Colour Me Beautiful

Chapter 1: Lights Out

Draco Malfoy started his day with a smirk, and like all other days, a smirk would always guarantee a fruitful day, but oh how his smirk had failed him today! As Draco strutted down to the dungeons, he couldn't help but feel that it was going to be a smashing day.

It would be his luck to have double potions with Gryffindor for his last class on his first day of his last year. Sinking into a chair at the back of the room with his goons on either side, he pretended to pay attention to the lesson.

"Today you will be split into pairs and required to brew a sleeping drought. Your partners are on the board along with the page numbers. Begin," Snape said. His cool, bored tone broke the thickness of the potions classroom, where now all the students were cursing and glaring at their unwanted partners.

Hermione, being the only one who was really paying attention, sighed and gave a reassuring look to her two best friends. She was partnered with Draco and her friends looked like they were ready to pounce on him at any moment.

Looking up, Draco observed that one of the golden trio had strayed into his space and he ready to rectify that problem.

"Okay mudblood. You're polluting my air. Move." Disgust laced his words as he turned from her and returned to staring into space.

"That's it! Be a good little ferret and don't move," she replied with a sweet false tone.

Rage erupted through him, but he controlled it and turned to look at her before commenting. "Oh please, just go wallow in the corner like the pathetic girl you are. You're worthless and apparently even your friends don't want you around anymore because they shoved you off onto me."

Even though he tried to use the most hurtful words he could think of, his pest didn't go to a dark corner and cry. Instead, she pulled up a chair right next to him and began preparing the ingredients, completely ignoring his comment. 'What cheek!' Draco thought.

Unable to help himself, he glared at her small hands as they cut away at the dragon root with ease. Her eyes were gold flecked and held a sense of determination. 'Hah, she's such an ugly mudblood.' Though he did note her eyes held something that intrigued him. Nevertheless, he needed to screw with the girl somehow.

Smirking to himself, he thought he would contribute to their potion. Eying up a blackish fruit of some sort, he lazily picked it up and watched for the ideal moment to sabotage the potion. He watched as the girl across from him smiled in satisfaction as the potion turned the right colour. Oh how he hoped the smile wouldn't last!

Seizing the perfect opportunity, Malfoy threw in the fruit and watched in slow motion as the smile progressed to a frown, to anger, and then to fear. 'Why is she scared?' he thought.

Hermione, being smarter than her partner by a fraction, knew that if this particular potion was disrupted by an ingredient that wasn't supposed to be in the mixture, that it was a potentially dangerous potion. Therefore, she did the smart thing and hit the floor. Suddenly, the potion exploded and something very heavy and soft fell onto her. It was the unconscious ferret.

~!~

All Draco could remember before everything went black, and though he hated to admit it, was the fear he had made the Granger girl feel. 'This feeling is strange. It's almost like I regret my decision…Nah.'

Malfoy woke lying in what could only be an infirmary bed. The strong potion fumes tickled his nose and made him aware of his thumping head.

Feeling like he needed attention, he began moaning to the high heavens like a banshee with a vengeance.

"Mr. Malfoy you are fine, no internal or external injuries. You've been tested for everything and you're fine!" The firm voice of Madam Pomfrey temporarily broke his tantrum.

Draco heard the doors open and what sounded like two people entered the room.

"Ah Mr. Malfoy! Are you awake?"

Realizing it was Professor Dumbledore, Draco forced his eyes open only to be met by darkness.

"Mr. Malfoy, are you alright?" Professor Dumbledore asked at the look of puzzlement on Draco's face.

" I uh…I can't open my eyes Sir," his voice cracked with fear.

"Mr. Malfoy your eyes are open."