Chapter Five
"Today, we shall be making the draft of living death." booms Professor Slughorn across the classroom.
What a surprise, Uncle Harry says that Slughorn has been doing the same first sixth year lesson since Harry was there. No real challenge here. I tend to experiment round at home, so some of the other stuff I've made, have been much harder.
"It is an immensely complicated potion." The spiel begins. I zone out. Slughorn, whilst one of my favourite teachers (mainly due to his utter negligence of his pupils in lessons), does have a tendency to drag on with his spiels. I look aimlessly around the classroom. My eyes land on Al. He, like me is staring into space, when suddenly he turns to look at me. I think we have some telepathic link, because we always manage to catch each other's attention without saying, or doing, anything. He rolls his eyes at me, and gives me a 'will he ever stop talking?' look. I give him my 'I know, it's ridiculous' look.
"Rose?" I hear my name. I snap out of my daze. Oh Merlin, I hope he didn't ask a question, I have no idea what he's on about.
"Yes Professor?" I say regaining my voice. I hear a familiar snigger behind me.
"I was only saying" he continues, oh yes, its fine, there is no way I can upset this man. He loves me because – in his words – I am a prodigy at potions.
"That I think for this we will work in pairs, to see if we can get better results with two brains working together rather than one. So, Miss Weasley, could you please partner with Mr Malfoy."
This grabs my attention, my head snaps up to look at him in horror. He ignores me, as well as the intake of breath from my classmates, and continues to pair people up. When he has finished he looks me right in the eye and says, "And you will stay in these pairs for the rest of the year"
Kill me. Kill me now. In fact no, it would be much more entertaining to see how long Malfoy and I last without killing each other.
"So Weasley". Oh Merlin. I'm going to have to listen to his snide voice all year. He puts his ingredients down on my – now 'our' –table.
"Looks like fate decided my idea of getting to know each other was a good one" he smiles conceitedly to himself.
"Fate Malfoy? Planning to become a seer? I'm sure old Tralawney's specs would suit you wonderfully" I sneer back at him.
"Yes, I know I would look fantastic and delectably hot in anything, there's no need to point it out, Weaslebee."
If he calls me Weaslebee one more time. Merlin, I don't know how much of this I can take. Right I have to set some rules.
"Okay Malfoy," I turn abruptly to him "ground rules. One," I hold up my first finger "you do not touch me or come within an inch of me in this classroom…"
"Does that mean I can come closer elsewhere then?" he smirks suggestively at me.
"Two," I ignore him, holding up my second finger, "We only talk about potions. Three… I can't think of a three, but when I do, I'll inform you."
"Fine." He says.
Wait, what? He's agreeing?
"Good" I say. I hear sniggering across the classroom and look round to see everyone watching us, waiting for the argument that they expect to ensue.
I smile snidely at Josie and Lorcan. "Let's not give them what they want" I say, turning back to Malfoy. He almost smiles down at me.
He laughs quietly to himself, "Good idea, wouldn't want to please anyone now, would we?"
Potions with Malfoy and my ground rules didn't turn out too bad. Also with both of us obviously not wanting to please anyone, we avoided any feuds. I managed to get to lunch, with the teachers piling us with more and more homework. It also transpired that Malfoy is in every class with me. Every single one. If I didn't know I would've thought he'd developed an unhealthy stalking obsession with me. Not that I mind though (that he's in every class), beating him in every class is immensely amusing for me, but not so much for him.
"Rosie" Al whines at me as we go down to dinner on Thursday, about a week later. "Please come and sit with me? Please?"
"Will Malfoy be there?"
"Yes"
"Then no"
"Please Rosie, I want to discuss something with you"
"Well you'll have to wait till later. And I don't want to know if you've got some disease from sleeping around so much"
It's a well known fact that Al is a ladies' man, however, I've always had the suspicion that he's gay.
"Eugh, no Rosie, I haven't. But it is about a girl."
"Then ask Dom, you know I don't do dating."
"Ask me what?" says Dom, bouncing up behind us.
"About Al's newfound respect for women" I say smiling at her and linking my arm with hers.
"Al? Really? A respect for women? Not turning into one of those nice guys Al?" she says, smirking at him.
"No!" He says scandalised. "Not that I don't respect women… I mean..."
"Yes Al?" Dom and I chorus.
Suddenly, someone barges into us, a tall guy who I know by sight but have never spoken to before. Jake Abrams. His dark hair falls across his face as he looks up briefly. "Sorry" he mumbles and hurries off. He's always been quiet, Jake. Always there, but not quite in the room. He's in Ravenclaw and I don't think I've ever seen him optionally talk to anyone.
"Right" I say, shaking my head confusedly looking at the other two.
"Anyway" says Dom as we walk into the Great Hall. Jake slips from my mind as we sit down next to Lorcan, Max and Josie. Ria's off somewhere, (probably stalking James) She became my best friend again once she remembered that she can never be mad at anyone for long. Al slinks away to the Slytherin table to sit with his friends there.
I go to sit next to Lorcan, "No!" he snaps. "Dom you sit here" he says, gesturing to the empty space beside him.
"Jeez! What did I do?" I ask.
"Nothing" he replies, "I just want Dom to sit here" he says blushing, which is something that I rarely see him do.
"It's 'cause," says Max, dropping into the seat next to me. "He loves Dom, in a frightening and dangerous way, that exceeds all care and passion."
"No…n-no I don't" Lorcan backtracks abruptly.
We laugh, and Dom's cheeks flush a soft pink.
"Anyway… Moving on" I say, saving them from further embarrassment.
"You planning anything this weekend?" Max asks. "Hogsmead?"
"Yeah probably. I'm out of sugar quills" I sigh dramatically.
Man, I love those things; I could eat them all day. Once more showing my rather disgusting love of food. I hear a snigger behind me.
"I've persuaded Malfoy to come and sit with me with you guys" says Al who has appeared behind us.
"Jee, thanks Al" I say sarcastically under my breath.
"Sugar quills Weaslebee? I didn't take you for the sugary type" chuckles Malfoy as he slides into the seat next to me. His hand brushes mine and goosbumps erupt traitorously on my skin
"What did I say about touching me, Malfoy?" I say.
"That was inside the potions classroom Weaselbee. I can come as close to you as I want elsewhere" he says, his hand brushing my arm, and I whip it off the table trying to hide the shiver that erupted along it when he touched me. What is wrong with me? Seriously. I'm desperately trying to remove these weird almost crush-like feelings I've developed for Malfoy. Merlin. Did I really just say that. Crush-like? Merlin, Merlin, Merlin. Right. Removing myself from this situation.
"I'm going." I say, "I'll see you later"
"Where you going Rosie?" Asks Al. "I wouldn't think you'd give up food for anything?"
"Umm… Library, I have work to do."
"Quelle surprise" says Dom.
"So do I actually, I'll come too" Malfoy adds smoothly.
"Wait? What?" Says Al echoing my thoughts. "You two are optionally spending time together?"
"No," I say. "He's stalking me to the library. 'Cause he's developed some weird infatuation with me. Clearly."
"Clearly" He echoes sarcastically. He looks up at me in a punishing fashion.
"Eugh, are you coming or not? I actually have work to do." I snap at him
"Alright Weaslebee" he says, "Keep your ridiculously red hair on."
I snarl at him and stalk off towards the library, the laughter of my so called friends following us out of the Great Hall.
I can hear Malfoy's sharp footsteps following me down the empty corridors. I did not think this through. I should've said the common room. He couldn't have gone there. Damn it. And there's no one around to save me if he decides to try anything 'cause they're all in dinner.
"So Weaslebee. What's the real reason for your abrupt departure from dinner?"
"Well, I was trying to escape you. But clearly, that's impossible" I say scathingly.
"Oh, okay then." Merlin. He sounds almost hurt.
"What Malfoy? Enjoy spending time with me?" I ask.
"Perhaps"
"Really? What's changed?"
"I discovered that you're not as much of a raging idiot as I first believed."
"Brilliant, I'm glad to see you agree that I excel in some areas" I look round.
"I'm sure you excel in many areas." He says, his eyes raking up my body. I shiver involuntarily.
"Like you Malfoy?" The sarcasm dripping from my voice.
"Obviously like me, Weaslebee. Who else?"
"I thought for a second your ego may have deflated. But you clearly proved me wrong."
"My ego will never deflate. After six years, I thought you would have realised that, Weaslebee."
"I still had hopes, Malfoy."
"I see…" He trails off causing us to fall into silence again. His pace increases slightly and he catches up to walk beside me.
We reach the library and sit down in a booth opposite each other. I pull out my potions essay and begin writing about the properties of moonstone.
About an hour later, I sigh as I begin to run out of my own knowledge, and look around searching my brain for inspiration. As I look to where Malfoy is sitting he looks up too. We lock eyes. I've never really noticed his eyes before, even when we made all those daggers at each other at the party at the start of term. But they're kind of a silver-grey colour, in fact, you could almost say like the quicksilver we use in potions. There kind of mesmerising. Oh Merlin. What am I saying? I look away quickly, embarrassed, and there's a clatter across the library.
It's Jake the one who ran into us earlier. I look over at him; he looks embarrassed he's clearly dropped a book, which has made an entire shelf fall over. How he managed that, I have no idea. I get up and hurry over to him. Thinking he can't have had this much attention ever in one day, in fact, in his whole life.
"Here let me help" I say.
"I don't need your help, Weasley" he sneers at me.
I look at him in shock.
"Fine. I was just trying to be nice" I say.
"Yeah? Well don't pity me" he sneers again.
I walk away back to the booth where Malfoy is looking on amusedly.
"What's his problem?" I ask.
"Jake? What, other than he doesn't like anything human?"
"Yeah."
"He just has… issues, I suppose. His family's fucked up apparently. Don't let him bother you"
"I wasn't going to. You bother me more. I mean, what is this Malfoy? Why the sudden urge to be friends?" I say.
"Al" is his short reply. I'm not sure this is the main reason. The thought makes me tingle slightly.
"What?" I ask shocked.
"Al is sick of having to chose between us. I thought as he's my best mate, and your his favourite cousin, I may as well make some sort of effort with you."
"Ah, so you do have a heart after all, Malfoy."
"Of course I do. I just don't let many people see it." He says quietly, looking almost shyly up at me.
Wow, for a guy that I've shared a mutual animosity with for six years, he's surprisingly deep for our first 'friend date'.
"I realised" I mutter sadly, looking down at my unfinished potions essay. I lean down to pull my text book out of my bag. I only have another two inches to write. When I sit up I find Malfoy staring at me intently.
"What Malfoy?" I ask, flicking open the textbook.
"Nothing. Just observing."
"What?" I laugh.
"You."
"Since when did you 'observe' me?" I ask.
"Since now apparently. Don't fret, Weaslebee. This is new for me too."
I smile down at my lap.
"I have to finish Malfoy." I say.
"Me too Weaslebee"
"So shut up"
"Yes, Weasley"
I smiled. Maybe this 'getting to know each other' wasn't going to be so bad after all.
A/N – so Chapter five. I think I might do a chapter from Scorpius' POV. Not too sure though about it though. Any ideas? Plus, I think I might start ramping up the amount of Scorose interaction. Because lets face it, they are a brilliant couple and I love them. (Well, I love him. Purely because he is gorgy.)
Anyway, thank you for reading, reviews get Scorpius' love.
p.s. Thank you to all those who have reviewed. I know there aren't many. But each one I've got I do a little dance of joy and happiness because sadly this is what my life has come too! So please review and make a girl happy(:
p.p.s this is my longest chapter. so be mega excited :P