I didn't get a chance to prepare for my next meeting with Malfoy. It was the third NEWT, Potions, and we had to brew a preparation based off of pure memory. The first time I tried to make this potion, my partner Neville had botched it up so severely that Professor Slughorn was compelled to get everyone in the class another chance to try again. And so the next time I made this potion was in this very classroom, partnered with Malfoy. Now, by some equally bizarre turn of events i.e. random pairing, I had found myself seated with him again to brew a potion that would testify as the outcome of our magical education. At least in the field of Potions specifically.

I felt obligated to begin the session with a heartfelt apology, but Malfoy proved to be more concerned with getting the job done as soon as possible.

"Malfoy, I'm sorry about-"

In one fluid movement, he smoothed out the piece of parchment laid on the table and poised a quill over it at the ready. "I remember there was half an hour between the two parts of brewing this potion. We need infusion of wormwood, shrivelfigs, belladonna… What do you have?"

I only blinked at him. I sighed and turned away, checking the ingredients on the table. "Snake fangs, horned slugs-"

"I meant, what do you remember?"

"Oh. Urm," I searched the raised ceiling for answers. "The last step was to stir five times, clockwise,"

We continued picking each other's brains for the list of materials and steps of making the brew. In the next half an hour, we had tried to hand in our findings to the invigilators only to be told to "try again," thrice. When we were finally cleared for brewing, there was just enough time to leave the potion for half an hour to brew in-between the two parts of the process, provided we worked on the remainder of it in haste and silence.

Working with Malfoy like this, I noted that he had recovered much of himself since I last saw him. For reasons I can't figure out, it relieved me to see him once again focused, orderly, and even condescending. The half-hour break finally arrived, and we sat awkwardly for what felt like an eternity.

Almost all of thirty minutes have passed when Malfoy at last began with the Slytherin way of opening conversations: with a statement.

"You were apologising."

"For the other night. Both nights."

He raised an eyebrow, slightly. Within myself, I was celebrating a small victory; I had managed to respond in the Slytherin way as well.

He tore his eyes from me and only looked at the wood of our table. "Alright," was all he said.

I didn't understand, but my heart started beating really fast. "What do you mean?"

He still refused to look at me as he said, harshly, but sort of hushed. "Only that it's alright, jeez! What, you want me to apologise, too? Fine, I overreacted, sorry!"

I could hear the laborious beating of my heart. Steadily, I rose from my seat and approached him. He turned briefly, and when I was standing right next to him he only turned to observe the table again.

I put a tentative hand on his, which lay on the table. "Is this alright, too?"

He said nothing, but he didn't remove his hand. I trembled as I intertwined my fingers with his. His head then snapped up to look at our hands, then at me, and finally at the other students in the room.

I heard whispers of my name and his, but I would not be deterred. I waited for him again.

His eyes finally found mine, and they weren't as cold as I remembered them. "Alright," he said it so quietly I almost missed it.

Our timer went off in that instant, and we had to blink some before hastily attending to the steaming liquid in the cauldron.

We avoided looking at each other as we faced the examiner at the end of the exam. We simply watched him scribble things onto his parchment. Then he tested our brew with a splinter, and we unconsciously followed it to the bottom of the cauldron. Finally he took up our parchment from the table. "You did remember to write down your names, didn't you?"

"Yes." We chorused.

The examiner nodded, rolling up the parchment. "You are excused," he told us, and then moved to the next table.

Malfoy sighed, smiling, but faltered when I turned to look at him.

Not wanting it to turn awkward, I said as quickly as I could manage, "good job today, Malfoy."

His hand had come up to touch his nose not-so-awkwardly. "You too, I guess."

We stood there for a bit, not saying anything.

Blaise Zabini appeared out of nowhere. "That was not too bad, I guess. Who did you get partnered with?" he asked Malfoy, and then belatedly found me standing there. "Oh."

Malfoy only nodded and turned to leave. I almost reached out a hand to stop him. "Wait, Malfoy," I said urgently, and he turned to look at me expectantly. "Can I, urm, see you later?"

Zabini whistled and took a step back. Then Theodore Nott showed up, again out of nowhere. "Why didn't we get this classroom? It looks more conducive! Who'd-"

The dark boy looped an arm around Nott's shoulder and steered him outside, through the other door that led further into the dungeons, saying, "So charm's next. I've a feeling they'll test our non-verbal casting skills."

Malfoy shifted where he stood. I waited again.

"But… why?" he asked, eyes boring into me.

If someone nudged me at the knees right then, I would collapse. "Well, because… because I want to." My systems seemed to be going into overdrive as I feared having given the wrong answer.

Then Ron's voice suddenly ringed out from the door on the other side, "Harry! Are you done yet?" Hermione had to shush him.

It caught the attention of the few students still remaining with us. I couldn't stop the groan from escaping my mouth. I thought I heard Malfoy chuckle.

It was agony waiting for him. "Please?" I begged, defeated.

For a moment, he only looked at me, lips slightly parted. Then he caught himself and cleared his throat. "Well, you know where to find me," he stated, before turning to leave again.

I stood there blinking for a moment. Leaving the dungeon that afternoon, I felt triumphant.

[Author's Notes]

I know it's so short, but Oh Merlin's pointed hat, we're there! It's Drarry!