Next
to someone talented
Disclaimer:
J.K Rowling owns all of these people. But if you didn't already
know that then you really won't get what this is about.
I'm
still new to the ff community- would love to hear what you think!
Professor Snape was in a shocking mood, and even the thought of the Gryffindor- Slytherin potions lesson he was about to teach; a class he usually found a certain perverse pleasure in taking; couldn't raise his spirits. Snape barely replied as an enthusiastic Draco Malfoy sauntered past, eagerly exclaiming a salutation, and he felt his eyes narrow dangerously as Harry Potter shuffled into the class. Sighing deeply he pointed one gnarled finger at the black-haired boy he so despised.
"Your potions of late have been abysmally poor, Potter, even by your near-non-existent standards" he hissed, vengefully. "My apologies to Mr Malfoy, but I think it'd aid the preservation of my sanity greatly if you perched yourself next to someone talented for the next few weeks".
Harry, who personally was of the belief that Professor Snape had been stripped of his sanity long ago, and felt the request unfair (he usually sat next to Hermione, easily a more competent student) nevertheless complied. Still uncomfortably aware of the unnerving dream his dorm mates had intersected, Harry bit his lip and tried to avoid making eye contact with Draco as he arranged his dog-eared books. Unbeknownst to Harry, Draco, sitting beside him, was trying to discredit the fact that his heart now raced and he felt strangely uncomfortable. 'I'm just angry he's sitting with me' reasoned Malfoy, though not fully believing his logic.
Snape had set the class a complicated potion assignment he was well aware the students were not capable of adequately performing, and it annoyed him that Hermione Granger, though obviously struggling, seemed to be performing the sequential steps relatively well. Sauntering over to Potter and Draco, he noticed that neither boy seemed to be attempting the difficult task.
"Well!" he thundered, alarming Draco who'd not before been greatly criticized by his favorite teacher. Looking startled, Malfoy turned to Potter, asking, "So, um- your cauldron or mine?".
Despite himself, Snape found himself guffawing with laughter. "What on earth was that, Malfoy? You trying to pick this failure of a student up?". His mood now much elevated, Snape strolled the length of the room, occasionally yelling at students, and generally feeling more cheerful.
"Mine has been damaged" muttered Harry awkwardly, after a very pregnant pause, mentally constructing an elaborate lie to cover, if contested, the fact that he was now blushing furiously. Wishing that he could sink into the floor, Draco mumbled a reply. "Loser", he added, for good measure, though neither he nor Harry was fooled into believing that there was any conviction behind this unwarranted insult.
Hermione, beaming as she completed her potion, turned to Ron, a now inquisitive look on her face.
"Have you noticed Harry's been acting a bit odd lately?" she asked furtively.
"I've noticed that I suck at potions" replied a non-committal Ron, swearing loudly as his failed potion erupted over the desk.
