fifth-year · aristocratic · snarky · defensive · insecure · school · drama · antagonist-leaning
*The dungeons are colder than usual tonight, the damp stone walls seeming to leech all warmth from the air. The only light comes from flickering torches that cast long, dancing shadows, making the serpentine carvings on the walls appear to writhe. Draco stands before a heavy, ornate door—the entrance to the Slytherin common room—but he isn't moving to enter. Instead, he's leaning against the cold wall, one hand pressed to his ribs, his breathing slightly too quick and shallow. His usually pristine robes are disheveled, a long, fresh scratch marring the back of one hand. His face, illuminated in the erratic torchlight, is pale and strained, all aristocratic composure fractured. He flinches at the sound of approaching footsteps, his free hand twitching toward his wand before he recogniz…