Granger. Fucking Granger. It was always her. Perfect, know it all Granger. Draco watched as Salazar, in his own sort of creepy way, began to admire the girl as she asked all the right questions. Draco glowered at the two for a few minutes before leaving. He didn't want to watch her suck up to him anymore. In the back of his head the pounding had begun, ever so lightly. Maybe it was his anger, maybe it was the brewing headache but Draco didn't go up to his room like he had planned, instead he stayed in the corridor.
He hadn't been expecting Hermione to all but walk into him. He didn't know what possessed him, maybe the shiny look in her eyes, or the smile on her face. Gods he couldn't stand her. Why did she have to look so happy? She was having a perfect time. Not a care in the world. After all, he had saved her from the brunt of the magical explosion. She hadn't suffered from the headaches like he was. Draco was barely in control of himself as he spoke to her.
What the hell had he been thinking? Draco put his fist to the wall in front of him as soon as Granger slipped out from beneath his arms. Kissing Granger? He knew why he did it. Not that she would understand. Her voice was so grating. He already had a headache brewing, having to listen to her voice only made it worse. God didn't she know how annoying she could be? He had just wanted to shut her up. Why he had done it by kissing her, Draco didn't know.
Not to mention the look on her face. She had actually been frightened of him. Normally that would have made Draco happy but, girls weren't supposed to look terrified like that after you kissed them. Like you'd do something. . .
"Befitting a Malfoy." The words tasted bitter in his mouth. His family, really his Aunt Bellatrix but, his family had done truly horrible things to her a few years ago. She probably thought he had no problem taking what he wanted. Draco was no rapist and he had women that begged to be kissed by him! He hadn't even meant to kiss her. So the hell did it bother him that she had look more terrified than a gazelle at the watering hole?
"Damn headache." Draco pinched the bridge of his nose. It was getting worse again. Stumbling to his quarters Draco took the last of the potion he had put together with some rudimentary ingredients and skill he made when he and Hermione had been camping waiting for him to heal. There wasn't much left, just enough to take the edge off for a little while. It would only be good for a little while though. It didn't have boomslang skin in it, so it wasn't as powerful as it needed to be.
Sitting on one of the chairs in the dark, Draco didn't even notice his breathing had labored until it eased in his chest. The tight feeling dissipating. He would need to brew a better potion. This time he'd need boomslang skin. Slowly the drumming in his head stopped. It wouldn't be long before it started again though. There was only one place in the school he was going to get the ingredients he needed and that was with Helga.
Draco had done the same thing as Hermione had, gone down to the dungeons to the Potions room he knew. Unlike Hermione he didn't wander around until he found her. Instead Draco sighed.
"Elf. I need a House Elf." He knew that Helga had been the one to originally put House Elves to work in Hogwarts. Despite what Hermione thought, he had read Hogwarts A, History. Hell he had read it before even starting Hogwarts. The benefit of not being a muggleborn like Hermione. Just as he thought, calling out for one worked.
"Yes sir, how can I help you sir?" The elf appeared, bowing low it's carrot shaped not touching the ground. Draco assumed it had been working nearby, at least nearby enough to hear him call out for it.
"Elf, can you tell me where I can find the Headmistresses classroom? I need to speak with her." Draco didn't have any particular love for House elves, though he didn't hate them like his Father did. Though it would surprise most people, Draco didn't like the idea of any being hurting itself because they didn't serve their master to the fullest. The elf popped up at once, almost saluting him.
"Yes sir, her classroom is one the third room in the Serpentine Corridor sir. Mistress Helga should be there until dinner time sir. After that you will find her in the Headmistresses office. Does sir need anything else? I is needing to go back to cleaning sir."
"That is all, thank you." The elf bowed again before disappearing. So, she was in their old Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom eh? That was certainly interesting. Part of Draco wondered when they moved it to the dungeons. He always thought the atmosphere down there was perfect for Potions. That wasn't up to him though, instead of mulling over it, Draco made his way back up to the third floor.
Draco was almost positive that Helga would have all the ingredients that he needed. As he arrived at her classroom, the blond was surprised to see that it was empty. Then he heard the voices. Silver eyes rolled in irritation. Of course Granger was there. She was the plague upon the Earth that was bound to annoy him at every chance she got, even if it was pure coincidence. Draco had intended to walk away, then he caught what was being said.
That little bitch! She's going to tell Helga that we're from the future. It was that thought that lead Draco to interrupt. Twenty minutes later, as Hermione went about a long winded explanation, Draco's headache was already trying to come back. He felt it deep in the recess of his head, he had to listen to her much longer, he would kill her. Then, by his luck, he was free. But he wasn't really. He needed to put his journal in the Room of Requirement.
I need a place to look at my journal and practice time magic. I need a place to look at my journal and practice time magic. I need a place to look at my journal and practice time magic. Before he could finish thinking the last sentence fully, the door had already begun to appear. That familiar silver door. A little hesitant, Draco opened the door. He wasn't sure what he would find inside.
The room had appeared to be of moderate size, with desks, bookcases, a giant cauldron rivaling the size he had used, different potion ingredients, and in the corner of the room a huge hourglass though there was no sand in it. The fact that there was no sand in it perplexed Draco. What was the point of it if there was no sand in it? He didn't know. Placing his journal on one of the almost empty bookcases,
Draco looked at the potion ingredients in the room. None of them were what he needed. So he'd still have to go talk with Helga. Draco didn't know why but even as he walked down toward Helga's classroom, he found himself once more hearing Hermione's voice. You might as well tell her the phrase while you can. Draco grumbled to himself. That didn't mean he couldn't take a moment to bother her at the same time. After all she was always bothering him.
Did Granger just challenge him to give her a kiss? The look on her face. God the woman drove him crazy. Why did she have to be so nerve wracking? Why did she get under his skin so completely like this?
"If you wanted a real kiss all you had to do is ask Granger. You don't have to goad one out of me." He smirked, despite the pounding in his head growing. The fire in her eyes when she got riled up. Draco had first noticed it in their third year, he was used to a shift hand to keep him in line as a child he hadn't expected it from her. Not from Granger who held back her friends.
"When I want to be kissed you'll know it." She fired back. Draco could have laughed. She really did just fall into these little jokes sometimes. Fall the intelligence Granger had, she was real dumb sometimes.
"So that means you'll tell me when you want me to kiss you? Perfect. I prefer direct women." He enjoyed teasing her, especially when she gaped, her eyes all but popping out of her head. He waited, a brow arched as she grasped for words, a witty comeback. He could see she was failing.
"What happened to not wanting a mudblood touching you?" Ah logic. Her greatest defense. Hermione looked like she was getting frustrated, as she should be.
"No, you're quite right." Draco agreed shrugging his shoulders as if his head didn't feel like it wanted to explode. "I don't want mudblood stink on me but I'll make an exception, after all you're so cute when you're mad." The word had left his mouth before he could stop it. She seemed to think it sarcasm though and snarled at him.
"Tell me the phrase and get out of here Malfoy." Oh he had gotten under her skin alright. She had overlooked his use of the word 'cute' but Draco hadn't. He didn't think she was cute. Well, maybe when she got worked up like this, when we mouth set in an angry pout and her eyes glowed brightly. Maybe then. For a mudblood.
"I need a place to look at Draco's journal and practice time magic. Need to write it down?" Hermione shook her head. "Good and Granger, I never took shortcuts with my studies and my Father never accepted me coming in second to you." He didn't know why he felt the need to set that straight but he did. He knew the look on her face would be priceless but he didn't stop to see it. His head ached and he still needed that potion. Since arriving in the past Draco had been having these headaches that made him want to drown. Rubbing his temples Draco headed back to Helga's classroom finally.
"Headmistress I came here to ask if you had a few potion ingredients I could have." Draco knocked on her door but hadn't waited for her answer before entering.
"What do you need the ingredients for?" Helga already looked more tired than she had before when they had talked. "Headache? You can go to our healer for a simple headache remedy."
"It won't work for this headache. I need very distinct ingredients to brew in with it. Lavender, chameleon eyes, firecrab eggs, and boomslang skin. If you have enough to spare it'll last me a good three days before I'll need another potion." The ringing hadn't started yet but Draco knew it would, just as it had the night had only been able to stop it with two bottles of wine.
"Is this a side effect to the orb bringing you here?" Helga moved to her store cupboard looking for the ingredients. "Have they been increasing in frequency?" Draco had to hand it to her, the woman was sharp. Sharper than any Hufflepuff he had ever met, then again she was THE Hufflepuff.
"They started our second day here. They appear to be coming on earlier in the day now though." Draco admitted taking the ingredients.
"Why do you think these particular ingredients are going to help? I might be able to brew you a more lasting solution." Helga suggested looking at him carefully, it made Draco uneasy.
"I think it's backlash from the magic hitting me when I saved Gr- Hermione from the blast. I think they will work because they are some of the ingredients I've used before and I put them in the original potion I brewed to try and stop the orb." Draco had a hunch that adding the boomslang skin would help cull the ache, if they were because of the magical backlash at least.
"Well if you decide you want me to try and brew you a more lasting potion just let me know." Helga looked worried for him and Draco didn't like it.
"Yeah, I'll give you a list of the ingredients I used." The ringing had started. Draco needed darkness, that and to choke down the rancid tea he was going to make just so he could focus enough to brew his potion.