A/N: I do not own Harry Potter or any characters/locations related to the franchise. That all belongs to J.K. Rowling. I hope you enjoy the only thing I do own...the plot. Also M rating for language and possible sexually explicit scenes (really just wanted to be safe with the rating).
Cauldrons of every size and metal were floating in the air, hanging precariously on steel hooks. There was a tiny window to the left of the room that let in a small amount of natural light. This light reflected off of various jars of pickled ingredients, creating a prism of rainbow colors as the refractures bounced around settling on the dark papered walls. In the center of the room was a small table with a burner, for where the cauldron could sit.
Draco walked forward slowly, feeling a strange sense of calm at being in this most sacred place. As if it had been yesterday that Snape had taught him how to brew wolfsbane. The fine layer of dust that covered every surface was the only indication of the years that had passed. Draco took a deep breath before waving his wand and clearing each surface, making them nearly shine. This was one room he had asked Twiden to leave alone. He was the only person Snape had ever trusted in this room, and as such he was the only one he would allow in here now that the Potion's Master had passed. Well, except for Granger. She, naturally, was the exception.
He walked towards the hanging cauldrons before selecting a bronze one and sliding it off of its hook. "Alright, Granger. I need you to grab me the powdered Gaboon Viper fang, dragonfly wings, and the frog brains." He placed the cauldron over the burner, lighting it with his wand and adjusting the flame until it was the right size. He then waved his wand, and with a muttered aguamenti filled the bronze bowl about halfway with fresh water.
While he was at work adjusting the temperature, Granger walked through the shelf of ingredients finding the ones he had named off. She didn't have much trouble as the storage here in Snape's house matched the way he had stored things in the classroom. Hermione returned with three different sized jars in her hand.
"OK, so what are you doing?" She positioned herself on a stool, and crossed her legs as she watched intently. Instead of answering, Draco cast a silent summoning charm, pulling a book out of the pocket in his bag, which was leaning up against the leg of the brewing table. The book was an Advanced Potion Making…his personal copy of the textbook. Once it was in hand he opened it up to page 162 and slid it across the table towards her.
"First, we have to get the water up to precisely 99 degrees. Then, we have to hold it for exactly seventeen minutes." He cast a charm on the flame, having gotten the water to the right temperature, and set a timer on his wand for sixteen minutes and thirty seconds. Next, he grabbed the jar filled with the frog brains, and pulled out a small one. He cut it up into cubes, before grabbing another. Hermione took the time to read the book while he cut up the brains he needed, setting them to the side as he went.
"Do I follow the instructions penned in on the margins?" She prompted, running her hand along his narrow script. He smiled to himself, remembering the first time he had learned the potion from Snape. How he had taken note of each and every deviation his godfather had made. Of course, now he had those changes memorized.
"Yes." He remarked, and she nodded in understanding. He thought he saw the corner of her mouth quirking up in a small smile, and felt his chest tighten at the look on her face.
They sat in silence, the only sound the rhythmic click click whoosh of the knife. Eventually, Hermione finished reading the book and grabbed fourteen dragonfly wings from the other jar before closing the lid and banishing it back to the cabinet. She then grabbed a mortar and pestle and began grinding the wings into a fine powder. The knife cadence being joined now by the sound of the pestle pushing into the stone bowl.
"So," Hermione began after about ten minutes of silence, "when were you taught to brew wolfsbane?" Draco hesitated briefly in his cutting before raising his head to look at her. Her brown eyes were reflecting the flame below the cauldron, and were filled with genuine curiosity. Eyes that reminded him of the color of cinnamon. He cleared his throat before answering.
"I was taught several years ago." He continued cutting the final brains, before moving the organ off of the cutting board and into a small bowl.
He grabbed the powdered fang, and began measuring out how much they would need as a way to busy his hands. "That's not something that is normally taught." She had finished grinding up the dragonfly wings and had her arms crossed in front of her on the table.
"I always had a fascination with potions," Draco began, trying to find a way to bend the truth so he wasn't lying to her. "It was one of the more advanced potions that Snape could teach me." She nodded along with him, her curls bouncing around her face.
"I always regretted not having him as our potions professor sixth year." She laughed at Draco's shocked expression. "Yes I know, but he was more competent than Slughorn was." Her mouth twisted around the old potions teachers name, giving Draco the impression she didn't quite care for him.
"Slughorn did tend to play favorites." Draco smiled, ignoring her eye roll.
"And Snape didn't?" She demanded, her hands moving to cross over her chest.
"Well, yes he did. All of our teachers did, but Slughorn was…more blatant about it."
"McGonagall didn't." Hermione snapped.
"Oh yes she did. She was just the best at hiding it. If you for one second don't realize that she picked favorites, it's probably because you were her number one." Draco let a teasing lilt enter his voice, enjoying this little scrap they were having.
"I was not." Hermione scoffed, she opened her mouth to argue more when a sharp knock sounded on the door. Draco rose from his chair crossing the room, and opening the door. Twiden stood there with a full tea service, complete with biscuits, before bowing lowly and apparating away. Draco brought the tea service to the side table, away from where they were brewing. Snape would come back from the grave and kill him if he ate where he brewed, a smirk formed at the thought.
Brown curls bounced around her cheeks, and she perked up as the warm scent of Earl Grey tea hit her face. She smiled, a smile that showed her teeth, and Draco took a deep breath at how it transformed her face. He didn't think it was fair that she was so beautiful without even trying. She had on no makeup, and her hair was barely tamed, but to him she looked like a goddess that had blessed the ground amongst mortals. He bit his lip before quickly turning away and pouring himself a cup of tea.
He heard her stool screech out from its position next to the brew. Her footsteps light against the hardwood floor. "Should I pour my own," she asked, the teasing notes still evident in her soft voice. He set his cup down long enough to pour her a cup, adding her usual teaspoon of honey and squeeze a lemon.
"How did you," She began. When he gave her a confused look she continued on, "How did you know how I take my tea?" She sat at the table, taking a sip out of her cuppa. He took a deep breath and fumbled a little with his cufflinks.
"I-Potter must have mentioned it to me before." He looked away from her, watching a small black bird fly back and forth between the window and a tree branch that was barely visible. She watched him. Her eyes searching his face for something that he wasn't sure was there.
How could he explain that other than blaming it on the one string that connected the two? It wasn't like he could tell her that he had watched her make her tea every morning their last year in Hogwarts. That he could smell the honey and lemon in her tea every Tuesday for years. So, he buckled down and continued to watch the birds swoop across the window, studiously ignoring her curious gaze.
Finally, his wand's alarm began to sound, its sharp chime cutting through the tension. He was thankful for the distraction, walking swiftly over to the potion. He quickly added the ingredients, before stirring it again. He was aware that she had followed and was standing next to him, so close that his shoulders occasionally bumped hers.
Once the next step of the potion was done, Draco increased the heat to exactly 120 degrees and stabilized the temperature, before setting his wand's alarm for four hours. Needing to fill the silence he began to speak, "We," he cleared his throat before beginning again, "We have to watch the coloration for the next few hours. If it goes red we will have to start all over again. We'll have to add extra powdered fang to make sure it maintains its color, while stabilizing its temperature. Then, stir it exactly twelve times clockwise every 20 minutes." She nodded along, checking the book as he spoke.
He knew the book said to stir it every 18 minutes, but Snape had told him 20 minutes allowed more time for the essence of the brain to seep out and penetrate the water. He would follow Snape over the printed pages every time. Hermione took out a muggle pen and notebook from her small beaded bag, copying his changes into the lined paper. Once she was finished she looked back up at him expectantly.
"So, what should we do for the next twenty minutes," She asked, perching herself back on the stool.
Draco shrugged, digging in his bag for a book he had been reading. He opened it up, tucking the old chocolate frog card he used as a bookmark behind the cover. She let him read in silence for a few moments before she started twitching in her chair. Clearly there was something bothering her. Draco rolled his eyes before slamming the book shut and grabbing her eyes with his. "What Granger?" He demanded. She flinched a little before nibbling on her lip.
His eyes were drawn to the plump flesh tucked roughly between her upper teeth. She released the abused flesh with a pop only audible to his improved hearing. "I was thinking," She adjusted again in her seat, tucking her toes into the rail connecting the legs, "about how odd it is that you are sitting here with me. Being amicable, and not even sneering at me." He did sneer then, his nose twitching at her. "There. Much better."
He couldn't help the slight twitch of his lips, and the amused grin that covered her face. "What would you like me to do, Granger? Call you names and pull your hair?"
"My mother used to tell me boys who did that had a crush on the girl." She teased back, leaning her elbows on the table again.
"Oh yeah? Then every boy in Slytherin must have had a massive crush on you." He commented under his breath. He didn't think she heard him, but the sharp intake of breath told him that she had. When he looked up, her eyes were questioning him again.
"Even you?" He swallowed hard, feeling the heat spread through his cheeks. This was getting out of hand. Had they really just been bantering? That certainly wouldn't do. Not at all.
"You know, I am pretty sure I can handle this for the next few hours. Now that you know how to do it why don't you go home." He tried to distract himself cleaning up the supplies that littered the table. A clean workstation equated to a clear mind.
"Malfoy?" She questioned, but he turned away from her. "I-I didn't mean-I." She sighed heavily, "I am sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable." His heart lurched at the small quality of her voice. She sounded so worried. Like she genuinely cared if she had upset him.
If she had been angry, he could have ignored her. If she had just ignored him and left...it would have been fine. But the cutting quality of her voice. The damn way her heart seemed to beat in every one of her words as if there was not a time when she didn't carry compassion with her like a beacon to lost souls. That damned voice. It caused his brain to misfire for a second, and he couldn't comprehend that she was about to walk out that door upset because she thought she had hurt him.
"You didn't." He whispered, "You can stay if you want. I just figured you would want to go home." He turned back to find her at the door. She swiveled back towards him, her lip back between her teeth.
"Only if you're sure I won't be a bother." She had her hand on the handle. He knew he should have told her to go. That this was getting too cozy, even for him. But for the life of him he couldn't get her to turn that damned handle. He couldn't force her to walk out that door. He was still a Malfoy after all, and they were nothing if not selfish.
It was so much easier to keep her at a distance when she wasn't standing so close.
"You won't bother me," he nodded towards the table that they were brewing before sitting down. She hesitated for a moment before coming back to sit across from him. She smiled at him, and began to chatter idly. She spoke about anything and everything under the sun, trying to keep conversation light. They took turns stirring the potion.
She told a few risqué jokes that had Malfoy releasing deep chuckles that turned into throaty guffaws. She smiled up at him every time she got him to laugh, her cheeks red from her own giggles. Before they realized what had happened, the alarm on Draco's wand had sounded and the potion was ready to be put on a simmer.
"Well, Granger, now we just leave the potion here to simmer until tomorrow. When we come back, if everything goes correctly, it should be a rich green." She nodded, snatching her possessions and shoving them down into her beaded bag. She then slowly helped him clean up their mess. He had his back to her, making sure they had the next needed ingredients in the storage area when he heard her cough.
He thought nothing of the cough, it was dusty after all, when her sharp voice echoed through the space, "Lunch," She blurted. He furrowed his brow, turning slow to look at her. She was standing near the door, moving uncomfortably from foot to foot.
"Pardon?"
"Would you like to get lunch with me," She asked. Her brown eyes were locked on the floor near his feet. Finally, she looked up at him. Her expression filled with hope, and maybe a little concern.
"I'm actually not that hungry," As if his body was out to get him his stomach gurgled loud enough she heard it. She eyed his stomach for a second before looking back up at him. Her expression flickered with hurt before it was quickly covered with a soft smile.
"Perhaps another time," She turned towards the door, and walked out of the house, her footsteps echoing through the empty halls.
Several moments passed of Draco standing with the feeling of lead in his stomach when a sharp growl echoed through his mind. Follow her! The wolf who had been blessedly quiet the past few hours had awoken and was furious. You've upset her you daft prick. Don't you remember what the redhead said. Follow her! Draco's feet started to move quickly, moving swiftly through the darkened stairwell. He raced down the steps of the house, catching her right as she was walking out of the garden.
He tried to call out to her, to get her to stop, but there was a crack! and then the only thing standing out in the garden was him.
Draco returned to the office after his hour lunch to find Potter pacing outside of his door. He took a deep steadying breath before waving his wand to open the locking charm and entering the room. Potter had the graces to be quiet until a silencing spell was thrown around the room, but after that all bets were off. "What did you do?"
"You will have to be more specific." Draco snarked, making sure his wolfsbane potion was still brewing correctly. It had just turned a light turquoise color, and had begun to issue the faint aroma of dead leaves. He added a pinch of dried nettles, and the scent changed to that of the forest after a rain. Nodding to himself in satisfaction he moved to sit at his desk, finding a furious Potter standing with his arms crossed.
"Why didn't you take her to lunch?" Potter demanded, his cheeks blotchy with what Draco could only assume was anger.
"Why are you meddling in the first place, Potty!" Draco growled, "I told you to stay out of my affairs."
Harry huffed a breath out of his nose, and slowed his pacing until he faced the blond. "You know, you really are pathetic." Draco flinched a little, but his eyes stayed firmly on the other wizard. "I hope you know what you are doing, for both of your sakes."
Draco waited until the door was firmly closed before slouching down in his chair. His resolve was cracking every second he spent with her, and he really didn't need Harry Bloody Potter taking away from his wavering determination. This was for the best. This was for the best. He repeated the phrase over in his head, until the words began to bleed together.
A/N 2: Hey guys, I just wanted to reach out and say that i am sorry i have been away. I have had a real rough time these past few weeks. The good news is that you get two chapters today, so I hope you enjoy!