This one-shot was written for: Harry Potter Fanfiction Challenges - Birthday Fic Exchange's Fanfiction, School of Imagination and Creativity - Science Assessment 1 – Alchemy.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter series, all rights go to J.K. Rowling.

Delight in teaching

She looked at the clock for at least the tenth time in less than two minutes. She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on her breathing. She leaned against the professor's table and looked at the door. She checked the time again as she would have forgot it in the last two seconds. She noticed that there was only six minutes until the previous lesson ended.

She was holding at least fifty parchments in her hands, with the lesson plan on the top. She looked down, but she didn't even catch a word because of her distress. She put down the tower of parchments on her table next to her and she tried to gather her strength. She could do this; she was a pureblood witch, proud member of the Greengrass family fiancée of the only heir to the Malfoy family. She graduated with very high scores and bunch of NEWTs.

She forced herself to look up when she heard the door and she was ready to welcome the first early-coming student. However, she noticed someone entirely different. He was standing in the door like he owned the place with a confidential smile and a playful glint in those silvery eyes she loved so much.

"I heard that the sexiest professor is going to have a lesson," he said with his smooth calming tone and she smiled. Although, she found it annoying that he disturbed her right before her first lesson, she had to admit that it was great to see him. She rushed to him and he held her tightly.

"I never knew you find Professor Sprout sexy," she teased him and he grimaced.

"I'm going to be sick," he muttered while he brushed a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Why are you here?" she asked curiously and she fixed her green eyes on his grey ones. He frowned then a small smile appeared on the edge of his lips.

"I couldn't leave you alone, Tori," he said using her nickname. She shivered under his breath, but smiled.

"I thought you hated my idea," she stated referring to everything he has said ever since she had the idea of becoming the new Alchemy professor at Hogwarts. Draco didn't look at her for a moment and she stepped back and crossed her arms.

"I still don't really like it, Tori. I just don't understand why you would do it. It's almost time for the wedding, why don't you just organize it? Isn't that enough for you?" he asked and Astoria looked at him like he was totally stupid.

"I thought you liked that I'm not like every pureblood girl, that I actually want something to do with my life," she stated angrily. She looked at the clock and noticed that in four minutes the class will end and her new students will start to arrive. The blond-haired man grimaced at her words and looked at her.

"You know I do, Tori. It's just... I feel like you are trying to escape from me and the wedding with this. Professors at Hogwarts aren't known for their family life," Draco said dryly and Astoria didn't meet his eyes, she just turned to her desk and started organizing the papers.

"It's Alchemy. This year I'm only going to have four seventh year students and six in their sixth year. It's not like I'm going to live here. You know as well as I do that I'm going to have less than a lesson on every day," she told him and turned around. Draco fixed his grey eyes on her but his face was expressionless.

"It's a lesson now, but both of us know that what you really want is Potions, not Alchemy and once Slughorn leaves Hogwarts you would want his position. That wouldn't be only one class a day," he muttered, but Astoria heard what he said perfectly. The worst was that she knew well that there was truth in what he has just said, but she didn't care.

"I'm a grown-up, I do what I wish," she stated and she angrily grabbed her tower of parchments but as Draco closed the distance between them she accidentally dropped them. She cursed as she bended down to grab them, only to meet Draco's eyes.

"Let me do it," he said softly and he grabbed his wand and with a simple spell he collected the parchments. Astoria wanted to get the papers from his before he could read them, but he was faster. He looked at the parchment on the top and frowned.

"Lesson plan? Really Tori?" he asked and he read it up curiously while Astoria was standing in front of him with crossed arms.

"It's none of your business, actually," she said, but it seemed that Draco didn't really care about that. He was grinning like an idiot as he read his fiancée's over perfected words. She subordinated all her time, every minute.

"3:00-3:05 - Introduction of the subject," Draco read and he smiled."What happens if a student is late?" he teased her, but she didn't care, she just looked at her soon-to-be-husband nastily.

"3:05-3:10 - Roll call," he said with and looked at her challengingly. "You need five minutes to name six students?"

"Just shut up, Malfoy," Astoria suggested not too nicely. Draco only smiled as a response and continued reading it.

"3:10-3:20 - The students introduce themselves," the man read with delight. He liked to tease his fiancée who didn't seem to enjoy the situation very much.

"I'm going to have a class to teach. Could you just go home or whatever?" she asked but her fiancé shook his head.

"Nope, sweetheart," he said with a smile and a playful glint in his eyes.

"Go to Hell, Malfoy," Astoria sneered in frustration.

"I already have a place there, Tori," Draco said seriously, but he continued the lesson plan.

"3:20-3:30 - Expectations, curriculum and grading system," Draco read it and looked at Astoria curiously. "You made up a grading system?" he asked and she didn't answer, but she blushed in embarrassment.

"Is it a problem?" she asked eventually and he shrugged.

"3:30-3:45 – The basic Theory behind Alchemy," he read and she didn't comment. He fixed his eyes on her.

"You have a lot of work in this," he said softly, in a tone he only ever used with her. She didn't look at him, even though she knew well he didn't mean it in a wrong way.

"Maybe it's hard for you to accept, but I'm actually delighted that I can teach and I want to do it well," she replied a bit too harshly as she noticed his hurt expression.

"It's hard to accept that something is just as much important for you as our relationship or more," he said at first softly, but the end seemed rather bitter. She sighed and closed the distance between them.

"I love you, Draco Malfoy," she started and a small smile appeared on his face," but you must understand that I want to teach," she told him and he nodded slowly.

"3:45-4:15 – Brief history of Alchemy," he stated and Astoria rolled her eyes.

"You are impossible, Draco," she said and he smiled at her.

"4:15-4:20 – Aims of the Alchemists," he read up and she grimaced. She wasn't sure why was Draco doing that when the break already started and in no time her new students are going to arrive.

"4:20-4:30 – Basic idea of Chrysopoeia," he read and frowned at the unknown word. He looked questioningly at Astoria who sighed.

"Transmutation into gold," she translated and he nodded.

"4:30-4:40 – The idea behind the Philosopher's Stone," he said and now he didn't need and explanation. He has heard about it enough after all.

"4:40-4:50 – The meaning of 'Panacea'," he said dramatically and she was close to slapping him.

"4:50-5:00 – The clarification of the term 'Alkahest'," Draco read. "I would need that," he muttered and Astoria rolled her eyes.

"It's the universal solvent," she simply stated and her fiancé nodded.

"Yes, I'm really happy and satisfied with the fact that you are able to read," she snapped a bit, but he just smiled.

"I'm not ready, I still have to read your notes about the lesson," he grinned and she face palmed. Sometimes she wanted him to be like when she met him: cold and calculable.

"My goal in the first lesson is to show the wide usage of Alchemy and who much it has affected our lives. I want them to see the basic theory of the subject and to understand that it is more than the mixture of Potions and Transfiguration. The basic theory of Alchemy is more than wand waving and potion making. Alchemy also concerns philosophy; alchemical literature is dominated by mystical and metaphysical speculations too." Draco stopped and smiled at her fiancée.

"I like your words," he stated and she frowned.

"You really should go," she stated coldly, but he didn't listen to her which irritated her very much.

"I'm going to teach the class about the brief history of Alchemy, starting with the ancient world, like Egypt, Greece and Rome until I reach present-day. The history isn't going to be really detailed as I'm going to teach the class more about the alchemist behind the theory or material when we reach it during the year. The alchemist I'm going to highlight during my presentation are Stephen of Alexandria, Dzou Yen, Nicolas Flamel and Paracelsus." Draco smiled cheekily at Astoria, but she just grimaced, so he continued. "I'm going to present the aim of the Alchemy briefly, before I start to teach them in details. During the lesson I will speak about Chrysopoeia, which is the used word for transmutation into gold and as it is also symbolically used to indicate the completion of the Great Work (also known as Magnum opus), the making of the Philosopher's stone I'm going to speak about the magical object which produces the Elixir of Life and is able of Chrysopoeia."

"Would you be kind enough and leave me alone? The students can arrive in any moment," Astoria stated and she was clearly annoyed. Draco just frowned and gestured to the parchment.

"Why did you write such a long lesson plan? It's your fault, not mine," he simply said and she was really close to actually throw him out of her new classroom. "Can I finish it?" he asked, but before she could answer he continued. "As Panacea was actually found, that is what we call now the Elixir of Life, I will cover the topic of the remedy that would cure all diseases and prolong life indefinitely right after my presentation of the Philosopher's stone. I will end the first lesson by clarifying the meaning of the third big aim of the ancient alchemists, the Alkahest, the universal solvent, which is a substance that has the ability to dissolve any material. I'm hoping of clarifying the idea behind Alchemy during my first class. As homework, I'm going to give up a meter long essay about one of the alchemists and their work I have mentioned during the class. They can get help from their textbook, 'From ancient to modern Alchemy' by Argo Pyrites." Draco ended reading up the lesson plan and Astoria was looking at him like she was ready to kill him.

"Are you happy?" she snapped and Draco smiled.

"Actually I am," he said and she frowned, she had no idea what he was talking about.

"Now, I'm part of this. I'm here with you on your first class," he said and she sighed.

"So, you nearly ruined my first ever class so you could spend more time with me?" she asked in disbelief.

"Why else would I be at Hogwarts again? Not everyone is so keen to be back as you are," he said with a grimace and she nodded. She stepped closer to him and grabbed the parchment and she tossed aside. She leaned closer to him and she kissed him softly, but it wasn't enough for him.

He kissed her passionately and they leaned against the table. She ran her hands through his blond hair and he was holding her tightly. They didn't even hear when the door opened and two sixth-year students, a boy from Gryffindor and a girl from Hufflepuff stepped in only to notice that their professor was a bit preoccupied.

"Um, sorry Professor Greengrass, should we leave now?" the boy asked and Astoria and Draco stopped making out.

"We will... wait outside," the girl said who was just as red as a tomato and she tossed the boy outside.

"DRACO MALFOY!" Astoria shouted and Draco winced.

"YOU RUINED EVERYTHING!" she screamed.

Maybe, visiting her wasn't a very good idea.