Dark Promises (A Draco Malfoy Fanfic)

Chapter 5

"... Attention to detail in the preparation is the prerequisite of all planning..." Slughorn states before beginning the class.

I peek over to him from across the room; his white platinum hair has become an ungodly mess and his focus seems to be elsewhere. He appears to be deep in his thoughts as if the world was slowly disappearing around him.

His words-- from the other day-- rock my mind, leaving it conflicted, in ways I have become unaccustomed to these many years. Words I've been waiting for with fear and concern, wondering what would happen if I were to admit to those strange feelings that were buried inside my chest.

I snap out of my daydream when halfway through the introduction, the two boys who had just bragged about their free periods, are now walking into the room with a disappointed look on their faces.

Slughorn breaks the class discussion and shifts his attention to the entryway. "Ah! Harry, my boy. I was beginning to worry. You brought someone else, I see".

I giggle softly, knowing that neither Ron nor Harry want to be here. I could see it through the way their head falls or the way each step is dragged, where every movement is forced. Someone must've caught them hanging around in the hallways. 

The professor instructs the boys to grab the books from the cupboard and continues the lecture, asking us what the concoctions on the table are.

Of course, the curly-haired genius next to me launches her arm in the air, her hand inches away from smacking me in the face. My eyes widen at her as I step to the side to avoid another potential mishap. I can never be too sure, especially with Hermione.

As Slughorn calls on her, she steps forward, looks closer into the cauldrons, and begins describing them. "It's Veritaserum, a colorless, odorless potion that forces the drinker to tell the truth..."

I try to concentrate on the class, but my mind flickers over to those two idiots fighting over a book. Both spin around, letting me observe the winner of the match; Ron grinning obtusely and Harry slouched in a grimace.

I shift my eyes back to Hermione who still is flaunting her knowledge. "This is Amortentia. The most powerful love potion in the world. It's rumored to smell differently to each person, according to what attracts them".

And somewhere within that simple sentence, everyone around me now seems to be hooked onto the conversation, fascinated at the power it holds. Still, with that intriguing power, there are secrets that some are willing to discover, while others would rather ignore. 

I try to look away, to avoid any type of revelation, but my treacherous eyes return back to that menacing pot. A quick inhale, a tiny breath, could reveal the truth in the fabricated lies I've been telling myself. 

"For example, I smell freshly mown grass and...new parchment and...spearmint toothpaste", finishing off in a daze, like she knew who it was.

Just as she treads back, blushing, with a newfound feeling, a couple of girls drift closer to the draught, wishing for a brisk whiff of what might foretell their love life.

I position myself upright, uncertain if I want to follow, intimated by what I may learn.

My head slides to the side to find a perplexed expression of a tall and slender boy, the only one that I could decipher, to say the least. His glare was the only message I needed. Nothing the professor said afterward registered in my mind; like everything around me was on mute. He just stares and I follow suit, curious to know his intention. It is strange, strange indeed, to see his face falter a bit as it betrays his ominous demeanor. There must be something going on in his mind, something that explains the gleam in his captivating eyes.