John Constantine and The Azkaban Escapee

Defiance

John startled at the sound of knocking, looking up from his newspaper to see an unexpected sight.

The door slid open.

"Malfoy?"

The platinum blond nodded at him.

"Constantine."

"You...need something mate?"

"Can..."
Malfoy shuffled.
"May I?"

"Urh...yeah, go ahead."

The boy nodded again, quickly shuffling in his things and taking a seat on the opposite side.

"Thanks."
He still avoided eye contact.
"The train has begun to fill up quick, but I suppose it's nice to know that theres room with a familiar face..."

John squinted.

This whole interaction was...awkward...to say the least.

"Summer been alright for you, Malfoy?"

Then he finally looked at him

"Ah-yes, I suppose. We went to France for a while...with everything that happened, my parents thought a trip outside the country would prove beneficial..."

"Ah...uh, you see the tower?"

"Yes-from afar anyways."
He shrugged.
"Too crowded and...and father doesn't like to be around so many....."

"Gotcha."

There was something on the other's mind, that much was obvious.

"We're quite far back into the train, mate-you didn't see anybody else?"

Ok, he didn't mean for it to sound like that-

-but the boy nodded anyways.

"And...you still sat here?"
John puzzled.
"You know, if you really don't want to-"

"-No! No-it's-it's fine."
Draco rushed out, ears turning a little pink.
"I wanted to..."

The mage decided not to push the other boy.

Whatever existential crisis Malfoy was currently having, he didn't think the other would want something bubbling over on the train of all places.

But it also raised the question of why he would want to sit with him.

Him.

The probable cause of his crisis in the first place.

"Alright."
John started off slowly, itching for a change of topic.
"Hear about that Black fella that broke out?"

"Who hasn't?"
Draco scoffed, finally seeming more in character.
"The man's name has been everywhere. My father can't stop talking about him and the Ministry's incompetence over it."

The boy shrugged a little.
"Truthfully, I'm a little sick of hearing about him. Not to mention my father almost forbade me even coming this year."

John nodded.
"I've been seeing that a lot. My own caretaker seemed more than a little shaken when hearing about it."

He ignored the slightly curious look that got him.

Not that Tristan even told him about it until the last minute.

But Malfoy was the son of a very wealthy, very connected man. One, that seemed, incapable of shutting up.

"I've been hearing a few rumors about him...but why do they think he'd be comin to Hogwart's of all places?"

Draco twitched, letting out an irritated sigh.

"Cause why else? Harry Potter."

Despite the changes John's begun to see take place in him, Malfoy still seemed to hold a very real grudge over Harry.

And vis versa.

And like usual, unless it got too far, or he was dragged into it-he'd let them settle their petty feud themselves.

"Apparently the lunatic has personal connections to our 'Dark Lord' as well as some sort of history with Potter."
He crossed his arms.
"For all my father talks, he can also dance around a topic."

That...seemed like an oddly personal statement.

"Speaking of talking to your father, what's his opinion on...this."
He motioned between them.
"Like time I saw your old man, he didn't seem to particularly like me much."

"He...he told me to avoid you."
Malfoy paused for a moment, before scrunching up his nose in distaste.
"That you were obviously a bad influence since you hang around Potter."

John felt a lip twitch.

He couldn't help it.
Honest.

"Aren't I?"

To his surprise, Malfoy snorted.

"And you're still going to hang around me?"
The mage fished.
"Even though your father ordered you not to?"

Draco looked back at him, pale blue orb murky with emotions John normally didn't see in them.

"Yes."

"Starting your teenage rebellion early, yeah?"
John smirked.
"Stick it to the old people."

You know damn well I couldn't help use that meme(not mine either btw).