A/N: I'm feeling really creative at the moment so I am trying to make my chapters longer.

I'm not completely sure where this story is going. I have it all planned out but when I start writing it changes, do you know what I mean? I'm going through a bit of writers block at the moment however. I'm a bit stuck, but I'll get there eventually.

By the way, when I was writing this, Pansy's character is very different to the books, but I feel that the war has changed her, like it has many others. I also made some events happen during her school years, which I am sure are not canon, which helped shape the character in my story. There will be some examples of that in this chapter. To be completely honest, I feel the students whose parents were Death Eaters went through a lot during the war, and I feel great sympathy for them, especially Draco and his friends.

I hope you enjoy this chapter, it was really fun to write, especially towards the end ;)

~ Chapter IV: The Potions Cupboard ~

DRACO'S POV

Millicent fucking Bulstrode deserves to rot in the chambers of hell!

"Draco!"

Pansy is standing next to me as I lean against the wall of the empty dungeons, close to the Slytherin common room. I am so angry that every few seconds I am unknowingly punching the stone wall, hearing my knuckles crack. Thank Merlin the dungeons are currently empty.

"Just relax," Pansy tries to reassure me. "Gra - Hermione didn't seem too upset -"

"Well, she's fucking good at hiding it!" I shout at her, instantly regretting it when I see her wince, trembling when I raise my voice. "Pansy, I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't have raised my voice."

Pansy sinks to the cold ground, covering her face in her knees.

Fuck, she is crying ...

Although Pansy now feels like the sister I never had, I've always felt extremely awkward when girls cry.

I sit on the ground next to Pansy and wrap my arms around her, quiet sobs escaping her lips.

"Surely your father wasn't that terrifying?" I say, brushing her dark hair away from her face. "Surely he didn't mean to make you so sca-"

"He did," she whimpers. "H-he fucking did. He k-knew I was t-terrified of him, that's how he w-would bribe me into d-doing things easily. Even w-when he wanted me to take the D-Dark M-Mark, when I refused ... well, you k-know the punishments I w-went t-through."

I nod sympathetically. I understand, in some ways, what Pansy is going through. Her father was very similar to mine ...

I hate accidentally reminding Pansy of her father. I was even scared of the man when the Parkinsons would visit the Manor during the summer, or even at Death Eater meetings when I was forced to pretend to get along with him. He was horrid!

"B-but, he's in Azkaban now," Pansy sniffs, wiping her tear stains from her finely contoured cheeks. "He - he can't hurt me, not anymore, not ever."

"Exactly," I try my hardest to smile, feeling rather uncomfortable with the uncommon gesture.

Standing up from the stone floor, I kindly help Pansy to her feat and brush off the traces of lint off my trousers. Pansy fans out of her skirt, picking at the dust at the back.

"Oh shit," she says as she turns to look at me, the recent events forgotten. "My makeup, Draco! Has it smudged? Do I look -?"

"You look fine, Pansy," I sigh. "Pretty as ever ..."

"Oh, I know," she smirks playfully.

I smirk back, glad to see the old Pansy is back.

"Come on," she says, taking my arm and leading me down the corridor, "before we're late -"

"Can we just skip?" I ask hopefully.

Pansy stops, turning to look at me.

"What?" she asks, raising an eyebrow. "You don't want to sit next to your precious Hermione anymore?"

I glare at her furiously before burying my face in my hands.

"I should've never told you," I mumble angrily.

"I'm only teasing," she giggles.

"Besides, that's not the main reason," I say grumpily, "It's Bulstrode. I don't want to walk in there and get attacked by that fat a-"

"DRACO!" Pansy shrieks, slapping my arm. "That's not very nice!"

"Coming from you?"

"Okay, okay," she sighs. "I know I have commented about her weight - once - but I am trying to change. I know the way I talked to Bul - Millicent this morning does not exactly back me up, but at least I'm trying."

I furrow my eyebrows.

"What's that supposed to mean, Pansy?"

"I think you know exactly what it means," she says matter-of-factly.

"You want me to change?" I ask, almost horrified when she nods. "Fat chance ..."

She cannot be serious, can she?

"Just think about it, Draco," she says desperately. "A lot more people would like you and -"

"I don't want people to like me," I almost snap, crossing my arms.

"What about Hermione?" she asks, looking at me intently.

"If you think you can use Granger to change me," I tell her, "you have never been more wrong in your life -"

"I'm not going to use her!" she says defensively, "I'm just going to show you how friendly I can be with her, because I'm being nice to her!"

"Fine," I say simply, "but you watch, Pansy. It won't work. I am not going to change the way I am for anybody. Not even Granger ..."

"Where did you get off to in Arithmancy, mate?" Theo asks as he leans back on the stall next to mine in the Potion's classroom, Blaise on my left as we wait for Professor Slughorn to begin the lesson.

"The bathroom," I lie, not taking my eyes away from the cover of my textbook.

"Why did you get so aggressive for?" Blaise asks as he pulls all kinds of junk out of his book bag which is more like his private rubbish bin. "I mean ... when anyone ever insulted Granger before it never bothered you. You used to call her by that name as well -"

"Yes, but that was before," I tell him, thinking back to what Pansy said. "And plus, nobody should treat the Head Girl that way, despite her blood-status. Anyway, you're acting differently towards Granger too! You smile at her when you make eye contact -"

"Do you fancy her or something, Blaise?" Theo says jokingly, Blaise rolling his eyes.

"Don't be a dick," he says sharply.

"Don't worry, mate," Theo smirks, his sapphire eyes glistening. "I wouldn't blame you ..."

"You what?" I yell, oblivious to the rest of the Slytherin's turning to stare at us.

"Come on," he says almost dreamily, "you have too agree, ever since the Yule Ball Granger has been a stunner."

My grip on my textbook becomes much tighter, my knuckles almost white. The nerve of him ...

"Astoria, what are you doing in here?" Pansy asks from behind me.

I turn to see Astoria Greengrass standing in the doorway. Her brunette strands fan down her back like a cape as she makes her way through the classroom, staring at no one but Blaise.

Blaise turns quickly and does not get a word in before Astoria attacks him with her lips.

"Astoria, what are you doing in here?" I ask, repeating Pansy's question.

Astoria finally detaches herself from Blaise and sits up on the desk, Blaise leaning on her tanned, just-shaven legs.

"I wanted to say, 'Hi'," she tell us, as if the answer was obvious. "And the Slytherins in my year are boring! I much prefer to hang out with you guys!"

"Well, sorry, but you better leave before Slughorn catches you," I say almost sensibly.

"Kill joy," Blaise looks at me accusingly before turning back to Astoria. "See you tonight, then?"

Astoria hops of the desk and pecks Blaise on the lips, winking at his seductive smirk before leaving just before Slughorn enters. Lucky ...

I turn to see Theo's face scrunched up with disgust.

"What?" Blaise asks innocently.

"Blaise, you do understand that she's nearly two years younger than you, right?" I ask him cautiously.

"You're just jealous because I can get a descent woman and you can't," he smirks, but it instantly drops when Theo and I attempt to hide our urges to laugh. "Look, you two might be the type of guys that bang anything with a set of breasts and a feminine voice, but I am better than that!"

"So, you think because you are the oldest out of the three of us," I say, trying to contain my laughter, "that you are more mature?"

"What I am trying to say," he says, "is that dating is far better than shagging any old slag. Don't get me wrong, shagging is amazing, but it is much better when you actually care about the person."

"Are you ill, Blaise?" Theo asks, furrowing his eyebrows.

I stop listening to Blaise and think for a moment. Maybe he does have a point; with random girls it is great, but maybe with ... Granger ...

I turn to look at the bookworm sitting at the very front next to Potter and Weaselbee, calmly reading the Potion's textbook, despite the ruckus around her. I watch as her fingers glide over the spine of the thick book, gently flipping the pages every minute or so.

I cannot help but wonder what else those fingers can do ...

Very inappropriate images flood my thoughts and I mentally scold myself, desperate to think of something - anything - different.

Blaise watches me quizzically as I shift uncomfortably in my stool, my palms growing sweaty.

Thank Merlin Slughorn decides to speak before Blaise can interrogate me ...

"Good morning, seventh years," Slughorn's voice echoes through the classroom, all eyes turning to him. "Today we are going to be making Cure for Boils. Yes, it is simple, but treat this as a recount for your N.E.W.T.S. I know there is a section in there about Healing Potions. There is no need for partners, I have enough supplies for you to complete this task individually. Before you begin, make sure you have fully read chapter twelve of your textbooks, you should find the procedure at the end. I will be in my office if you need anything. Seeing as you are my eldest students, I trust you not to burn the castle down ..."

Slughorn looks directly at Hermione while saying this last sentence.

Goody-Two-Shoes-Granger.

"Alright, get to work!" he smiles, clasping his hands together before sauntering out of the classroom, making sure to acknowledge Potter's presence first, of course.

I look back at Granger and notice she is already setting up, seeing as she has probably read chapter twelve twenty times already.

Looking around, I notice nobody else is reading it, nor bothering to set up their cauldrons. This is my chance, while everybody is distracted, to collect the ingredients for the Wolfsbane Potion. I have completely forgotten what they all are, but Granger will help me, will she not? Well, she better ...

Sneakily walking over to the supply cupboard labelled Potion Ingr. & Equip., I quietly open the door and walk into the cramped cupboard, closing the door behind me.

I pull my wand out my front pocket.

"Lumos," I whisper.

The room illuminates at my command, and instantly I remember I forgot Granger. That's a first.

Great, now it is going to look extremely suspicious.

I slowly open the door, leaving a tiny crack I can just see through. I spot Granger's bushy hair almost immediately. I realise she is moving closer and closer to the door, inspecting the ingredients on the shelves next to it. Here is my chance.

I quickly open the door, snatch Granger by the arm and pull her into the cupboard, a quiet yelp escaping her lips.

Those little noises Granger makes drive me insane!

I lock the door behind her, making sure nobody can just walk straight in. The cupboard is so small Granger and I are pressed up against each other, our noses only millimeters away. I can feel the shape of her body pressed against me and I am so glad it is too dark to see how flushed I must look.

"Malfoy, what the devil are you doing?" Granger snaps, looking at me with a deathly glare.

Merlin, she is pretty damn fine when she is angry - stop it!

I mentally slap myself.

I do not respond at first, but instead notice how much better Granger looks up close. I watch how her honey irises shine, almost like flames, in the light my wand is producing and I have to stop myself from smiling at her.

I cannot help it! I just have to glance at those lips; those full, gorgeous lips. It does not exactly help that she is biting them too!

The desire to push her up against the wall and do wicked things to her is far to strong now. I have to get this over with before I lose control. Pathetic ...

"Uh - Granger," I begin to say, still speechless. Merlin, please help me! "I need you to tell me the ingredients ... for the Wolfsbane Potion."

"Did you not read about it?" she asks.

"You're a walking Encyclopedia, Granger," I smirk, 'so I didn't think it was necessary."

"Fine," she huffs angrily, rummaging through her pockets, pulling out a folded sheet of parchment. "I wrote the measurements and the method on there too."

"Genius, you are, Granger," I say teasingly, giving her a wink.

Granger merely glares at me before unlocking the door and walking straight out. Despite her irritated expression, I notice the light redness on her cheeks.

I have no idea what made me compliment her like that, winking at her too, but it felt good. Really good.

'Sex-God' Draco Malfoy is back in action, I think with a triumphant smirk.

A/N: This chapter didn't turn out as big as I hoped but I feel like I should leave it here.

I'm planning on writing a lot about Pansy and Hermione's relationship and I want them to eventually become friends. I also think Pansy has a few tricks up her sleeve to convince Draco to change, involving his feelings for Hermione ;)

Anyways, remember to rate and review, and thank you to those who have x

See you soon with the next chapter :)