A/N: Written for Hogwarts Assignment 1 - Forestry: task 2 - Write about someone taking a trip to the library (Hogwarts Library, a public library, home library, etc.).
Word count: 953
Roger walked into the library and sighed. He hadn't expected there to be an empty table one week before exams, but he'd still been hoping for it. He'd have to make due. A group of third years were taking out their pre-exam stress by causing a ruckus in the Ravenclaw common room. He couldn't get anything done there.
Most of the tables were full. The ones with extra chairs were covered with books and scraps of parchment that had been scribbled all over, leaving no room for Roger to put down his own things. There was only one exception. At the far end of the library sat Draco Malfoy at an otherwise empty table. Roger took a deep breath.
It was his only option other than asking someone to move their things and waiting while they stacked them up or shoveled things back in their bag. They'd grumble at him for distracting them from whatever problem they were trying to figure out. He hated the whole process and tried to avoid it whenever possible.
He was surprised Malfoy was even in the library. Roger himself didn't spend much time there, preferring to do his studying in Ravenclaw Tower, but he still came in to grab books sometimes and couldn't remember seeing Malfoy even once. He was sure he'd remember if he had, considering the wide berth the other students were giving the Slytherin. Scanning the room, Roger didn't see a single other member of Malfoy's house.
Malfoy didn't glance up as Roger approached. If anything, his gaze on his notes grew more intense.
"Mind if I sit down?" Roger asked, nodding towards the chair farthest from Malfoy.
Malfoy glanced up. His quick sneer wasn't enough to hide the surprise in his eyes as he regarded Roger. They hadn't spoken much before. The two years' difference between them meant there weren't usually reasons for them to talk. Other than brief encounters on the Quidditch pitch, Malfoy left him alone and Roger did the same towards him. Roger knew of his family's reputation and couldn't claim to be a fan, but he also couldn't claim to have the same animosity towards Malfoy that he sometimes heard fifth-year Ravenclaws voicing. Roger wouldn't have cared much about it either way, but he also knew that Malfoy had begun working with Umbridge lately, which made him a bit more cautious.
He watched Malfoy closely as the Slytherin's eyes scanned the library and realized why Roger had bothered him instead of someone else.
"Fine," he said, waving at Roger dismissively before turning back to his notes.
Roger couldn't stop himself from leaning forward a little too far as he sat down, allowing himself to get a quick look at Malfoy's notes.
"Is that Charms you're studying?" he asked. "If you need any help, that's my best subject. I remember how stressful OWLs were. With NEWTs, at least you have a better idea of what it will be like."
Malfoy narrowed his eyes. "I'm fine," he snapped.
Roger shrugged and pulled out his Transfiguration textbook. His skill in Charms meant nothing when it came to Transfiguration. He'd been cursing himself for taking it in seventh year since September. Just as he'd found the page he needed, Malfoy growled and tapped his quill too forcefully against the parchment, creating a splotch of ink. He balled up the parchment and tossed it over his shoulder without looking to see where it landed. Roger glanced around, but Madam Pince was nowhere in sight.
Ever eager to put off his own studying, Roger leaned forward to get a look at Malfoy's open textbook. He ignored Malfoy's amazed gaze as he did so.
"Ah!" Roger exclaimed, tapping the page. "The Confundus Charm. That is a tricky one."
He sat back down and smiled at Malfoy's confounded expression, but Malfoy quickly pressed his lips together in annoyance.
"If you're so good at Charms, Davies, then maybe you can tell me what variables determine how strong of an effect the charm has."
Roger nodded and tried to hold in his laughter. He could tell when he was being baited. Malfoy didn't expect him to remember, and in all honesty, he could only remember two, but that didn't matter. "That's in the book, isn't it?" he mused as he stood up and moved around the table. Malfoy's eyes widened as he came closer, but Roger didn't notice as he pulled out the chair right beside him and dropped down into it. He pulled Malfoy's book towards himself, leaning closer to Malfoy in the process. He didn't notice Malfoy stiffening as he scanned the page.
"Here," he said, pointing at the correct paragraph. "They're listed out for you. Though, if your exam is anything like ours, you won't have to remember all sixteen. They only asked us to name two of them."
He turned to look at Malfoy, who immediately leaned backward to put distance between them. Roger raised an eyebrow, waiting for a response—a thank you perhaps—for finding the information, but Malfoy couldn't come up with any words.
"I need to go," Malfoy blurted out. He began tossing his things into his bag in a frenzy. Roger watched him in bafflement. They may not have spoken much in the past, but Roger never could have imagined someone from such an old pureblood family behaving in such a frazzled manner.
As soon as his things were in his bag, Malfoy left without a word or even a glance back at Roger. Roger looked around to see if there was someone else to share his bafflement with. There wasn't. No one else even glanced in his direction, leaving Roger wondering he'd been hit by a Confundus charm himself.