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Draco POV

Two weeks later

I sit in the exam room and look up to see Umbridge standing in the front of the classroom looking smug. The clock is ticking on the exam in front of me, but due to Potter whisking Briar away so often in the past two weeks; I had plenty of time to study. Speaking of Briar, I look a few rows ahead on my right and see her sitting with her head on her right hand since she has finished the exam as well. I smirk and think about my meeting with Snape a week ago.

"Ah, Mr. Malfoy. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Snape says sarcastically. I sit in the chair in front of his desk and stare a hole into the mahogany with my arms crossed in front of my chest. After a few moments of silence, I see Snape sit in the chair across from me and entwine his hands on top of his desk. "Draco," he says slightly less like a robot. I glance up at him and take a deep breath knowing he has gone into Godfather mode.

"I need to know how to connect with Briar's mind like she can with me. I need to know something that we can do that Potter can't," I say spitting out Potter's name like it disgusts me which, to be fair, it does. "I need to make sure, for once, I'm better than Potter." Some insecurity makes its way into my voice and I see Snape's eyes brighten in understanding. Nodding his head, he leans back into his chair like it's a throne and spreads his hands onto the arms of the chair.

"I will teach you. I am surprised though that you think Potter is competition to you," Snape drones out in his normal tone. I roll my eyes and drop my head to watch my hands fidget with each other.

"Potter has always been competition," I say haughtily.

"In Quidditch and everyday classes, but competition against you for Briar?" I look up at him in shock that he actually said it out loud.

He leans forward and looks me straight in the eyes before I see flashes of memories. What doesn't surprise me is that I see flashes of a red head smiling because I know there was a woman Snape loved who was taken from him by another man. What does surprise me is the emotion. The strength of the emotion I feel towards that woman in Snape's memory is the same strength I feel towards Briar; it's love. The memory stops just as suddenly as it began in my mind and I stare at Snape in bewilderment.

"Who was she?" Snape looks at me and pushes a thought into my mind that shocks me.

Lily Potter.

"You will never speak about this to anyone, but I will teach you. I know how it feels to compete with a Potter and I will be damned if I let my godson lose to one of them especially when I know you have never truly loved anyone as much as you love Ms. Griffin. I can feel it in your memories of her right now." I quickly put up my walls in my mind, but realize he has already retreated. With a huff, I look at him slightly annoyed, yet grateful when he smirks at me.

"When do we start?"

Now.

Coming back to the present, I focus on Briar and remember the tips Snape showed me that day.

You look bored, Griffin.

I see her eyes widen in surprise and she scans each row until her eyes meet my mischievous look.

How did you…?

Snape.

I think cutting her off. She looks impressed, but her face falls. My smirk falls as I remember our last conversation.

Briar, I acted like an ass and I truly am sorry. You know I don't apologize like everyone else is capable of doing. It's new to me, but hearing you say I was like my father…

I see her shake her head slightly and turn around to glare towards the front of the room when Umbridge tells her "eyes forward."

Draco, the way you act whenever Harry comes around needs to stop. He and I have to work together. You'll have to get used to it. And thank you for apologizing.

I wait for her to elaborate and maybe apologize for what she said to me, but there's a loud bang outside that sounds like an explosion that breaks my concentration. I see Umbridge perk up and all of the students still taking the exam look up to turn towards the door in the back of the classroom. Umbridge starts to walk briskly towards the door and opens them before stepping into the hallway. I see her look around before a spark of something waves in front of her face. I raise my eyebrow and see the spark whirl into the room before erupting into a firework in the middle of the classroom. I look to Briar and see her smirking at Potter. She glances to me with her smirk still in place and I glare at Potter before glancing back at her.

Looks like another secret between you and Potter, huh, Griffin?

She rolls her eyes and smiles at the door when she sees Umbridge running towards the front of the classroom where the Weasel twins have flown in on their brooms. They both release more fireworks and one flies towards me making me back into a wall before ducking. I turn to see my horrified face on the wall before it disappears in seconds. I angrily look at Briar who is laughing at me and my face softens slightly seeing her so carefree before I see a flurry of pink whiz past me.

She runs fast for a woman in heels, doesn't she?

I can hear the amusement in Briar's thought as Umbridge runs from a firework that has turned into a dragon that soon tries to swallow Umbridge making me chuckle.

Was the dragon your idea?

She beams at me and nods her head. I hear glass shattering and am immediately on the defensive as I start to make my way over to Briar as the students file out of the classroom while cheering. I grab Briar's hand and keep her close to me as we make our way outside behind the stream of students, stepping around the shattered glass of the frames that used to adorn the wall. Once all of the students have filed past us in the stone archway outside, I push her against the wall, keeping us in the shadows, and notice she has a smirk on her face. I look down at her and bring a hand up to brush her hair out of her face.

"You know, I'm still waiting on that apology," I say almost silently as I avoid looking her in the eyes. I feel her hand grasp my chin to force me to look at her.

"Draco, I can't apologize for having to work with Harry. He's not as bad as you seem to think he is and I don't even know why he's so bad to you, but I will apologize for everything else I said. You're not your father even if you are an arrogant prat sometimes," she says teasingly. I playfully glare at her and she chuckles while stroking my cheek and down my neck where her hand hits my chain. Her hand pulls the doe out from under my white dress shirt and caresses it as it lays on my chest over the silky shirt. I see her smile turn to a frown as she gulps and opens her mouth before closing it again. Closing her eyes for a few moments, I wait for her to speak again patiently. She glances into my eyes and hesitates.

"Ask me. Whatever is conflicting that pretty mind of yours, ask me, love," I say encouragingly.

"Did you…You know? After I said…?" I stare at her in confusion before my eyes widen in realization at what she is asking me. I take a step back in disgust at the words that came out of her mouth and see her eyes fall to the ground again in hurt from my body language thinking I had answered her question. I grab her face and force her to look at me as I press my body into hers again so there is no room between my body and hers, effectively trapping her against the stone wall.

"I want you to listen to the words that come out of my mouth very carefully. I will never be with Parkinson or another girl if I have anything to say about it. I only have my focus set on you. Why do you think I got so upset after seeing Potter man handle you in the Room of Requirement? Why do you think I got so angry when he interrupted our conversation two weeks ago when we were finally speaking about what had been bothering you?" I push my forehead against hers and close my eyes as I take in a deep breath before letting it fan against her face. "I refuse to lose you to Potter or anyone else. I swear to Merlin, if he tries anything with you, you need to tell me immediately so I can hex him until he's begging me to…"

"Draco, stop," she says causing me to open my eyes. Her eyes soften when she sees the mistiness in my eyes before I clear my throat to get them to go away. "If Harry ever tries anything, I assure you I can make him hurt just as much as you can. I don't want you to talk about hurting someone like you would enjoy it. Please don't ever take pleasure in the thought of someone begging you to stop hurting them because then you really will become Lucius and I don't know how I could…" I cut her off and kiss her softly before smiling softly in understanding. She nods her head and looks towards where the students are standing and celebrating. I see her eyes round in concern and follow her line of sight to see Potter sitting on the ground with Hermione in front of him. I hear Briar gasp and I see her staring straight ahead with a rainbow ring around her eyes before she winces and her eyes return to their normal emerald.

"What did you see?" She turns to me in confusion.

"Sirius. He's in trouble, but I saw your father again. Draco, I have a really bad feeling about this," she said in fear. She turns her head and starts to walk towards Potter who is on the floor now with Hermione in front of him. Briar rushes past me and I watch from the shadows as she kneels down in front of Potter and places a hand on Granger's arm and says something with a grim expression. Harry nods his head at whatever Granger says and takes one of her hands and takes one of Briar's. They both help him up and they start walking towards the shadows I'm hiding in. Granger stands next to Briar and Potter stands on the other side as they approach me. My eyes widen as I realize they're walking towards me.

Follow us to my room, but don't get caught. I nod my head in agreement to Briar's thought and lean against the wall uninterested as they pass me a few moments later. Surveying the area, I see no one watching me so I stay close to the shadows and slowly wind my way around corners and the hallways of Hogwarts carefully.