My arms ached, my legs were sore, my head was ringing and every muscle screamed in protest from the pain of a hard day's worth of dueling. I had a particularly tiring time this afternoon and all I really wanted to do now was collapse in my soft feather bed. More than rest though, what I needed was advice. The benefit of your father being a professor at Hogwarts was of course that you could always seek him out for counsel. The downside was equal in that he would always be there to scold and discipline you when you did wrong.
I arrived at the door of his private apartments and was about to knock when I heard raised voices coming from inside. It was nearly midnight... Who on earth could be in with father at this hour? I leaned in as close as i dared trying to make out what was being said.
"You know you should discuss this with him."
"But how? How can I possibly tell him? Draco he's going to hate me."
"Albus, calm down. Your dad won't hate you, no matter what you say. He could never hate you."
"Of course he will. What would you do if Scorpius told you that? I mean really?"
Merlin, it was him again. I nearly gagged when i realized who was in with father.
Albus Potter, the younger son of the famous war hero, was without a doubt my father's favorite student. In Draco Malfoy's words 'never had there been a more gifted child at the art of brewing'.
Since I was utter shit at potions the obnoxious snake had ended up closer to my father than me. They were always discussing complex theories and going off to collect rare ingredients in the forbidden forest. The greater irony was that as Harry's best student I ended up spending more time with the Potters than Albus. At least while in school. It had always seemed strange that I had turned out a Gryffindor while he was made a Slytherin.
"Honestly Draco. It wasn't rhetorical. What would you do if Scorpius told you—"
"—Albus stop… someone's outside."
There was a brief moment of silence before the door swung abruptly ajar. The movement caused a crackling orange glow to come pouring from the opening in warm whispering waves. The soft light of the fire made the stones look almost as though they were glowing. It was deceptively inviting. I sighed to myself. There was no use pretending i hadn't heard.
"If I told you what father?" I asked, walking into the room and towards the desk. I was acutely aware that the snake was staring at me.
"We were having a private conversation, nothing to do with you" Potter shot squinting at me dangerously. I rolled my eyes, clearly unimpressed. I stepped right up to father and gave him a hug, knowing it would annoy Potter. Father never really understood why I was so affectionate. Rarely did any member of my family show affection towards another. I suppose it was a Gryffindor quality.
"It's 11:30 at night, you're in my father's private apartments and I heard my name. I thought I'd come in and see what we were talking about."
"So you were eavesdropping?" Albus asked outraged.
"Fuck off, I'm not a snake like you. I was just about to knock. I'm simply saying I had a right to ask."
"Boys, boys, calm down. Did you need something Scor?"
I blinked in shock, hating that he treated me like this. Why couldn't I just want to come and say hi. Why did I need a reason?
"Not particularly. Do I always have to need something from you?" I shot back harshly. I was fast regretting having come at all.
The snake snorted derisively as i spoke. "Of course you do" he hissed. Suddenly realization dawned on his face, making him appear cruelly delighted. "Oh I see! The poor little baby lion wanted a goodnight hug. Maybe he's waiting for a bedtime story too?" I wanted to hit the green eyed shit for that. Father merely glared at Potter, trying to conceal a smile. Blasted Slytherins.
"Albus, at least try to be nice. If only while i'm here. He is my son."
"Yes Professor, I was just leaving anyway. Goodnight Draco… I will see you tomorrow" Albus finished, walking towards the door. He stopped in front of me, staring in that strange way of his for a few moments before finally stepping out. There was something definitely weird about him. In fact there had always been something weird about him.
"Tomorrow's a Friday. There are no potions classes scheduled for tomorrow. Why on earth would you be seeing him on a day you don't even work? Its getting a bit much." Father raised a questioning eyebrow at me before turning his eyes back down to the stacks of parchment on his desk.
"If I'm not mistaken… I believe… he was speaking to you."
"Me? Why on earth would I be seeing that evil little creature?"
"Perhaps" he droned out, continuing casually to grade papers… "Because you're failing potions and he's the best person to remedy that."
Fuck...
"Oh…" I guess we finally had to deal with this. I had been trying to avoid the subject for as long as possible.
"Oh? is that all you have to say for yourself? You think I might have missed that my son was failing my own subject? Not likely. What will people say if my own blood can't brew ale let alone a decent potion. You know about as much as a first year."
Father didn't even sound disappointed so much as annoyed. It still hurt that he showed so little concern for me. I'm sure he cared more about the judgements of his peers than whether or not i succeeded.
"Anyone but him. Please." I didn't want to sound so helplessly spoiled, but I couldn't help it. "I'll find someone else to tutor me later i promise. I just wanted to speak with you about something."
"Its already decided, now go. I have to grade papers, so whatever you needed to discuss will have to wait until after you've improved your standing."
I scoffed at the dismissal. I really needed advice and this was his response? I clenched and unclenched my fists angrily as he dipped the tip of his quill into the ornate inkwell only to continue scribbling away.
"FINE" I shot angrily storming out. "Insufferable snakes..."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~)◊(~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Slytherins… I hated the lot of them. Where did they get off acting so—
"Hey lion!" A voice called as I slammed the door to my father's study. I turned and was shocked to see the green eyed snake leaning casually against the wall of the corridor. He didn't look nearly as smug as he had earlier. Either way i still couldn't handle any more of him right now.
"What do you want?" I asked beginning to walk back along the path towards Gryffindor tower. I'd had quite enough of snakes for one day. They were all the same. Heartless, unforgiving, smug, slimy...
"I… I… just… wanted to apologize."
The words took me by such surprise that I nearly tripped down the stairs. He moved to stand in front of me, staring intensely the same way he always did.
His eyes are always so ridiculously green. I've never seen anyone else with eyes the color of moss. He looks… almost fragile right now. It was a strange observation that i quickly pushed out of my mind.
"For what I said earlier… I'm sorry. I just… I needed your dad's advice. I'm dealing with a very personal issue… and I… I may be slightly… defensive right now." I paused seriously at that, contemplating his very genuine apology.
"Mean is a better word for it… but... I guess... I accept. And since you're to be my tutor from now on I figure we might as well get along. As unlikely as that would seem." I wanted to vomit as the words left me.
"Hahahaha. Draco told you about that did he. His idea of a joke, i assure you i didn't ask to be saddle with a talentless lion cub."
"Wipe that smirk off your face. And don't call my dad by his first name, its creepy."
"Why? You jealous?" He asked irritatingly. This was going to be murderous to endure... Always these snakes with their smug satisfied smirks, indefatigably believing themselves so superior.
"Not in the least."
"Well i'm actually jealous of you. I wondered whether the feeling was mutual." He whispered quietly as we walked. It was the second time he had shocked me in as many minutes. In all our years at Hogwarts we had hardly exchanged a full two sentences, so it was strange to hear this of all things.
"What? Really? Why?" I watched as he frowned at me.
"Why? Why?" He sputtered. "I started calling your dad Draco ever since the first time I heard you call my dad Harry. I've always been jealous of the way you are with... them." I was so surprised to hear the creepy, sneaky, snarky, slippery Slytherin speak so... revealingly. He'd always seemed… I don't know… distant. I couldn't help but give him credit for that.
"Well… maybe I am… a little jealous" I offered in light of his candor. Suddenly he grinned wickedly and I couldn't understand why until he spoke again.
"That was easy. Well of course you're jealous. Look at me. There's little not to be jealous about. You are all so easy to manipulate."
"Ugh… such a shit. Just when you say something that reminds me you're human you turn around and act like a snake." He smiled at that, as though it were a compliment, and for a second I thought I just might be able to like him. There was something really warm about the way he smiled. I had never noticed it before. He was always smirking, so much so that you rarely ever got a chance to see the kindness that poured from his actual smile.
"A snake? Why thank you."
"Merlin preserve me." I sighed. "So when do we start this tutoring business?"
"Humph, tomorrow night…You're dad gave me permission to take you into the forbidden forest. Maybe he thinks i'll murder you and save him the trouble of your failure."
"Ugh… but tomorrow's a friday. If i'm out all night I'll be too exhausted to go play quidditch with James saturday morning…"
I watched Albus flinch at the statement, realizing how serious he had actually been. The snake had really felt weird about this for years… well it was an odd relationship our families shared. "What on earth does the forest have to do with potion brewing anyway?" I asked trying to distract him. "Isn't potions just about following recipes?"
"If that were true any imbecile with a cookbook could do it. Why do you think half the students in potions fail even though the recipes are right in front of them?"
"Wait what? You're not just an imbecile with a cookbook?" I asked in feigned shock. He smiled again, which made me smile too.
"Was that witty humor? From a lion? No I'm not just an imbecile with a cookbook, as you most certainly will find out studying under me. Good Night. I'll see you tomorrow in the dungeons before we head into the forest."
With that he vanished down a dark corridor without even leaving me the chance to reply. Could I really survive months of this?
If you like these characters check out my other story. It has a longer more developed plot and the characters are infinitely more complex. I'm dedicating this story to all my TFAB:TFAL reviewers/ followers / readers ... and to... well you know who you are...
This will probably be a 20K story. Updates regularly. I may take suggestions if you care to leave them. I respond to my readers so don't feel too shy to PM me.
Hope you enjoy