Heartbreak Warfare

Chapter 1

Draco was finding it hard to concentrate.

He was in potions' class, usually his best subject, but he couldn't stop watching Potter brew his potion. He had an old, ragged book from the closet but it must have notes in it because Potter was making his potion with a confidence that he had never had before. He would have laughed at the state of Granger and her getting-wilder-by-the-minute hair, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from Potter.

His hair was messy and his glasses were askew but there was a small smile playing on his lips like he was in on a secret joke. Draco didn't know why he cared. Well, he knew why but he still wasn't ready to face what that would mean for him. This year especially. The last thing he needed was to be distracted by Harry bloody Potter. More than usually, that is.

Blaise nudged him and Draco jumped, tearing his eyes away from Potter. "What?" He hissed.

Blaise rolled his eyes. "You're supposed to stir the potion six more times and you just stopped."

Draco looked down at the potion and started stirring again. "I've got a lot on my mind," he said as way of explanation.

"You've only got one thing on your mind and it is the same thing that has been on your mind for years."

Draco rolled his eyes and fought the blush that threatened to surface on his cheeks. "Years is an exaggeration, Zabini," he snapped.

"Bullshit. You've been obsessed with him since first-year when he didn't shake your hand."

"You make it sound like I'm some petty bitch," Draco snarled.

"We both know that you are a petty bitch," Blaise smirked. "Especially when it comes to Potter."

Draco scoffed and stopping stirring. "You're insufferable. Just do the next steps while I grab more ingredients."

Blaise did so but the knowing smirk didn't leave his lips. Draco rolled his eyes and walked to the counter. He grabbed a jar of powdered root of asphodel, infusion of wormwood and a handful of valerian sprigs and turned around, knocking right into someone.

"Bloody hell!" Draco exclaimed, looking down at his fallen ingredients. "Were you standing close enough?"

Draco drew his grey eyes up to see it was Potter he had run into.

"You just weren't watching where you were going," Potter snapped.

Draco huffed. "You know what? I don't give a damn. I don't have the energy right now to have a useless argument with you."

Draco shoved past Potter, knocking his shoulder into his as he strolled past. He slumped down on the seat next Blaise.

Blaise raised an eyebrow. "Where the hell are our ingredients?"

"It's useless at this point. Our potion is already ruined." Draco gestured to the cauldron. "Our potion should be darkened to a smokey grey, not the blueish grey it is now."

Blaise looked down at the contents before throwing his arms up and slumping down next to him.

"Whatever, no one is going to get the right mixture of the potion anyway. Who needs liquid luck?"

I did, Draco thought.

****

In the end, Potter was the one that got the liquid luck. It shocked most people (Granger especially) but Draco didn't care. Had it been last year, he would have lost his shit to lose to Potter in potions. He was just not in the mood. He was never in the mood for anything. He seemed to just be going through the motions. Going to meals, forcing himself to eat a little bit of something then dragging himself through classes and finally slumping into bed to only be able to sleep for an hour before starting the whole thing over again.

His mind had become a trap for him. The expectations of the mission weighed heavily there. He could still hear the Dark Lord's hiss as he told him what he wanted him to do this year. Could feel his long fingernails digging into his wrist while his wand burned a hot mark onto his forearm. He still woke up screaming some nights, scratching desperately at the mark to the point that hot blood oozed down and filled his palm. No matter how much he scratched, though, the dark mark continued to stay there, staring up at him and slithering beneath his skin.

He had never wanted the mark. Didn't want the mission that the Dark Lord had given him. He had done it for his family. For his father that urged him to join his side and for his mother who was just trying to survive. Not only that but the Dark Lord was staying at his home. There was nowhere for him to go that was safe. Hogwarts wasn't even safe. Especially under the watchful eyes of Snape.

Draco slumped down between Blaise and Pansy at dinner, not even bothering to load his plate with food. He rested his head on his hand and struggled to keep his eyes open.

"Are you going to practice tonight?" Blaise asked and when Draco didn't respond, he nudged him.

Draco blinked and turned to Blaise. "What?"

"Practice. Tonight. Are you coming this time?"

He shook his head and stood up. "No. I've got too much to do tonight. I'll see you two later."

"But you haven't even eaten anything!" Pansy called but Draco ignored her.

Draco went to the library and using the permission slip he had gotten from Snape; he went to the Restricted Section. He grabbed a few books on poisons and mystery deaths before settling at one of the tables. He read late into the night, until his candle had burned to a stump. Finally, he pulled himself away from a book about easily hidden poisons and curses and waved his wand to put them back on the shelves. He trudged to Slytherin common room, the early lights of dawn filtering through the windows. When he made it to his room, he slumped down onto his bed and pulled the curtains closed. He was only asleep for an hour or two before the sounds of the other boys in his dorm getting up and ready for the day, woke him up.