Girls and Gloss

The professor watched Tiger Lily's facial expression change and sent her a small smile. "You know, you're beautiful when you're angry, but a scowl doesn't really work for you."

"Oh yeah? And what are you gonna do about it? Nothing, cause you can't." The handsome man smirked and leaned closer to her. Tiger Lily, under normal circumstances, would have been startled, but she still had her mind on that Draco fellow and said, "What?"

Professor Malfoy raised an eyebrow and gave a small, quiet, "Hmph."

Tiger Lily rolled her eyes and looked away, mind wandering to the little git who'd said so many nasty things about her wonderful, if sometimes annoying, family. A fierce glare made its way onto her petite face once more.

The man leaned still a bit closer. "If you don't stop scowling I'm going to have to punish you for it."

"Oh yeah? How are you gonna do that? Lines? Detention?" She'd had just about enough of his interrogation, handsome though he was.

"No," he said, with an intriguing little smirk.

"Crap."

But Tiger Lily shouldn't have been worried--she found that out very quickly. He took her chin in his hands and made her look up at him, before kissing her softly on the lips.

Twenty minutes later, the two pulled apart gently. Tiger Lily felt as though she were absolutely on fire; years of watching her family read each other like books had taught her to be careful about hiding her emotions (usually), however, so she just blinked. "Well, that was interesting."

The professor snickered. "You have no idea."

Grinning, she quirked an eyebrow at him. "Oh, really?"

Also grinning, but shaking his head, he pulled the girl closer. "Come here."

Quite a bit later, Tiger Lily found herself trying to regulate her breathing once more. She glanced at her watch, the one her mother had given her two years ago on her birthday, and her sparkling green eyes widened.

"Well Professor, as . . . er . . . educational as it has been, I'm nearly an hour and a half late for Double Potions. And, if I'm not mistaken, you have Double Defense."

He laughed. "Actually, it's my first class with Hufflepuffs. First years, no less."

She giggled and watched the blonde walk to a mirror she hadn't noticed before (That's odd . . .) to correct his appearance, then realized she ought to do the same. She stood and straightened her black robes, ran her fingers through her hair, then waved her wand and said a few choice words which completed her routine. She straightened Professor Malfoy's collar absentmindedly and they walked to the door together. He turned and took her hands before exiting and pulled her closer, then let go and slid his hands around her waist. She slid her arms around his neck and they shared a goodbye kiss.

The professor grimaced and Tiger Lily said defensively, "What?"

"What is it about girls and gloss?"

She shook her head, laughing and they left his office to see a room full of eleven year-olds with wide eyes watching them intently.

"Oh. Hello first years. Goodbye Professor."

"Goodbye. Oh, and Tiger Lily?"

"Yes Sir?" she asked with a sweet smile.

"It probably would be best if you didn't speak of anything of our . . . er . . . discussion to anyone. At least not until we've laid the ground rules for you to come in and help."

"Oh, yes Sir."

As she was leaving the classroom, she could hear him begin talking to the other students. "Sorry for your wait, class. I am Professor Mal--"

The door slammed shut and she hurried to her dorm to grab her Potions textbook.

When she walked into the dungeon, Professor Snape turned to her, looking as sour as ever. "Tiger Lily. You are an hour and a half late. You'd have done well to just not come. You will receive detention and thirty points will be taken from Ravenclaw."

"But Professor--" began Tiger Lily, shocked.

"Ten points from Ravenclaw for talking back."

Now livid, the seventh year said, "But I was talking to Professor Malfoy. Sir."

"Professor Malfoy? Well, in that case . . . er . . . No detention, and Ravenclaw will receive all forty points back. Now, Tiger Lily, sit down."

"Thank you, Sir," she said. The class looked on in awed silence.

Tiger Lily hadn't noticed that Bianca had been on the brink of a laughing fit since she came in the classroom, but as she took a seat next to her cousin, who was still trying to suppress giggles, she gave her a strange look. "What the hell are you laughing at?"

"What took so long with Professor Malfoy?" Bianca asked with a wink.

She managed a dreamy smirk. "Well at first he--I'm not supposed to tell until everything's finalized."

Her auburn-haired cousin finally giggled. "You make it sound like you're engaged."

Tiger Lily let herself laugh quietly as well. "No. Not engaged. It was partially about the quiz I took today."

"Oh. Okay."