Disclaimer: I think Milo-inspired characters are more flexible than coffee-inspired characters, given the fact that Hermione Granger refuses to love Draco Malfoy in Ms Rowling's stories, so they should be more contented in mine.
A/N: Sorry for the late update again! Was busy with a performance...this time round a bit shorter than usual, but nonetheless exciting! I'm sorry the story is getting long in terms of numbers of chapters, but I think that's what makes it tantalising...read on!
AtTheEndofTheTable / sccrchick1432: Thanks for reviewing, you people HAVE to move beyond chapter 1! Haha:)
blueeyedchibi: I got more reviewers this time round! Thanks so much for your encouraging words, it really made my day! Hope you enjoy this next chapter - not much Hermione/Draco interaction, but you can definitely see a lot more action coming up!
queenofthelameos: Here you go, next chapter! Hope you enjoy it!
glitterglow: Thanks for reviewing and here's your next chapter, served with lots and lots of cheer!
kriitikko: Here's where you get more - enjoy! Thanks so much for reviewing :D
"Mister Malfoy, could you please tell the class what colour the Shultzen Potion is supposed to be?" came Snape's sneering voice, as he peered over Neville's cauldron, with a smirk plastered on his face. Neville was so white – and looking ready to fall head over heels into his cauldron if Snape was to tap him on his head with his wand.
"I'm sorry, sir, but my cauldron happens to be empty at the moment," replied Draco, in a lazy voice, his arms hanging off his chair in a most casual manner. Everyone turned around and gaped at him. Hermione eyed him, but did not say more as she stirred her lilac-coloured potion in a very systematic way.
"What did you say, Draco?" asked Snape, rather dangerously, his eyes narrowing into slits. It reminded Draco of how Pansy had looked when he had been struggling to hide from her his reluctance to obey the Dark Lord – and how most Slytherins looked in general, actually. All like slimy, vile snakes. Pansy herself happened to be as focused on her potion as Hermione, though equally lost in thought.
"I said, my cauldron is empty. I haven't added a thing in." Draco nodded, nonchalantly. Harry was completely bewildered by Draco's response, and tried to look to Hermione for a sign but Hermione was now very interested in sifting something out of her cauldron that seemed to be affecting her potion.
"That will do. See me after class, Draco. I have something to inform you about," said Snape, rather casually, but eyeing his precious pupil with a rather dirty look. Seamus muttered something about "blatant favouritism" but immediately looked back to his dirty-blue potion when Snape swung his cape in his direction.
When the class had filed out of Potions class (rather hurriedly), Draco marched up to Snape's table and pretended to make a show out of being fascinated by the various coloured potions in the vials lined up in a vial-holder on the table.
"Draco."
Draco continued to fix his gaze upon a swirly green liquid in one of the vials.
"Draco!"
The accompanying thump on the table jerked Draco very much, but he chose to turn his gaze to Snape very slowly. "Yes, sir."
"What is wrong with you today?" demanded Snape, seething with rage, but trying to control himself very much. "You know jolly well you have to be less conspicuous nowadays, especially when you've just failed your recent task miserably!"
"Like you care!" snorted Draco, glaring at Snape, who glared back even more fiercely.
"I will take no cheek from you, Draco Malfoy. Kindly explain what you have been doing in my class today instead of focusing on your potion."
"Thinking about how to disrupt the next lesson, I suppose," declared Draco, in a silky voice. Snape stared at his favourite student in bewilderment. "What has gotten into you, Draco? You can't stand a moment's Cruciatus and you behave like a rebel in my class? Do you know what will happen if the Dark Lord knows you're behaving conspicuously and affecting your cover?"
"What cover!" spat Draco, rather vehemently. "Everyone in the whole damned school knows I am a bloody Death Eater. They can see through me all they want!"
Snape narrowed his eyes at Draco. "You've been tainted."
"Tainted by what!" Draco scoffed.
"You should know better," replied Snape, suddenly sounding less interested in Draco. "Time will tell. Meanwhile, you had better give me an essay of 1500 words on the effects of the Shultzen Potion by tomorrow evening. If I don't get it, you will get your very own special detention…" and he leant forward to glare right into Draco's silvery eyes. "By someone very special."
Then he sank back into his chair and was absorbed in marking scripts in a very mildly calm manner.
Draco left the classroom, his head spinning wildly.
You've been tainted.
Tainted? Draco cautiously looked round him, down the empty hallways, before he slowly rolled up his sleeve to reveal the sinister-looking Dark Mark – it seemed to be eating into his flesh as he remembered the excruciating pain in which it sank into his skin…
Hell yes, I've definitely been.
---
"What's wrong with Malfoy today? I've never seen him so vehement towards Snape before!" remarked Parvati, rather surprisedly as the Gryffindors trudged back to their common-room.
Harry looked at Hermione, who was busy trying to stuff her book into her bag, so he was trying to wait for her to stop fidgeting so he could ask her.
"Maybe he's just trying to get attention again!" snorted Seamus. "He's always trying to play up to Snape; maybe for once, he's just trying to be funny by rebelling!"
"He's not so free!" snapped Hermione, who had finished latching her bag and was glaring at all of them.
Everyone stopped short and looked at her in surprise.
Hermione looked belligerently around them. "What?"
"Not like you to stick up for that ferret…" muttered Dean, who was immediately whacked on the head by Lavender.
Hermione didn't say anything, and continued walking. Seconds later, she felt the whole troop continue their march towards the common-room behind her, this time in silence.
This was why she loved being a Gryffindor.
Meanwhile, Harry was just walking at the back, his mind full of things he could not piece together…what a puzzle…
---
The Slytherin common-room was so eerily silent that you could drop a pin, and its echo could be heard all round the corners of the room. All of a sudden, the fireplace lighted in a blaze, and its red-orange flames licked the wood up hungrily. Stepping in front of it, was an equally fiery-eyed girl, whose green-black cape billowed as the chilly wind swept through the common-room once the door was opened.
He strode in, heading towards the staircase.
"You had better have an explanation ready."
Her silky voice stopped him, reminding him of what he sounded like earlier on.
His eyes narrowed into slits, and in a surprise move, he tilted back his head and laughed. The girl gazed at him in amazement. It had been weeks since she had heard him laugh like that. Laugh the way he used to…the old, cunning, sly, Slytherin Prince.
She left the fireplace and started to walk towards him. "Draco…"
"You're all fools, all of you." He whispered, sneering.
She raised her eyebrows questioningly at him.
"I have fooled everyone!" He looked into her eyes triumphantly, his silver eyes dancing in evil glee. "Soon, I shall be able to complete my tasks, and the Dark Lord…" his smile deepened into a smirk. "…will be appeased!"
Her curled lip straightened; her mouth snapped into a delighted line. "Draco – have…have you really a plan?"
"Even Snape was fooled by me…" and he chuckled. "Now they think that I am denouncing my status as a Death Eater – they will lower their guard against me…"
"…and you can carry out your tasks without them fearing that you will! Oh, Draco, you are brilliant!" In a moment of adoration, she completely forgot that he had just failed his second task – but in an instant, she remembered. "But Draco…w – why were you so…"
"So cold a few days ago?" He smirked, staring coldly in front of him. "Because I wanted to let the Weasley girl go."
She looked confused. "But…"
"You know something?" His eyes gleamed. "Because of that, the mudblood believes every single word I say. I can twist her round my finger anytime I want to, anyway I want to…because I was so compassionate to her filthy friends!" He spat as he said so, and Pansy's eyes shone. "I endured two rounds of failure – and from now, I can properly lead the junior Death Eaters to accomplishing tasks for the Dark Lord…if she finds out I succeed in completing the task, she will only think I'm trying to play along…"
"An act…" whispered Pansy, tears of joy glittering in her eyes. "Oh, I was so worried, Draco! You endured so much torture for all that!"
He merely smirked again. "You worry too much, Pansy."
"The Dark Lord will be so pleased to know that he has found such a dedicated servant in you!"
His eyes travelled towards the fireplace.
"So…what are your plans?"
Draco Malfoy turned towards Pansy, his eyes hardening.
"Watch me land the Weasley girl right beside her brother!"