For Dorrito’s Every Flavour Mood Beans. Drabble for 12/27. Many thanks to my guest author for holding down the fort for an hour or so.

*****

Disappointed

He’d made mistakes, some of them quite grave, and the years had worn away any skill he may have once possessed in the art of self-deception. At his age, mistakes carried swords, and the real trick was allowing oneself to pass unscathed. The wise wizard doesn’t dwell, he’d said more than once. Still, he couldn’t deny the sickening lump that crowded his belly the morning he first caught true distrust in the eyes of Harry Potter.

Albus bit hard into his fifth lemon drop of the day, wincing absently as its sour sting hit the inside of his cheek.

For Dorrito’s Every Flavour Mood Beans. Drabble for 12/25. Almost caught up!

*****

Devious

It was his father who’d taught him the value of being underestimated, though he’d only now truly understood. He brought them over slowly, never speaking of it outright. Distrust was easily bred in in Slytherin house, only a careful word or skillful look required. Even Crabbe seemed oblivious, not that he’d expected more. If Draco suspected, he’d shown no signs, though he was hardly in his right mind these days. He didn’t seem to notice the barely-hidden sneers, or even the frequency with which he ate alone.

A small-minded man might have called it revenge, but Gregory served something higher.