't know if she'll ever forgive me for this.

————

**unedited**