Venom & Virtue

chapter 46

I stepped into the potions classroom, disappointed to see Draco was already waiting, his form leant against a desk, hands in pockets.

He looked particularly good in the dark hue of the room, tempting and dangerous as he studied me in return.

My eyes trailed down to the slope of his hips, his trousers hung low, only held up by the leather of his belt, the same one he'd used to bind my wrists months ago.

"Like what you see?" He smirked, his deep voice reverberating through the air.

I ignored him, strolling past towards the office door as I pulled my wand out and uttered the password.

The lock opened with a click, allowing me to enter the room as I felt Draco following closely behind.

We lit the candles in silence before turning to the large box on the desk, Delicate Material stamped across each side.

I raised my wand, mentally uttering non-verbal cutting spells until all the tape had been sliced, the cardboard lifting open to reveal the contents inside.

The package contained at least 30 smaller parcels, each wrapped in black tissue paper with small labels indicating what they contained.

I began pulling them out, laying them across the desk that Snape had cleared for our preparation work over the next few weeks.

Draco hovered behind, a fraction too close, causing his body heat to drift across to me in a way that felt suffocating.

I felt him lean closer despite the proximity, his chest pressing against my shoulder blades in an obnoxious manner.

The strength of my legs moved me away, my body slipping itself around the other side of the desk, and far out of his touch.

"How do you want to do this?" I raised an eyebrow, staring at him expectantly as he surveyed the ingredients in front of us.

"I think I'll stick to observing," he sat down in Snape's chair, resting his chin between his thumb and forefinger as he looked up at me.

"We're meant to work together," I retorted, my tone clipped.

"I'd rather watch."

"Half of these ingredients are really complicated, you know I'll have no idea what I'm doing with them."

"Let's just cross that bridge when we come to it."

I rolled my eyes, deciding it would be easier not to waste time arguing with his arrogance as I removed my robe and began rolling up my sleeves.

Secretly, I figured that the quicker we worked, the faster we could leave, meaning the sooner that I would be free of his poisonous company.

I conjured a mixture of tools and a chopping board before choosing the first package; Flower Heads written across the front in neat lettering.

I wandered over to the shelf full of vials, searching each level until I came across the corresponding one, a single blue and orange flower left in the preservation soil.

Returning to the desk, I removed the lid, gently lifting out the contents with my wand and placing it upon the board.

I opened the package, revealing ten small closed heads in an array of colours, their stalks a vibrant green indicating they were newly plucked.

It was a simple enough task, and so I began to get to work, carefully planting them into the soil and muttering preservation charms to ensure they would last.

Draco remained seated the whole time, his eyes following my every movement in a way that felt unnerving.

After planting the sixth flower head, I lost patience, feeling increasingly frustrated with being gawked at.