Disclaimer: I do not own anything with the Harry Potter franchise. There are loose excerpts/pieces from the book/movie Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince in this post. Because I'm assuming you've read/seen the movies I do not do word for word quotes on all of it, preferring to put in my own words so please understand if portions are summarized.
A/N. So sorry for the delay. With my daughters birthday and Easter I had to put in SO MANY HOURS the last three days to make up for taking the time off so in the last 72 hours, I've worked 58 of them x.x. Not recommended guys. Not recommended.
Also, still searching/in need of a beta if anyone would like to pick this up and assist me. Thank you for all the lovely feedback I've received so far as well you're all incredible and so supportive!
Smirking at Granger, Draco slid his hands into his front pockets as he made his way into the classroom. It was odd, seeing the class with the new set up. Potions had always been a class he didn't have to try much in. He had Snape after all and the man adored him as a student after all and truthfully, he enjoyed it. Measuring out the ingredients, knowing how one thing would interact with another, that if he turned the cauldron this way one thing would happen but if he turned it another then something else would. But he would never let anyone know that of course. It just didn't fit with his image after all. The only reason he was top of his classes was because he was a Malfoy, he was supposed to be top of his class. He couldn't let anyone know it was because he actually enjoyed it.
Draco'd been told by both his mother and Snape to get on Slughorn's good side, apparently the man had a knack for figuring out who it was that would eventually become affluent someday. Yet, as he listened to the Professor explain how the N.E.W.T year was going to go, he wasn't so sure. He seemed like a regular professor, if a bit on the jovial and chubbier side. Not to mention his jokes were dreadful and when he started on some story about a writer he knew, Draco completely checked out and started thinking about his task from the Dark Lord.
Moments later, two figures walked into the room, interrupting Slughorn's story and Draco's eyes narrowed. What the bloody hell were Potter and the Weasel doing here? There was no way they were intelligent enough to pass their O.W.L's and get an outstanding. It was one of the things he'd been looking forward to most, especially since Crabbe and Goyle weren't in the class with him this year, just Blaise and Nott. Apparently they had as Slughorn was telling them to get books and basic ingredients before asking people about the potions in front of them and there went Granger's bloody hand flying into the air as she correctly identified Veritaserum and then Polyjuice Potion.
(Here starts the mostly quoted portion of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling) "Now, this one here . . . yes, my dear?" said Slughorn, now looking slightly bemused, as Granger's hand punched the air again.
"It's Amortentia!"
"It is indeed. Ir seems almost foolish to ask," said Slughorn, who was looking mightily impressed, "but I assume you know what it does?"
It's the most powerful love porion in the world!" said Granger.
'Quire right! You recognized it, I suppose, by its distinctive mother-of-pearl sheen?"
"And the steam rising in characteristic spirals," said Granger enthusiastically, "and it's supposed to smell differently to each of according to what attracts us, and I can smell freshly mown grass and new parchment and -"
But she turned slightly pink and did not complete the sentence.
'May I ask your name, my dear?" said Slughorn, ignoring Hermione's embarrassment.
Hermione Granger, sir."
"Granger? Granger? Can you possibly be related to Hector Dagworth-Granger, who founded the Most Extraordinary Society of Potioneers?"
"No. I don't think so, sir. I'm Muggle-born, you see."
Draco leaned over to Nott. "Bloody nuisance she is," he whispered as he sniggered. But Slughorn beamed and looked from Granger to Potter, who was sitting next to her.
"Oho! 'One of my best friends is Muggle-born, and she's the best in our year!' I'm assuming this is the very friend of whom you spoke, Harry?"
"Yes, sir," said Potter. (This ends the 'mostly quoted' portion of the book/movie Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince).
Draco just rolled his eyes as Slughorn continued talking about the love potion. He knew it wouldn't be a good thing to be dosed with it, but he didn't think anyone who was smart would actually be dosed with it so why worry about it? Then Slughorn mentioned Liquid Luck and Draco's grey eyes widened. Now he was paying quite a bit more attention!
"Those of you who's partners are in this class from the Headmasters projects will work with your partners for the duration of the year in this class," Slughorn said with a cheerful grin. "It's a wonderful plan of his and so we will use it in here to help the bonding experience. Not to mention it may help if you weren't always at the top of the class!" He said as one or two people groaned, once of which being Draco when he realized that meant he had to bloody work with Granger.
"Now, for your assignment you will be turning to page ten of Advanced Potion Making. We have a little over an hour left to us, which should be time for you to make a decent attempt at the Draught of Living Death. I know it is more complex than anything you have attempted before, and I do not expect a perfect potion from anybody. The person who does best, however, will win little Felix here. If it is a partner set you will each win one day's worth! Off you go!"
Hermione's mouth was set in a fine line as she rather reluctantly looked over at Malfoy. She knew he wasn't bad at Potions. No. He was rather good at it seeing as she had actually had actually had to start pushing herself a little harder the previous year to be able to keep her spot as top of the class. Though, she'd made damn sure she never told anyone that or let them witness her working a bit harder when it came to their potions lessons. She wasn't going to let anyone know that she'd had to work harder because Draco Malfoy may have actually been more intelligent than her at a class! No way!
She watched as Harry gave her an apologetic smile and moved to stand over with Ron at his table so that Malfoy could stand with Hermione. She really didn't want to but as Malfoy walked towards her and they set up her cauldron and his scales she knew it was going to be inevitable. At least he was intelligent. It was a lot better than being paired with someone who could handle potions at all.
"Cut the Valerian Roots while I cut the Sopophorus beans." Hermione told Malfoy in a clipped voice as she pulled the beans towards her and tried cutting one of them. All of a sudden a pale hand was over hers and taking the knife from her.
"Hey!" She exclaimed angrily as she looked at him.
"You're going to end up hurting yourself or not getting out any of the damn juices, Granger." Malfoy sneered. "You cut the bloody Valerian Roots and I'll get out the juice." He told her as he then took the beans and swiped them onto his side of the table.
Glaring at him, she chose to stay silent. There was no point in continuing to argue about it, especially when she noticed that as he was crushing them with a silver dagger it was releasing quite a bit more juice than she'd thought. That and the potion was turning the right colors. Shaking her head she continued cutting up the roots as the book instructed and then started stirring as it said.
"Add a clockwise stir now," Came Malfoy's voice after Hermione had stirred counterclockwise seven times.
"What?" Hermione asked looking up.
"I said, you bloody idiot, add a clockwise stir." He said in an infuriatingly slow voice, causing Hermione's eyes to narrow.
"No."
"What do you mean no."
"I'm fairly certain you should know what that word means. I'm sure enough women have said it to you over the years." She heard some stifled laughter and saw Ernie, Harry, and Ron all giving her appreciative smiles.
Malfoy's eyes narrowed. "No, actually they don't. Just do it, Granger."
"I've already said no, the book says clockwise and that's what I'm doing." Hermione ignored him the rest of the class and by the end she was infuriated that the potion was not as good as Harry's. How the hell had Harry done better?!
"I told you. We would've won if you'd just bloody listened!" Malfoy snapped as he tossed his book into his bag and swept out of the room.
The day just kept getting better and better.