Rain
By: Who Else? Me
Chapter Five
Partnership Between the Houses
"Ms. Agel, Mr. Malfoy, you're late! Now please find an available spot to stand," said Professor Sprout, looking at the two of them. "That's not a good impression to make on your first day, Ms. Agel. I hope you won't be the same next lesson."
"I'm terribly sorry, professor...I...I got lost," lied Dorothy, standing next to Hermione who was looking puzzled at her.
"Well, now, as I was saying, the seeds I'm showing you are called Empherus Plant Seeds. Can anybody tell me what an Empherus Plant is?" Both Hermione's and Dorothy's hands shot up. They smiled at each other and then turned their attention back to Professor Sprout. "Let's see what you've got, Ms. Agel."
"Um...the Empherus Plant is a plant that can only grow in the cold and when in blooms it produces snow. They're pretty common in the arctic regions. They're also useful for making an antidote that cures magical frostbite...I think that's right..." Dorothy looked at Hermione again and the brunette nodded in agreement.
"Very good, Ms. Agel. 10 points to Gryffindor. Now, you'll all be wondering why it's so cold in here. Well," Professor Sprout smiled, "our first project of the year is to grow some Empherus plants before Christmas. Let's have a very white Christmas this year!" Some people groaned but Dorothy looked at the trays sitting on the tables. Each one had a packet of seeds, a flower pot full of soil and a bowl of ice cubes. "Now I'll split you up into pairs and you'll all begin planting your seeds. Let me see...Potter and Weasley of course. Granger and...Parkinson! Yes. Working with an opposite house will increase teamwork. And, since you were both late, Ms. Agel and Mr. Malfoy, you two will be partners."
Harry, Ron and Hermione all gasped in unison while looking at the two of them and Pansy Parkinson felt her face go hot with anger. She wanted to be paired with Draco! He belonged to her, not that prissy Gryffin-dork! Professor Sprout finished dividing the students up and told them to get to work. Dorothy moved awkwardly over to Draco, whom had reserved a tray for them. She looked at him cautiously.
"I'll do all of it, if you want," she whispered to him.
Draco looked at her and she almost jumped back, but his stare wasn't icy. She wanted to do all the work? Why? He looked at her eyes, they were lined with fear and he didn't like the way they looked when she was afraid. She looked so helpless. She was...afraid of him? He looked up and found Potter, Granger, and Weasley staring at them curiously, but when they saw Draco look up they all looked away.
"No..." he said, almost out of character. "No!" He pulled himself together and glared at her slightly. "You're not going to get all the credit, Agel! You act innocent but I know you aren't!"
"You're right," Dorothy replied, picking up the pack of seeds and attempting to open them. When Draco looked down at her, her eyes were caped in shadow and she was smiling lightly. "I know I'm not innocent and if I act like it, I don't mean to..." She started tugging violent at the seed packet that refused to open.
"Lemme see that!" Draco snatched it out of hands and pulled the flap back, easily.
"Oh...I didn't see the flap...I'm so stupid..." She seemed to be on the verge of tears. "I...I didn't see the flap. Please don't be angry."
"I'm not angry!" Draco snapped, folding his arms. "Who said I was angry?!"
"You're acting angry." Dorothy gently dug a hole in the soil in the flower pot and set three seeds in the hole before covering it up again. She put a few ice cubes on top of where the hole had been and then looked at Draco, smiling. "All done."
"But...hey! I said I wanted to help!"
"But you did help. You opened the seed packet didn't you?" Dorothy's blue eyes looked into his gray ones, seemingly searching for something.
"H-hey! What're you looking at!?" The girl turned to pick up her things and then looked back at him, smiling her sad, tired smile.
"You, obviously," she said for the second time since he'd met her. "Who else?"
"Alright class you're dismissed," said Professor Sprout. Dorothy turned and began to walk away.
"Hey, you! You don't talk to Draco like—"but Pansy was cut off.
"Let her go, Pansy, it doesn't matter!" Draco gathered up his own stuff.
"But, Draco—"
"I said 'let her go.' It doesn't matter alright." The blonde boy left, watching Dorothy from afar as she talked and giggled with Granger. That stupid mudblood. She was going to soil the perfection that was Dorothy Agel.
A/N: This is probably the shortest of my chapters so far. Ooooh! More tension! I don't like Pansy Parkinson, obviously! She just does not seem right for Draco. Most of the time I imagine him with either Ginny or Hermione. I'm not sure who Blaise is but I'm not sure I'd like her very much. I always imagined and inter-house romance with Draco. The girls in his own house just aren't good enough for the handsomeness that is Draco. Also, I would like to thank the Prince of Fate for pointing out to me that I made a small mistake in the Sorting Hat's song. I'll fix it eventually. Ciao!
WEM