Today, Gryffindor was assigned double potions with Slytherin.
Joy.
I walked into the class where Seamus and Dean sitting toward the front to the left, while Harry and Ron sat in the middle to the right. I sat all the way to the front right, avoiding sitting let alone talking with anyone today.
"Runespoor Eggs," Snape announced, his regular uninterested face on. "Might anyone tell me what they are?" he asked, even though those few who did know the answer wouldn't ever get a chance to tell him. I looked over at a laughing Seamus and Dean. I rolled my eyes at their obnoxiousness.
"Dean perhaps?" Dean slowly turned his head to look at Snape.
I estimate he gulped over four times.
"Or maybe even Seamus could tell us had he not been so…preoccupied...last period." I turned my head to stare at Snape, who was very well in fact staring right back at me. Seamus kept a still face and didn't move his eyes from Snape's face. I saw his ears turn a deep orange. I couldn't tell if it was of anger or embarrassment.
Looks like even my well known and loved potions teacher knew what happened today. I thought nobody saw...
Lovely.
I watched as Draco and Hermione kept their arms raised.
Draco was sitting on the desk beside me.
"Ms. Richardson. I'm sure you know this answer, do you not? You're the third Gryffindor I will call on. If Richardson gets this answer correctly," he paused. "She will win her house 10 points. If she doesn't, I will take 10 away."
If looks could kill, Snape would be dead.
I thought about it for a few moments, taking in the realization that an answer wasn't coming to me.
I was searching my head not for the answer, but for a way to buy time.
Snape turned around to write something on the board.
"Psst," I heard. I turned to listen to the voice. It was Draco. "It increases mental agility."
"It increases mental agility, Professor," I said. As soon as those words left my mouth, I mentally slapped myself.
I just accepted an answer from a Slytherin that would love nothing more than to humiliate a Gryffindor, not to give one points!
How could I have been so stupid...
Snape turned around, pacing in front of the class.
"And where can one find them?" he asked. I frowned.. he was right?
"Under a female Runespoor?"
I heard scattered laughter around the class.
I wasn't looking, but I could feel the burn of Snape's eyes boring into me.
The class became pin drop silent.
I swear my blood pressure increased and decreased a thousand times in those few seconds.
"Ten points to Gryffindor." I exhaled, relieved. Snape went on to teaching some more, writing useless information on the board.
I found a blank sheet of paper and began to write on it.
I don't think I quite understand your generosity toward Gryffindor today.
-Annie.
I passed it over to Draco, folding it into fourths.
A little later, he tossed it back to me.
My generosity is entirely toward you, not to your disgusting house.
-Draco Malfoy
And where did this generosity for me suddenly come from?
-Annie.
When I watched that asshole hit you today.
-D.M.
Itucked the letter into my notebook and started taking notes on what Snape was teaching.
So all of Slytherin knew, I'm assuming?
"Baneberry is a berry used to make the famous potion, Banesberry potion. This rare elixir creates a poison, one of the most tasty but deadly ones in existance. It tastes like a mixture of blackberries and strawberries." Snape magically wrote a few key points down on the blackboard, and I copied. "It can be found in red bushes with white berries on them. The stems will grow four on each side. The stems will grow a redish orange.
"Now, to undo an overdose of this potion, you must search for another bush growing the same shape white berries with red and orange stems, though, this bush will grow 5 berries on each side of a stem. This type plant should be growing close. Bsidon's potion is the name of this potion."
I pulled out the letter again, unable to control myself.
How did you see it though? I mean, why were you over near Gryffindor? And how does Snape know?
Annie Richardson.
I was walking to the Owlery, and then I just saw it from afar. I haven't a clue how Snape knows.
-D.M.
Well thank you for the answer. It was unexpected, but I can't complain.
Annie.
PS: I didn't know you had feelings at all.
I'm not all bad, you know. There's a lot more to me than people think.
-Draco
PS: The amount of makeup on your face makes it thirty times more evident. It looks absolutely unnatural.
I put the note away.
"There will be an exam on Friday. I expect all of you," he turned to look at Seamus and Harry, "prepared."
I packed my bag, and walked out the door with everyone else.
"Annie!" I heard Harry call my name from inside the class. I turned around and walked toward him.
"Harry."
"Exactly what happened outside with Seamus?" he looked me directly in the eye, almost intimidating me.
"He uhm- broke up with me."
"Why?" he asked, looking almost angry.
Wasn't it evident why? They just got into a fight about it...
"He thought I was cheating on him," I said, looking down. "With you."
"Oh." We stood there for a moment or two in silence, slowly walking. "…Oh, uh.. Are you alright?" he pulled me into what I dare call a hug. His arms were only half around my waist, and mine were on his shoulders. I pulled his arms tighter around me, squeezing his neck between my arms. I played with a few strands of his hair, smiling as I did.
"Yeah, I'm fine," I lied, somehow managing to push back tears and force my lips to curve. He kissed the top of my head, moving hair from in front of my face to behind my right ear.
"Hey, good job getting that answer in class. I'm proud of you." He smiled and then walked ahead up to Ron and Hermione. My schedule had a break now, so I didn't have to worry about heading to any classes. I walked to an empty hall, checked the floor to make sure it was clean, and then sat on it. I pulled The Notebook out and read the page I left off on.
"What's that?" I heard Draco walk toward me.
I thought the hall was empty, dammit...
"A book."
"On what?"
"Love," I said, secretly focusing on him rather than the words in the book.
"So it's a muggle book?" he asked me, sitting across from me. He sat with his legs crisscrossed, a smirk plastered upon his face.
"Witches and wizards can fall in love too, you know." I closed the book and put it back in my bag.
"Oh of course they can, but in this day and age in the wizard world, it's stupid to spend your time writing a silly romance novel when you could get attacked at any time by the Dark Lord," he stated with a you-should've-known-that look on his face.
"And what if love is more important than dying to an individual?" I teased, a smirk arising on my face.
"Then that individual is foolish." I gasped at that, staring him in the eye. "Plus, I don't believe in love. I believe in a strong liking for a human that results in sexual intercourse, a long and unnecessary ceremony with rings, fighting, and cheating."
"Well I hope one day you'll understand what love really is." I stood up with my hands glued on my hips.
"That won't happen," he stood up as well, walking to my right.
"You'd be surprised, Malfoy," I said.
"I'm Malfoy now?" We kept walking, five seconds slowly passing.
"I'm told you don't like to be called Draco except by your closest friends."
"Then what do you consider yourself?"
"I'm certainly not one of your best friends." I looked at him, waiting for some kind of Slytherin response.
"I'd still prefer you calling me by my first name." He rolled his eyes. "Listen. Is there anything I can do about the whole-" he paused for a second, "Finnigan incident?"
"No."
"It wouldn't be a problem though. I'd enjoy hurting him you know. I can hurt him pretty bad if you want me too- or I could slip something poisonous in his drink or just kick him in the nuts, your choice honestly."
"Don't do anything, Draco." I made the conversation turn from happy to tense.
"Fine."
A good five minutes passed by without one exchange of words. I looked over at him, and saw him running a hand over his right arm.
"What's on your arm?"
"Nothing. I got a thorn in it." He hid his arm into his sleeve, halting this conversation. I took his arm and pulled the sleeve up. On it was carved 'I will respect my authorities' in Malfoy's handwriting. It went down from his forearm to his wrist and to his hand. It was Umbridge again. "Of all the teachers at Hogwarts, she's likely the worst," he stated. His voice sounded hoarse, like it hurt him to talk. It was still bleeding. I pulled out a bottle of water and a tissue from my backpack. I poured some water onto the tissue, and then pressed it against his injury. He moved his arm away, pulling the sleeve down.
"No. I don't want any help."
"You sure as hell need it." I yanked his arm back toward me, cleaning up the blood.
"It stings!"
"Just take it for a few more seconds." I wiped all the blood off, pressing down on the wound.
"Do you even know what you're bloody doing!" he yelled.
"Yes, I know what I'm bloody doing." I rolled my eyes and magically wrapped it. I made sure the wrapping was sealed tight and let his arm down. "See? All better." I smiled to myself. If I listened real close, I could vaguely hear a 'thanks' muttered through his lips. We kept walking for a few more minutes, small talking about anything that came to mind. I could hardly see and hear Blaise and Goyle walking toward where we were standing. Draco's eyes darted that way and back at me.
"I have to go," he said. I looked at him for a split second, wondering whether a hug or a wave of the hand would be appropriate at this point.
"I hope your arm gets better," I stated.
"Thanks," he mumbled again. He pointed his nose back up, strutting leg after leg. His arms swayed from side to side with a sense of superiority to everyone he passed. He occasionally ran a hand through his hair, neatening his many clumps of blonde back to where they belonged.