Summary: When Hogwarts announced their need for a new Potions professor, Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger were deemed best for the job. Each was desperate to have the job, for different reasons, and since there's only room for one of them… chaos inevitably erupts. DM/HG with hints of RW/PP and HP/GW.
Sanctuary in Potions
Chapter Three: That Reason Why They Have to Teach Hagrid's Subject As Well
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Draco could feel the blood on his head transverse a path towards his chest, leaving on his already pale face an even pastier color. Travesty! he thought. His eyes left the paper he was holding and pinned on Snape a murderous look. "You can't be serious."
"Oh," Snape said, with a tug on the corners of his hideously misshapen lips, "but I am."
Granger was sitting immobile on her seat, a hand over her mouth; the very picture of quiet horror. "Um," she began, sounding nervous, "I'm sorry, but I thought you're giving us the terms for my—err, our employment?"
"You're already looking at it."
She let out a sound like a strangled cackle. "There must be some mistake. I mean—"
"She's right." Draco straightened himself and leaned forward on his seat. "There must be some mistake. I can't accept this." He slapped the paper on the table and looked at Snape defiantly. "I won't."
"Well, things seem brighter already. Ten minutes alone and you two are already agreeing with each other. How would, say, a year affect you both I wonder?" There was the evil glint on Snape's horribly misshapen eyes that was undoubtedly a genetic imprint found in all Slytherins.
Granger groaned.
Draco squinted his eyes at him. "Snape, this is absurd. When I came here I was looking for a job, not a long-term torture session! Do you realize that you're making me re-live a horrible phase in my life? And I'm not just talking about pairing me up with a bloody goody Gryffindor, because—"
"Severus," came Granger's brittle tone, "you do realize that the terms suggest we will have to—ahem, have rooms facing each other?"
The professor fixed her a pointed look. "I can assure you that I can read, Miss Granger, and that I know all those conditions by heart. I do not need you to point out the specifics for those are the terms I have written myself."
"Wait," Draco said suddenly, straightening on his seat, "we'll have to have rooms only several feet away from each other?"
Granger glared at him. "Can't you read? It said so on number two."
"There's a number two?" He grabbed the paper and scanned the list. Predictably below number one, was number two. "I don't believe it! We'll have to have rooms only several feet away from each other?"
"This—" She pointed at him, "—is the person you say to be my equal? Is this a person you would really want to hire, Severus?"
"Shut it, Granger. If you must know, I was quite horrorstruck at the idea of me teaching—" Draco shuddered, "—Care of Magical Creatures that I never got past that." He looked at Snape."Where's that beast teaching it?"
"If you must know, Hagrid is not a beast," she cut in. "And to be honest that was the only agreeable term I found, out of all these inane terms."
His eyes widened. "There are other terms besides—"
"For Merlin's sake, read the damned list you idiot!" She took a deep breath, then frowned. "Say, where is Hagrid? And forgive me, Severus, but we applied– and were accepted – to teach Potions, so how come we should also teach his subject as well?"
Snape shrugged. "Apparently, he and a certain woman from Beauxbaton had decided to tie the knot. He won't be back until the end of this year."
"Hagrid starting a family? Somebody please, think of the children." Draco did, then immediately dismissed the thought – he might get sick.
The professor smirked at him. "This is why my terms included teaching Care of Magical Creatures, because technically that position is also available. We were about to place an ad for it, but now we won't have to – one of you can handle it."
"Yes, I'm sure Miss Granger would certainly feel at home teaching that subject. She certainly looks perfect for the job. The animals won't know the difference between her and that beast Hagrid."
"I'm here for Potions and that's the subject I'll be teaching," she said firmly, her palms balled to fists. "Why don't you teach Care for Magical Creatures? I'm sure the animals would be more comfortable knowing one of their kind does."
"Now I know it's worthless to assume both of you gained some maturity over the years," Snape said, his horribly misshapen face twisted to a sneer. "To settle this incredibly childish feud, I will explain the terms for these two subjects."
"Yes, please do," drawled Draco.
"Since they are both taught twice a week – on Tuesdays and Thursdays – one of you will handle Potions while the other handles Care of Magical Creatures. If, for example, you've decided that Mr. Malfoy will handle Potions every Tuesday, then you, Miss Granger, will be in charge of the other subject for that same day. Then, every Thursday the roles will be reversed – Miss Granger for Potions and Mr. Malfoy for Care of Magical Creatures."
"I don't understand," said Granger after a moment of thought.
Draco smirked. "And people say you're my equal."
She sneaked a malevolent glance at him. "No, I mean why don't you just hire me for Potions and get Malfoy to teach Hagrid's subject?" Granger said to Snape.
Snape leaned back on his chair. "Because as you said, Miss Granger, you both applied and were accepted to teach Potions. Contrary to your popular belief, I am very much a fair man. This way, you'll both get what you want, and in return Hogwarts will also reap a miniscule amount of use from employing the two of you." He smiled vilely. "We all win."
Draco cocked his brow, doubting the logic behind all these. He said nothing.
Granger sported a cynical look on her face, but thankfully kept her mouth shut.
Snape stood. "Now if you will excuse me, I have to get my lesson plan ready for Defense Against the Dark Arts."
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Hermione swirled her straw with too much unnecessary vehemence. She looked up when she heard footsteps coming towards her direction.
"Sorry we're late, Hermione," said Ron, pulling a seat for Pansy before depositing himself on another.
"I was in a meeting," Pansy said, shrugging off her robe. "Unavoidable."
"But we came here as soon as we could."
Hermione shrugged that away. "Don't worry, it's fine."
"What, no lecture on the importance of time and punctuality?" asked Pansy shrewdly.
Hermione shot her a glare.
"Where's Harry?" Ron asked, looking around.
She sighed. "He couldn't make it. Some problem at home, I guess."
"Well you know pregnancies. Oh, wait. You don't."
Another glare was called for.
Pansy looked defiant. "What? All I'm saying is that pregnancies are hard, and believe me, I know. Ginny's probably having a grand time making frequent trips to the bathroom and sometimes not getting there on time."
"I really didn't need to hear that, Parkinson." Ron called for the waiter and ordered their food.
"But enough about Weasleys and the nuisance they cause to other people." Pansy smiled brilliantly. "How was your Hogwarts trip?"
Hermione took her glass and drank half its content in a single gulp. "I got accepted."
"That's good! No, bad! That's bad!" Ron said, confused. "Wait. Why is this bad, anyway? Isn't this what you wanted?"
"Yes it is."
"And that's a bad thing."
"Yes!" Hermione threw her napkin on the table with too much unnecessary vehemence. "Guess who applied for the same job I did. Just guess."
"Draco Malfoy?"
Hermione threw her a dark look. "And you'd know that how?"
Pansy was all big smiles and pride. "We Slytherins have a knack for knowing things. Which is why I know that Charlotte's going to be a Slytherin." She sent Ron a meaningful look.
"Gryffindor," snarled Ron.
"Slytherin."
"Gryffindor."
"Slyth—"
"Hey! Get a room, why don't you," said Hermione. She picked on her food, annoyed.
"Oh, I'm sorry Hermione, I forgot we were here so we could devote some time in discussing petty issues concerning you," Pansy said sweetly.
"It's not petty," Hermione retorted hotly. "Didn't you hear what I just said? I said Malfoy also applied for the job. Malfoy! Of all people!"
"So he applied. It's not like he got accepted or anything," said Ron.
"Care to bet your life on that, Weasley?" she asked, a bitter frown on her face.
"He got accepted?" asked Pansy.
"But how? I mean, weren't you also—"
"I know!" said Hermione. "Snape made us accept his twisted terms. Malfoy gets to teach Potions on Tuesdays and I on Thursdays. And, get this – we also get to teach Care of Magical Creatures."
"Oh, right. I heard Hagrid got married or something," said Ron.
Pansy threw her straw on the table with too much unnecessary vehemence. "Somebody please, think of the children."
At that moment, Ron and Pansy's food arrived.
"I don't believe it," said Hermione, watching as Ron took some of Pansy's mashed potatoes and getting slapped on the hand for it. "Seven years with that prat is enough to drive anyone insane, and now this? Of all the rotten luck."
"You're… really not okay with this."
She fixed Ron a steely look. "Does it seem like I'm anywhere near okay with this? This is Malfoy, Ron. Dra-co Mal-foy. Anyway, why aren't you going into apoplexy as we speak? Isn't talking about Malfoy the general cue for you to start throwing a fit?"
Ron smiled sheepishly, then draped an arm over Pansy's shoulders. "I guess I'm not as prejudiced against Slytherins as I thought I was, with my marrying one and all."
"We've also been meeting with Draco's mother for some time now, and she's very nice," added Pansy.
"Which led me to believe that, with a mother like that, Draco must have some kind bone in his body. Or at least humane." Ron paused considerably. "Did I just say that?"
Pansy patted him on the shoulder, then turned to Hermione. "Forgive my husband. He's having a serious case of character development."
Hermione smiled. "I noticed."
They ate their food in silence. "So, school starts in three weeks, or at least that's what's said in Charlotte's letter. Are you also starting then?" Ron asked.
She sighed. "Yes. And I have to start preparing lesson plans for two subjects. Not to mention defense mechanisms in case Malfoy starts annoying the hell out of me. It's a good thing I preferred not to learn the Unforgivables, or else I would've used one and told him to go jump off Astronomy Tower."
"That would be a sight," said Ron in a dreamy voice.
Pansy shook her head. "So much for character development."
And for the first time that afternoon, Hermione laughed.
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Author's Notes: Whoo! Another round finished. Thank you very much for the encouraging reviews, guys! And, next chapter, school starts… watch out for it. Until then!
