Chapter Text
The returning students made their way tiredly to the first class of their ‘8th year’. He found it rather ridiculous that they had to return because their education wasn’t complete for their 7th year due to the Battle of Hogwarts and the 2nd Wizarding War in full swing.
He had barely even noticed when Parkinson and Zabiani started walking next to him trying to make conversation which he thought was rather uninteresting, although he did make conversation back occasionally, he was tired of trying to respond, with his father in Akazaban and his mother pardoned for her crimes due to saving the ‘boy who lived’, he felt constantly tired, although he wasn't sure if it was due to that or his.. Lack of nutrition.
He had finally arrived to the first class of the year, ‘Advanced Potions’, along with many other students, their first class of course had to be with The Gryffindors, which he thinks is rather stupid as tension between the houses was at it highest peak (besides during the war)
He still found it strange to not have his godfather teaching them Potions, instead of Professor Slughorn, he was still slightly mourning the death of his godfather but the lesson was starting soon, so he tried to push his thoughts towards something else, like Potter and his stupid friends, who were chatting, he suddenly felt a wave of coldness even under his thick black cloak, as soon as the wave of coldness came it was gone ,and why was Potter was looking at him, he quickly sent a glare back which sent Potter's eyes back to his friends.
As he was starting to feel slightly tired due to Professor Slughorn's absence, almost as if somebody was reading his mind Professor Slughorn came walking into the Potions Classroom,
“Good Afternoon to you all!” Professor Slughorn said.
The class was rather uninterested so Professor Slughorn decided to stop the Formalities and started to teach the class,
“Not very excited I see, Today I will be teaching you the Antidote to more rarer poisons,” Professor Slughorn said,
As slowly as the lesson seemed to start it seemed to end just as slowly, he practically had finished the potion by half mark of the class, which he could thank his godfather's potion lessons , when he was younger in Malfoy Manor.
The rest of the class until lunch were rather uninteresting, Defense Against The Dark Arts with the new professor, which he isnt going to bother learning the name of. And Transfiguracion with Professor McGonagall, which he thinks he did rather well in
Lunch came and he decided to skip the meal, for no particular reason, he was just rather tired and decided to study until the next classes came. He was rather calm in the Library until stupid Potter decided to come bother him,
“Oh uh Hello Malfoy” Potter said,
“Hello Potter '' He said rather uninterested in the conversacion,
“Mind if I ask what book you're reading?” Potter asked curiously,
He sighed, “The Art of Transfiguracion by Lian Reiza” He responded.
Potter seemed to not get the clue that he was not interested in talking to him, as he sat down in the Chair in front of him;
“How have you been?” Potter asked,
“Fine” He responded,
He decided to stand up and try to leave but Potter had other ideas,
“Malfoy I know we haven't been on good terms, like ever but can we try to be civil at least this year?” Potter asked,
“Sure” He replied, he would much rather stop the conversation even if it meant being civil to Potter and his friends.
He decided to may his way back to the dorm, he wanted to take the slightly longer route due to the lack of people who used those corridors once he arrived in the dorm, Parkinson and Zabini waiting on the couch,
“Why weren't you at Lunch Draco?” Parkinson questioned,
He responded back, “I'm not in the mood for you to start berating me on the first day back Pansy”,
He made his way back to the boys dorm room in which he heard a sigh coming from Parkinson and Zabiani as he went in, and promptly into the bathroom attached to it, he locked the door and looked at himself,
His cheeks looked hollowed out, but he felt like his cheeks had gotten bigger, his eyes sunken in, he slowly lifted up his shirt and looked at the clearly visible ribs, he pinched and prodded at spots where he thought he could use a little more thinning out.
He quickly covered himself back up and made his way back to the dorm room and sat on his bed. He wasn't sure why his bed that once felt so soft felt slightly hard against his body, maybe it was his jousting bones but he assumed they just changed the beds. He found himself starting at the ceiling for a bit until the next classes came,
He wasn't sure why Potter kept staring at him, or why he felt slightly hotter instead of the constant coldness he felt normally when he looked at Potter or when Potter looked at him.
There was still a lot of tension between the houses. At the end of the day during Dinner in the great, he felt like the tension was so thick a knife couldn't cut through it, he assumed due to the opposing sides in the war were still rather unhappy even if the war was over and the dark lord was defeated, he still found himself scratching slightly at the mark on his arm under his clothes as the Houses headed back to their dorms.