Chapter 4: Draco's Point of View

"Where were you, Draco? We were waiting for you at the Great Hall, " Pansy says as they step into the common room. "

"Draco, you have to answer me. What is wrong? Why are you so quiet?" Pansy says, grabbing Draco by the shoulder. "I'm worried about you."

Draco yanks his arm from her grasp. "I don't need anyone to worry about me, Pansy. I can do very well on my own. "

"You clearly can't."

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, first of all, you sneak off in the middle of the night to cry your heart out in your secret hideout. Second of all, you don't feel the need to bully the Mudblood anymore, so-"

"I do not cry my heart out and I do not have a secret hideout!" He exclaims angrily. "And as a matter of fact I still bully the Mudblood twenty-four seven!"

"There's something wrong with you, Draco. And you won't get away without telling me."

Draco narrows his eyes. "It's none of your business."

"It is!" Pansy cries.

"Oh, really? How?"

"Because I'm your girlfriend!"

Draco looks taken aback but quickly hides it with a snort. "Girlfriend? Since when are you my girlfriend?"

"Since now."

"I don't think so."

"You'd better think so."

"Shut up, Pansy! I told you once, I have nothing to do with you! If you don't understand that, then you're stupid!"

Pansy opens her mouth, but then closes it. "Fine," she hisses.

"Fine!"

"Fine," she sobs angrily. "The Mudblood was right about you! You are a vile, cruel, loathsome piece of crap! No wonder you've got no friends!"

She stalks away and shoves past Zabini as he comes in to the common room. "What's up with her?"

Draco shrugs angrily. "Girls! What is their problem?"'

Zabini grins. "Don't worry, mate. All of them are like that."

"Oh, I'm so worried about you, Drakie. Are you okay, Drakie? Should I polish your toenails, Drakie?" He mimicks.

Zabini laughs. "Come on. We've got to go to potions."

Draco grabs his bag. "Slughorn, isn't it?"

Blaise nods. "Heard he's an old toad."

Draco snorts. "Aren't all teachers toads?"

"They sure are."

Together they set out for potions.

"Hello, everybody! Have a seat, have a seat!" Professor Slughorn wheezes as the students pile into the dungeon.

"I'd like everyone to be separated in houses. Slytherin on the left side and Gryffindor on the right."

They do as told, Slughorn claps his hands. "All right! So I have a seating arrangement for you all, so please sit where I tell you to. Clear? "

No one answers, so he takes it as a yes.

"Okay, so on this table, I'd like Hermione Granger, Lavender Brown, Parvati Patil, Adrian Pucey, Millicent Bulstrode, and Draco Malfoy!" He taps the table to the far left. Draco groans. "Oh, no," he mutters to Zabini as he walks to the table and plops down in the seat. Adrian and Millicent sits beside him, and across from him is- Granger.

Granger purposefully doesn't make eye contact with him, and neither does Draco. He remembers last night, when Granger had given Draco his robes back, and how he had told Grant off. He regrets it.

When everyone is seated, Slughorn waddles to the front of the room. "Okay,so we are going to start with a simple potion. The Felix Felicis! Anyone know what it does?"

Granger's hand shoots up into the air.

"Yes, dear?"

"It's a luck potion. It brings really good luck to the drinker for a day," she recites.

Draco grins cruelly and leans over. "You know, Granger, maybe you can drink that stuff and get a proper haircut, or a dentist appointment, maybe," he mocks.

"Maybe you can get a tan at the beach, if that's even possible, under your circumstances,'" she retorts.

Draco opens his mouth to spit another insult, but Slughorn appears behind him, placing a hand on Draco's shoulder. "Mr. Malfoy, why don't you get some potion books for everyone at your table? That would be really helpful to everyone, eh, sonny?"

Draco gets up awkwardly. "Er,yes professor."

Granger smirks at him before he turns. He reaches the cupboard and yanks out six worn-out textbooks and throws them at the table.

Slughorn wheezes again."Now, boy. Is that how we treat school property? Pick them up and hand them nicely to each student."

Draco tries not to throw the books at the professor's face. He picks them up and hands them to each person at the table. Draco gives Granger the last, ripped up one, and she snatches it from his hands angrily. He grins ferociously.

Granger ignores him and opens her textbook.

"So, you all will separate in groups of two within your tables. Together, you will create a cauldron of Felix Felicis! Begin!"

Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil instantly pair up. Millicent and Adrian both grab each others arms, verifying that Draco is left with Granger.

Granger groans.

Draco smirks. "Come on, Granger. You get to be with the Slytherin Prince! Consider yourself lucky."

She snorts aggressively. "Lucky to be working with a rat?"

"You're the rat here, Granger."

"Am I really? For a moment I thought you were talking about yourself."

"Shut up, Granger."

"You first, Malfoy."

"No thanks."

She glares at him.

Draco smiles. "See? I always get what I want," he lays back in his chair with his arms on his head.

"So?" She says.

"So what?"

"Aren't you going to help me brew the potion?"

Draco laughs. "Of course! Why don't I help you by not doing anything?"

"This isn't funny, Malfoy."

"That's why no ones laughing."

"Fine! If you're just going to sit there, then I will too!"

He shrugs. "I'm totally fine with that."

Granger sits there for a while, but gives up soon. "You are so pathetic!" She brings the materials from beneath the table. "I guess I'll have to do everything since you're going to be a lazy cockroach, right?"

"See? I always get what I want," he repeats coolly.